News and Events
Since the publication of our first book Change the World for a Fiver we have made films, given lectures, created versions in Germany, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, worked with schools and corporate environments alike and published a new book Change the World 9 to 5. Phew. We have achieved more than we ever dreamed of, and with over million actions logged we believe we've touched a chord. Our site is your site.
We update content monthly so please encourage your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours to get involved, check back in and keep us up to date. Together we can create tidal changes, go on show us your ripples.
News 1 to 10 of 133 next
last 19.09.2008 The story of the book: Teach Your Granny to Text
Midway through 2006, the Department for Children Schools & Families (DCSF) invited us to a meeting. They had heard good things about We Are What We Do. Our first book, Change the World for a Fiver was a huge hit in classrooms - stimulating discussion and inspiring action. But there was a problem. Action #08: Take a bath with someone you love. Ten year old boys read it, and tended to dissolve into giggles. Discussion ensued. What was required was a book of everyday actions with the same slu... Read the full article
Teach your Granny to Text
A new book, created by children, is set to start a revolution this autumn"This is more than do-goodery for the digital age. Even those too jaded to want to save the planet or make people happy can be intrigued by the process that is supposed to be at work here. It also happens to channel the optimism and pragmatism of childhood to practical ends."The Times, Saturday 20 September 2008In a unique collaboration between the social change organisation We Are What We Do and the Department f... Read the full article
08.08.2008 Change in our waters
There's been a sea change around water recently. Using less when we take our showers. Recycling more when we have our baths. Drinking tap when we’ve got a thirst on us. There are 2.6 billion people in the world without proper sanitation. Yet we leave our showers and taps gaily running and spend an extra £2 billion on branded water. Strike anyone else as a bit dappy? World Water Week affords us the perfect opportunity to turn off our taps, not sing in the shower and bin the bottle. When you sit... Read the full article
07.08.2008 Young Speakers
Meet our newest, secret weapon. Young Speakers. Coming soon. To a school near you. In June and July at undisclosed rural and urban locations 200 exceptional young people came together with one common aim. To change the world. Or lose their voice trying…Over an intensive weekend they trained up on their facts, stats and world-changing delivery. They learnt how to captivate an audience, deal with hecklers and orienteer at midnight over the dales. In the process they made lifelong friends, got ro... Read the full article
06.08.2008 Things That Tickle Our Fancy
(Sponsored by Action 118: Don't Sing in the Shower)We think of water as unlimited. On an island (surrounded by water) in a climate (characterised by rain) with a history (blighted by floods) it's hard to put a value on the stuff that so readily comes from our taps and our skies. But the tide's turning on water. Bottled – more expensive than petrol, less fashionable than fur – is being scrapped for tap. And we're being attentive with our faucets and shower heads. Our action 118 is Don't Sing in... Read the full article
06.06.2008 Dare to Share?
The average power tool is used for just seven minutes in its life, the average lawnmower for just five hours a year. Every day there are 38 million empty car seats on the UK’s roads. Strike anyone else as a bit dappy? National Liftshare Day affords us the perfect excuse to go on a huge sharing spree. To cast open our wardrobes, throw our keys in the bowl, share our sarnies and borrow some sugar please... As a mower it does in my headTo mow one lawn, then sit in the shed There’s a whole street ... Read the full article
01.06.2008 Things That Tickle Our Fancy
Sharing is a two way street. No sooner have you lent your lawnmower or split your strawberries, then you are offered a lift and, pouf!, a cup of sugar materialises. Sharing can extend to everything from skills and childminding, to dog walking and wardrobe raiding. ‘There is no delight in owning anything unshared’ said Seneca, the Roman philosopher. A man who obviously coveted his flatmate’s toga…This month, in honour of National Liftshare Day we are expanding the concept of sharing to include ... Read the full article
03.05.2008 Converting commuters to walking
‘Hey? What’s this? A bright, cartoon ticket glinting in my rush hour carriage. Although my head is wedged under a fellow passenger’s armpit, I can just about make out blue skies, green trees, white clouds, is that a yellow sun?..’It’s true. There’s a whole world of green/blue/brown stuff out there. It costs nothing. It gives you energy. And you can discover fantastic things, under your own steam, and off-piste. Now that it’s Spring we wanted to share the gift of strolling so we created some w... Read the full article
02.05.2008 Don’t Sit On Your Assets: Our young speakers update
Action 98 is ‘spread the word’. Over the years we have found that our greatest asset in spreading the power of small actions x lots of people = big change is the good, old fashioned voice-box. And our latest initiative will capitalise on this, enabling young people to become ambassadors of everyday activishm*.
Blown away by young people’s commitment to the power of simple actions to create big change, it seemed to make sense to us that the actions from this year’s children’s book... Read the full article
01.05.2008 Do the shuffle
Walk to School Week affords us the perfect excuse to sing the praises of the stroll and the saunter, the amble, the wander…There’s a curious thing called a shuffleYou can do it without a kerfuffleTake your tush off the chair, have a walk to… just thereAnd burn enough fat for a truffle. On the way we’d love you to try…05. Smile and smile back11. Get fitter, feel better28. Seize the moment41. Hug someone66. Take breaks88. Get off one stop early…or 94 other everyday, worldchanging actions. (Count... Read the full article
News 1 to 10 of 133 next last
Change in our waters
There's been a sea change around water recently. Using less when we take our showers. Recycling more when we have our baths. Drinking tap when we’ve got a thirst on us. There are 2.6 billion people in the world without proper sanitation. Yet we leave our showers and taps gaily running and spend an extra £2 billion on branded water. Strike anyone else as a bit dappy? World Water Week affords us the perfect opportunity to turn off our taps, not sing in the shower and bin the bottle. When you sit... Read the full article07.08.2008 Young Speakers
Meet our newest, secret weapon. Young Speakers. Coming soon. To a school near you. In June and July at undisclosed rural and urban locations 200 exceptional young people came together with one common aim. To change the world. Or lose their voice trying…Over an intensive weekend they trained up on their facts, stats and world-changing delivery. They learnt how to captivate an audience, deal with hecklers and orienteer at midnight over the dales. In the process they made lifelong friends, got ro... Read the full article
06.08.2008 Things That Tickle Our Fancy
(Sponsored by Action 118: Don't Sing in the Shower)We think of water as unlimited. On an island (surrounded by water) in a climate (characterised by rain) with a history (blighted by floods) it's hard to put a value on the stuff that so readily comes from our taps and our skies. But the tide's turning on water. Bottled – more expensive than petrol, less fashionable than fur – is being scrapped for tap. And we're being attentive with our faucets and shower heads. Our action 118 is Don't Sing in... Read the full article
06.06.2008 Dare to Share?
The average power tool is used for just seven minutes in its life, the average lawnmower for just five hours a year. Every day there are 38 million empty car seats on the UK’s roads. Strike anyone else as a bit dappy? National Liftshare Day affords us the perfect excuse to go on a huge sharing spree. To cast open our wardrobes, throw our keys in the bowl, share our sarnies and borrow some sugar please... As a mower it does in my headTo mow one lawn, then sit in the shed There’s a whole street ... Read the full article
01.06.2008 Things That Tickle Our Fancy
Sharing is a two way street. No sooner have you lent your lawnmower or split your strawberries, then you are offered a lift and, pouf!, a cup of sugar materialises. Sharing can extend to everything from skills and childminding, to dog walking and wardrobe raiding. ‘There is no delight in owning anything unshared’ said Seneca, the Roman philosopher. A man who obviously coveted his flatmate’s toga…This month, in honour of National Liftshare Day we are expanding the concept of sharing to include ... Read the full article
03.05.2008 Converting commuters to walking
‘Hey? What’s this? A bright, cartoon ticket glinting in my rush hour carriage. Although my head is wedged under a fellow passenger’s armpit, I can just about make out blue skies, green trees, white clouds, is that a yellow sun?..’It’s true. There’s a whole world of green/blue/brown stuff out there. It costs nothing. It gives you energy. And you can discover fantastic things, under your own steam, and off-piste. Now that it’s Spring we wanted to share the gift of strolling so we created some w... Read the full article
02.05.2008 Don’t Sit On Your Assets: Our young speakers update
Action 98 is ‘spread the word’. Over the years we have found that our greatest asset in spreading the power of small actions x lots of people = big change is the good, old fashioned voice-box. And our latest initiative will capitalise on this, enabling young people to become ambassadors of everyday activishm*.
Blown away by young people’s commitment to the power of simple actions to create big change, it seemed to make sense to us that the actions from this year’s children’s book... Read the full article
01.05.2008 Do the shuffle
Walk to School Week affords us the perfect excuse to sing the praises of the stroll and the saunter, the amble, the wander…There’s a curious thing called a shuffleYou can do it without a kerfuffleTake your tush off the chair, have a walk to… just thereAnd burn enough fat for a truffle. On the way we’d love you to try…05. Smile and smile back11. Get fitter, feel better28. Seize the moment41. Hug someone66. Take breaks88. Get off one stop early…or 94 other everyday, worldchanging actions. (Count... Read the full article
News 1 to 10 of 133 next last
Things That Tickle Our Fancy
(Sponsored by Action 118: Don't Sing in the Shower)We think of water as unlimited. On an island (surrounded by water) in a climate (characterised by rain) with a history (blighted by floods) it's hard to put a value on the stuff that so readily comes from our taps and our skies. But the tide's turning on water. Bottled – more expensive than petrol, less fashionable than fur – is being scrapped for tap. And we're being attentive with our faucets and shower heads. Our action 118 is Don't Sing in... Read the full article06.06.2008 Dare to Share?
The average power tool is used for just seven minutes in its life, the average lawnmower for just five hours a year. Every day there are 38 million empty car seats on the UK’s roads. Strike anyone else as a bit dappy? National Liftshare Day affords us the perfect excuse to go on a huge sharing spree. To cast open our wardrobes, throw our keys in the bowl, share our sarnies and borrow some sugar please... As a mower it does in my headTo mow one lawn, then sit in the shed There’s a whole street ... Read the full article
01.06.2008 Things That Tickle Our Fancy
Sharing is a two way street. No sooner have you lent your lawnmower or split your strawberries, then you are offered a lift and, pouf!, a cup of sugar materialises. Sharing can extend to everything from skills and childminding, to dog walking and wardrobe raiding. ‘There is no delight in owning anything unshared’ said Seneca, the Roman philosopher. A man who obviously coveted his flatmate’s toga…This month, in honour of National Liftshare Day we are expanding the concept of sharing to include ... Read the full article
03.05.2008 Converting commuters to walking
‘Hey? What’s this? A bright, cartoon ticket glinting in my rush hour carriage. Although my head is wedged under a fellow passenger’s armpit, I can just about make out blue skies, green trees, white clouds, is that a yellow sun?..’It’s true. There’s a whole world of green/blue/brown stuff out there. It costs nothing. It gives you energy. And you can discover fantastic things, under your own steam, and off-piste. Now that it’s Spring we wanted to share the gift of strolling so we created some w... Read the full article
02.05.2008 Don’t Sit On Your Assets: Our young speakers update
Action 98 is ‘spread the word’. Over the years we have found that our greatest asset in spreading the power of small actions x lots of people = big change is the good, old fashioned voice-box. And our latest initiative will capitalise on this, enabling young people to become ambassadors of everyday activishm*.
Blown away by young people’s commitment to the power of simple actions to create big change, it seemed to make sense to us that the actions from this year’s children’s book... Read the full article
01.05.2008 Do the shuffle
Walk to School Week affords us the perfect excuse to sing the praises of the stroll and the saunter, the amble, the wander…There’s a curious thing called a shuffleYou can do it without a kerfuffleTake your tush off the chair, have a walk to… just thereAnd burn enough fat for a truffle. On the way we’d love you to try…05. Smile and smile back11. Get fitter, feel better28. Seize the moment41. Hug someone66. Take breaks88. Get off one stop early…or 94 other everyday, worldchanging actions. (Count... Read the full article
News 1 to 10 of 133 next last
Things That Tickle Our Fancy
Sharing is a two way street. No sooner have you lent your lawnmower or split your strawberries, then you are offered a lift and, pouf!, a cup of sugar materialises. Sharing can extend to everything from skills and childminding, to dog walking and wardrobe raiding. ‘There is no delight in owning anything unshared’ said Seneca, the Roman philosopher. A man who obviously coveted his flatmate’s toga…This month, in honour of National Liftshare Day we are expanding the concept of sharing to include ... Read the full article03.05.2008 Converting commuters to walking
‘Hey? What’s this? A bright, cartoon ticket glinting in my rush hour carriage. Although my head is wedged under a fellow passenger’s armpit, I can just about make out blue skies, green trees, white clouds, is that a yellow sun?..’It’s true. There’s a whole world of green/blue/brown stuff out there. It costs nothing. It gives you energy. And you can discover fantastic things, under your own steam, and off-piste. Now that it’s Spring we wanted to share the gift of strolling so we created some w... Read the full article
02.05.2008 Don’t Sit On Your Assets: Our young speakers update
Action 98 is ‘spread the word’. Over the years we have found that our greatest asset in spreading the power of small actions x lots of people = big change is the good, old fashioned voice-box. And our latest initiative will capitalise on this, enabling young people to become ambassadors of everyday activishm*.
Blown away by young people’s commitment to the power of simple actions to create big change, it seemed to make sense to us that the actions from this year’s children’s book... Read the full article
01.05.2008 Do the shuffle
Walk to School Week affords us the perfect excuse to sing the praises of the stroll and the saunter, the amble, the wander…There’s a curious thing called a shuffleYou can do it without a kerfuffleTake your tush off the chair, have a walk to… just thereAnd burn enough fat for a truffle. On the way we’d love you to try…05. Smile and smile back11. Get fitter, feel better28. Seize the moment41. Hug someone66. Take breaks88. Get off one stop early…or 94 other everyday, worldchanging actions. (Count... Read the full article
News 1 to 10 of 133 next last
Don’t Sit On Your Assets: Our young speakers update
Action 98 is ‘spread the word’. Over the years we have found that our greatest asset in spreading the power of small actions x lots of people = big change is the good, old fashioned voice-box. And our latest initiative will capitalise on this, enabling young people to become ambassadors of everyday activishm*. Blown away by young people’s commitment to the power of simple actions to create big change, it seemed to make sense to us that the actions from this year’s children’s book... Read the full article01.05.2008 Do the shuffle
Walk to School Week affords us the perfect excuse to sing the praises of the stroll and the saunter, the amble, the wander…There’s a curious thing called a shuffleYou can do it without a kerfuffleTake your tush off the chair, have a walk to… just thereAnd burn enough fat for a truffle. On the way we’d love you to try…05. Smile and smile back11. Get fitter, feel better28. Seize the moment41. Hug someone66. Take breaks88. Get off one stop early…or 94 other everyday, worldchanging actions. (Count... Read the full article
News 1 to 10 of 133 next last
Get out and about?
October 2008 0 events| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
See all events 
Press centre
We have all that's needed for the hard-working journalist out there to help us spread the wordPress centre News 
Action tracker
Hello, stranger!
Not yet signed up? Register now
Need convincing? Find out more about our action tracker.
Dare a friend
Truth, dare, double dare, kiss or promise. But most of all...action!
Soapbox
I'm an Octogenarian Grandma who can text!!!
On seeing the book "Teach your Granny to Text" at Sains...
I'm an Octogenarian Grandma who can text!!!
On seeing the book "Teach your Granny to Text" at Sains...
Buy our books! The best thing about an unexpected present is just that. You're not expecting it. It makes you smile.Take me to the online shop
Subscribe to our yummy feed...
Bookmark with:
What are these?