Free The Change is a new Scottish project which aims to unite ordinary people across the country who want to make a difference

A new national network has been created which will help ordinary people to create a fairer, more sustainable world.

Free The Change is a new Scottish project which aims to unite ordinary people across the country who want to “be the change” we need to see in the world.

Created by Scotland’s social change festival, Take One Action, Free The Change offers activists a simple framework, practical tools and a national network to create more of the common good wherever we live, work or play.

The aim is to unlock powerful conversations about what matters to each of us, our communities, Scotland and the world - and connect people so they make a difference collectively.

Free The Change’s creative director Simon Bateson said “It’s easy for people to feel overwhelmed. The world is changing fast - and political extremes, technological revolution, dangerous levels of inequality and environmental upheaval are now affecting every community in Scotland.

“Wonderfully, we have more opportunities than ever to stand up and be counted in new and exciting ways. But popular enthusiasm for change can quickly turn to burnout or disillusion when huge problems don’t shift overnight.

“Free The Change champions a vision of citizenship that is immediate, connected, powerful and sustainable - by connecting people on a real level, around the things that matter to each of us, for the long-haul.”

Take One Action is best known for its annual film festivals celebrating people power, which draw thousands of Scots into cinemas and community spaces each year.

The charity - which has premiered the likes of You’ve Been Trumped and Leonardo Di Caprio’s 11th Hour - is launching Free The Change in its tenth birthday year to help socially-concerned Scots turn anger and inspiration into fulfilling action, year-round.

Take One Action’s executive director Tamara Van Strijthem said “Scotland has an amazing history of leading the charge towards social justice, human rights and environmentalism.

“Free The Change builds on that - recovering heart and soul alongside the understandable fear and anger that currently dominate many people’s response to today's world.

“As the name suggests, it’s about releasing our common humanity - and living up to it - with a smile.”

To find out more, click here.