Change Activist: Make Big Things Happen Fast

This book is for anyone wanting to make change happen in their life, in their workplace or community and possibly for a better world. It shows how social activists ask better questions, take baby steps to move to the next level. From green campaigns to building profitable, trusted teams, to Government policy, Carmel offers practical tools and strategies in your personal and professional life. Rather than tune out or hope someone else will create the best options, Change Activists use passion, purpose and a compelling plan to move forward. Change activists ask better questions - what am I passionate about, what change do I want to see in the world, how can I make big things happen fast in my life? If you are interested in values led change for yourself, and across any kind of organization this will help; there is power in being true to yourself, in doing the right thing. And it is your life, so don’t be plastic about it.

The book describes how to navigate the ups and downs of making change happen; from start up to scale up, to winning backers and allies. Through interviews with global change leaders including Big Issue co Founder Lord John Bird, Kenyan education leader Qabale Duba and Indian vaccination activist Varsha Vanugobal, Carmel unpacks the elements of successful change activists, suggests we are all capable of more, if we take action. This is a practical guide - Carmel wants everyone to find and play their part in a better future.

Carmel McConnell’s background is a mixture of social activism and business. She is a campaigner and fierce optimist about creating a better world.

While researching her first book Change Activist, in 2000, Carmel interviewed five headteachers in the London borough of Hackney who told her that many of their pupils arrived at school too hungry or malnourished to learn. Carmel started buying and delivering breakfast food to these schools, with remarkable results as children's concentration, behaviour, punctuality and educational attainment significantly improved. As demand for her help grew, Carmel took time out from her City technology consultancy, setting up Magic Breakfast in 2003.

Today, Magic Breakfast and the National School Breakfast Programme (DfE funded to March 2021) provides healthy breakfasts to around 400,000 children in England and Scotland during term time. Carmel was awarded an MBE for her services to school food in the New Year’s Honours 2016. In 2018 she received an Honorary Doctorate from the Open University for improving access to education. She became the 2018 Woman of the Year Campaigner Category at a ceremony in July 2018. Carmel still works full time on Magic Breakfast as well as media work, speaking, writing and faffing around on social media.