Origins

The Global Charge initiative is rooted in the tragic death of Guardsman Mathew Talbot in 2019. The Coldstream Guardsman was tragically killed by an elephant; one of the very animals he was trying to protect during a counter-poaching mission in Malawi.

At the time of his tragic death, Mathew was a member of 1st Bn the Coldstream Guards, part of 11th Infantry Brigade.  He was deployed to Malawi as part of a joint operation between the British Army, African Parks, the Malawian Department of National Parks and Wildlife and a local conservation organisation.

Reflecting on Mathew’s legacy and the part he played in conservation efforts, Major General Bateman, who was responsible for the mission, knew there was more to be done and so created the concept of The Global Charge. 

The driving force behind the project is Major General Tom Bateman CBE.  In his words:

“There are plenty of people making substantive contributions to increase the resilience and sustainability of the planet. Their work is inspiring in its energy and impact. We want to work with them to amplify their efforts and support their successes.”

“However, there are billions of people in the world who remain passive. They acknowledge the problem but fail to enter what Theodore Roosevelt termed ‘the arena’ or are stopped by the sheer enormity of the challenge and their inability to see a pathway to follow. And it is those people we want to encourage to get involved in The Global Charge.

“I appeal to everyone to invest some time, use their influence, catalyse their networks and strive to expand the numbers of people who actively take an interest in their personal and collective legacy.” 

Rising to this call for action, thousands of people have joined the charge, volunteering their time to support conversation and sustainability causes or holding or attending a Global Charge Dinner