Our mission
Looking after shared places, together
Shared Ground brings people together for practical, well-organized volunteer days on beaches, in forests, along rivers and at heritage sites.
Illustrative photograph – to be replaced with a portrait
The founder
Ghalia Saoudi
Founder & coordinator
Shared Ground is coordinated by Ghalia Saoudi, who plans each activity, prepares the safety briefing and makes sure every volunteer knows what to expect.
Why it exists
Care is something we do, not something we wait for
Beaches, forests, rivers and historic places belong to everyone – and so it is easy for each of us to assume someone else is looking after them.
We believe the most useful response is also the simplest: organize a time and a place, explain clearly what needs doing, and invite anyone who wants to help. Small, regular, well-run activities change how a place looks – and how people feel about it.
What we value
The principles behind every activity
Practical
We focus on tasks that make a visible difference in a few hours.
Safe
Every activity starts with a briefing, and nobody is asked to take risks.
Respectful
We follow the guidance of the people who manage each place, and leave nature and history undisturbed.
Honest
We publish what we actually did and measured – nothing more.
Open to all
No experience, equipment or long-term commitment is needed to take part.
Consistent
Regular, modest activities rather than one-off gestures.
Our approach
How an activity comes together
01
Choose the place
We pick sites where help is needed and agree on access with whoever manages them.
02
Prepare
We plan equipment, groups, safety and how collected waste will be handled.
03
Work together
Volunteers are briefed, work in small groups and sort what they collect.
04
Record and share
We write a short recap and publish only the figures we actually counted.
Activities
The kinds of activities we organize
Documented moments
Recent activities
Looking ahead
Where we want to go
We want regular activities in every kind of place we work in, more people who feel able to organize one themselves, and lasting relationships with the schools, businesses and institutions around us.
Join us for a morning
See what is coming up, or join the volunteer list to hear about new activities first.