Profile   Name: Richard Casson   Location: Britain   Interesting Fact: Richard is currently volunteering in Oxfam's Manchester office

For some people, this weekend will have been about fireworks and Guy Fawkes, but on the afternoon before this years bonfire night, more than 25,000 people came together for an event at London's Trafalgar Square to make their voices heard and show their support for the campaign to Stop Climate Chaos. The event, named "I Count", was organised by the Stop Climate Chaos coalition and saw campaigners and activists from throughout the county come together to urge the Government to negotiate an international deal to stop climate change.

Campaigners at the rally in London. Credit: Oxfam

As an Oxfam volunteer I had the opportunity to help steward and give away free badges, which gave me an excuse to mingle and chat to people - it was surprising just how much of a people magnet the little badges were! Through talking to people and checking out the colourful and creative banners in the crowd, it became clear a real mixed bunch of campaigners and activists had turned up to show their support. From environmental agencies, like Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund, to development agencies such as Action Aid and Tearfund, everyone seemed to have come along. There were even people who'd arrived using ingenious low carbon forms of transport, including a canoeist and bio-fuelled green taxi.

	"The causes of climate change are created in countries in the developed world, but it's the world's poor who are already feeling the effects through worsening environmental changes leading to humanitarian disasters. "

From the stage, we were treated to speeches by high-profile supporters, including actress Miranda Richardson, the Bishop of Liverpool, Ashok Sinha, Director of Stop Climate Chaos, TV presenter Simon Amstell, and President of Islamic Relief Dr Hana El Banna. For me, the highlight of these speeches was listening to Sharon Looremeta, a Masaai woman from Kenya. She talked about how the causes of climate change are created in countries in the developed world, but that it's the world's poor who are already feeling the effects through worsening environmental changes leading to humanitarian disasters. As musician KT Tunstall came on stage and gave an impressive solo performance, the crowd swelled and spilled out onto the streets around the square. Her performance was followed up by pop-rockers Razorlight.

The event was wrapped-up by an empowering performance by DJ outfit V2, who mixed music with video clips of the environmental and humanitarian effects of climate change. Their performance created a sense of the very real damage that we are causing to our planet, and as we were encouraged by comedian Rufus Hound to scream "We Count" at the top of our voices, it was clear just how much public desire there is for international action to stop climate chaos.

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