Bollocks to poverty

This cartoon-style image of fat cat business men celebrating with billions stolen from the poorest countries isn’t far from the truth.

Developing countries actually lose three times more to tax havens than they receive in aid each year. This money should be going towards hospitals, roads and supporting small farmers.

Our fabulous team of Activista volunteers were on hand to explain what this is all about and collected hundreds of photos of people showing their support. We sent these to David Cameron as a strong and colourful demand to sort out shady tax havens.

And the message is finally getting through. At a meeting on tax on Saturday, Cameron took a crucial step forward to clamping down on tax dodging by starting to deal with tax havens controlled by the UK government.

But the big test will be at the G8 meetings over the next couple of days.

Add your voice by tweeting @David_Cameron today asking him to "Sort out #shady tax havens"!

This year Eminem, Green Day, Chase & Status and Biffy Clyro headline and we are taking our tax justice campaign to the festival.

Tax campaigning can be fun honest! Don't just take my word for it check out these examples!

Very useful stuff to know about tax:

• Developing countries lose three times more to tax havens than they receive in aid each year

• Tax pays for things like teachers, doctors, clean water and roads

• 1 in 5 of the world’s tax havens is controlled by the UK government. That means our government can play a huge part in ending tax havens.

We’re looking for volunteers to campaign with us and help us raise awareness of this issue. Love music, mud, wellies and warm beer? Hate tax dodgers? Then this is the job for you!

Don't worry you don't have to be an expert on tax to volunteer! We will be giving you all the training and tips you need at the festival.

Biffy Clyro say 'Bollocks to Poverty' at Reading in 2010

If David Cameron tackles tax havens at the G8 summit, it will be an incredible win in the fight for tax justice. But we won’t stop there. We’ll keep going until corporates pay their fair share of tax in poor countries.

Join our amazing crew of volunteers spreading the tax justice message at Reading Festival and sign up to volunteer now!

Deadline for applications is 5pm Mon 29th July.

Hi, I’m Elly Ahimidiwe. I am an Activista from Moshi, Tanzania.

For almost three weeks I have been here in London to participate in the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign, seeking to address the problem of hunger and associated diseases like malnutrition, which is affecting African kids in terms of not growing well mentally and physically.

Last week I got the chance to attend the The Creative Activism Experience, and I was amazed by the way facilitators made us the main actors for the sessions, including different games, energizers, a street stunt competition and so many others!

The Creative Activism Experience crew!

I came to realize that we youth have so many things in common to share. We can learn and be inspired by each other regardless of our different localities.

I was honored to be given a chance to share my experience as a land rights and food security activist from Tanzania, and also to inspire my fellow youth to join the Activista network. The Activista network has given me opportunities to meet different people and to learn many different techniques on how to run campaigns in a more innovative way and less destructive manner.

Here I am sharing my experience of campaigning in Tanzania

The role of social media has been so important for us. It has reduced expenses, at the same time reaching many people. During the training we used our own mobile phones to make videos, taking pictures and at the same time connecting the public through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Our team spread the Food not Fuel message

Back home in Tanzania many youth networks when they want to make a campaign, the first thing comes in their minds is financial support, which has been an obstacle for them fulfilling their mission. But what I have learnt and will take home is that raising awareness does not always mean money to buy a big banner, posters and music system for sound on the streets.

“Through the workshop I learnt that the power of youth isn’t in their muscles but in their creativity and innovation to do things differently”

>> Join Activista - our global youth network.

On Saturday 45,000 people came to the Big IF in Hyde Park in London to send David Cameron and the rest of the G8 leaders a clear message:

“There is enough food for everyone IF you do the right thing!”

And the right thing is? Well, three things actually…

1) Clamp down on tax havens and stop the flow of billions of pounds out of developing countries – money that could be used to end hunger.

Our supporters send Cameron a clear mesage on tax havens

2) Give people in developing countries more control over their land by protecting poor farmers from land grabs and using land to grow food not fuel.

Our corn on the cob choir get the Food not Fuel message out loud and clear

3) Help poor countries make sure that everyone, especially children, have enough nutritious food to eat and support poor families to grow their own food.

To make sure our message could not be ignored, we created an amazing visual petition of spinning flowers with 2 million petals in total, each representing a child who dies every year due to malnutrition.

The Big IF marked the start of a 10-day countdown to the G8 summit in Northern Ireland, 17-18th June. Even if you couldn’t make it to Hyde Park you can still add your voice and help be the generation to kick start the end of hunger.

Lauren Laverne tweeted David Cameron and urges you to do the same!