The Community Climate Action happening across the city
So far in 2024 our community partners and local residents working on the Community Climate Action Project have been busy with lots of events and activities.
April saw the launch of cohort two’s climate action plans (with two more coming in June) at a successful event where they shared the positive changes they want to see in their neighbourhoods. And a further six partners have now joined us to begin their journey to develop their own community-led climate action plans. They have been receiving support from the Centre for Sustainable Energy and Bristol City Council at workshops this May.
In the meantime, the demonstrator projects in the five communities from cohort one have been as busy as ever.
Kick starts in the kitchen
A four-week creative cooking course has taken place at Ambition Lawrence Weston. This exciting new course was run by volunteers who have themselves gone through ALW’s previous workshops and courses.
Ashley Community Housing has also been busy in the kitchen. They’ve started a new Accelerated Cooking course for residents.
Support for refugees and migrants
Ashley Community Housing have started a programme with Bristol Waste which aims to hire and retain refugees in the workplace.
The programme provides individuals with two weeks’ worth of training relating to specific topics such as ‘life in the UK’, ‘health and safety at work’, as well as a week’s worth of Bristol Waste training. After this, participants have a guaranteed interview.
Community champions
Eastside Community Trust have been delivering the Warm Home Champions programme alongside Bristol Energy Network, to enable cohort two of the Community Climate Action Project and supporting participants to get the most out of the sessions.
Make and make do
Repair Cafes at the Eastside Community Trust are happening every month. These are run by volunteers and so far, they’ve fixed 21 items this quarter. Sewing drop-in sessions are also taking place every Friday at Easton Community Centre.
Eastside Community Trust also held a number of ‘Swaps’ over the spring, including a Coat Swap in February, providing good quality second– hand coats to 20 families as well as basic food parcels; and a Seed Swap in March, with residents bringing harvested seeds and seedlings to share.
Plant power
In April, Eastside Community Trust hosted a screening of Bristol-based film Plant Power which was really popular. The Plant Power film is a remarkable and uplifting film by documentary maker Florence Ayisi. It vividly shows how a shared commitment to growing and tending plants brought people together during lockdown in some of the most nature-deprived areas of Bristol.
Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust have been working with Avon Wildlife Trust to turn public spaces into a meadow. The new meadows include Blake Road corner and Hogarth walk on Highways land and a Wetland meadow at Lockleaze Sports Centre in drainage ditches.
They are also trialling three methods of meadow creation on housing land – planting plugs into grass, turf cutting and sowing, and digging over and sowing.
Additionally, around 500 wildflower plug plants that had been grown by residents from seed collected locally by residents were planted into the greens by residents.
1,060 trees have been planted, grafted, or given to residents to plant in their gardens across the Lockleaze area.
And six ponds have been made by Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust, including two full size ponds during workshops in residents’ gardens, and four mini-ponds at Buzz Garden.
Aa nature trail is being created all the way around Lockleaze Sports Centre, with some days having as many as 30 people planting trees and bog plants, including people from many different backgrounds and nationalities. They’ve also planted 233 trees at Muller Road Recreation Ground.
Avon Wildlife Trust have also been working with Ambition Lawrence Weston to create a large meadow right in the middle of Lawrence Weston.
Heart of BS13’s ‘Green Influencers’ are featured in the Save Our Wild Isles campaign. The short film, which included none other than Sir David Attenborough himself, showcased their young environmental advocates and their impactful work. You can watch the promo film here and full feature here.
Additionally, the BBC have covered Heart of BS13’s amazing composting program. Their feature highlighted their innovative approach to composting and the significant environmental benefits it brings to the community. You can check out the BBC coverage here.
Listen in
Vic Wakefield-Jarrett, Community Project Manager at Eastside Community Trust has started co-hosting an environmental chat show ‘One Love One Planet’.
The show is airing on community radio station BCFM alongside Gary Regis from Bristol Energy Network; Zoe Banks Gross and Ben Bowskill from Sustrans and local resident Karen Woods. Topics so far have included river pollution, cycling and walking infrastructure, library of things, and energy saving.
Supporting accessibility
And over at Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership we have launched our Climate and Disability strand of the Community Climate Action Project. We are currently seeking Expressions of Interest from those interested in joining our Climate and Disability forum. The form will meet every two months to champion and update the climate action plan for Bristol’s community of Disabled people and offer feedback and advice to climate change projects and groups. Apply to join the forum now.
We are also working on a citywide transport vision coproduced by our community partners, which will be launched at the start of July. You can view the animation at our Green Mingle on 4 July. Sign up for your free ticket now.
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