Stowmarket Climate Month to raise environmental awareness with conferences and Q&A sessions
An activism group and councillors have come together to pledge their environmental promises to mark the start of Climate Month.
Stowmarket Eco Future Group has organised Climate Month during March to raise awareness on what households can do to reduce their carbon footprints in line with Suffolk Net Zero ambitions.
This launch event introduced four ‘pay as you can’ events at the John Peel Centre for Creative Arts in Church Walk including screenings of environmental films for children, climate change speeches and Q&A sessions.
Sharri McGarry, co-founder of the Stowmarket Eco Future Group, said: “The aim is to spread awareness of how people can help to get their emissions down.
“I think every household has got to become aware of what they can do to help so we have a liveable world for our children.
“I’ve found that lots of people want to help but they just don’t know how - so the aim of Climate Month was to get some speakers in who can tell people of the small steps they can make.”
The activism group has been supported by Stowmarket Town Council, Suffolk County Council and Get Suffolk Reading and councillors including the town mayor, Cllr Barry Salmon, attended a pledging tree ceremony.
He was joined by Cllr Heather Salmon and Town Clerk David Blackburn from Stowmarket Town Council, Cllr Jessica Fleming from Suffolk County Council, Cllr Keith Welham from Mid Suffolk District Council, Stella Davis, Sharri McGarry and her husband Simon Lee-Frampton.
Each wrote a pledge of activism on a paper leaf to attach to the five foot wooden pledging tree which now sits in the John Peel Centre where members of the public can also write and attach their pledges.
This tree was part of the Every Garden Matters exhibition at the Food Museum.
Cllr Barry Salmon said: “The whole thing is a brilliant idea and it's a reminder that we do need to do something about the environment in Stowmarket.
“From our perspective, we’re keen to make sure the town is maintained with clean streets and if we can encourage people to keep it clean and stop litter going in the river - then that’s great.
“We want to encourage as many people in the town to get involved with Climate Month and hopefully get people to think positively about the environment.”
The first event of Climate Month starts on Sunday, March 5 with two free drawing sessions at St Peter’s Hall where children can draw their own manga character with professional artist Chitan Garden.
The two sessions will be held at 3pm and 5.30pm and booking is being advised by emailing sarah.maidment@literacytrust.org.uk.
This is followed by a 4pm screening of The Lorax at the John Peel Centre and Studio Ghibli’s film Princess Mononoke at 7pm.
On Friday, March 10 John Hall from PACE is delivering a climate change presentation called ‘What can we do to help the planet?’ at 7pm.
Peter Miller from Conga Ltd is then leading a Q&A session and delivering a demonstration to audiences on how to use a heat pump.
A screening of BBC’s Shop Well for the Planet will be shown at 7pm on Friday, March 17 followed by a Q&A session from Stowmarket business Bonitas Wholefoods.
And finally, to finish this year’s exhibition, Professor Rupert Read from UEA is delivering his talk titled ‘Nearly all to play for: Building a successful mass moderate flank together’.
Professor Read will then be conducting a Q&A and copies of his books will be on sale at the event.
Further information can be found by clicking here and tickets for each event range from £3 to £10.
Sharri McGarry added: “I hope people come along just to see what small differences they could make.
“If all of us do a little thing - then it becomes a big thing. A small difference makes a big change.”