Council To Support 'Climate And Ecological' Emergency

Swale Borough Council is supporting local organisations and community groups to host 27 events around the borough for Great Big Green Week.

Seventeen local organisations will be hosting a variety of events ranging from litter picks and webinars to art workshops and a giant whale installation circus to celebrate action on the climate and ecological emergency for the week-long event.

Great Big Green Week is a national week of events running from Saturday 18th to Sunday 26th September ahead of the global climate conference, COP26, in November.

The council has been working with The Climate Coalition to provide over £5,000 funding to support local events around the borough.

Cllr Tim Valentine, cabinet member for the climate emergency at the council, Told SFM News: “We’ve allocated 17 grants totalling over £5,000 to local businesses, organisations, groups and charities in support of their Great Big Green Week events. People can attend any of the 27 events including exhibitions, roadshows, litter picks, workshops, awareness days and tree planting starting on Saturday 18th September. We have roadshows in Faversham, Sittingbourne and Sheerness throughout the week with 150 free pollinator-friendly plants to give away, and lots of fun events around the borough".

He went on to add:  “In Sittingbourne there will be a youth forum for young people to pledge their actions on the climate emergency and a variety of events at Milton Creek Country Park including mindfulness workshop, turning old boots into bird boxes and making mutant flower artwork from plastic drinks bottles with a local artist. People can also join in orchard clearing and tree planting at Oare community orchard, create pollinator patches around Painters Forstal and Ospringe, and Diversity House will be hosting a week-long event. There are lots of family activities to get involved in across the borough and we encourage everybody to get involved and help us tackle the climate and ecological emergency.”

For more information on how you can get involved please visit: www.greatbiggreenweek.com/find-an-event.