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ECOFest '24

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ECOFest '24 Celebrate! Collaborate! Change!

Celebrate!

On September 21st we, at Emmanuel Methodist Church, Barnsley, celebrated our second ECOFest, with many different organisations and groups, from private, voluntary and public sectors.

We were delighted to welcome the Mayor and Mayoress, as well as local councillors, to celebrate, what is happening in our community, town and area, to help mitigate the impact of climate change. Families came into our building, some for the first time, to hear prize-winning poems from Primary School aged children or to support Brownies who were absorbed in making posters and scrap fabric wreaths, as well as spending their pocket money at some of the stalls. Everyone celebrated loudly with the poetry performers along with the production of a small booklet, called Primary Poets, capturing contributions from children in local schools, our church, Brownies and Girls' Brigade. Meeting new initiatives such as Helpful Heathens, was inspiring. They are using local allotments to help people to 'grow their own' as well as work with school children on the importance – and the fun – of home-grown veg and fruit. We learned about Phyona, which, with researchers from Brunel University is using the former Barnsley Main Colliery site to extract contaminants from the soil – minerals and metals – using different plants. These precious resources are then further extracted; we saw a beautiful ring made from them. This research will be extended across the UK – indeed, the world; we celebrated that Barnsley is one of the key research sites! Developing friendships, formed from groups and organisations at last year's event, was reassuring and affirming, as we realised that they value what we are trying to do as an ECO Church.

We had much to celebrate on the day, with a busy festival and, of course, lots of home-made cakes, coffee and cups of tea!

Collaborate!

The idea of an ECOFest grew from seeds of conversation with the ECO-Church group of Methodist Church, Barnsley NW (of which Emmanuel is a member church). We thought that bringing together some local organisations for coffee and conversations could be a way to learn together as well as engage people from the community. Climate change and sustainable activities can be contested and complicated so finding out who is active in our community and what they do, felt important. Last year, we were overwhelmed by the responses from groups and organisations; this year, we had even more! Collaboration – working together – is clearly the way forward. Stalls, displays, items for sale, exhibitions, posters and banners filled the hall and we had to extend our festival area to include everyone. We held a Speakers' Corner where we learned about Olio; (free food in our neighbourhood); ECOFit (helping to make homes and buildings more energy-efficient); the work of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and of Christian Aid; the campaigns of the SY Climate Alliance and Make It Wild. All the organisations were very willing to talk with people, answer questions and offer flyers, leaflets and even cookery books! Brownies had woven eco-themes into their weekly activities during previous meetings so collaborating with them helped in spreading the 'ECO word'. The Barnsley Bard, Ian McMillan, generously wrote us a sonnet for the occasion. This inspired us to organise poetry-writing for Primary aged children and with further collaboration with the Old Town Ward Alliance, we obtained funding to organise the poetry project and print the booklets. The collaborations and partnerships just seemed to grow!

Change!

The aim of the ECOFest is to engage our local community in conversation, learning and fun, related to climate change. We recognise that the only way to help mitigate the potentially very difficult impact is for each one of us to change our attitudes, thinking and behaviour. But we cannot change unless we learn how/what to do. The ECOFest, gave us that opportunity!

We learned about how to encourage birds and hedgehogs into our gardens and change the decline in wildlife; we learned about campaigning for change, backed by data; we learned about the impact of climate on the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world; we bought gifts, chocolate and biscuits from the Fair-Trade stall, understanding that it is possible to change our buying habits and sustain the world. We discovered what our Local Authority is doing to inform, support and provide grants for businesses in our area to save energy and improve their carbon footprints; we were helped to seek advice about energy use and potential financial support. We took away information and ideas about how to use scrap fabric and create new and beautiful items; we were able to replenish our wardrobes by purchasing second hand clothing! We found out that instead of 'waste' food from supermarkets going to landfill, it can be distributed by volunteers and we picked up leaflets on trails in beautiful Barnsley to encourage us to go out into the countryside.

Listening to stories from individuals whose health and well-being had been changed, for the better, due to involvement in eco and 'greening activities', inspired exchange of stories of similar impact. Volunteering in litter-picking, gardening or growing produce; taking part in walking and outdoor activities were identified as supportive of positive changes in mental health in particular.

All this led many of us to consider the question, "What will I change?" Each person was encouraged to reflect and write on a cardboard leaf, what they might do to change their behaviour. Our 'Pledge tree' was full of leaves, which is now on display in our church, as a reminder of what many committed to do. These pledges included: using public transport; eating less meat; driving more slowly; turning down the heating; joining a walking group; growing some herbs; car-sharing; using Olio in my neighbourhood and supporting charities by buying second hand clothes.

Whilst the ECO Church group reflects and plans what might come next, we extend huge thanks to everyone who baked, served, volunteered, spoke, organised, 'meeted and greeted'; celebrated, and collaborated. We hope and pray that it will lead to change which cares for and sustains our planet.

Organisations joining us for the ECOFest' 24: RSPB; Christian Aid; Twiggs; Brownies; Yorkshire Wildlife Trust; Wentworth Castle National Trust; SY ECO-fit with ECO-Energy; Good Taste Fair Trade; U3A; Re-cycled jewellery; Olio; BMBC Sustainability; Citizens Advice Barnsley; Friends of the Earth + Conversations about Climate with S Y Climate Action Alliance; Make it Wild; Crafts from scraps;
Re-cycled clothes; Helpful Heathens; Primary Poets + support from the Emmanuel catering team.



Janine Eldred

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