It's been a busy few months for Moorlands Climate Action, coinciding with unprecedented heatwaves, wildfires and drought. The need for groups like Moorlands Climate Action has never been more pertinent, as the reality of Climate Change is mirrored by the increase in climate denial.
Leek and District Show - We were fortunate to be offered a last minute upgrade to a larger 'Premium' pitch adjacent to the main ring and were kept busy all day with a steady stream of visitors. The bigger stall meant we had space for a wide range of displays and games - it was certainly our busiest Leek Show.
Working with SMDC - For some months, we have been talking with the Climate Officers at SMDC, to look at how we can raise awareness of the range of work they are doing and how the wider community can be part of their work. We considered that it would be appropriate to look at the various elements of the Adaptation work stream - how we can build resilience into our daily lives to protect ourselves from the worst impact of climate change. Building on the existing Staffordshire strategy and national A Well-Adapted UK, we are taking part in an initial workshop next month, with a view to a wider public event in the future. If you have a specific interest or experience in Adaptation, please get in touch.
People's Emergency Briefing - Adrian has led on the work to organise and present three viewings of the People's Emergency Briefing in Cheadle, Leek and Endon, and this is covered elsewhere in the newsletter. It was good to be invited onto the panel at the Stoke viewing, along with local MP Gareth Snell, and encouraging to see that the movement is building momentum.
Donation from St Luke's & St Paul's Leek - We are very grateful for the generous donation from St Luke's & St Paul's Churches. We will use this funding towards our Wild Week programme of activities in local schools next summer.
Wassail - Last January we organised a Wassail Celebration, to raise awareness of the community orchards in Leek. It was a tremendous success, and we had hoped to repeat it again next January, but we have made the difficult decision not to proceed. It takes an awful lot of organising and it was clear we would need to provide radio microphones, etc., which just added more cost. We will look at other ways to raise awareness and try to get more local people involved in the orchards.
BBC Radio Stoke - Make A Difference awards - We were delighted to be shortlisted once again for the awards, this time in the Environmental category, and Adrian, Lindsay, Moira and Mike are due to attend the Celebration Evening at Bet365 Stadium on Thursday 3rd September. Look out for further information.