We will use the excitement of the Camino to COP26 walkers arriving in Leek as a highlight for the Moorlands Climate Action Great Big Green Week.
Students from the Centre for Alternative Technology will be hosting a structured storytelling workshop to coincide with the arrival of the walkers.
Leek will be the half way point on their journey to Glasgow.
All of these activities are supported by Moorlands Climate Action and we have been given a grant by the Climate Coalition for the Great Big Green Week to help pay for room hire, food, promotion, and other costs for the event. Volunteers from MCA are participating in the activities, in collaboration and helping to support the locally volunteer-run Foxlowe Art Centre.
We will have Children's Activty packs available and used beyond the event to encourage young people to learn about climate change and see it as something that is not scary but something that they can do their bit for.
More information to follow!
The aim of the festival was for MCA to raise funds to help insulate the Foxlowe Arts Centre by collaborating on a joint venture - HUG – a Green Arts Festival aimed to raise awareness on the need for carbon reduction and care for our environment. The Foxlowe provided the venue, staff help and support. Moorlands Climate Action Event Co-ordinator and team provided the ideas and organisation.
The Foxlowe would like to aim for carbon neutrality by 2030 which means reducing amounts of energy used and lowering the building’s carbon footprint through literally hugging the building, hence the play on the word title HUG.
Thanks to Cllr Lyn Swindlehurst, Leek Town Mayor, who officially opened the event and Peter Kent-Baguley who supervised the unveiling of a new dragonfly play structure in the garden. Thanks also to Cllr Pam Wood, who was unable to attend due to self-isolating but sent a copy of her speech.
The people involved in making it happen are numerous. From the Foxlowe, Chris Thompson, the Chair, Vicki Heath the manager and Julie Lyons the cook all played their parts. Chris with his initial discussions about the idea with Teresa Pattison (Events Co-ordinator for MCA) when working together at Leek college, Vicki for her enthusiasm and determination to support and facilitate, David Barnes and Vicki, for work on the comprehensive risk assessments we had to consider during this time of Covid and Julie for her research into foods with the lowest carbon footprint that would provide tasty and more easily affordable lunch time choices for visiting families. Foxlowe Craft artists Caron Colbert and Deb Knowles ran children’s craft workshops during the day. Alison McCrea and Nigel Williams who look after the Foxlowe gardens were key cross over links between the Foxlowe and MCA and spent much time and energy on helping to plan the site, getting the site ready, helping to put up tents and signage, arranging the opening ceremony plus showing short environmental films and running a Q and A!
MCA member Moira McCourt with husband Paul was willing and able to provide tents and a beautiful stall inviting people of all ages to paint and learn about the Curlew bird; It could have been one of the most beautiful stalls in the festival. MCA member Sally Perry provided buckets labelled with the Festival’s intentions at every stall, collected money and arranged the raffle for many thoughtful and surprising hampers that had been organised previously by MCA member Dawn Wain with many generous donations coming from local shops particularly Moorlands Kitchen Shop. MCA members Maggie Pollard and Mark Johnson added their poetry to the ‘poet’s corner’ event along with local poet Ali Hill, Stoke poet Gabriella Gay, Staffordshire Poet Laureate Mel Wardle Woodend and Borderland Voices writer Sheena Barnes. Mark Johnson also worked on publicity articles for the Leek Post and Times. Deb Jones ran a ‘pre-loved’ treasures stall for the benefit of both MCA and The Foxlowe.
MCA member Mike Jones supported the venture from the start, organised new membership opportunities at the MCA stall and helped set up the stalls. MCA member Hannah Grimsey designed the wonderful art work for the publicity posters and timetable which gave the Festival real style in advance of the day. MCA members James and Chris Firkins gave generously of their time in the running of the car park, the MCA stall and helping set up and bring down tents and helping with furniture arrangements and the one-way system around the building. MCA member Lindsay Trevarthen was a volunteer steward as well as offering a Qigong class in the morning. Other Foxlowe garden volunteers Penny Oakley and Jane Tattersall gave their time stewarding at various locations. Alana Wheat – the MCA Admin, Communications & Community Organiser organised a timetable of meetings, publicised the event on social media, recorded the event on film and supported all the members. Other workshop leaders who gave their time included Yoga teacher Paula Charnley and Dance Flash Mob teacher Teresa Pattison with Parents and visiting children from St Peter’s and St Wilfrid’s Newman Schools in Cobridge and Tunstall.
Former MCA Admin, comms and community organiser Jenny Hancock, organised PhD Students from Nottingham and Sheffield Universities to take part in a Climate Question Time and introduced key questions for debate. Jill Povey ran a socially distanced singing workshop outside, Steve Dawson from U3A and other drummers including Stoke drum teachers Adrian Walters and Mr Will gave the Drumming Circle shape and structure and John Crimes provided the drum roll at the unveiling of the sculpture during the opening ceremony. Other volunteers who gave their time to collect messages written and displayed were Kyra Sheppard and her children who also helped with the sale of raffle tickets, Linda Ball, who kindly collected and accompanied Ros, a Leek lady with impaired sight who drums and Anne Hancock who helped with the stalls.
Other stall holders who offered a wide range of advice and ethically sourced goods included:
MCA member Wendy Bohme – Art stall.
Rob Whitehouse – Waste Savvy Staffs.
Su Goodwin – Cottage Garden Plants.
Helena Shave – Beach Plastic Art.
Elizabeth Salmon – The Circus Academy, Leek.
Anthony Hammond – Willow Artist.
Andrew Abraham - Bee Keeper.
Gill Morley - The Woodland Trust.
Neil Dawson – Friends of the Earth.
Val Riley – Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.
Lisa and Vince Sinaguglia – LiVin Entertainments (vinyl).
Rob Atkinson – RSPB.
Andy Collins - Borderland Voices – Art Workshop.
Deb Buxton Bailey – Art and Crafts - Macrame.
Mike Barr – Sustrans was a late cancellation due to having to isolate.
The Co-Operative Bank.
Cathy Bower – Foxlowe Creative Hub – Photography
Rachel and Lisa - Foxlowe Creative Hub – On the Horizon Counselling Services CIC.
The feedback has been fantastic. See examples. Vicki reported on the best ever attendance and sales all managed under covid restrictions. We had visitors from far and near with many attendees visiting the Foxlowe for the first time. Over £500 was raised towards insulation, the sun shone and a great day was had by all.
Teresa Pattison. MCA Events Co-ordinator.
Feedback:
CT: Amazing day, fab atmosphere, well done.
CT: Absolutely lovely day, informative and practical action with money raised going towards insulation which will help reduce carbon emissions.
MP: It was a fantastic day.
MJ: So proud of our group today for putting together our first big event led by TP and her band of willing volunteers. Over £500 raised for the Foxlowe and £100 for MCA.
VH: I would love to say to you all how much I personally enjoyed it. It was fantastic to see the Foxlowe really busy again.. the HUG event was incredibly well organised and it was a pleasure to work with the team from Moorlands Climate Action. Customers told how much they found the day enjoyable and informative.
DS: Fab day, well done to the organisers, good mix. Great weather.
MQ: Congratulations to the team on how it all went on Saturday. It all seemed busy and friendly (of course) when I spent some time there. Great numbers, too, and surely a good vibe for future events. Overall it felt like a great event – warmest congratulations to all.
MB: it was a great day Teresa, thanks for pulling it all together.
LS: Thanks to everyone involved yesterday Alison, it was fabulous. …..
RS: Really enjoyed the festival – wonderful atmosphere, very well organised and a great range of performances and activities. I particularly enjoyed the accessible and informative talk on carbon neutral energy and also had a lovely time watching poetry, watching drumming and browsing the stalls.
V JJ: It was a lovely event. Specially enjoyed the poetry. Well done to all involved.
BC: It was very well organised.
CA: It was a lovely event. So pleased that your great photos have recorded the day’s activities.
GG: At least 18 people stopped me today to compliment my dress. An elderly lady even came up, slowly put on her mask and said ‘oh, you are just so beautiful. You’ve come and brought all this bright colour to sleepy old Leek. I feel good today. 
MWW: And we are off POETING. REAL LIVE POETING. In a venue in a town in a country OUT IN THE WORLD WITH ACTUAL PEOPLE.
MWW: It was wonderful this morning to take part in environmental awareness poetry performances for the HUG Green Arts Festival – Moorlands Climate Action and Foxlowe Arts Centre. I have missed performing to a room of people and watching the reactions on their faces and body language and responses – and I think as performers, we naturally respond in return…
MWW: So lovely to see, hear perform and spend time with our friend Gabriella Gay today at the HUG Green Arts Festival.
TP Ali Hill your ‘elephant in the room’ opening poem was brilliant. Loved how you set the tone with such heart and passion.
LW: it was indeed TP, A fab day, well done for your organisational prowess. Lovely to see so many folks and so great to hear Ali’s poems.
AH: you did great Teresa and thanks for including me – really enjoyed it.
SB: I was one of the many people who attended the HUG festival at the Foxlowe Arts centre in Leek on Saturday on what was a blessedly wonderful sunny June day. Through the skill and hard work of the organisers and the diverse range of activities and events on offer, Moorlands Climate Action not only managed to entertain a large number of people of all ages with dancing, drumming, art and circus skills, they also helped to educate us in ways to combat climate change through film, poetry, debate and information. It was heartening to see the Foxlowe alive once again with a diverse range of visitors. Locals mingled with tourists and those from further afield, from Stoke, Buxton and even London. I feel sure the event will have helped to underline the urgent message that we all need to act together, in whatever way we can to slow down the acceleration of global warming.
JC: Fabulous day.
DV: Great day at the HUG Festival. Love this pic, look carefully and you will see the bee, that’s what it’s all about. Well done.
JH: it was fantastic.
JC: Fabulous day, well done Teresa and all involved.
PR: Well done everyone.
AL-F: It was really great to see so many people and for a great cause. Well done TP.
We wish to review our current practices at Moorlands Climate Action as we are looking into our engagement with the Staffordshire Moorlands community post-pandemic.
Moorlands Climate Action are carrying out a SWOT analysis to take stock of where we are up to as a group after 12 months of 'working from home'. This is a chance to reflect on how we interact with others inside MCA and engage with wider society in the Moorlands.
- The focus for this questionnaire is on Moorlands Climate Action.
- This questionnaire will be anonymous.
- We are using the Community Organiser model as a baseline for our analysis.
The review of this will take place ASAP so please fill in the questionnaire before then.
What is a SWOT analysis?
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, so by looking at these we can identify and understand issues that may be affecting Moorlands Climate Action as a community group. We will then spend some time reviewing your answers to determine how best to move forward with MCA.
The SWOT analysis will also help us to identify our strengths and opportunities which can help develop the Moorlands Climate Action identity and how we share what we do.
Thanks for Taking Part!
Please See the Covid Safety Notice Below
We are pleased to let you know that the HûG Green Arts Festival will take place at the Foxlowe Arts Centre in Leek this year. We were disappointed when we had to cancel last year’s event but Saturday, June 26th, is now booked in and looking promising. We would be delighted if you could join us between 10.00am and 4.00pm.
At the start of the day there will be the unveiling of the new Foxlowe Garden Dragonfly sculpture situated next to a designated picnic area in the garden. This is a new low-level climbing frame to replace the very popular spider that sadly went to meet her maker a year ago with the help of some beautiful bracket fungi. Both she and her dragonfly replacement have been made for the Foxlowe garden by Martin Evans of Churnet Woodland Crafts.
Peak District National Park Authority - Youth Engagement Volunteer Rangers
We are looking for a group of enthusiastic volunteers to join us in engaging young people with the beautiful and iconic Peak District. Acting as Green Beacons, inspirational figures that can light the way for young people. Deepening their awareness and connection with the place and encouraging them to become the next green leaders.
Creating pathways for engagement at a range of activities across the Peak District National Park. As a volunteer, you may support:
- School and higher education field visits for ages 5-26 at our key Environmental Education Centres (Longdendale Environment Centre, Macclesfield Forest/Goyt Valley)
- Junior Rangers & Youth Action Green Skills across the Park
- Nature tots at Macclesfield Forest (Pre-school children and families)
- Residential Green Action Days (at partnership YHA’s and Ambassador Centres)
Read more: Peak District National Park Authority - Volunteer Rangers...
Hello!
We wish to review our current practices as Moorlands Climate Action as we are looking into our engagement with the Staffordshire Moorlands community post-pandemic.
Moorlands Climate Action are carrying out a SWOT analysis to take stock of where we are up to as a group after 12 months of 'working from home'. This is a chance to reflect on how we interact with others inside MCA and engage with wider society in the Moorlands.
The focus for this questionnaire is on Moorlands Climate Action.
This questionnaire will be anonymous.
We are using the Community Organiser model as a baseline for our analysis.
The review of this will take place on 21st May so please fill in the questionnaire before then.
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE SURVEY
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