Who are we and what are we working to achieve ?
We are local individuals who have chosen to work together to organise a community centre to work for climate, ecological and social justice, which will promote compassionate citizenship and community resilience, and which will be inclusive, open and welcoming to all.
We are part of a national network of groups in towns and cities across the UK looking to set up Climate Emergency Centres (CECs), based on a model which uses a specific type of short term lease and funding mechanism to set up in empty buildings.
Getting started ….
We held our introductory meeting on Weds 5th May with 22 people attending via zoom, from the University of Bath, Greenpeace, Climate Emergency Watch B&NES, Transition Bath, Green Homes and Bath & West Community Energy to name a few, with thanks to 3SG who helped to promote our inaugural meeting. Phoenix and Ruth from the national CEC network spoke about their experiences in setting up centres and the work of the national network and everyone had an opportunity to share their ideas for a Bath CEC. Just before our first meeting on 5th May the national CEC network was featured in The Guardian giving a welcome boost to our local plans in Bath.
Work underway...
A smaller group has continued to meet and has drafted a project brief and considered the shared principles and values which will direct how Bath CEC operates both internally as an organisation and externally with users/visitors / partners.
These drafts are available via the links below:
Please let us know any comments on these draft documents by emailing bathcec@gmail.com
Why do we need Bath Climate Emergency Centre?
Bath and North East Somerset Council has declared a climate and ecological emergency, and the urgency of climate and ecological breakdown is finally beginning to break through into our everyday news. Its impact is already devastating lives across the world - in the poorest countries most seriously but also amongst our richer neighbours in Canada, the US and Australia.
The UK is not exempt and we believe we have a responsibility in the places in which we live to help each other to do as much as we can and as urgently as we can to develop the resilient and compassionate communities which will move us towards a sustainable, fairer and greener future. The need for collaboration and cooperation to find these solutions which align with social justice is urgent.
The Green Outreach Hub .. a CEC ‘taster’ ?
As well as the work to establish a Bath CEC we have been holding monthly events in the city centre - with the Green Outreach Hub. The Hub aims to raise awareness of the climate and ecological emergency, provide a space for individuals and groups to come together and share practical ideas and solutions to the emergency with each other and with passers-by - from how to make a wildlife pond to campaigning for peat-free compost. The Green Outreach Hub provides a mini taster or a tester for what a full-grown CEC could do!
The next Green Outreach Hub is Saturday 21st August in Kingsmead Square between 10am - 3pm.
Please pop along and see what is happening at the hub and to have a chat about plans for Bath CEC. The theme is 'fire' and they hope to be joined by Bath and West Community Energy, Bath Anti-Racism Collective. Greenpeace Bath will also be campaigning alongside the Hub to protect our oceans.
Follow The Green Outreach Hub on Facebook for more news, and if you would like to make a donation go to: https://www.chuffed.org/project/green-outreach-hub
What could a CEC look like in Bath?
Whilst the Green Outreach Hub is a monthly pop up in a gazebo, our goal is that Bath CEC will provide a city-centre space with a visible and welcoming ‘shopfront’ where lots of activities can happen; this could include cafe, workshops, meeting space, community events, information & resources, talks, exhibitions and public meetings. It will require volunteer commitment, fundraising, staffing, publicity, communications, administration and governance.
What next?
Following a very helpful meeting with James Carlin from 3SG our next steps are to:
gather together information about other CECs - where they are already up and running or in progress, including which organisational structures they are using (charity or alternative)
to develop the business case, setting out in more detail how the model will work, what we need to move ahead, the community benefit from a CEC etc
Continue to network and develop links with like-minded individuals and groups in Bath
If you can get involved in some way either now, or as plans develop, please email bathcec@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list for further updates and to find out more.
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