Mothers demand banks fund planet-saving projects

A GROUP of mothers in Frome held a protest outside Barclays bank to demand they stop investing in fossil fuels, to protect their children’s future. 

Over 50 people throughout the ‘babies’ party for the future’ event, held on Friday 24th May, protested outside Barclays to encourage the company to invest in renewable energy and projects that will ensure their children’s future on this planet. 

Sarah Keelty, a teacher from Frome said, “I joined the protest with my baby today because I believe very strongly in people and organisations taking responsibility for their own actions. I’m trying to do my bit to be a responsible consumer; reducing our household plastic waste, buying food locally, buying and wasting less stuff in general… but what good is my bamboo toothbrush, if some of the most powerful businesses in the world keep fuelling fossil fuels, which we know cause climate change? 

“Why should their greed be allowed to ravage the planet and deprive future generations of a thriving natural environment? There are things we can do to make a change, so I wanted to help raise awareness that we do have a choice as consumers; we can choose not to bank with Barclays but instead, keep our money with banks investing in renewables. There’s such a community of mums in Frome and we all do our bit to hold each other up. Tiny actions can have a really positive impact on each other, so why can’t we keep scaling that up? As world citizens, we are part of this planet’s community, and we must pull together to protect our home.”

Organiser Kitty Webster said, “My baby isn’t old enough to understand what banks do, but the reality is that they are bankrolling the climate crisis which is destroying our future.  A recent report found that Barclays has funded the fossil fuel industry to the tune of $85bn since 2015. Barclays are literally funding the destruction of our planet – and our children’s future.

“It was vibrant, with singing and conversations with passersby and a really positive atmosphere. We turned the outside of the bank into a babies’ play area, with singing and toys to remind the bank executives whose future they’re wrecking by investing in fossil fuels. We sang nursery rhymes with the lyrics amended to climate change.”