A DAY dedicated to community action on health and climate change in Frome last month was sold out. People from Frome and across the region gathered at The Cheese & Grain and heard from the partners of the unique Green & Healthy Future for Frome project, which is helping people in the town to lead lives that are good for their health and the planet.
Staff from the partnership – consisting of Edventure, Frome Medical Practice and Frome Town Council – shared how their pioneering work is having a positive impact in the community, whilst guest speakers, who are at the forefront of the fight for climate justice in different ways, reminded us of the urgency of the crisis around the world and encouraged the room to consider the bigger picture.
Project manager, Sue Palmer said, “We wanted the conference to bring people together from Frome and across the region and we were delighted that people came from as far afield as Cornwall. More locally we had people joining from towns in Somerset, including councillors and advocates and we felt a really healthy crossover of people being inspired to take action.”
Despite the global challenges faced as a result of climate change, the conference highlighted why taking action on a community level is such an important part of the solution and invited people to get involved. From free e-bike hire and energy advice to a meet up space for cooking up ideas together, the project offers lots of ways for people in Frome to make a difference.
Throughout the day, associated activities took place at Frome library, including the launch of Frome Seed Library where the public can donate and swap seeds, alongside a display by the Future Shed Clothing & Textiles Network which featured a dress made of plastic milk bottles.
Following a tasty plant-based lunch, the team hosted breakout sessions around different health-climate themes, inviting the audience to explore the issues further, share ideas and tackle challenges together. From this came new connections and inspiration with people of all different backgrounds joining in.
The day ended with ‘out and about’ sessions around the town and a reception at Frome Town Hall where people could meet up and reflect. The event was rich in knowledge-sharing and connection-building at all levels from curious local individuals to impassioned community groups and regional health and government organisations looking to make change in their own towns.
After the limitations of the last couple of years, the team was delighted to welcome so many people from Frome and beyond to the event. The project’s Green Health Connector (probably the first role of its kind in the UK), Charlotte said, “it was so lovely to have everyone in the room together” whilst Cycle Together lead Emma added “It was wonderful to make so many connections and share our work with people from all across the South West”.
For more information on the project, including access to our toolkits and films, and details on how to get involved, head to the website: www.greenhealthy futurefrome.org. For the associated activities, you can follow @fromeseedlibrary and @everyoneneedspockets on Instagram.
- Funded by The National Lottery Climate Action Fund, the Green & Healthy Futures programme recognises how the health of people and the planet are inextricably linked and seeks to address these issues together through a number of community-led initiatives. The programme possesses a unique partnership between Edventure: Frome, Frome Medical Practice and Frome Town Council who work together to create climate and health win-wins in Frome.
