Two hundred youngsters attended an environmental festival in Cumbria.
Organised by charity Another Way, the event was held at Rheged, near Penrith, and supported by the PLACE partnership funded by Westmorland and Furness Council.
Pupils from schools from Carlisle to Cartmel and Whitehaven to Penrith attended the festival to demonstrate their passion and concerns for accelerating climate change and to find and share inspiration for environmental change.
The festival saw the launch of Another Way’s Power of 10 movement which seeks to equip young environment changemakers with all the skills and inspiration they need to make a difference in their communities and highlight opportunities in the green sector.
Workshops covered topics such as eco-anxiety, creative writing, climate solutions games, art, science communications and running successful creative campaigns.
Amy Bray, founder of Another Way, said: “My aim is to create the largest community of young people making change for the climate. Our festival and our Power of 10 movement was created to enable young people from across Cumbria and the country to celebrate and elevate their thoughts and voices in relation to environmental issues.
“If one person shares a message with 10 people and those t10 people share it with a further 10 it would just take 10 days for that message to spread around the world. Change starts with just one person. That is our plan for Power of 10.
“Through our Power of 10 movement, we are providing young people with access to a wide range of resources that will empower them to take positive action. We have waited too long for someone else to fix our future. We need to help write our own future,” she concluded.
Tim Farron MP, Matt Staniek founder of Save Windermere, Matt Sowerby, poet and climate activist, Dr Ben Martynoga neuroscientist and science writer were among many speakers and workshop leaders at the festival.
Connected organisations were represented on stalls at the festival providing students with environment-related information about green career opportunities, science-based environment information, ideas on activities and changes they could get involved with.
Organisations included RSPB, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, CDEC, CAfS, The Tree Council, Ocean Generation, PACT, UK Youth for Nature, Friends of the Earth, Penrith Repair Shop and zero waste shop Another Weigh.
Amy added: “Sometimes the wider environment movement and youth engagement just doesn’t reach Cumbria and the north. It was brilliant to provide a platform to create these connections, so that organisations extend their wonderful outreach into Cumbrian schools.”
Jamie Normington, head of education and volunteering at Cumbria Wildlife Trust said: ”It was thrilling to see such effective mobilisation and so many young people gathered, motivated and united. For us talking to the teachers was a great chance to multiply our efforts and set up sustained support for their efforts and aims.”
Students were also able to make pledges to the planet, record a podcast about their feelings and inspiration, interview speakers, use our photobooth and play climate games developed by Another Way.
