Head to Wesley Memorial Church on Saturday 7th June, and you might notice change is in the air; productive talks, educational workshops and community crafts, all centred on defending against climate crisis. This is the vision behind Thrive, a day-long 'climate hub' created by local environmental group Climate Collective Oxford. We caught up with the team to discuss their work, what to expect on the day and how climate hubs can be used on a more long-term basis to build community power.
Daily Information: Before we talk about the hub, can you tell us a little bit about Climate Collective Oxford and how the group got started?
Climate Collective Oxford: We came together as a group because we are all concerned about climate and nature, and we all wanted to do something really practical and local about it. We’re partly inspired by the Oxford Citizens’ Assembly on climate of 2019, and its key recommendation of “more education and information provided for the wider public in Oxford to help them understand what they can personally do to help”, and partly motivated by seeing climate hubs appearing around the country, and seeing the great work they are doing in their communities.
DI: What previous projects has CCO worked on before this one?
CCO: In the two years we’ve been going, a lot of work has gone into the behind-the-scenes stuff - getting charity registration, building a website, and, of course, research into the Oxford property scene and how we might secure a space for a hub. But we’ve also been working to build our profile, with pop-ups and workshops around Oxford. We have a couple of activities we like to run: a quick, fun drop-in game called How Bad Are Bananas?, which helps people think critically about carbon footprints, and a longer, deep-dive workshop called Climate Fresk, which teaches the fundamentals of climate science in a really thought-provoking, interactive way.
DI: What exactly is a ‘climate hub’?
CCO: Ideally, it’s a highly visible location, like a high street shop, where people can come and find information about various ways to get active on climate and nature - whether that’s taking individual steps, like on home energy use, or eating less meat; or getting involved with some of the local groups who will be using the hub. We’re seeing it as a place that will host and catalyse action. There is so much wonderful climate work going on in Oxfordshire - we want to help make that visible and accessible to everyone.
DI: What can we expect to find at the Hub For a Day on June 7th?
CCO: It will take place over two rooms: one for speakers and workshops, and one for stalls and activities. It’s all free (though donations are very much appreciated - we’re running this on a threadbare shoestring!), and people can drop in without booking (though booking through our Eventbrite page helps us get an idea of numbers - there’s also more info on the programme there). There will be a pop-up cafe, catered by Damascus Rose Kitchen, a kids nature craft area, a singing workshop from Oxford Climate Choir - loads to get involved with.
DI: Which other organisations are involved in the project and how have you collaborated to bring this together?
CCO: The day is all about bringing people and organisations together - just as our hub will be! There will be a presentation from Oxfordshire Doughnut Economics Collective; a workshop from the Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel; stalls from Replenish (on food), the Cherwell Collective (on fashion), Earthwatch, SHARE Oxford, and many more. The kids area will be run by Parents for Future Oxford. Part of what we’ve been doing the past couple of years has been building relationships with these groups, getting their input into what should go into a hub, how it could work for them.
DI: The hub will be set up for the day, but does CCO have plans for its future?
CCO: Obviously, our biggest, most important plan is getting a space where we can put our ideas into practice. This is likely to be a temporary ‘meanwhile’ space, at least to begin with, though a permanent home (like the One Planet centre in Abingdon) would be absolutely brilliant. In the meantime, we have a lot to learn - about what people want from a hub, what a hub does best - and a lot to do - fundraising, volunteer recruitment, relationship-building - we’ll be busy!
Climate Collective Oxford's Thrive Hub can be found on Sat 7th Jun from 10am - 4pm at Wesley Memorial Church; get your ticket here or just drop in!
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