12:00pm – 17:00pm King George’s Playing Fields, Brentwood, CM13 2FD.
Come and see us at our stand and enjoy a fun filled family day out.
We will be also presenting a short set of poetry on the stage.
Free entry.
Category: Brentwood
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Climate Café® Brentwood launches July 26
A welcoming new monthly space for everyone in Brentwood to get together and discuss climate and environmental issues, Climate Café® Brentwood, is launching in the town centre at the end of the month.
The first of regular monthly openings of Climate Café® Brentwood will take place on July 26, being organised by the town’s Brentwood Climate Action group – providing a relaxed and informal drop-in venue for anyone interested to have a chat with likeminded people.
The Cafe will take place in the community hub at 7 Crown Street, and the launch event coincides with the Summer Party taking place on the vibrant Brentwood shopping street that day. All are welcome, of any age, to stay for as little or long as they like. The Cafe will run in two sessions, from 9.30-11am; then later from 12-1.30pm.
It is a Bring Your Own Drink event due to numbers expected, and there are two nearby cafes – Hey Joe and Chantilly – happy to supply refreshments, as well as those on the High Street. Or you are free to bring your own drinks and snacks from home!
Families are encouraged to pop in, as there will be a themed drawing space, colouring equipment, as well as pens and paper for visitors to jot down their thoughts and suggestions for future Cafes.
Climate Café® is a community movement that began in rural Scotland in 2015, now with sister Cafés all around the world – all affording an inclusive space where everyone is welcome to join the climate conversation and get involved. All the chat and any action is led by those who live, work and play in that community.
Katherine Anderson, Brentwood Climate Action’s Chair, said: “We’re delighted to be launching Climate Café® Brentwood, a safe space to get together with people from across the community to Drink, Chat and Act on Climate.
“It’s free and open for all to attend, and I’m sure it will provide a positive and inspiring opportunity for the people of Brentwood to talk and listen about issues that matter to them, hopefully coming back on a monthly basis!”
Climate Café® Brentwood will take place at 7 Crown Street on the last Saturday of every month through to the end of the year. The next date is confirmed for August 30.
Brentwood Climate Action is the only Borough-based group campaigning for climate action; a totally volunteer-run and non-political group, funded purely by member and public donations. The BCA ethos is founded on engagement with a wide range of people across all environmental, cultural, faith, community and political groups.
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Info Sharing evening confirmed for April 3 2025
Our meetings and events for spring 2025 were confirmed at the first Brentwood Climate Action meeting of the year on February 27.
The gathering via Zoom agreed that we will meet on Thursday April 3 at The Victoria Arms on Ongar Road for an informal Climate Info Sharing evening; and then a Litter Pick down Shenfield Road on Sunday April 13.
The Info Sharing evening at the Victoria Arms in Brentwood (from 7pm) will provide a chance to talk about the things we each do to try and be more climate and environmentally friendly in our daily lives, to share ideas and information, and to get tips from each other.
All Brentwood Climate Action members, and anyone interested in discussing climate and environmental issues, are very welcome!
Then the Litter Pick ten days later between central Brentwood and Shenfield will commence from The Hermit Club on Shenfield Road near to Brentwood Theatre, and working our way down towards The Green Dragon pub. It will be a chance to chat about climate and environmental issues with fellow Brentwood Climate Action members and activists while we help clean up the neighbourhood.
The meeting last month also reported on the Quiz Night held in January, which raised more than £100 in donations for future Brentwood Climate Action causes; and discussed how members might be active in the future in lobbying our local politicians on climate and environmental issues.
The date for the members meeting in May will be confirmed in due course, and posted here on the BCA website, social channels, and shared via email.
Full meeting minutes can be downloaded as a PDF below:
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Brentwood Climate Action AGM report
The Brentwood Climate Action 2023 AGM took place on Friday October 20, and saw a new constitution adopted, with Susan Kortlandt stepping down as Chair as expected.
The meeting, held at Chicken & Frog bookshop in Brentwood, voted to accepted the change to the Management & Governance section of the BCA constitution, that now states: “The group will have one main point of contact and one or more group organisers including a Chair, a Secretary and a Treasurer who shall report on progress in the previous year and be elected annually at a meeting of all members. These organisers will form a Steering Group and meet regularly to manage members, meetings and events.”
Kat Anderson has agreed to take over as Acting Chair for the time being, with the definite aim being to elect a new permanent Chair as soon as possible at a future BCA meeting. Richard Millwood has taken over as Secretary, as Jane Winter wished to step down from the role.
On behalf of all of the Steering Group and the membership we’d like to thank Sue and Jane for their work in helping to get Brentwood Climate Action up and running in 2021, and helping to steer the many actions taken by the group in the subsequent two years.
The meeting heard a report from Richard Millwood on those various key actions, and from Kat (in her role as joint Treasurer) on the group’s current financial stability.
There was also a discussion about possible future actions, with it agreed that BCA should start discussions with Brentwood Borough Council about holding a second schools conference around climate issues in spring 2024. And also that BCA should look to support global climate action during the important forthcoming COP28 climate talks in Dubai (November 30-December 12).
A next meeting was scheduled for Friday November 17 – to which all members and interested parties are invited to attend. We will endeavour to make that hybrid, so that people who can’t attend in person can join via Zoom. Further details will be sent out via email to members nearer the time, and posted on the BCA website and social media channels.
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Brentwood Climate Action reboot Oct 20th
To all Brentwood Climate Action members from Susan Kortlandt, Chair, BCA – October 2023
Dear member,
It’s been a while since we last met and indeed took action in this group.
Nevertheless, the need for the group is perhaps just as strong as ever and we should be encouraged by the actions we took over the last two years, which have included a schools conference, a stand at Strawberry Fair, a litter pick and some enjoyable meetings to exchange thoughts.
The steering group continues to meet and is looking forward to organising another schools conference and planning further action over the next year. Several members have asked whether it is a good time to revive our group and also to celebrate the declaration of a Climate Emergency by the current Brentwood Borough Council – something we called for two years ago.
Personally, I have decided to step down as chair and realised the constitution we started with makes no provision for this, so I propose we change it and elect a new chair at our next meeting. I have attached a new constitution below and highlighted in red the changes proposed.
So I invite you to meet to do this at 7pm on Friday October 20th at the Chicken and Frog Bookshop, 30 Crown St, Brentwood, CM14 4BA.
Please email us at info@brentwoodclimateaction.org.uk to confirm your attendance.
Best wishes,
Sue
Brentwood Climate Action – proposed amended Constitution, 2023
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Our plans for Great Big Green Week need your help
Brentwood Climate Action is planning to fully embrace this year’s Great Big Green Week in the autumn – with an outline of events we could run agreed at this week’s BCA Steering Group meeting.
For those that don’t know, the Great Big Green Week is the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. Between September 24 and October 2 this year, Great Big Green Week will unleash a wave of support for action to protect the planet. Tens of thousands of people in every corner of the country will celebrate the heartfelt, brave, everyday actions being taken to stand up for nature and fight climate change.
Together we can show decision makers that people from all walks of life are stepping up to take action on climate change – and we need them to step up too. Last year over 5000 events took place, with more than 200,000 people showing up for the planet in their community and online.
So it is definitely something that Brentwood should be participating in. And we need your help – Brentwood Climate Action members, and anyone interested in solutions to the Climate Emergency and nature crisis we face in this country and around the world – to make it happen.
Ideas currently being worked on are:
- Holding a Climate Cafe in the Brentwood Borough area – potentially in Ingatestone, and maybe elsewhere if we can find suitable venues. If you’re not familiar with the concept, a Climate Cafe is a space for people to get together to talk and act on climate change and related issues. Climate Cafes are informal, inclusive spaces where everyone is welcome to join the conversation and get involved
- Litter Pick – building on successful BCA ones held previously in the spring and at the Strawberry Fair… for as many people in the local community to come and join us as possible and take very simple but effective environmental action
- Green Book Club – hopefully we can stage an event at a local bookshop, giving attendees the chance to get together to talk about, and buy, the latest and best books on climate change, the environment, and the natural world
- A climate change Board Games event – with a variety of environment-themed games available for all to play, giving us a fundraising opportunity and a chance for BCA members to come together for an enjoyable social gathering
- Creating information leaflets on key climate, green energy and nature issues that would be available at our events during Great Big Green Week and thereafter
We’d like to stage these events during the week, and maybe more, but we can’t without more volunteers coming forward to help organise them and run them on the agreed dates.
So please get in touch with us at info@brentwoodclimateaction.org.uk
Or via our Contacts page, or our social media channels – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – to let us know how you’d like to get involved before and during Great Big Green Week.
The sooner we can confirm all our plans and dates/venues the sooner we can publicise all the events – and get as many people joining in with Great Big Green Week across the Borough as possible.
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Join us on Shenfield Common for July 21 meeting
Our next Brentwood Climate Action meeting on Thursday July 21 has been switched to Shenfield Common – to allow for a more social and engaging gathering, with a focus on the new draft Environment Strategy published by Brentwood Borough Council.
Our latest Steering Group meeting last week agreed that an outdoor meeting on the Common (from 7pm onwards) would allow our growing Membership to get to know each other better.
And we will use the launch of the Council’s consultation on their Environment Strategy this past week as a focal point to discuss future BCA actions, that we all agree should be taken over the coming months.
Ahead of the meeting please go to the Council website at https://www.brentwood.gov.uk/w/environment-strategy-consultation where you can download the Environment Strategy to read in full. And you can also take part in their consultation surveys from there: for the general public, young people, and businesses.
Steering Group members will be on the Common setting up from 6pm, ready to welcome members from 7pm. And Members are invited to bring drinks and snacks, and blankets/chairs for outdoors seating as required!
We’ll bring along clip boards and pens and the necessary materials to allow us to run feedback sessions, and gather everyone’s comments for a potential overall Brentwood Climate Action response to the Strategy.
So please turn up in your numbers, and with lots of thoughts and ideas on how we should respond to the Strategy, and tackle the critical climate emergency and environmental issues facing Brentwood over the coming years.
We will also be looking at our various Action Groups and how we can improve their running and output. And we’ll be looking ahead to the Great Big Green Week at the end of September, and what sort of events we could run then to engage the wider Brentwood community in climate action.
So if you fancy getting more involved on any front, please come along on July 21 ready to put your hand up and volunteer, at whatever level of commitment suits you.
Other updates from the Steering Group meeting included the decision to postpone the second planned Schools Climate Change Conference, scheduled for last month, until October 28 at St Martin’s School. And we reflected on the success of our stall at the Strawberry Fair – run jointly with Brentwood Fair Trade; although we agreed it would have been nice to see more BCA Members there on the day, to say hello and help out.
Without BCA Members getting involved we will find it harder to follow through on the Climate Action plans you want to see for Brentwood.
So please do take this opportunity to come along and take part in the discussions on July 21. We look forward to seeing everyone then!
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Come and join the fun at the Strawberry Fair
We’ve finalised the plans for our stall at the Strawberry Fair this coming Saturday (June 18) – and we’d like as many members as possible to please put their hands up and volunteer to help us on the day!
Last night’s Steering Group meeting heard a full update from Frances Howard, who along with Kat Anderson, has been putting in the organising work in the run-up to the Brentwood Borough Council & Discover Brentwood event on Shenfield Common.
We’ll be hosting our stall jointly with Brentwood Fairtrade, as we have a lot of crossover in members and general aims around the environment and social justice in a world trying to cope with a climate emergency.
A donation from National Enforcement Solutions, who supplied BCA’s litter-picking equipment, will cover the cost of the stall at the Fair – and we thank them for that! And we’ll be doing some litter picking around the Common during the event (which runs from 11am to 6pm)… so the more BCA members around the better.
The Fair itself will see performances on the main stage during the day, fairground rides, food and drink stalls and, of course, fresh strawberries.
In terms of Brentwood Climate Action’s stall, we’ll be running a Scavenger Hunt – with successful entrants going into a prize draw, which Brentwood Fairtrade are helping provide prizes and goodies for.
They will also be running a quiz – and we’ll have the ability for everyone to sign up as free Members of Brentwood Climate Action on the day… and scan our QR code to go straight to our website for all the information on our group.
We’ll also be posting on our Twitter, Facebook and Instragram channels during the day, so please make sure you’re following them to stay in touch…. and tag us in any posts you make too so we can share!
Any members who can come along and help with running activities on the day (we’ll be setting up from 9.30am), please email us at info@brentwoodclimateaction.org.uk so we know to expect you.
We look forward to seeing as many people as possible on Saturday!
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All set for Strawberry Fair stall on June 18
Plans for a Brentwood Climate Action stall at next month’s Strawberry Fair on Shenfield Common were among the many issues discussed at the latest BCA Members Meeting on May 17.
Held as usual at the Chicken & Frog bookshop in Crown Street, and hybrid online via Zoom, the meeting agreed that a presence at the June 18 event would help raise awareness of Brentwood Climate Action with the public, and hopefully see many more people sign up as members on the day.
We are aiming to run a scavenger hunt on the day to encourage participation from families with children. And attending members will be encouraged to help out with some litter-picking on the Common, wearing our BCA-branded Hi Vis jackets.
Anyone wanting to attend and help out on the day from 11am onwards – please email us at info@brentwoodclimateaction.org.uk so we have an idea of numbers in advance.
A donation from National Enforcement Solutions, who supplied BCA’s litter-picking equipment, will cover the cost of the stall at the Fair.
Also discussed at the meeting was the Schools Climate Change Conference Programme, with the date for the second conference now having been set for June 29. A group of students and a member of staff from St. Martin’s School are working on the programme with the help of Richard Millwood from the BCA steering group.
And the meeting attendees agreed that donations to Brentwood Climate Action should be the preferred method of gaining financial support for the group rather than a membership fee. BCA now has a bank account where donations can be made:
Bank details:
Account – 67235957
Code – 08-92-99
Brentwood Climate ActionThe date of the next meeting was agreed as Thursday July 14 (7.30pm) at Chicken & Frog and via Zoom. Members meetings will continue to be every two months, with the convenors of the BCA WhatsApp Action Groups forming the Steering Group along with the appointed officers, and holding meetings monthly.
Georgia Earing has joined the Steering Group now after volunteering to head up the Engagement Group moving forward.
The full meeting minutes and from all previous BCA meetings can be downloaded in our Resources section.
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Join our Litter Pick events on Saturday April 9
Come and join members of Brentwood Climate Action as we take part in two Litter Pick events in town on Saturday April 9 – as part of Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean campaign.
Our latest members meeting at Chicken and Frog bookshop and also via Zoom on Thursday (March 24) agreed the time and dates for the events.
We will be holding two on the same day – and hope to see a mass turnout at the Courage Playing Fields in Shenfield (11am-12pm), and King George’s Playing Fields (3.30-4.30pm). We have Brentwood Climate Action hi-vis vests and litter pickers for attendees to use! But you may want to bring some gloves.
We hope to see you there. And we’ve produced a poster you can download, print and display to encourage others to come along too.
The meeting was our first of 2022 and covered a wide range of topics.
Members were again encouraged to sign up to at least one of our Action Groups via WhatsApp, links to which were circulated with the meeting invitation. If you’re not sure how to do that, or want to find out more about the Action Groups and how you could get involved, then please email us at info@brentwoodclimateaction.org.uk.
These are our forums for taking projects and ideas forward. The various Group Co-ordinators are also on our Steering Group, and will be invited to feed back progress at future bi-monthly meetings.
There were reports on the night from the Education Group – including outline plans for our second Schools Climate Change Conference at St Martin’s School in late June – the Finance Group, and the Lobbying Group.
It was agreed that we would continue to meet in a hybrid format with our base as the Chicken & Frog bookshop in Crown Street, and also using Zoom. The members meeting will be every two months.
Next Meetings:
- Tuesday 17 May, 7.30pm
- Thursday 14 July, 7.30pm
Download a copy the minutes: