Introduction
The council is asking Sedgemoor residents to volunteer to become ambassadors for climate change awareness in the community and help spread information and positive action throughout Sedgemoor. This scheme will involve online events, green networking opportunities, knowledge-sharing, and a newsletter to share good practices and success stories.
Could you be an Environment Champion?
Sedgemoor’s Climate Emergency Strategy and Action Plan will rely on a partnership between the council, town and parish councils, local stakeholders, businesses, and individual residents working together towards our collective carbon neutrality goal. We are therefore also excited to launch our Environmental Champion scheme. With our pledge for Somerset Council to become carbon neutral by 2030, we are looking to organise projects for environmental improvement, and we want your ideas and suggestions both for our projects, and how we can support you locally.
What is an Environmental Champion?
This is an exciting opportunity to contribute towards positive climate emergency action in Sedgemoor. You will be an ambassador for climate change awareness in your community, and help spread information and positive action throughout the district. You may be representing a green group in the district, or you may be an individual who is interested in learning more about combating climate change. Your role can be as big or small as you like; from spreading the word about environmental projects, or helping neighbours to reduce their carbon footprint, to leading projects and helping us stay on the right track for our carbon neutrality goals. Each of you will have a unique part to play in protecting the environment in Sedgemoor.
What will be involved?
Events (online, with a view to in-person long term) to encourage networking and knowledge sharing among groups and individuals. We hope to include guest speakers to share environmental knowledge and local projects.
Newsletter with environment/climate information from Somerset Council. As Environment Champions, you will be able to contribute and shape content to share with other champions across the district. You can help us by sharing this info with your group/neighbours/parish
Online networking platform for collaboration and resource sharing amongst groups, parishes and Environment Champions.
How to get involved:
Feel free to forward the link at the top of the page to anyone who might be interested in becoming an Environmental Champion – we are hoping to increase the network. As it is early days, if you have any feedback on what you would like to see involved in the scheme, please let us know!
For further information, please email climate.change@somerset.gov.uk
Environmental Champions are vital to the success of the Somerset Council Climate Emergency Strategy, with a large focus on engaging with communities and creating resilient ecosystems.
There are no limits to the number of Environmental Champions that can sign up.
Environment Champions Summer Event 24 August 2022
We packed a lot into our Summer Event!
- We heard a run-down of the new Community Adaptation Toolkit for community spaces, which helps parishes and communities adapt their buildings to the impacts of climate change.
- This was then followed by the then Sedgemoor District Council’s Ecologist Pete Grainger, updating us all on the successes of No Mow May at Apex Park, and how this impacted our wildlife in Sedgemoor.
- We previewed an exciting new climate change video from the now-former Sedgemoor District Council, which will help residents to better understand the topic and inform them about what we’re doing as a council.
- Finally, we discussed how the then Sedgemoor District Council, and now Somerset Council, can help communities, who want to organise their own litter picks and beach cleans during the Great British Beach Clean.
Environment Champion Spring Event April 27 2022
Last April, we were joined by Nigel Cox, a horticultural lecturer at Bridgwater College, for a talk on Sedgemoor’s wonderful wetlands. We also heard about the former Sedgemoor District Council’s No Mow May initiative at Apex Park, and Environment Champions spoke to us about the exciting projects they have been involved with so far that year. View the recording and presentation slides below.
Cop26: What does it mean for Sedgemoor?
Sedgemoor District Council was pleased to report on the success of an online public event, which was hosted in collaboration with Burnham and Weston Energy, and the University of Exeter, addressing the outcomes of COP26.
The event took place on Wednesday 24 November 2021 and welcomed communities, stakeholders, and organisations across the district to identify the questions we still need to address to help us work better together in the remaining eight years to 2030 and beyond.
Through an engaging panel of experts, campaigners and policymakers, the event steered participants through the main conclusions of COP26, what gaps need filling, and what opportunities exist on a local level to accelerate our progress towards our carbon-neutral ambition.
Three breakout rooms covered the topics of local funding for climate projects, climate adaptation, and opportunities for businesses. Within these smaller discussions, there were valuable contributions from all attendees; the University of Exeter was able to draw out these key emerging themes:
- We have the potential in this area to be leaders of climate action
- To be successful, we need a route map and to decipher how we all, given the diverse networks involved and affected, work together
- Local responsibility for meeting climate objectives lies with everyone in terms of what we do, and choosing who we work with including suppliers and partners
- Clear, sensitive, communication is needed to increase understanding and enable change
- There is value in those already taking action
Environment Champion Autumn Event September 15 2021
Our second Environment Champions event was a huge success, with Champions from all across the district joining to tell us about their successes, and the climate action they’ve been taking.
We heard from Neil, who has been planting wildflowers in Cannington, about the public response to this small, but powerful act of environmental protection. Andrea and Richard from the Berrow Conservation group spoke about the community engagement and conservation work they’ve been doing in the district, with help from many volunteers, students and experts in the area. Finally, Roy Osbourne told us all about the horse-logging, which happened in Stowey Wood throughout September and October 2021.
Environment Champion launch event June 16 2021
We are so pleased at how our Environment Champion launch event went on 16th June 2021. We were able to virtually meet lots of champions from across the district, all keen to support climate action. We heard about lots of amazing projects residents are already involved in, as well as two inspirational speakers, who are supporting local climate projects in Sedgemoor. A massive thank you to everyone who attended. We will be running more events like this to help educate residents about climate change issues, and how to make a difference, so watch this space for more events coming soon!
We were able to record the first speaker, but unfortunately, there was a technical error, so Jolyon Chesworth and Steve Mewes were not captured in the recording. Feel free to watch the recording of Shelly Easton’s talk below – we apologise for this issue, but we are learning a lot about hosting online events, and next time will take extra precautions to ensure this doesn’t happen again! Slides from Jolyon and Steve’s talks can be viewed here:
Environment Champion Winter event online on 15 February, and in-person on 22 February 2023