Hotwells, Cliftonwood & Harbourside Community Climate Action

People & nature working together for a fairer, greener future

H&CCA are part of Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership’s Community Climate Action Project Learning and Mentoring Programme 2024 to create a community climate action plan. The Community Climate Action Project is an ambitious, citywide programme funded by the National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund. It demonstrates the important role communities can play in achieving the city’s climate and nature ambitions, whilst also improving people’s quality of life.

Please follow this link to take our short survey to help us collect your priorities.

We are inviting all who live & work in Hotwells & Harbourside and Cliftonwood to creative engagement events during this year. Our first Community Conversation event took place at the amazing Underfall Yard visitor centre on Monday 23rd October. Thanks to all the people who braved the atrocious weather to come and talk to us about what they think about the projects climate themes and wisdom about our local wildlife. Tess, a former nature documentary maker has noticed that we have less house martins this year and there's was lots of discussion about flood prevention and climate  inappropriate development.

Community Conversation #2 We Are Making a Big Green Neighbourhood Map is on Saturday 19th at Spike Island 12.30pm-4.30pm. The event is free and you can drop in at anytime but it would be helpful to us if you could sign up on Eventbrite so we can provide plenty of refreshments. Artists will be working with you to create a large scale map using printing, sculpture, drawing, photos and found objects. Spike Cafe and Gallery will also be open.

Community Conversation #3 A Greener Fairer Future is on 25th November at The Watershed 5.30-9pm and will include a Utopian Futures Workshop

Our 4th large event will be on January 9th at Holy Trinity Church as part of their Thursday Afternoon Talks programme 1.45pm-2.30pm. This will be a presentation of what people in the community have shared with us and how our ideas can work for people of all ages, abilities and income levels. There will be a focus on caring for older people, disabled people and people with neurodivergent needs,

FAQs

How can I get involved?

We will be offering many opportunities for you to get involved and sending out an individual newsletter offering you to sign up on a separate mailing list as well as sharing items here, so keep an eye out for all of that! We also have a survey that we'd love you to complete-it should take between 5-10minutes https://forms.gle/jGenJmg1DQc51MMr8

What is a Community Climate Action Plan?

Many other groups across the city have been through this programme you can see their plans here. Cohort 3 is comprised of H&CCA,Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, Shirehampton Community Action Forum, Rising Arts Agency,Bristol Older People’s Forum and One Green Kitchen. 

What is a Community Conversation?

The events have been described this way to signify that our events are open and accessible to all and that everyone can have a say and feel that their opinion and ideas matter. Also we believe that through conversation and connection we are sharing and finding common ground.

How will H&CCA work out the priorities for our community?

During our events and activities we will be collecting and collating your priorities and in early 2025 we will share those and check what people feel about them before adding them to the plan. We also have a digital survey as mentioned above-please do complete https://forms.gle/jGenJmg1DQc51MMr8

What happens after the plan is written?

Inviting all the people who engaged in the project and the wider community, we will decide what achievable, affordable actions we can take in the short term. Working with the Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership we will seek support for  longer term aspirations- these might be a campaign for more green spaces, supporting residents and tenants to make existing homes warmer in winter and cooler in summer, growing food for community use, encouraging species through better habitats cleaner water, ensuring we all understand our flood risk and know what to do in if flooding occurs. It could be working together to have more warm and cool spaces for all or doing more community gardening. It could be challenging the authorities on their development plans for more affordable, sustainable homes.

How will we engage with as many different people as possible in an inclusive way? 

We have a really diverse neighbourhood and we will be reaching our to those in our community who might not normally get involved in this kind of project. All our events and activities will be free, family friendly with refreshments provided. The communities who are most at risk from the effects of climate change are already experiencing inequalities. It is vital that the voices of all the diverse communities who will be affected shape the changes we make to reduce our carbon footprint. We need to remove barriers so everyone has benefits from green initiatives like reducing energy bills through renewables, accessing green spaces, food and ‘thing’ sharing initiatives and improving how we get around.

Please get in touch if you would like to find out more. You can sign up for the Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership’s mailing list here. The Community Climate Action Project is coordinated by Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership and kindly supported by the National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund.