Helston Climate Action Group, including members of Transition Helston & District, has published a plan to help the town address the climate emergency. At a well-attended event at Helston Guildhall on Monday morning, Mayor John Martin formally announced the plan.
The climate emergency should underpin every decision we make and every action we take. Our aim is to encourage this town and our surrounding area to achieve carbon neutrality. This will need the support of everyone, our families, our schools, our businesses, our community groups, our visitors, to take every opportunity to tackle the issues that affect the future of our planet, our children and our wildlife. All of us can make a difference.”
Mayor John Martin
Since declaring a Climate Emergency in March, Helston Town Council has been working with community groups and concerned individuals to devise a plan to reduce carbon emissions and promote nature restoration. Working together as Helston Climate Action Group, they have drafted what they hope will be a practical handbook of projects to tackle climate change in the years ahead.
The projects in the climate action plan are focused on
- reducing carbon emissions,
- supporting nature restoration
- building resilience and encourage localism
As recently announced at a September meeting of the Town Council, several projects from the plan are already underway in Helston, with more to follow as the number of volunteers increases.
These include a plan to planting a tree for every child in Helston as part of the town’s contribution to Cornwall Council’s recent announcement of a Forest for Cornwall. Also underway are plans to establish a Repair Café, where people will be able to learn to repair items that would otherwise be thrown away. The café would also become a hub for information to help people make positive changes in their own households to reduce their carbon footprint. Helston will also be joining the Incredible Edibles movement, where communities turn disused plots into sources of healthy food.
The plan’s authors hope that the document will be a springboard to further action in the months and years ahead.
The publishing of this Action Plan is a significant milestone towards making Helston carbon neutral by 2030. However, everyone should be in no doubt that this is where the real work starts. Support from everyone in the local community is needed if we are to achieve our goal.
Cllr. Dave Potter, Chair of Helston Climate Action Group
I am incredibly proud of the work completed in the first 6 months and if the momentum continues to build, I am confident that we can make significant inroads to addressing the challenges of climate change. Please get in touch if you wish to get involved, have any questions or suggestions about the biggest issue that faces us today.
The Helston Climate Action Plan can also be viewed online here. Contact the Helston Climate Action Group by email or on their Facebook page.