On Monday 5th August we ran our second Climate Café, a special event at the Barnwell Road Library outside of their usual opening hours. Our Climate Cafes are open to everyone and provide a welcoming space to talk about all things environment, climate change and nature. They are a valuable space for people in the community to share their thoughts, ideas and questions, while having a go at fun upcycling crafts.
Following the success of our first Climate Café back in March 2024 at the East Barnwell Community Centre, we opened up the doors of Barnwell Road Library for climate conversations. Libraries are a brilliant way to live more sustainably, as borrowing books instead of buying new ones can help reduce the impact we have on the environment. Sharing is a great way that we can all do our bit for people and planet. Visitors at the Climate Café could borrow some of the showcased books on the themes of nature, environment, gardening and cooking.
We also enjoyed freshly picked tomatoes from the East Barnwell Community Centre garden, which the community have helped grow at our Wednesday morning gardening sessions, and delicious greengages shared by a local resident.
“I really enjoyed my conversations with different people about climate change. It’s really good to talk to people who are equally passionate. Also, excited to find out the local communities that keeping our areas clean.” Climate Café visitor
Inspired by Dunkeld & Birnam’s Climate Cafe, for our first Climate Café, everyone was invited to create flags for our Climate Bunting that would be displayed at our future sustainability events.
What do you love about the environment? Why do you care about nature? Why is climate change important to you?
While thinking and chatting about these questions, everyone designed their own bunting flags inspired by the discussions and their interests. Have you spotted our Climate Bunting at any of our events recently?
“Today we enjoyed the crafting. I think that it was very pleasant and relaxing.” Climate Café visitor
At our Summer Climate Café, we upcycled used plastic bottles into hanging planters, transformed old worn-out books into hedgehogs, and broken CDs into colourful suncatchers. All while having interesting conversations about how our local environment has changed, energy infrastructure in Cambridge, and much more!
Upcycling is the creative activity of transforming waste materials or old used things into new materials or objects.
“I enjoyed meeting other professionals in the renewable / climate space” Climate Café visitor
We are looking for people to help organise our future Climate Cafes and get involved with our sustainability and environmental activities. We would love to hear from you if you’re interested. Please contact Caitlin at greenspaces@abbeypeople.org.uk to find out more about our projects.
Thank you to Barnwell Road Library and Cambridge City Libraries Team for supporting our event. You can find the Barnwell Road Library opening hours here.
The Abbey Climate Cafes are registered with the Climate Café network who share an ethos of community led, inclusive, welcome spaces for people to simply come together with a cup of tea or coffee, to chat and act for our climate.
We would also like to give special thanks to the National Lottery players for their support through the National Lottery Climate Action funding the River Cam CAN (Climate Action through Nature) project.
This 2-year project is involving communities near the River Cam in working on solutions that will benefit them and help to make the city more sustainable and resilient. The main project location is the city’s most disadvantaged ward, Abbey. Communities will transform neglected areas including those around ecologically important chalk-streams, ancient willow trees along 10km of the Cam’s riverbanks, a community urban farm and a roadside verge outside a school. A series of community climate action events and activities are also being delivered, including more Climate Cafes and Repair Cafes.
The main project partners are Cambridge Past, Present & Future, Abbey People, CoFarm, Cambridge City Council, Climate Outreach and Water Sensitive Cambridge but the project will work with a much wider range of organisations.
