XR Furness had an action-packed 2020, from collecting for the popular Two Tin Tuesday to opposing plans for a new coal mine in Cumbria.
The group has reflected on the main issues it faced and the action it took in a bid to tackle them during a busy year – and how it hope to continue doing so in the future.
A spokesperson said: "Locally we are trying to build a community that might be able to withstand the coming effects of the climate emergency, through initiatives like Two Tin Tuesday – collecting food and sanitary products for the hubs and food bank – our free toyshop last Christmas to avoid people having to spend hard-earned cash on more plastic presents, and a free picnic with FareShare food at Barrow Park.
"To attempt to protect our future, XR – led by young people – opposed plans for the pit, which councillors were told would be 'carbon neutral' – a complete impossibility – and the HS2 project to destroy ancient woodland to shave 20 minutes off a train journey instead of using the money (£106 billion) to upgrade the existing train network or create jobs insulating homes (just £2 billion pledged.)
"We've had fun – joining a video flash dance to Staying Alive and a 'die-in' with school strike protesters.
The group's Green Goddesses have been seen at a festival in Ulverston, the pit protest in Kendal and the opening of 'Single-Use Planet?', an eco-art show in Grange-over-Sands.
"We are in talks about setting up a Climate Emergency Centre and are running a Furness Families nature group.
"Some people – it's a mystery who – plastered our MP's office with copies of his voting record and put posters up along the roads.
"Then there was the hugely popular Kindness Campaign, where people would do random things like buying somebody a coffee or letting them go first in a queue then hand them a card saying 'pass on the kindness', and a Butterfly Rebellion – children dressed as butterflies, with music and a Tree of Hope, where people posted their hopes for the future.
"We have supported beach clean-ups and Ulverston Repair Cafe, set up a website – xrfurness.uk – and lobbied Ulverston Town Council to ban traffic from the town centre.
"During the past year, members of XR Furness have also attended South Lakeland District Council's climate conversations, met Barrow councillors, arranged a visit for Simon Fell MP to a farm, written to him, councillors and a building contractor about biodiversity, attended a virtual climate lobby with Mr Fell, joined an eco-event, had a banner-painting party and won £940 from South Lakeland District Council's community climate fund for planting wildflowers in Gill Banks, Ulverston.
“As for the future, we very much hope there will be one.
“Britain is hosting COP26 – international talks on the climate emergency – in 2021, postponed from this year due to the Covid-19 crisis. We intend to be there – and to act to ensure businesses, councils and government keep their promises and cut CO2 emissions drastically."
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