Go green during special week of activities

Juice apples, make bread and chutney, go on a wildlife walk, swap your old clothes or take a tour of a local facility – these are just a few of the events planned for Basingstoke Green Week.

This is the seventh year of this annual awareness week which highlights environmental issues and initiatives in the borough and comes at a time when Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s councillors voted to back a call to Cabinet to declare a climate change emergency.

The council has committed to make its operations carbon neutral by December 2025 by ensuring that all of its heating and electrical needs are met from renewable sources and only purchasing and leasing low carbon vehicles. It is also working towards the target of making the borough carbon neutral – meaning that the net carbon dioxide emissions released on an annual basis is zero – by 2030.

The 2019 Green Week programme will run from Saturday 21 September to Monday 30 September. It will begin with a packed day of activities including a Green Market in The Malls, tours of the Chineham Energy Recovery Facility and craft workshops in Basingstoke Discovery Centre.

The rest of the week offers something for everyone from minibeast hunts, an electric bike showcase and cycle rides to forest school, clothes swaps, open days, beer tasting and cookery workshops. The majority of the activities are free of charge.

Green Week is organised by local volunteers and supported by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Cabinet Member for Environment and Enforcement Cllr Hayley Eachus said: “Green Week goes from strength to strength and I would encourage people of all ages to get involved – there are so many activities and events to choose from in the packed programme and lots of ways local people can find out how they can really make a difference.

“The week-long programme is a wonderful opportunity for organisations and individuals to come to together to promote the importance of being environmentally friendly.”

To find out more about Green Week visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/green-week.

For more information about action the council is taking on climate change visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/climatechange.

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