Communities Living Sustainably – Bridport Events, 20th – 23rd October

Save money, turn waste to something useful, and have fun

Inspired by the idea of ‘Living Differently’, the themes of One World Week, Communities Living Sustainably in Dorset is staging a series of events to encourage, promote and champion sustainable alternatives in our food, energy and financial systems as well as in our personal lives. Come and join us – most are free, and should appeal to a wide range of interests!

On Wednesday 22nd October CLS in Dorset and many others will be helping you to Waste Less and Spend Better. This FREE event will be held between 12pm and 6pm in the Town Hall and Bucky Doo Square, will host experts on energy, water, waste, food and transport, as well as lots of fun activities. In the square we’ll be serving hot soup, offering your bicycle a check-up, and hosting the Real Food Shop. Upstairs in the Town Hall, enter our best driver competition, get money saving tips, and use your crafty skills to convert your “rubbish” to a “resource”. Emily Bullock, CLS event organiser says “This event will offer very practical ways of saving money on household bills, and you’ll be able to cash in your savings – by claiming your free chocolate coins!”

In the evening (19.30-21.30hrs) CLS is bringing filmmaker, creativity czar and founder member of dance music group Faithless, Jamie Catto, to Bridport’s Lyric Theatre to talk about the Deeper Roots of Sustainability. Jamie speaks in universal truths, and will show us that it is not just about what we eat and where we buy it, but also how we change our relationship to the world around us. We will have a chance to see an extract from his award-winning films, and local food producers will join in a Q&A session so we can find out more about solutions on our doorstep.

To help us consider how to keep money in the local economy, the think-and-do tank New Economics Foundation will be delivering a FREE workshop — Plugging the Leaks: Local Economic Development as if People and Planet Mattered (Thursday 23rd October, morning, in Dorchester). Since the financial crisis of 2008, local communities have been demanding a greater role in our financial system through ethical investment, participatory budgeting and the creation of local currencies that support economic resilience and promote personal wellbeing. The workshop will encourage local communities to take a different approach to economic development: one that is local, community-led and puts the needs of people before profit.

On October 20th (14.00-17.00), CLS will also be collaborating with West Dorset Friends of the Earth to host Alan Heeks’ and Serenna Davies’ workshop on Personal Resilience: Staying Happy in Changeable Times, at Bridport’s Chapel in the Garden. This event offers practical skills — a resilience toolkit — to help manage the chaos of climate change, public service budget cuts, and the general pressures of modern life. There is a small charge for this workshop.

CLS in Dorset is one of 12 programmes funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Communities Living Sustainably programme. This has made it possible for most of the events to be free. For further information, and to book your free place for the Jamie Catto evening and the Plugging the Leaks workshop, visit HYPERLINK “http://www.clsdorset.org.uk/one_world_week.aspx” http://www.clsdorset.org.uk/one_world_week.aspx.

For Further information:

Media enquiries contact: Candida Blaker, Dorset CLS Programme Manager: candida.blaker@dorsetcommunityaction.org.uk

For further background, visit www.clsdorset.org.uk

CLS in Dorset is supported by the Big Lottery Fund for a three year period from March 2013. Dorset is one of the Big Lottery Fund’s 12 Communities Living Sustainably (CLS) programmes in England, and is the only such programme in the Southwest.

CLS in Dorset aims to help people adapt to climate change and to live more sustainably. The project strives to act as a catalyst for action, building on the great work already taking place in the local area and exploring some innovative approaches. The programme will be delivered in Bridport, Dorchester and their surrounding areas.

CLS in Dorset is focusing on Greener Choices and Energy Efficiency; Renewable Energy; Local Food; Eco-Schools; Climate Change Adaptation with fishing and farming communities and older people.