Climate Action Hub Exeter is opening on Friday 25 November in an empty Princesshay shopping centre retail unit as part of a network of climate emergency centres across the UK.
The hub will open from 10am to 4pm daily at 40 Bedford Street, where it will offer information and resources about the climate crisis and provide a physical meeting space for local environmental and social justice groups.
The hub is equipped with computers, printers, a projector and screen and arranged with seating and sofas to provide space for events, meetings, film screenings and more.
There are also displays and notice boards showcasing local environmental initiatives.
Members of the public are free to drop in to find out more about local action to address the climate crisis.
Climate Action Hub Exeter in Bedford Street
The Climate Action Hub Exeter is part of a UK-wide network of climate emergency centres which supports the creation of community spaces in unused buildings.
The network provides practical legal and financial advice as well as opportunities to connect with and learn from other hubs.
The Princesshay hub has been created by Exeter Community Alliance, a collective of 30 local organisations which are focussed on a range of issues including climate change, biodiversity and social justice.
Events including a University of Exeter Green Futures Network collaboration with Exeter Living Lab exploring positive tipping points for the city have already been held at the hub.
Its official opening will take place at 2pm on Friday 25 November, when Exeter-based paralympian and climate activist James Brown will mark the moment with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Attendees are invited to bring their own beverage: cake will be provided.
Green Futures Network and Exeter Living Lab positive tipping points event at Climate Action Hub Exeter
The hub’s opening coincides with Black Friday, an extended period during which retailers offer large discounts on consumer goods.
Black Friday originated in the US but in 2017 overtook Boxing Day as the busiest shopping day in the UK.
Consumer spending over last year’s Black Friday was expected to reach £9.2 billion in the UK alone.
Climate Action Hub Exeter is instead promoting Green Friday, an alternative that aims to encourage more sustainable consumer habits.
On the same day nearby artist’s collective Maketank is also offering a Black Friday alternative in the form of a Make Your Own Gift Festival.
Independent local artist and craft makers will run low-cost workshops enabling participants to make their own seasonal gifts.
