Running a community carbon reduction course
North Wales Quakers are supporting Friends and others to transition towards a lower-carbon lifestyle through the Footpaths to a Greener Future programme.
The
Footpaths programme was developed by Transition Leicester (offsite link) to help people review their lifestyles, including how to meet their needs in a low-carbon way. The course covers climate change, home energy, waste and water, consumerism, and food and transport.
Over 30 groups of between six and ten people have undertaken the programme in Leicester, and a De Montfort University researcher found that participants had reduced their carbon footprint by some 20% after completing the programme. Lower carbon lifestyles may also help to alleviate fuel and transport poverty.
About the programme
The content of
Footpaths to a Greener Future is varied, including factual information about how we produce carbon dioxide; how to design sessions, including exercises, games, and discussions; calculation of our carbon footprints. Participants are given homework and further reading to strengthen their understanding of the topics.
The groups support their members to make lifestyle and behaviour changes that can be challenging. Upon completion of the course, participants have the skills and confidence to support others in their communities to take on this challenge too.
Upcoming courses in North Wales
During 2016 Footpaths to a Greener Future is being run in three locations in North Wales: Wrexham, Bangor and Colwyn Bay. At each location, a group of between six and ten participants will complete the course, which is delivered over eight two-hour workshops at 2-3 week intervals. The Wrexham course starts in February, followed by the others.
The courses will be facilitated by Martin Hughes and David Mellor, who have both completed the
co-facilitators training programme. They hope that some participants will become co-facilitators themselves and help to roll out the programme more widely.
The delivery of these three courses has been made possible with the support of a Quaker Peace and Social Witness sustainability grant.
Find out more
For more information about Footpaths to a Greener Future, including how to join the courses, visit www.leicesterfootpaths.org.uk (offsite link).