Swindon Climate Action Network

Saturday 31st October 2026 - Christ Church, Swindon

This event provided inspiration and resources to support climate and environmental goals, organised by Swindon Climate Action Network and Wiltshire Climate Alliance and hosted by Christ Church.

Community groups, unitary and local/parish councils, schools and colleges, churches and mosques, businesses and charities and all sorts of other organisations were invited to discuss and explore how to mitigate and adapt to climate change and reverse the decline of nature and ecosystems.

Some people had seen the People's Emergency Briefing film to think about how we can all do things in every area of life to help and how we need our politicians to enable and support a better future.

There were stalls, presentations, panel discussions and workshops on various aspects, and some delicious healthy and nutritious plant-rich food for lunch.

Wide ranging Swindon24 Press Coverage Here

Great cross-party political support on Facebook from:

Cllr Jake Chandler
Cllr Leanne Stevenson / Cllr Vinay Manro

Cllr Mike Davies

Swindon Labour Councillors

Swindon Area Green Party

(let us know if we missed some!)

List of Sessions and Speakers

10:0 INTRODUCTION and Welcome; Key speakers on vision, urgency, current relevance to Swindon, PEB progress

• William Lambert, Wiltshire Climate Alliance 

• Cllr Neil Hopkins, Mayor of Swindon

• Cllr Jake Chandler, Deputy Leader of Swindon Borough Council,  Cabinet Member for Strategy, Resilience and Green Infrastructure

• Helena Thomas, Swindon Eco-Church Network  slides

• Daniel Pitt, Christ Church
  
  Keynotes ‘Climate Emergency and current updates’:

• Jacky Macqueen: PEB update and key take homes for Swindon: we are all involved and have a role to play: network;  slides

• Mike Birkin: findings from Climate Environmental Fairness workshop and the key role of communities in making positive change happen, and how we need to work together and listen to each other  slides

11:0 GREEN AND RESILIENT COMMUNITIES: what can be and is being done? With overview of key afternoon sessions and stalls

The call to action from the PEB, and other recent developments; Introducing success stories

• Home Improvements for Energy Saving - everyone in a comfortable, healthy and affordable home powered by low carbon energy. slides

• Sustainable travel supported - safe walking or cycling for local travel, public transport. slides

• Community Energy  slides

• Food security  slides

• Nature & Resilience  slides

• Circular Resources and Waste Reduction : repair cafe, Library of Things - Allie Brown

12:0 lunch/stalls:

Fresh All-Plant Lunch provided by Jades Green Kitchen

"At JGK we’re all about celebrating the beauty of the very best vegetables and wholefoods, bringing the freshest, locally sourced ingredients straight to your event.  Along with a smile, of course!"

13:0 Domestic Retrofit - Engaging communities in home energy improvements

​Facilitator: Matthew Short  (Home Energy Consultant, Zero Chippenham)

• Jess Thimbleby, Wiltshire Wildlife Community Energy running energy sessions in Swindon  slides

• Kate Silvester, Pewsey Green : thermal cameras use in the community  slides

• Tony Cowling, Draughtbusters  slides

• Bean Beanland : BBH Energy (Mr Heat Pump himself)   (Also 3pm talk in meeting room)  slides

• Nick Whant, NSBRC helping homeowners with their retrofit projects  slides

• Nick Orman, Solar/battery and own retrofit  slides

13:0 Food - tackling food insecurity - moving to plant rich diets

​Facilitator: Andrew Nicolson / Julian Jones

• Andrew Nicolson - set scene  slides

• Repi Begum - Islam Food and the Environment  slides

• Melanie - The Gap (community/youth garden project in Walcot) - community growing

• Holly Barrand - Swindon Schools Grow Together

14:0 Nature and Resilience - Engaging communities in planning for a changing climate

• Sacha Clements, Wiltshire & Swindon Local Nature Partnership  slides

• Neil Pullen,  Wiltshire Wildlife Trust: Swindon Forest Meadows

• Safia Gilder Hodgson, Great Western Forest

• Linda Kasmaty, South Swindon In Bloom  slides  video

• Nick Orman, water management  slides

14:0 Community-led and owned energy systems

Facilitator: William Lambert (WCA)  slides

• Alex Lockton, Zero North Wiltshire

• John Helsby, Westmill Community Energy 

• Kate Silvester, Pewsey Green   Future Energy Landscape approach in Pewsey

• Daniel Pitt, Christ Church / Community Centre journey

• Bea Udale-Smith, Centre for Sustainable Energy 

15:0 Transport - walking/cycling friendly communities, public transport etc

​Facilitator:  Andrew Nicolson / Julian Jones

• Adrian Rogers: Bikability in schools, inclusive cycling, cycle routes and maps, cycle friendly city, Dr Bike (Lifecycle), LCWIP and greenways to RWB and Highworth etc  slides

• Gerry Hannon: Swindon Cycling Campaign; cycle path community maintenance slide; Swindon cycling infrastructure development story

• Matthew Short: Cycle Chippenham  slides,  Air Quality slides

• Claire Fleming / Rachel Edgington, SBC: buses, active travel, Car Clubs hourly rental / alternative to ownership: CoWheels  slides

• Andrew Nicolson, WCA: Twenty's Plenty, Vision Zero, Living Streets, Low Traffic Future, Wessex Greenways CIC  slides

15:0  All Electric Homes of the Future

Bean Beanland: BBH Energy and Heat Pump Association  slides