Author name: Kate Banks

Exploring psychological responses to the climate crisis to strengthen relationships and resilience for a just future. Our next meeting is on Thursday 13 February when we’ll be hearing from Rebecca Nestor, the Chair of the Climate Psychology Alliance (https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/). Rebecca will be exploring the emotional and relational ways in which we respond to the climate crisis: why it’s so difficult to talk about it and what we can do about that; how we all move in and out of ‘soft’ denial and why that is to some extent necessary – but how it gets weaponised by bad actors – and how being in community with others helps and in what ways. Thursday 13 February 2025, at St Mary’s church on the Green, Witney, OX28 4AW. Bar opens at 7.00pm, speaker starts at 7.30pm

Come along and take part in our annual quiz, have a drink and some Christmas food – Christmas jumpers optional! St Mary’s church, Church Green, Witney OX 4AW, bar opens at 7.00pm, quiz starts at 7.30pm. Bring a plate of Christmas food to share.

As seen at Blenheim Palace, the Carbon cost of Fashion Exhibition now comes to St Mary’s on the Green, Witney, OX28 4AW. Come and find out how much water your jeans need to make and what happens to the mountains of unwanted clothing that is manufactured but never sold. Open between 9.30am and 5.30pm every day in the church, free entry.

The sewage scam  – It’s all about the money. Prepare to be, made angry, feel cheated – largely because you have been – and annoyed. Then hear what you can do to help end this scandal. New material from WASP that will be hard to believe, and once again turn out to be true. Thursday 14 November, Winchester Room @ St Mary’s Church on the Green, Witney, OX29 4AW. The Rectors Arms opens at 7.00pm, speaker starts at 7.30pm https://www.windrushwasp.org

We are delighted to introduce a double bill at the Eco Forum October meeting. We have speakers from The Witney Food Revolution and from the newly re-named MP Watch at our meeting on Thursday 10 October. We meet in St Mary’s Church on the Green, Witney, OX28 4AW, the bar opens at 7.00pm and the speakers starts at 7.30. https://www.witneyfoodrevolution.com/ Witney Food Revolution is a network of businesses, volunteers and hunger relief organisations committed to reducing food waste in Witney and surrounding areas.Our volunteer-based initiative collects perfectly good food that local businesses would have thrown away, and redistribute it to the public.Everyone is welcome to visit and collect food from our Community Fridge. MP Watch, formerly Robert Courts Watch say – For the first time in 102 years, we have elected an MP who is not a Conservative. That’s historic, but it’s also important. We have replaced Robert Courts, a climate delayist, with Charlie Maynard, a climate realist. We told Robert, endlessly, that climate change was a concern in his constituency. We told him that the local trend was away from his government’s appalling climate policies. He endorsed them all And now, Robert Courts Watch is unnecessary. We’re cheerfully redundant! We had the last Robert Courts Watch meeting over a nice lunch in a pub, and concluded our last bits of business in fine style. Then we transitioned into the inaugural meeting of MP Watch Witney, a new, exciting start-up. Robert Courts Watch is dead; long live MP Watch Witney!

Thirty years ago a small group of individuals responded to the shocking state of unchecked pollution along our coastlines and formed Surfers Against Sewage. Their passion and commitment to champion cleaner coastlines and ecosystems has grown over the years and they are now a leading voice against ocean pollution in the UK. Raising awareness through education and campaigns has been key to their success for positive change, and they are now taking their fight to champion our nation’s inland waterways. We are delighted to have Kirsty Davies, Community Water Quality Manager for SAS, present on our next ‘Voices of the River’ webinar on 1st Oct 12:30-1:30. She will share why SAS has taken their work inland and the campaigns that are making positive change possible. Please join us to learn more and share this invite widely with your networks. Zoom meeting login details are at the bottom of the social media image.

We give support from top to bottom because dignity matters Giving pants and bras may seem like a small thing, but it can make a life-changing difference. For example, having pants allows women to remain in the workforce and girls to remain in school each month giving them a better chance of fighting their way out of poverty. But practical issues aside, having underwear is also a matter of dignity for everyone.

The Parish of Witney is holding a service of River Blessing on Sunday 6 October, starting at St Mary’s Church, Church Green at 10.45am, with a procession from the church to Langel Common starting at 11.45am. The service will continue at Langel Common from 12.15pm. The Bishop of Dorchester is leading the service. All welcome.