PRESS RELEASE: Call for events for first York Environment Week

A call for events from York groups for a predominantly online environmental festival opens today (Monday 7 September).

The first city-wide York Environment Week (YEW) will run from 28th November to 6th December 2020.  

Co-ordinated by York Environment Forum, YEW2020 aims to celebrate and showcase the work of environmental groups active in York, and to amplify ‘The voice for the environment in York’.

The Forum, which was established over ten years ago, plays an active role in local consultation processes, as well as taking a proactive stance on engagement with topical issues. 

YEW2020 offers groups the opportunity to  work together to share and promote environmental messages,  access shared publicity through its website, social media and printed publicity,  get practical support for using online technology for YEW event(s) and benefit from YEW branding. 

Submissions are welcomed for a range of events, and there are five themes: Energy; Food; Nature; Resources and waste; Transport and travel. Event are likely to be virtual unless actual events can be held in a Covid-safe manner. 

Videos, films, slideshows, webinars, recorded presentations/talks/panel discussions for the environment week should be recorded and uploaded to the YEW YouTube channel so that they are available to watch again.

“Our vision is for the YouTube channel to create a legacy for York groups and for YEW,” said York Environment Forum Chair Penny Bainbridge. 

“We are particularly keen on show and tell events that inspire participants to learn new skills and make use of good practice.”

The organisers want to encourage the active involvement of young people and marginalised people throughout the YEW programme, which will highlight local and global environmental issues. They hope the programme will offer events that benefit physical and mental health as well as having a positive impact on participants’ financial resources.

Events should be not for profit and open to all to attend.

York Environment Week takes place concurrently with National Tree Week (28 November-6 December 2020) and it is hoped that pledges to plant trees locally will be collected during the week, if not actual tree planting.  

Groups wishing to submit an event should read the guidelines on the YEW website and fill out an online form. The closing date for submissions is 18 October. 

To apply to be part of YEW 2020, go to: https://yorkenvironmentweek.org.uk/host-an-event/

Information for Editors

Contact for media: Kate Lock Klockworks@btinternet.com  07792 633984

Contact for inquiries: Kate Hignett, info@yorkenvironmentweek.org.uk 

Website: https://yorkenvironmentweek.org.uk/

Facebook @YorkEnvironmentWeek

Twitter @YorkEnvWeek

Instagram  @YorkEnvironmentWeek

YouTube York Environment Week 2020

York Environment Forum

York Environment Week 2020 is the first such event to be held by York Environment Forum (YEF). York Environment Forum is the voice for the environment in York, encompassing both the natural environment and the built environment.

The Environment Forum has been operating for many years and is one of the outside bodies that the City of York Council works in partnership with. It meets monthly and is open to groups and individuals interested in environmental issues and how they affect York. Annual membership is £5 for individuals and £10 for groups and businesses.

Traditionally, the Forum has functioned as a ‘critical friend’ to the Council, commenting and writing reports on policies and strategies as they relate to York’s environment and, from time to time, campaigning on specific issues.

YEF’s aims and objectives are:

  • to advise and comment on policies and strategic issues in York that affect the built and natural environment,
  • to encourage community initiatives that improve sustainability,
  • to enable information exchange and networking among members and supporters in York,
  • to scrutinise and monitor the progress of the Local Plan.

The Forum’s specialist work on the natural environment is carried out through Treemendous and the involvement of other specialist member organisations. It also has a Transport group that is active on strategic issues aimed at improving travel in and around the city.

https://yorkenvironmentforum.org.uk/

Now accepting event submissions!

We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting submissions for events for the 2020 York Environment Week!

If you would like to get involved, check out the Host an event page, where you will find more information on the kind of events we are looking for, and the form for submitting your event to us.

Looking forward to reading your ideas!

Introducing York Environment Week

coat-of-arms-4629819_1280We are very pleased to announce that the inaugural York Environment Week will run from 28th November to 6th December 2020, and will hopefully be an annual event after that.

Originally devised to take place in the week before the UK-hosted COP26, we have had to make some changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. COP26 was originally expected to take place at the end of 2020, but has now been moved to 2021. However, we have decided to run a mostly virtual York Environment Week in its original 2020 slot, which should hopefully give us plenty of practice for running another one next year, again in the run up to the rescheduled COP26.

The idea of the festival is to showcase and celebrate the work of York’s tireless environmental groups who often go unnoticed, and to raise awareness of the climate and ecological emergency which poses a serious threat to humans and other species across the globe. Elected representatives from around the world will meet at COP26 to discuss issues related to this, and they will make decisions which will affect us all for many years to come. By shining a light on these issues ahead of the conference, we hope to educate and empower the residents of York so that they can hold their representatives to account and demand that they make the right decisions to protect our future.

There will be many events taking place over the week, organised by different environmental groups. Most or all of them will be virtual e.g. webinars and live broadcasts, but there may also be the opportunity for some physical events, provided they follow COVID-19 guidelines and do not unnecessarily put people at risk. We do not have details of all these events at this early stage, but will be revealing more information as we get closer to the launch date. So please check back often and subscribe to the mailing list!