Guildford Takes The Jump

Run By: Zero Carbon Guildford, The Jump, CUSP, University of Surrey

On September 25th Zero Carbon Guildford is teaming up with The Jump and the Centre For Understanding Of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP) to host an event focusing on the changes we can make as a community to tackle the escalating climate crisis.

With the climate crisis escalating, Guildford will be affected in a number of ways. Some of these are obvious, flooding and heat death to name two, but some of them are less obvious and could have a huge impact on how we live and work in the borough. These include threats to our food security and an escalating mental health crisis. Similarly our train tracks aren’t built to withstand 60 degree track temperatures, which occurs when air temperatures approach 38 - 40 degrees, leaving us an un-commutable commuter town.

But it’s not all doom and gloom! The Jump was created from research at C40, and shows that actually, when we work together as communities, our collaborative actions combined with concerted behavioural change can reduce the emissions in our borough by up to 40%.

So what can we do as #TeamGuildford to lead by example in tackling the Climate Crisis? That’s where The Jump comes in! The Jump lays our 6 research-based ‘shifts’ which we can all incorporate into our daily lives to make a real impact on climate mitigation - and none of them involve going back to medieval times or living in a cave!

What they do all involve is making smart, responsible choices, whilst addressing our relationship with consumerism, and designing new types of economies which put human and planetary wellbeing at their centre, building something that actually works for our communities, and not for the sole purpose of corporate profit.

On the 25th we’ll be exploring what these relationships and different types of economy look like. What is a care economy? Why is mental health support such a critical component of climate education? How do we get past the feeling of powerlessness and start taking ownership for our own futures? These are all discussions we need to have as a united community, working with a shared purpose of building a borough that can survive, and even thrive, on a changing planet.

We’ll have talks from researchers from a global leader in ‘postgrowth’, the University of Surrey’s CUSP, as well the creator of The Jump, as we open the door to these necessary conversations.

We’ll also be joined by Guildford’s own Paul Kerensa, writer of Miranda and Not Going Out, for some stand up comedy. What’s that got to do with climate breakdown? Laughter is free, and when have you felt better than when you’ve been laughing hysterically? Comedy, care, creativity, and community, are critical components in creating alternative economies that can counter climate change.

Main Tent 

11am  Postgrowth: Achieving Sustainable Prosperity - CUSP UK

12pm  Consumerism Workshop    -   Tom Bailey, The Jump

1pm    The Care Economy  - Chrissy Corlet Walker, CUSP UK

2.45pm Comedy - Paul Kerensa, writer of Miranda and Not Going Out

Wellbeing Tent

11.30am  - Forest Bathing taster session  - Mind Body Nature 

1pm          - Mindfullnes workshop taster session - Breathe Calm Mindfulness & More

2pm          - Eco-grief and Gratitude  -  Wildhearth Wellbeing 

Kids Tent 

Crafting & mask making at points throughout the day

So come and join the conversation on 25th September, which will also feature taster sessions of wellbeing practices such as mindfulness, forest bathing, and eco psychology, as well as activities from The Diocese Of Guildford with activities for kids, including crafting and mask making! See you there neighbours.

Click here for information on getting to the event.

*Please note that Hedges & Hurdles have cancelled the willow craft workshops due to unforseen circumstances.