{"title": "Climate Emergency Centers", "logoImg": "bafkreifywss4idtvpnl4gvxplavnlhpmitgyomd43ajzhchu7dmhg4xgey", "website": "https://climateemergencycentre.co.uk", "bannerImg": "bafkreif6x6q3tc5f4zo6m24no47cmwveuz25jkl7bk2znigfjs57kabs7y", "createdAt": 1692025702339, "credentials": {}, "description": "# What do we do?\n**CREATING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY THROUGH THE INTELLIGENT REUSE OF THE VACANT INFRASTRUCTURE OF OUR TOWNS AND CITIES**\n\nClimate Emergency Centres (CEC) is a network of eco-community centres across the UK.\n\nWe repurpose empty buildings for the benefit of local community to organise, meet in person, work on climate solutions.\n\nThe CEC Project and handbook supports groups to develop a self-funding centre that can link with others around the UK to share ideas and resources. It brings together diverse groups and individuals in local communities who are focused on building resilience and solutions in the face of social and environmental crises.\n\n**For the benefit of people and planet**\n\n* We help and advise new groups to set up a not for profit or charity and negotiate with the local council or property developer to get a \"meanwhile lease\" on the space for 1-3 years.\n* Helping and advising the groups to put on community and environmental talks, workshops, meetings and events.\n* Creating a network of autonomous yet interconnected spaces based on mutual aid and cooperation. Focussing on eco / community solutions to the environmental and social / cost of living crisis.\n* We invite your group to outreach and create an alliance of your local community and environmental groups who together will take on the coordination and management of the building, with advice and support us and other UK groups.\n* These community alliances support the sharing of resources, skills and knowledge so that groups can strengthen each other. Helping to build a circular recycle, reuse economy.\n\n# Where are you based?\n\nAcross the UK.\n\nAround 40 new groups around the UK are now working to set up Climate Emergency Centres, bringing together the best energy knowledge and action into a community space.\n\n27 groups already secured their space. See the map: https://climateemergencycentre.co.uk/cec-uk-network-2/\n\n![](https://i.imgur.com/e6zOPuh.png)\n\n# What's the secret of getting buildings for free?\n\nWe are a registered charity that gets discount on \"business rates\" that the owner of a building needs to pay no matter the occupancy (this is to incentivise use of the buildings). We are saving them money while getting access to the space.\n\nCheck our handbook: https://climateemergencycentre.co.uk/handbook-2/\n![handbook cover](https://i.imgur.com/4OUJQ9P.png)\n\n# Progress GG20\n\n* Increased centres to 27 across the UK \n* Another 5- 6 centres in the pipeline.\n* Around 40 groups that are linked and want to set up a centre in their area\n\nWeekly Zoom calls that are later published to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@climateemergencycentres8176/videos\n![youtube](https://i.imgur.com/V1e6Ttu.png)\n\nPrevious speakers include :\n* Sian Berry - Green candidate MP for Brighton \n* Rob Hopkins - Co Founder Transition Town Movement\n* Clare Farrell - Co founder XR\n* Ed Gemmel - Leader of the Climate Party\n* Rupert Read - Climate Majority Project\n* Dan Hooper ( Swampy ) Environmental Activist\n* Shane Collins - Green Gathering Director\n* Peter McFadden - Author, Flat Pack Democracy\n* Mary Ellen DPAC Disabled People Against Cuts\n* Nick Hayes - Author, Book of Trespass\n* Jamie Kelsey Fry - New Internationalist Contributing Editor \n* Graham Boyd - Regeneration Strategies for the Climate Emergency\n* Andrew Simms - Rapid Transition Alliance\n* Energy Savings Trust\n\n### Use of existing funds:\n\n 1st round: very little. 2nd round: it was £700 in total. The money was sent towards one of the lead stewards to cover necessary cost-of-living expenses.\n\n### Use of future funds:\n\nOperational expenses. Loads of buildings that need basic refurbishment.\n\n### Roadmap:\n\nCarry on what we are doing already.\n\n### Lessons learnt:\n\nConsistent work pays off. Regular weekly calls work. It take time to build a movement. Now that we have established presence and working framework it is easier to onboard new groups.\n\n# Progress GG19\n\nRegular webinars:\n* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNn2X_lPaGg\n* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTcFrA_UUuU\n* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e277iPIb52I\n\nEvents / exhibitions:\n* https://www.facebook.com/events/s/new-beacon-books-black-resista/190196860803600/\n\n# Public chat group\n\nTelegram link: https://t.me/+UTZYgEGCQkpIlWTX\n\nWe also havet WhatsApp group (more active) but to avoid spam / bots / bad actors the link not public but shared during our weekly calls.\n\nYou can also join our public Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/climateemergencycentres/ *(668 members as of moment of writing)*", "logoImgData": {}, "bannerImgData": {}, "projectTwitter": "climateEcentres"}