What Next? Forum

Date: Thursday 25 March
Time: 7.15pm–9.30pm
Venue: St Clement's Church, Chorlton, M21 9JF Directions
Free event - Open to all - Refreshments available

The What Next? Forum is an evening of inspiring and practical talks and discussion about how to make Chorlton a greener and better place to live.

At Chorlton's Big Green Festival last year, guest speakers were invited to give talks between the musicians. This time round, we've moved this discussion to the Thursday evening before the main event. We hope that this will give many of the people who are going to explore the stalls, entertainment and activities on the Saturday the chance to enjoy a different kind of space; one where they can talk and think about a greener future for Chorlton. We hope that the What Next? evening will inspire and challenge, and encourage us to become even more involved in green issues, which, after all, is the purpose of Chorlton's Big Green Festival.

The first speaker, Marc Hudson, will set the scene. A well-known Manchester climate change campaigner, Marc is editor of Manchester Climate Fortnightly and the recent report Call to Real Action. He will provide a quick and lively overview of the latest climate change science, the next steps after Copenhagen, and developments in the UK and Manchester.

He will be followed by a resident of Ashton Hayes, a village in Cheshire that is aiming to become England's first carbon neutral community. This talk will show us how the people of Ashton Hayes are coming together to try to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels for heating, cooking and travel by finding alternative ways of doing everyday things, from changing lightbulbs to growing their own food.

Next comes Andrew Leask from the Trafford Eco-House, who will provide a chance for us to learn about what we can do in our own homes. Andrew and his family live in an ordinary three-bed house in Sale and, for the last couple of years, have been trying to make their home – and their lifestyle in it – as sustainable as possible.

Each of the talks will be brief, interesting and enjoyable, in line with the spirit of Chorlton's Big Green Festival, and there will be plenty of time for questions.

Finally, the event will finish with an open forum on ideas and projects for a greener Chorlton. Members of the Green Festival Discussion Group will start with some short presentations then the discussion will be opened up to the audience. We hope that this will be the springboard for some new, creative and interesting ways to make Chorlton greener that local people will want to get involved in.