First green festival looking to inspire others to protect Market Drayton

More than 25 exhibitors and Shropshire climate activists will be attending the town's first ever Green Festival to share ideas on how to move forward with environmental issues in the town.

Market Drayton Community Enterprise has organised events in the town for the past few years and hope the festival on Friday will inspire people to come up with local solutions for climate change.

Especially in the lead up to the international climate change conference, COP26 held in Glasgow this weekend.

The festival is being held in the Festival Drayton Centre from 10am on Friday, October 29, with speeches in the afternoon. It is free entry.

Eric Davies, secretary of Market Drayton Community Enterprise, said: "This is our first Go Green event.

"We have run festivals in the town since 2016 but they have been health and wellbeing related. Pre-Covid we did three festivals a year.

"This festival will really focus on environmental issues, bring them to the fore and we will have talks from lots of excellent speakers. There are also 24 exhibitors on the day and we will have the mayor and the county councillor opening the speeches.

"Other people of note are Chris Deaves, chair of Zero Carbon Shropshire; Dr Roy Alexander and Kate Harrison on behalf of the Ashton Hayes going carbon neutral project; and George Vigileos on behalf of NGO Earth Protector Communities."

Chris Deaves will highlight how the actions of individuals, households, businesses and councils across Shropshire can contribute towards achieving this target.

This follows the decisions from both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Councils declaring climate emergencies and have set a 2030 target for becoming carbon neutral.

Ashton Hayes is a Cheshire community that has achieved success in working towards carbon neutrality since its launch in 2006 and members of the project frequently provide advice to similar projects.

Dr Roy Alexander and Kate Harrison will discuss how Ashton Hayes have aimed to become completley carbon neutral, and give advice to people in Market Drayton on how to follow their footsteps.

Market Drayton Community Enterprise thanks Market Drayton Town Council, Palethorpes and Chris Purcell & Co for their respective donations of £100.

In the event of any surplus from donations, this will be devoted towards achieving a net zero carbon emission Market Drayton over the next decade.