Eastbourne Eco Action Network
JOIN US

Category: Event

Airbourne’s Carbon Footprint 2025

For the first time, Eastbourne Eco Action Network (EEAN) Transport Group has undertaken a survey of the carbon footprint of the audience, going to and from Airbourne, which is also referred to as the Eastbourne Airshow. In the past EEAN have estimated the carbon footprint based on Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC) surveys and from other external sources.

The provisional Carbon Footprint for the Audience, from this survey, is estimated at between *3,500* and *4,000* tonnes CO2e  depending on the assumptions used. Different carbon emission models, the  allocation of a trip within a holiday to Airbourne, vehicle occupancy, multi stage trips, all  affect the data. It should be noted that this range is lower than the estimates, in past years. So a review should be carried out by EEAN, when EBC undertake their own analysis for 2025, to cross check and validate this report

However in undertaking this exercise, there were some shortcomings in the approach, that could be addressed next time. Mainly around more accurately analysing people who are coming to Airbourne from the holiday location and not directly from their home. This is covered in the section “How we should have done the survey” . So a blue print for what we could do in 2026 to improve the research.

Background

EBC’s Events Department state “[We] work pro-actively in our approach to sustainability at all of our events including Airbourne. We strive to ensure that sustainability is at the forefront of our decision making as opposed to being an afterthought. Airbourne brings a significant number of people into our town over the course of four days and we try our best to make our event carbon friendly.”

“Only 3.7% of emissions generated by Airbourne are from the flying display aircraft.  In fact, all of the displays in total generate less than a one-way flight to New York! The biggest generator of all emissions is actually from the people travelling to events, with 96.1% of all emissions at Airbourne 2022 generated by audience related travel, and just 0.2% from other sources.”

From the EBC 2023/24 Carbon neutral report.  “The council has now collected two years’ worth of data from the Airbourne airshow … The visitor survey was particularly successful this year having 1896 responses. As we estimate audience travel based on visitor numbers of 750,000 people, the more people that complete the survey and give us actual information, the more realistic an estimate we can make. Total emissions this year have been calculated as 5479  tonnes, a 12.8% reduction on 2022.”  (Around 96% of this is down to audience travel so this is **5250** tonnes)

Survey Results High level

The largest number of attendees come by car using diesel or petrol, and this is reflected in the charts below . There are a reasonable number of people who use public transport, walk and cycle all of these have lower carbon profiles

Carbon Footprint Assumptions

One problem, for anyone estimating the carbon footprint, is choosing what ‘calculator’ to use . Different organisations vary in their assumptions

Approaches to be considered may include

      • Count all electric vehicles as having zero tailpipe emissions, so no CO2, in line with the the UK emissions by Council 2005 to 2023 , which excludes carbon emissions of any electric transport ( Electric Vehicles, trains, and e-buses ). They also count, over a year, only the distance covered within Eastbourne. So much, of Airbourne’s journeys, will be allocated to the District Councils of Lewes, Wealden and Rother.
      • Including the whole trip ‘door to door’.
      • The whole trip, as in the above, but with all the elements of manufacture, disposal and indirect elements
      • Allocating CO2 for visitors from long distances, who then stay locally. Where they then have short trips to Airbourne where they might cycle or walk, each day, to the event.
      • Regardless the type of car, the larger the vehicle, generally the higher the emissions. Families may choose their largest car for this journey
      • Factoring in ‘Stop start’ journeys, with a different CO2 profile to motorway driving.
      • There are three main types of hybrid: mild , full , and plug-in. Each with a different CO2 profile though here an average of all 3 is used.

Different Calculations for Carbon Emissions

In this report the TNMT approach, is mostly used.

‘Our World in data’ , which is based on UK Government data, tends to be lower. The main difference is around trains where TNMT will include more indirect factors around the infrastructure running a railway.

However at Airbourne, there were higher levels of passengers in buses, trains and cars than for an average journey. This could be reflected in the carbon footprint per passenger. The occupancy rate for cars was just above 3.

There will be trains and buses returning that are not full. Likewise the ‘Park and Ride’ buses were probably running one way with 50 passengers and with very few on the return. Many local buses were so full at times that they drove past waiting passengers

One approach, used in the first iteration of this report, was to calculate the carbon for each vehicle occupant and gross this up for all those involved in the survey. This did not give a significantly different answer than the simpler method of using one person per private vehicle and then adjust later for the sample size.

So, as explained, the TNMT model has additional CO2 for electric vehicles, because of the manufacture and disposal, especially of batteries. Plus the carbon for electricity is very dependent on how green the grid mix is.

Survey analysis

Many people will attend on multiple days and any count is difficult, as there is no controlled access to the event . In the survey, people could describe two methods, they used to get to the event. For the ‘main method’ of transport the estimate for Carbon is 3150 for an assumed audience of 750,000. (There may be in the table some rounding errors).

Total 3,150 Tonnes CO2e

      • Miles 1 way – Reported journey for survey in miles – as this is easier for the public to describe their trip there
      • Km Return for vehicles – Converting into kilometres and then doubling for return
      • Survey Count – Those who describe their ‘Main Method’ for each transport method
      • Passenger Count – The passengers for the ‘Survey Count’
      • CO2 pp gm/km – CO2 per passenger (person) per kilometre (TNMT)
      • CO2 kg pp for all the journeys. Km return * CO2 pp converted into Kilograms
      • CO2 tonne for 750,000 – 750,000 is an estimate used by EBC for attendance ( 372 people in survey * 2000 is approx 750k) Then converted into tonnes
      • Petrol/Diesel – Private Cars with Internal Combustion Engine
      • Other – A mix of methods including powered wheelchairs, motorbikes and larger vehicles
      • Hybrid- An average of different types of hybrid – as not differentiated in survey
      • Taxi – Assumes mostly hybrid cars.

Many people will have multi ‘stage’ trips to get here. Estimates of the ‘second method’ will therefore be for a shorter distance. This will include those visitors who may have come a long way away but are staying reasonably locally and their journeys on these days are less, perhaps using Park and Ride buses, or local buses from the station or town centre. A rough estimate is around 350 tonnes . So the total for all journeys is close to 3,500 Tonnes. ( 3150 + 350)

There is no strong confidence attributable to this figure, as the 750k audience is an estimate and the sample size is small.

Survey questions

Two members of EEAN Transport Group did the interviews. This has the advantage that the interviewer can extract from the conversation the key pieces of data.  They tried to make the sampling as random as possible, by time of day, day of week and location. Having only 128 surveys for 372 people is not enough. The technology was a web-link with 3G on mobile phones to a Google form that feeds a Google Sheet .

Comparison with Eastbourne BC data 2022.

It is assumed that the EBC data is all collected from the online feedback form. It is possible that those strongly motivated or financially affected by the event, will be more likely to complete the survey. So for example the figure of 4 coaches with 180 passengers scaled up to 750,000 people would be a very high 40,000 passengers and 1,000 coach trips. It is assumed that the coach operator completed the survey rather that a random sample of the audience, which would be more in line with the EEAN survey. The coaches appearing to have much higher passenger numbers than those using local buses.

Likewise those who are local and less interested may spend only a few hours but on several days. They may be less likely to fill in the questionnaire. Their day may also include work, leisure and shopping and although perhaps driving to town they walked to Airbourne. The average distances are therefore higher with the EBC ‘model’ than in the EEAN survey.

How we should have done the survey

There were some good elements such as capturing multi stage trips.  For those staying locally the current questionnaire failed to tease out all the complexities of the trip for each day at Airbourne. The questions would be improved by asking

      • How far did you travel, from home to your holiday destination (Miles)
      • How did you get to your holiday destination
      • How many days are/were you on holiday
      • Of these how many are coming to Airbourne
      • How far did you travel, from where you are staying on holiday, to Eastbourne seafront (Miles)
      • How did you get from where you are staying today

Authors – Paul Humphreys and Derrick Coffee

Eastbourne Eco Action Network 2025 Symposium

Eastbourne Eco Action Network 2025 Symposium

By Sam Powell

Nearly six years since Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC) set its target to become carbon neutral by 2030 and the Eastbourne ECO Action Network (EEAN) was formed, the 2025 Symposium offered a moment to reflect on progress, reassess goals, and explore the next steps.

Members of panel discussion at Eastbourne's 2025 Symposium. Members from left to right are Candy Vaughan, Mayor, Oliver Sterno, Plastic Free Eastbourne, Professor Scarlett McNally, Orthopaedic surgeon, Andy Durling, Director Eastbourne Eco Action Network, Stephen, Emmanuel Church, Richard Watson, Energise South Coast, Lord Ralph Lucas

Symposium Panel Discussion

 

Collaborative dialogue on climate action

Eight presentations, followed by a panel Q&A and open discussion, brought together EEAN members, local councillors, Donnalyn Morris (Bus Service Improvement Plan Officer at East Sussex County Council (ESCC)), representatives from organisations registered as Community Interest Companies and Community Benefit Societies, businesses, charities, campaigners, and residents, including Lord Ralph Lucas.

Participants included representatives from Energise Sussex Coast (ESC), Plastic Free Eastbourne, Bespoke Cycle Group, the Eastbourne United Nations Association (EUNA), the Eastbourne Climate Coalition, international groups such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, and Emmanuel Church, the venue host.

The afternoon began with two opening speeches, one from EEAN’s Executive Director, Andrew Durling and another from EBC Leader Councillor Stephen Holt. Cllr Holt’s speech recognised the achievements of EEAN and associated groups since 2019. He praised EEAN’s role as a “critical friend” to EBC, challenging but constructive, providing a dialogue for improvement toward the 2030 carbon-neutral goal.

Andy outlined how carbon cycles  are essential to life on Earth and stressed the urgent need to restore balance by cutting emissions and enhancing natural carbon capture. We need actions like tree planting and soil restoration to increase the ability of the land and ocean to absorb the excess carbon and neutralise the excess of carbon emitted.

He also highlighted the success of local initiatives, from Treebourne and food allotments, attempting to relocalise the food system and EUNA’s carbon offsetting project,  to hospital car park solar panels, Energise Sussex Coast, and many other environmental projects across the town. 

Andy Durling, presenting

Andy Durling

Community energy, retrofits, fuel vouchers and beyond

Richard Watson, co-founder of ESC, gave a compelling presentation on their community-owned solar projects, including new schemes to install shared solar in blocks of flats using Solshare technology, allowing residents to equitably share the solar energy supplied.

As a Community Benefit Society, ESC secures grants and raises funds through community share offers, so that local energy is owned by local people and supports the local economy through lower costs for residents. Any surplus is used to address fuel poverty, providing practical help with retrofits, Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) improvements, fuel vouchers, retrofit advice and more.

Chris Richards introduced ESC’s Energy Champions project, which trains local volunteers to provide eco-energy advice and connect residents with additional support. He emphasised the importance of understanding Scope 1 (direct), 2 (purchased energy), and 3 (supply chain and other indirect) emissions, and discussed the value of solar carports, ward-specific emissions research, and combining art with climate science to engage the public.

Grid capacity and possibilities

During the panel, Richard highlighted a key barrier: limited local grid capacity. ESC planned a 300kW solar installation at a bowls centre, but they would only use 15%, and the grid cannot handle the reverse flow (when excess solar power is fed back into the grid). A £300,000 upgrade, “for the transformer and the primary substation,” is required, rendering the project unviable. Community batteries, inspired by Australian models, were floated as a potential solution. These store and share power locally.

During the presentation and beyond, there were also suggestions and talks of:

  • AI mapping Eastbourne’s solar potential (rooftops, etc.)
  • Developing solar carports in car parks
  • Exploring the possibility of having community-owned turbines via the Rampion extension – an extension taking place to the pre-existing wind turbines off the coast of Newhaven
  • Solar options for temporary housing (which Cllr Holt was specifically interested in)

“One turbine would generate enough power for 12,000 homes”, Richard said. “So three [large] turbines would be enough to power almost all the homes in Eastbourne.”

Richard Watson presenting in front of a slide about Pearl Court Eastbourne

Richard Watson       

Transport and the “modal shift”

Professor Scarlett McNally, orthopaedic surgeon and co-founder of Eastbourne Bespoke Cycle Group, underlined the health and wider environmental, economic and social benefits of active travel. Walking and cycling reduce emissions and improve air quality. But they also reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, dementia, cancer, many other illnesses, and road accidents. This also eases pressure on the NHS, both through prevention and reduced accidents.

“142 pedestrians have been hit by cars in Eastbourne over the past five years,” she noted. “This is a health and safety issue, not just a climate one.”

Jill Shacklock, EEAN Director, shared updates from EABUG, a successful project bringing together bus operators, councillors, council officers, and local bus users. She also ran a quiz on emissions and shared key statistics:

  • 68% of Eastbourne commutes are by car; just 2% by bicycle
  • 70% of UK residents support 20mph zones; only 14% oppose
  • Fewer injuries and deaths reported since Wales introduced 20mph limits
  • Community interaction and health improve alongside emissions cuts

Transport featured heavily in the panel Q&A and discussion regarding:

  • The seafront bus lane start date
  • Could sections of the seafront be bus-and-bike only?
  • Possible pedestrianisation areas
  • Funds allocated for bus lanes potentially being redirected elsewhere

Regarding the last point, Cllr Brett Wright said, “We need to put pressure on ESCC to actually spend that money on the bus lanes now, rather than delaying them to free up funds for the Exceat Bridge.”

Professor Scarlett McNally presenting

Professor  Scarlett McNally

Jill Shacklock presenting in front of a slide on campaigning for 20's Plenty

Jill Shacklock

Single-use plastics and consumption

Oliver Sterno of Plastic Free Eastbourne (PFE) outlined how infrastructure changes, like public water fountains and reusable bottle campaigns, can nudge behaviour. Thanks to council support for PFE’s “Refill Eastbourne” project, the town now has 14 public water fountains.

He also shared his annual tracking of travel and consumption reductions, saying, “We need to show people not just how to consume differently, but why.”

On corporate responsibility, he added: “We really need to get some powerful people — like the council, or the government — to start confronting these businesses. It’s the same with the water companies.”

This message of shared responsibility was echoed by the venue hosts, Emmanuel Church. Stephen Brown spoke about energy auditing, water-saving measures, waste reduction, ethical procurement practices and lifestyle changes regarding consumption and carbon footprint reduction. Emmanuel Church won an Eco Church award for environmental sustainability, making it an appropriate venue for the Symposium. The church congregation kindly donated the entire cost of hiring the venue as a gesture of support for the ECN2030 campaign.

Oliver Sterno presenting, pointing at a chart on a large screen. The chart shows progress made by Plastic Free Eastbourne in achieving targets for reducing carbon emissions

Oliver Sterno

Business and carbon offsetting

Ian Elgin of the EUNA spoke on carbon offsetting through the Uganda tree-planting project, which saw 14,000 trees planted in 2023, with similar numbers in 2024. EBC have become involved in the project to offset Airbourne emissions.

During the discussion, he asked: “We’ve got five years to become carbon neutral. Where is the message getting through to businesses?” Christina Ewbank (Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce) offered to connect him with businesses but said manufacturers and parent companies —not just small local branches and businesses—require most encouragement.

Education and youth engagement

A recurring theme throughout the day was how to meaningfully involve young people in climate action. Ideas included:

  • Monthly school eco-magazines
  • Public art campaigns to raise awareness
  • Solar panels on schools
  • Eco projects
  • More influence from Youth Parliament

Treebourne’s school partnerships were praised as models of engagement.

Sea defences

Andrew reminded attendees that the Pevensey Bay to Eastbourne Coastal Management Scheme’s long-term plans won’t start until 2037, and urged faster action alongside others. Whilst Cllr Wright stated that, thinking like a Whitehall civil servant, who decides which towns get sea defence funding, Eastbourne needs to remain economically attractive.

Cllr Jim Murray (Cabinet Member for Carbon Neutral 2030 and Water Champion) noted how the town is prioritised for funding and highlighted its social and economic importance. “If the sea wall collapses, 30,000 houses get flooded. Because of that figure, we’re getting prioritised. We’ve got the largest amount of money singled out for sea defences in the country.”

However, current funding models plan for only 1 metre of rise, while some climate science projections (Professor James Hansen) reach up to 3, 4, even 5 metres, and as Andrew pointed out, £100 million is not enough. He highlighted how Pevensey and Cooden beaches have “extremely low shingle banks” and need to be prioritised by the Environment Agency.

An Eastbourne beach at dusk, tide is out and line of breakwaters runs horizontally across the image,

Council progress

Cllr Murray’s presentation highlighted council progress:

  • 8% reduction in Airbourne emissions (2023 vs 2022) and carbon offsetting through the EUNA Uganda tree scheme
  • EV food waste fleet coming in 2026
  • 480 hectares added to the Seven Sisters ‘Super National Nature Reserve’
  • EV charge points
  • Sustainable new builds and retrofitting
  • Primary and Secondary education, green skills, career engagement

Council emission reductions for 2018/19–2023/24 are as follows:

  • Gas: ↓33% reduction
  • Electricity: ↓49% reduction
  • Fleet fuel: ↓31% reduction

Overall, scope 1 & 2 emissions are down 35.5%. Still, acceleration is needed to meet the 2030 target, as Cllr Murray himself said.

Closing reflections

The day closed with a mix of urgency and hope. “We haven’t solved the problems,” said Lord Ralph Lucas, “but at least we focused on them.”

There are questions left to answer regarding bus and bike lanes, changing transport perspectives, encouraging plastic reduction, ethical consumption, community energy, solar new builds, sea defences, and fundamentally, what stimulates change, and whether/how local economic growth can exist alongside the aims to reduce carbon emissions.

Cllr Candy Vaughan, the town’s Mayor at the time, concluded: “We want to make it happen [carbon neutral by 2030] and it’s only going to be down to us [everyone in the room and Eastbourne] to make anything happen. So let’s start.”

Top 10 actions raised at the 2025 Symposium

  1. Expand community-owned solar and battery storage
  2. Improve cycling, walking and bus infrastructure
  3. Scale up refill schemes and cut plastic waste
  4. Boost carbon literacy and climate education
  5. Accelerate sea defence planning
  6. Engage more businesses in climate responsibility
  7. Continue expanding nature recovery, local food allotments and tree planting
  8. Support green skills and youth employment
  9. Retrofit homes to reduce emissions and fuel poverty
  10. Use arts and media to communicate climate issues

Get Involved

Whether you’re an individual, a business, a school, or a community group, there’s a role for you in helping Eastbourne reach its Carbon Neutral 2030 target.

Ways to get involved:

  • Join or support local projects like Treebourne, Refill Eastbourne, or EABUG
  • Become an ESC Energy Champion and help neighbours cut energy use, adopt greener energy practices and signpost to services
  • Write to your councillor or MP about sea defences, active travel, and climate priorities
  • Follow and engage with EEAN on social media and subscribe for updates
  • See how you can change your household energy system, travel and consumption choices

With five years to go, Eastbourne’s path to carbon neutrality will depend on continued community effort, cross-sector collaboration, and the will to turn plans into progress.

Symposium presentations

Latest posts

Eastbourne campaigners call for year-round seawater testing

Eastbourne campaigners call for year-round seawater testing

By Sam Powell

On 17th May 2025, dozens gathered on Eastbourne’s beach by the Wish Tower as part of a national “Paddle Out” protest by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), calling for action on sewage pollution and year-round water testing. Eastbourne’s demonstration, one of 43 nationwide, was organised by Plastic Free Eastbourne, founded by Oliver Sterno in 2018 and designated SAS’s seventh “Plastic Free Community” in 2019.

Local voices urge change

Campaigners want the Environment Agency (EA) to extend water testing off Eastbourne’s beaches beyond the May-September bathing season, citing increased year-round sea swimming, health and environmental risks from contamination.

“We are here for the same reason, and that is because we want to see our oceans and our health protected,” said Emma O’Neill of SAS. “The water system in this country is broken, and now is the time to call for change.”

Emma referenced EA data indicating an increase in “spill” discharge hours across England in 2024. Combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharge reached a record total of 3,614,427 hours, an increase of 8,558 hours (0.22%) compared to the previous year (The Rivers Trust).

“This is simply not good enough, and pollution for profit must stop, and that’s why we’re here today,” Emma added, citing figures available through the Top of the Poops database and UK Parliament stats, showing that Southern Water released untreated sewage for 304,537 hours in 2024, a reduction of 4% compared to 2023, across 29,355 CSOs.

While seawater quality in Eastbourne was rated “good” in 2024, Southern Water still released untreated sewage 91 times, lasting a total of 617 hours, which is a decrease from 2023’s 108 releases lasting a total of 754 hours, and an increase from 2022’s 434 hours. However, this does not cover “spills” from inland pipes into rivers.

“We want the quality to be good all through the year,” Oliver Sterno added. “They test it from May; they should test it in the winter months as well, because we have swimmers here all year round.”

Currently, only citizen science fills the year-round testing gap. More than 30 swimmers were preparing to enter the sea, and just two said it was their first dip that year, highlighting the year-round use. Before they entered, Emma declared: “Our message really is clear, cut the crap and end the sewage scandal.”

Onshore, protesters chanted:

“What do we want? Clean waters!
When do we want it? Now!
Stop the scum, clean the tides!
No more sewage, no more lies!”

A large group of people holding banners, paddleboards and canoes. Some are holding oars. Banners have slogans including "stop the sewage scandal", "end this shit show", "save our oceans"

Surfers Against Sewage “Paddle Out” event, Eastbourne, 17 May, 2025.
Photo credit: Sam Powell

Chris Mason and Oliver Sterno holding a cardboard banner with the words "The Big Turd Paddle Out". Behind them is a green sea, people swimming and canoeing and the end of Eastbourne pier with its golden dome.

Oliver Sterno (right) and Chris Mason (left).
Photo credit: Sam Powell.

The sea remained relatively calm for Eastbourne’s 2025 “Paddle Out” event.       
Photo credit: Sam Powell

Policy Reform and Accountability​

Emma O’Neill also highlighted some progress. Since 2017, Southern Water has not paid shareholder dividends, and the Independent Water Commission, chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe, is reviewing the sector, inspiring SAS’s ‘Dear Jon’ campaign.

The Water Special Measures Act 2025 also introduces:

  • Criminal liability for environmental breaches
  • Penalties
  • Bonus bans for underperformance
  • Independent real-time sewage outflow monitoring
  • Mandatory Pollution Incident Reduction Plans

It came into force on June 6th, immediately blocking bonuses for 10 executives across six firms, including Southern Water. Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “Water company bosses, like anyone else, should only get bonuses if they’ve performed well, certainly not if they’ve failed to tackle water pollution.”

Real-time Event Duration Monitoring has also been in place since 1 January 2025 under Section 81 of the Environment Act 2021.

Three women holding cardboard banners with the slogans "Incompootence", "End this shit show", "Water slaughter", "Stop the sewage scandal", "Dirty Poolitics"

Jill Shacklock (pictured left) and Robert McGowan of EEAN joined the event, as did Cllr Ali Dehdashty, (then) Mayor Cllr Candy Vaughan and Cllr Andy Collins.
Photo credit: Sam Powell.

Southern Water's plans for Eastbourne

Of four local coastal outflows, three already meet the 2050 target stating that “Storm overflows will not be permitted to discharge above an average of 10 rainfall events per year by 2050” as outlined in the government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan.

The company has pledged £21.36 million for post-2030 upgrades to Eastbourne Wastewater Treatment Works 1, located roughly 2.5 miles offshore, to boost storage and treatment capacity to meet these targets.

A poster outside the Eastbourne Wastewater Treatment Works. It has recently also come under fire due to unpleasant smells in the area.           
Photo credit: Sam Powell.

Victorian infrastructure and systemic challenges

Companies cite Victorian infrastructure, increased use, rainfall, and pump failures as reasons for raw sewage release during heavy rain to prevent home backflows, such as the 16 incidents recorded in the Pevensey and Cuckmere catchment in 2019-2020 (see p. 10).

However, campaigners state concerns about “dry spills” during good weather and a lack of past regulatory action. Critics argue England’s fully privatised water system, unique globally, is ill-equipped to tackle these systemic issues. As Parliament noted in 2018, “England is the only country to have fully privatised its water and sewerage system.” With around 15,000 storm overflows in England, pressure for deeper reform is mounting.

Photo of large rocks in foregroound on a pebbled beach. Breakwaters can be seen

Location of Eastbourne’s three main sewage outfall pipes (Langney Point). The other (the rarely used “Granville Road Eastbourne” pipe) is near the Western Lawns.                      
Photo credit: Sam Powell.

Investment and the cost

In 2023, Southern Water CEO Lawrence Gosden said he apologises “that action was not taken sooner on sewage spills in the South-East,” and endorsed Water UK’s industry-wide £10 billion investment plan from 2023 to 2030.

Southern Water alone has pledged £7.8 billion to upgrade services, with £1.5 billion aimed at cutting sewage spills by 8,000 annually by 2035.

But the costs may fall on customers. Ofwat’s David Black warned of rising bills in late 2024.       A 2022 government press release spoke of the difficulties of achieving the ideal solution of separating rainwater and sewage pipes. It stated it “would cost between £350 billion and £600 billion,” while alternative solutions involving storage tanks could cost £160 – £240 billion, all impacting consumer bills.

As the push for cleaner seas continues, progress is steady but costly, reigniting debate over regulation, historic underinvestment and the case for public ownership.

Recommended sewage maps available to the public

Maps to check CSO releases:

Map for advice on bathing:

Maps for planned upgrades and release data:

Oliver Sterno (right) and Chris Mason (left) at the “Paddle Out” Protest. 
PhotoCredit: Sam Powell.

Latest posts

Eastbourne Spring Water Festival 2025

Eastbourne's Spring Water Festival 2025

By Sam Powell

Eastbourne’s Spring Water Festival returned this year for the fifth time, with nine days of events from the 10th to the 18th of May, highlighting a range of environmental projects and issues with a focus on the importance of water.

Eco Fair

 The opening ceremony of the Eco Fair on the Western Lawns took place at 1pm on Saturday, 10th May. Plastic Free Eastbourne’s (PFE) lead coordinator, Oliver Sterno, opened with a speech, followed by Mayor Cllr Candy Vaughan, MP Josh Babarinde, and Council Leader Cllr Stephen Holt, who also thanked attendees.

The fair featured stalls from the Eastbourne Eco Action Network, promoting sustainable transport, and Energise Sussex Coast, offering free energy advice. Other stalls included reused material fashion, eco-themed art, and contributions from Greenpeace, Extinction Rebellion, Blue Heart, PFE, local food vendors, and more, all showcasing efforts to improve Eastbourne’s environmental future.

Colourful gazebos on the Western Lawns, Eastbourne

The Eco Fair on the Western Lawns.
Photo credit: Sam Powell

Let's get Kidical

One of the festival’s standout events was the “Kidical Mass Bike Ride”, a global campaign locally organised by Bespoke Cycle Group. Parents, children, local councillors and residents cycled from the Lawns to Princes Park and back, calling for better cycling infrastructure, particularly along the seafront, to enable safer cycling for children and promote active, eco-friendly transport.

A large number of people in high viz and colourful clothes cycling along Eastbourne seafront road. There are adults and children of all ages.

Tomas Siroky and Robert McGowan leading the way.                                        Photo credit: Sam Powell.

Water walks, water talks, water museums and more

A guided walk on Pevensey Levels on the first Sunday explored wetland biodiversity and conservation efforts. The “Paddle Out” protest, on the following Saturday, drew more than 30 people and numerous beachgoers to demand action on the sewage crisis and year-round water- quality testing.

At The View Hotel, Compass Community Arts and Strandliners, supported by Blue Heart funding, created the interactive “Museum of Water”, using water samples to highlight local water health and its environmental journey.

Events throughout the week included litter picks, educational talks, bench dances, walks, art exhibitions, well-being sessions and family-friendly activities.

A group of people walking across very wide grassy path with trees either side and blue skies behind

The Pevensey Levels walk was guided by Andrew Durling and Robert McGowan of EEAN.                      Photo credit: Sam Powell.

Political engagement

Festival participants included Liberal Democrat councillors Tom Nevill, Ali Dehdashty and Andy Collins; Conservative councillor David Small and peer Lord Ralf Lucas; and 2024 Green Party parliamentary candidate Mike Munson. MP Josh Babarinde, who spoke at the opening ceremony, also tabled a parliamentary motion recognising the festival and advocating for cleaner water and reduced plastic use. In 2017, over a million plastic bottles were bought globally every minute, many ending up in waterways and landfills.

Closing ceremony

The festival concluded at Holywell Beach, where a natural spring meets the sea, with a performance art piece accompanied by a violinist. Cllr James Murray praised PFE’s initiatives, including refill water stations and local beach clean-ups. The event closed with Oliver Sterno officially handing over the leadership to the new PFE coordinator, Chris Mason.

Oliver Sterno (right) and Chris Mason (left) at the “Paddle Out” Protest. 
PhotoCredit: Sam Powell.

Latest posts

Eastbourne Carbon Neutral 2030 Symposium

Eastbourne Carbon Neutral Symposium

  • When: Saturday 26th April
  • from 1pm to 4.30pm
  • Where: Emmanuel Church
    Upperton Road, Eastbourne
Book your place

This Symposium follows on from the first one held in 2024 and will look at

  • What is happening locally to help achieve carbon neutrality by 2030?
  • What more can we do?

The venue for this event is Emmanuel Church, a modern building run by a team that has won a coveted Eco Church award for its efforts to meet high environmental and sustainability standards.

A variety of speakers will provide the background for the Carbon Neutral 2030 campaign and review the progress made so far, followed by reports on major EEAN initiatives of 2025. Our keynote speakers are Professor Scarlett McNally and Richard Watson, OBE.

Finally, there will be a plenary incorporating a Q&A session chaired by Lord Ralph Lucas to explore the pathway we need to take collectively as a community for the next 5 years, and particularly for the next year, to help achieve the 2030 target.

Spaces will be limited, so please book your free ticket as soon as possible. Refreshments will be provided free of charge. 

See further information and book your place here.

NOTE: you don’t have to register to use the booking system – you can select the option to Continue as Guest

Our keynote speakers include Professor Scarlett McNally and Richard Watson.

Countdown to 2030

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

New Bus User Group for South Wealden and Eastbourne

Guest Blog by David Everson

The importance of bus services in and around Eastbourne was a major topic at the initial meeting of the Eastbourne Area Bus Users Group (EABUG). This event took place in Eastbourne Town Hall on 16th October 2024. The group is an initiative of the Eastbourne Eco Action Network (EEAN). It aims to provide an interface between bus users, bus companies and local authorities. EABUG plans to meet three times a year.

Prominent among those present were representatives of local bus companies, Stagecoach, Brighton & Hove and Cuckmere buses. Also present were representatives of local disability groups, local and county councillors plus members of the public.

Jill Shacklock and David Everson (EEAN) both highlighted the need for good bus services. This was for those who could not drive or afford to drive, school children, those with disabilities or the elderly. They also emphasised the need to develop good sustainable transport systems.

East Sussex CC

A member of the East Sussex  Bus Team, Donnalyn Morris, gave an update on a variety of infrastructure projects that had been taking place in Eastbourne and Friston. Work on the Hailsham Mobility Hub was yet to start, with discussions currently taking place with Tesco about the project. The consultation about the proposed Bus Priority measures along Seaside and St Anthony’s in Eastbourne had now completed and a decision would be made in November.

Stagecoach

Matthew Arnold, Commercial Director, Stagecoach South East expressed concern over the detrimental effect that congestion had on bus punctuality and highlighted problems in Eastbourne. He described  these as the worst in the south east. He stated that car traffic was up 15% on pre Covid levels whilst bus passenger numbers had only risen to 94% of pre-Covid usage.

In addition, he also stated that buses were hindered by lack of co-ordination in the planning of roadworks. There needed to be more advance information sharing between ESCC and utility companies.

Brighton & Hove

Ben Garcia, from Brighton and Hove Buses, informed the meeting of recent improvements to their bus services. They are now a UK lead when it comes to inclusivity on their buses. They have dementia friendly seating and their drivers are trained to be ‘Dementia Friends’. All their buses are ‘talking buses’.

Cuckmere

Nick Price from Cuckmere Buses informed the meeting that their operation of eight, 16 seater buses were all driven by volunteers and that their new timetables would be published soon.

The main body of the meeting involved presentations, discussions and workshops about ‘Accessible Information’ on buses. New legislation requires most buses to provide information to passengers about the bus number and route and next stop information. Importantly the information must be given both visually and aurally. The new legislation came into force on 1st October 2024 for buses registered after October 2019. Older buses that need to be retrofitted with display boards and sound systems must be accessible by October 2026.

Using Apps

During the meeting there was a short presentation on how to use both Stagecoach and Brighton & Hove Bus Apps. QR codes were also highlighted as a quick means of accessing information at bus stops. A limiting factor for both of these sources of information is the necessity to have a Smart phone to access it.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of EABUG is planned for February 2025.

For further details please visit – Eastbourne ECO Action Network.

https://ecoactioneb.co.uk/about/eastbourne-area-bus-user-group

Email : bususereastbourne@gmail.com

David Everson

(Chair EEAN Transport Group)

supercharging carbon neutrality through symposia

 

The recent Carbon Neutrality Symposium organised by the Eastbourne Eco Action Network CIC (EEAN CIC) held at Eastbourne Town Hall on Saturday 20th April 2024 is hopefully the start of a regular series of annual symposia to review and reinvigorate the drive towards a carbon neutral Eastbourne by 2030, as mandated by Eastbourne Borough Council’s Climate Emergency Declaration of July 2019.

The Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC) Climate Lead, Councillor James Murray, opened the proceedings and made the point that EBC’s performance on its Climate Emergency Strategy could be usefully compared with other similar councils through the Climate Emergency UK scorecards.

These scorecards, completed for every single UK council, is a mine of useful, granular data about how councils are doing on climate action and a very useful source for EBC to use for its proposed review and refresh of its Climate Emergency Strategy, which will be updated by the end of 2024.

Kate Richardson, Sustainability Lead Officer for EBC, gave a short presentation on where Eastbourne as a borough currently is with regards to carbon neutrality and what the challenges are for the town in reaching that target by 2030. The main challenge is to speed up the borough-wide carbon emissions reduction from its present 6% or 7% reduction per year to more than 12% per year if Eastbourne is to meet its fair share of keeping global carbon reductions to no more than 1.5 degrees Centigrade as mandated by the UN IPCC COP21 Paris Agreement of 2015.

The keynote speaker for the day was Richard Garland from Gradient Consultants, an Eastbourne-based business. His inspirational speech and slideshow  presentation demonstrated the kind of example on sustainability, climate action, and Net Zero that all Eastbourne businesses could follow, and will need to follow eventually in any case, as more Net Zero legislation is applied to a wider range of businesses in the next few years in order to help meet the UK’s legally binding commitment under the Climate Change Act to achieve Net Zero by 2050. As Richard said, “As a business we are de-risking the need to meet current and future compliance requirements within our industry, and we are acknowledging the opportunities of the low carbon transition- the green economy”.

The results of the Carbon Neutral survey by the EEAN CIC were presented by Jill Shacklock, one of the directors of the EEAN CIC. The survey was very much a pilot study that will help inform a subsequent revised and enlarged survey later on. But the initial data reveals how some early wins can be made in advancing carbon neutrality in Eastbourne right now. For example, many people don’t know what the current Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating on their property is or how to find out what it is. The government has a website that gives the EPC rating for all UK properties that have one, and each rating includes info about what measures could be taken to improve the EPC rating.

Andrew Durling, a director of the EEAN CIC, gave a very brief introduction to two digital tools that can help local residents and organisations to both discover their carbon footprints and ways to reduce them significantly through simple, practical actions that can be taken right now. The first was Giki Zero and the second was small99. Both tools are free, and were presented as particularly user-friendly and easy to use. Giki Zero allows people to quickly find out their carbon footprint and then select actions which can help reduce it, each selection automatically recalculating the footprint to demonstrate progress towards the 2030 global average target for all citizens.

Small99 is particularly useful for small businesses and organisations of any kind that have little time and resources to devote to in-depth Net Zero action planning. Such planning will need to be demonstrated by all organisations, especially businesses (as Richard Garland’s keynote speech emphasised), over the coming years if they wish to maximise their chances of both complying with Net Zero legislation and in securing more business or funding from other organisations already in compliance with such legislation.

Breakout groups throughout the event allowed for networking and sharing of ideas about how Eastbourne’s carbon neutrality strategy could be improved.

Carbon offsetting is an important aspect of carbon neutrality, and one of Eastbourne’s major carbon offsetting and carbon sequestration schemes was developed by the Eastbourne United Nations Association, which had an information stall during the Symposium. This scheme is entirely administered by volunteers and many local organisations have made donations to it, including EBC.

A full overview of all the actions and initiative currently being undertaken or planned in Eastbourne to further the town’s carbon neutrality strategy can be seen on the One Planet Eastbourne community ecosystem platform developed by the EEAN CIC in collaboration with OnePlanet.

Interestingly, the recent local elections held on May 4th can be seen as a triumph for those candidates that campaigned for cleaner air, better active travel/public transport, and faster climate action. As Chris Skidmore, the UK government’s former Net Zero tsar, said, “These elections have shown pro-environment parties and mayors who made net zero central to their campaigns made significant gains”. The Eastbourne Carbon Neutrality 2030 campaign is unanimously supported by all borough councillors, and has popular support amongst the town’s residents, as the recent well-attended Carbon Neutrality Symposium, and the many other events mounted, or supported by, the Eastbourne Eco Action Network indicates.

Eastbourne Carbon Neutral 2030 Gathering: a short summary

 

March 15th was a significant day in the Eastbourne Carbon Neutral 2030 (ECN2030) campaign, as it was the first chance  for over two years for the many groups and organisations within the campaign to get together again in person to share their progress and their challenges since the campaign was launched back in January 2020. The gathering was co-sponsored by Energise Sussex Coast and the Warm This Winter coalition. The venue, Eastbourne Town Hall, was offered free of charge by Eastbourne Borough Council, together with substantial logistical support from the town hall staff, who did so much to ensure that the event was a success.

The gathering featured updates from many of the campaign’s members, some of them including slideshow presentations. First up was Andrew Durling, Executive Director of the Eastbourne Eco Action Network CIC (EEAN CIC), which organised the gathering. He delivered a welcome speech that set the context for the campaign, explained what its 2030 target meant in terms of actual carbon emissions reduction, and reported on some of the recent activities of the EEAN CIC which have facilitated the campaign. He also briefly introduced the One Planet Eastbourne platform that is being developed to help map the entire ECN2030 campaign in a visual, interactive way that incorporates as much monitoring data as possible to track progress of the campaign.

Many updates were given by most of the key initiatives within the ECN2030 campaign, and some of them included extensive and well-prepared slideshow presentations. These slideshows can be seen by clicking on these links below:

Treebourne

EcoTransport Group

Energy & Housing Group

Eastbourne Borough Council

Energise Sussex Coast

Other groups that gave updates were: EcoEd2030, Plastic Free Eastbourne, Eastbourne Jubilee Green Canopy, and Wild Bourne.

Here is a screenshot from Energise Sussex Coast’s presentation, which featured a briefing about the Energy Champions scheme that will be rolled out across Eastbourne during 2023 with the assistance of the EEAN CIC:

If you wish to train to become an Energy Champion, please contact kate@energisesussexcoast.co.uk or andy@ecoactioneb.co.uk

The updates given clearly illustrated the depth and breadth of the ECN2030 campaign and the large number of local volunteers giving so much of their time and energy to taking real action to ensure that the campaign make real progress whilst simultaneously improving the quality of life, and the health of the local environment, within the town at the same time.

The EEAN CIC intends to organise further ECN2030 Gatherings at regular intervals, hopefully every three months, in order to keep the momentum going for networking within the ECN2030 campaign and to showcase even more of the projects and initiatives within the campaign. Making Eastbourne a town that does its fair share of reducing its carbon emissions as well as learning to live within the ecological boundaries of our one and only livable planet is an ambitious and worthy goal that requires the whole of our community to come together and collaborate to achieve it. The ECN2030 Gathering on March 15th will hopefully be seen as an important step in facilitating that collaboration.

 

Driving to Airbourne

In Eastbourne Borough Council’s commitment to a carbon neutral 2030 one of the most contentious sources is Airbourne. An issue where some councillors have resigned. However their recently published report, on the event’s 2022 carbon footprint, showed that 96% was down to ‘audience’ travel. Whereas very little was linked to the aircraft

During the event the council undertook a survey of 710 people. They found 74% came by private car. Using Kolin Schunks carbon tool these journeys accounted for 95% of all the ‘travel’ CO2e. This being 91% of the CO2e for everything at Airbourne.

To be fair 2022 was not typical and due to industrial action had less rail travel but the clear message is, even in a ‘normal’ year, most carbon will be down to private car trips.

People might think that with more electric vehicles the carbon footprint will become very much less. However EVs with low mileage have big manufacture and disposal carbon footprints. With a trend for being ever larger and 15% heavier, than the fossil fuel equivalent, they are not the solution for everything and they still take up the same road space

Then with the raw data it was possible to have a ‘rough and ready’ estimate for traffic. Where assuming up to 10km was driven in Eastbourne and within 40km in East Sussex. This showed only 13%, of the total distance driven, is within Eastbourne and a further 21% elsewhere in East Sussex. So most of the event’s CO2e is not directly linked to the Eastbourne area.

Below are some of the measures that would reduce car trips. Experts suggest it is not enough to only use ‘pull’ measures like cycle and bus lanes. There has to be ‘push’ measures, which are equally important for the rest of the year.

Graphic from TUMI

TUMI

So in conclusion, if Eastbourne wants to reduce the carbon footprint for Airbourne, they need to discourage car trips. They would have to implement measures such as car bans, higher parking charges and tighter parking management. The question is does anyone have the commitment to do this?

Paul Humphreys – Transport Group

 

The Eastbourne Climate Coalition is creating a new buzz in town

The Eastbourne Eco Action Network is collaborating with the Eastbourne Climate Coalition to curate and manage an ambitious programme of community-run events in the E-Hive Marquee in Princes Park during the E-Festival on Eastbourne’s seafront that runs from July 29th to 31st. All the events in the E-Hive Marquee will be free to the public and are all organised by volunteers, showcasing what local people are doing – or could do – to help save our planet as a viable home for humanity. For example, there’ll be an Eco Fashion Show with local people modelling their beautifully upcycled/recycled clothes, with a guest appearance from a local seamstress who featured on the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee. There’ll also be a Sussex flower grower, who was a CPRE Countryside Award Winner in 2020, talking about how cut flowers flown in from abroad have a huge carbon footprint and why it’s best to buy sustainably grown British flowers.

The E-Hive Marquee will be open from 11am to 6pm on each of the three days of the festival, requiring many volunteers to ensure that the events within the marquee run smoothly. If you’d like to volunteer, please email: eastbourne@cop26coalition.org

But what is the Eastbourne Climate Coalition? The most recent conference of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel, on Climate Change, COP26, took place in Glasgow in November 2021. During that momentous event there were innumerable rallies and demonstrations throughout the world organised by civic groups determined to send a message to governments everywhere that urgent action is needed to avert the threat of catastrophic climate change. Eastbourne was no exception, as a large march and rally in the town was organised by the Eastbourne COP26 Coalition, co-ordinating a wide range of local organisations together under one banner to demand urgent climate action.

Since then, the Eastbourne COP26 Coalition has morphed into the Eastbourne Climate Coalition (ECC) and now has a membership of over 40 local organisations, and later articles in this column will showcase some of those organisations, such as Bespoke and Just Stop Oil. The ECC is following up on COP26 with a project to create Eastbourne’s very own Climate Emergency Centre, a hub for climate action where local people and community groups can gather to collaborate on climate-related issues in the local area and beyond. The ECC has recently completed a successful crowdfunding appeal to raise its first pot of funds for the Climate Hub project and is busy searching for suitable premises in central Eastbourne. But the ECC is not waiting for premises before engaging with local people about climate action. Hence its involvement with the E-Hive Marquee, which is in effect a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the kinds of activities that can take place in a local Climate Hub.

COP26 revealed how far the world still has to go to prevent climate breakdown, and Eastbourne is very much in the front line of climate change, especially as regards the increased flooding risks that are a consequence of the rising sea levels and stronger storm surges of a rapidly warming world. The climate news may seem grim, but the good news is that pretty much all the actions needed to alleviate the climate crisis have a huge range of co-benefits that actually make life easier, cleaner, healthier, safer, and ultimately happier – such as cleaner air and water, better walking and cycling infrastructure, more urban trees to provide cool shade in heatwaves, more wildlife returning to the countryside, and so on.

Moreover, just engaging in climate actions can be fun too, as the events in the E-Hive will demonstrate, with songs, music, dance, creative workshops, poetry, fashion shows, and much more. Yes, the Eastbourne Climate Coalition is buzzing around town, as you can discover for yourself when you fly into the E-Hive Marquee and see what’s pollinating there!

 

 

Big Summer Beach Clean

Plastic Free Eastbourne wants to encourage everyone to join our whole-town Summer Beach Clean in July. The event will be fully COVID-19 aware.

Now the lockdown is being gradually eased and people can gather in small groups in their gardens and public places, we can begin to regain the momentum and actions to make Eastbourne cleaner and more sustainable.

Plastic Free Eastbourne wants to encourage everyone to join our whole-town Summer Beach Clean. The event will be fully COVID-aware.

Dates of the Summer Beach Clean

  • Friday 10 July
  • Saturday 11 July
  • Sunday 12 July

The time would be individualised and it will be up to you when you take part.

What you need to do

To comply with the current regulations, your volunteering group should not include more than 6 participants.

Check the map below and decide how many beaches you and your group want to clean. Select the stretch of beach by identifying the groyne numbers at each end of your choice. See the detailed map here.

Groynes are the wooden walls dividing our beach into sections. They have been set up to reduce the shingle beach material from being washed away by wave action.

Groynes with numbers.

Register your attendance by emailing your names, ages if under 18, time and date you wish to participate along with your chosen groyne numbers. Send this all to plasticfreeeastbourne@gmail.com. or phone for further details 07971 909454.

You will be sent a confirmation email along with a Risk Assessment and Safety Briefing, as well as a list of items you should bring. This will include protective gloves, which you can order for free, face-covering (COVID-19 regulation), suitable clothing, refillable water bottles, sun protection, hand sanitiser.

On the day and before the start of your chosen time, sufficient debris bags will be left on top of the lowest numbered groyne you have chosen for you to collect.

We hope you will be able to record the amount and type of debris you have collected and perhaps take a photo or two for sharing. You might also like to write a short piece to tell us about your experience.

If you want to purchase litter pickers at £5 each, please order them in your email. They will be awaiting your arrival at your chosen groyne. Payments will be accepted online.

When you finish collecting, please tie up your bag of debris and leave it next to (not in) the nearest waste bin. The local council will collect the bags afterwards.

Overall, this event is intended to make our beach clear of debris. Equally, it is intended to provide a whole-town experience to raise our self-confidence and our sense of being able to work creatively and positively during this worrying era.

Eastbourne has a well-deserved reputation for rising to challenges and bringing about improvement to our town and to our surroundings. Join us!

Oliver Sterno

Plastic Free Eastbourne , SEA~SurvivalEqualsAction

Guest Blog: Swishing Away

For a number of reasons I very rarely buy new clothes – as my mortified teens would testify – preferring to rummage around charity shops but also because I’m quite satisfied with my wardrobe collection…

Knowledge is Power

When I was invited to guest blog, I took a long look at the initiatives the Eastbourne community has already started to get off the ground as part of the town’s ambitious bid to become carbon neutral by 2030. The phrase which jumped out at me straight away was, “knowledge is power”.

Photo by Gervyn Louis on Unsplash

It’s for this exact reason that I decided I had a duty to inform as many people as possible about the impact fast fashion is having on our planet.  This is, of course, a massive challenge in today’s world, where social media plays a huge part with its influencer generation, moulding and shaping our impressionable youth.

What About the Teens?

However, there is also an alternative influencer, who at the tender age of just 17, has already drummed up an army of supporters, encouraging them to make a stand by skipping school to protest that not enough is being done by world governments to deal with the severity of climate change.  Never has the world needed Greta Thunberg more than right now.

Photo by mentatdgt from Pexels

As the mother of three teenagers, I can find myself torn between their need to make choices independently and my desire to educate them about their online purchases, which often come across from Asia before being delivered directly to our door via courier.  Often when they get together with friends, the conversation centres around the photo session they are going to have and which different outfits and hairstyles they will be adopting, with what accessories. 

This is not dissimilar to my teenage years with a Polaroid camera after a trip to Tammy Girl in Bradford with friends, however, the easily affordable cost of fashion for our teenagers today, along with the speed in which new outfits can arrive, to then be tossed aside after the photo session and forgotten about, is costing our planet dearly.

So What to Do?

The answer is clear; everything we possibly can collectively and as individuals to put pressure on decision-makers to reverse these damaging trends and ensure that our children are being told about the effects these fast fashion purchases are having on the environment.

Photo by Adrienne Leonard on Unsplash

For a number of reasons I very rarely buy new clothes – as my mortified teens would testify – preferring to rummage around charity shops but also because I’m quite satisfied with my wardrobe collection, which really does need updating but I’m the sort of person who is happy with what she likes, so asking me to fast from fashion is not a huge undertaking.  I am fully aware though, that this message may not resonate well with those who love to buy new clothes.

This is where “knowledge is power” and education comes into the conversation. Can we do more to convince shopaholics that there are other ways to release endorphins; that trying on outfits and deciding what we look good in can be done in a manner which is sympathetic to our environmental challenges, that helps to get the message across that we should carefully consider every single purchase we make; do we really need the item we are buying and if so, how long will it last us, how has it been made and what are the conditions of those who have contributed to its manufacture. 

Swish Away the Winter Blues

Here comes Swish – not a new phenomenon but the idea behind it, in my opinion, should never go out of fashion.  Swish is the name for an event or party which is held for people to exchange each other’s clothes, rather than going out and buying new.  The basic rules are that you take along, let’s say, 5 items, which means you can also take the same number of garments away with you.  The clothes should be in good order, clean and have plenty of wear left.  

Photo by BBH Singapore on Unsplash

I decided to put the feelers out about holding this event, largely as an initiative for Spring Clearing Week which is organised by a national body called, APDO (The Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers), of which I am a member, due to my role as a professional organiser in Eastbourne.  Having posted this on various local Facebook pages I realised Swishing had been done before in Eastbourne and people were offering me hints and tips on the best way to hold it.  This gave me a huge feeling of hope, particularly when I was approached by a member of the Eastbourne ECO Action Network to potentially consider joining the movement.  I grabbed it with both hands, attending the Eastbourne Carbon Neutral 2030 event and chatting with stallholders about the amazing stuff they’re doing for our wonderful town.  I felt empowered. 

Now in Eastbourne

The aim moving forward is to hold four Swish events in Eastbourne each year, which will mirror the change in seasons, the first being towards the end of March.  This will be useful to those who wish to consider decluttering their wardrobes as the weather changes, bringing items to Swish events for others to consider reusing.  Like all things which need to catch on, changing habits is the key reason for holding this event four times per year.  The more we get the message out there; the more informative our message is about the difference we can make, the more people will take notice and realise that the power of knowledge really can change lives and ultimately secure our planet for a much longer future.

Eastbourne Swish Event

9.30-13.30
Saturday
21 March

If you would like to be involved in this event or would like more information you can email to sortingoutspacesos@gmail.com.

Jules Anderson

Professional Declutterer

The ECN2030 campaign lifts off!

This took months of discussion and planning, creating and navigating the partnership with the Eastbourne Borough Council, local community groups, councillors, businesses and activists – hundreds of emails and phone calls, but we finally did it!

This took months of discussion and planning, creating and navigating the partnership with the Eastbourne Borough Council, local community groups, councillors, businesses and activists – hundreds of emails and phone calls, but we did it! Eastbourne’s response to the Climate Emergency took off at the official launch of ECN2030 at the Welcome Building conference centre on Saturday 18th January.

Over 1,000 people walked through the doors. The entry was free so some visitors planned their visit especially and some just dropped in on the way to their daily business, the East Sussex College students were invited to help with photography and filming.

Photo: Hilsea Portsmouth

From stall to stall, from presentation to presentation local activists were revealing how our carbon footprint is created, how it affects us and what we must do now to avoid environmental disaster. What united all those people was one concern – what will become of our town in the face of the Climate Emergency and what we can do about it.  

As a result of the event, the Eastbourne ECO Action Network has quadrupled the number of its members. All eight of its Working Groups are now formulating practical projects for our town designed to help reduce local carbon emissions – the message is definitely coming across.

Photo: Hilsea Portsmouth

Our initiatives include:

  • Pledging by local businesses to join a four-tier programme to reduce carbon emissions 
  • Much more work on the planting of trees, hedges, green roofs, moss walls etc.
  • Promoting healthier, greener streets
  • Building a network across the education community – students, parents and staff
  • Promoting greater energy efficiency in poorly insulated buildings
  • Encouraging many more renewable energy installations 
  • Creating a community food store using local produce 
  • Campaigning for a better local network of safe walking and cycling paths, as well as better bus services, in order to help shift more people away from using cars
  • Getting Eastbourne Park designated as a Local Nature Reserve
  • Creating a Climate Adaptation Strategy to enable the town to cope with the impacts of climate change

And much, much more…

The Eastbourne ECO Action Network is always looking for more funding for its efforts, more volunteers to help it with its work, and more local businesses and community groups to partner with it. Join us or donate at our website:  www.ecoactioneb.co.uk

Andrew Durling

ECO Action Network, Financial Director

Eastbourne ECO Action Network

Facebook Instagram Twitter

EEAN Privacy Policy