The Eastbourne Climate Coalition in partnership with the Eastbourne Eco Action Network will be opening a pop-up Climate Emergency Hub in the Beacon - The E-Hive.

The hub will run seven days a week within normal shopping hours for six weeks until 13th December. It will be an opportunity for local residents to engage with many of the local initiatives for reducing the carbon footprint of the town and to discover how to live more sustainably. It will be known as the E-Hive in anticipation of it becoming a place buzzing with excitement about all things eco. It will be situated in Unit 45, next to the Vodaphone shop at the Bolton Road entrance to the Beacon Centre.

The hub will be staffed entirely by volunteers and will host a range of workshops, displays and presentations, as well as being a welcoming space where people can drop in for a chat and find information about the many local groups working on various local environmental projects. Useful advice, such as how to save energy and reduce fuel bills, or about how to repair, reuse or upcycle items such as pre-loved clothes, will be available. Also, some groups will provide items for sale, with all profits going to the various local environmental campaigns. The hub will have a varied programme each week, with local groups taking it in turns to run a variety of special events. A calendar of those events will be on display at the hub.

Click here for more E-Hive program and more information

Setting up the hub is part of the community response to the declaration of a climate emergency by Eastbourne Brough Council and its commitment to help Eastbourne become carbon neutral by 2030.

Andrew Durling, Executive Director of the ECO Action Eastbourne CIC, said:

“The Beacon management has been most generous in providing us with a space where the excellent work being done by so many local groups and volunteers to make our town safer, cleaner, greener, and more sustainable can be showcased. Climate change is here and Eastbourne will increasingly feel its impacts over the coming years, but we can deal with it, and adapt to it, in ways that can increase the quality of life for all at the same time as protecting the

local economy too. We hope the Climate Hub in the Beacon will demonstrate that in a creative and engaging way”.

Oliver Sterno, Community Leader of Plastic Free Eastbourne, said:

“This 6 week event will enable us to share our endeavours with the people of Eastbourne. If we all work together, our voice becomes powerful and our campaign will have more chance of persuading others to change behaviour and help to heal our planet”.

Evie Sier, a local environmentalist, said

“With COP27 looming we are hoping world leaders actually make an agreement they will stick to. But in the meantime, as individuals we just have to do the best we can. By visiting the hub the general public can find out how they can make a difference in their day to day lives, and how to encourage the powers that be to make some system changes to help combat the climate emergency”.