A Climate Cafe is to start up in Kirkcudbright – but there’s no food in sight.
Environmental charity EcoArt, which is based in the town, has set up the initiative.
It aims to provide an informal space for exchanging ideas on community climate action.
Eco Crafters workshops will also be held at The Studio on High Street, the home of EcoArt trustee Rose Hall.
The skills sessions will focus on up-cycling everything from faded furniture to bicycle inner tubes.
The cafe and workshops, which are free, start on November 16 at 2pm and will run consecutively.
Rose, 59, said: “We really want to engage with the community and start climate conversations so we cam all learn more about what actions we can take.
“We are launching two things together - a climate cafe followed by eco crafters workshops on sustainable living.
“They’ll be about how to make your own shampoo, soaps, cleaning products and even washing powder.
“We’ll also have furniture up-cycling and repair and ways to make mis-matched furniture cohesive to help people who can’t afford to buy new.”
She added: “We hope to attract people who may be at home, not working and perhaps financially disadvantaged at this moment.
“Talking and sharing definitely improves people’s wellbeing.
“And doing something creative is a great way of bringing people together.
“Eco crafts welcomes everybody and the hope is that people will look at waste in a different way.”
The projects, collectively billed as The Climate Kitchen, have the extra benefit of alleviating financial hardship.
Rose said: “Make do and mend – making use of what we already have by up-cycling – is a great way to save money in these challenging times. Our aim at Eco Art is to increase interest in climate change and climate awareness in the community.
“We want to provide people with an informal space where they can exchange and share their ideas.
“One will be up-cycling bicycle inner tubes into wrist cuffs and jewellery – otherwise these things will just end up in landfill.
“The Climate Kitchen will be a place for people to cook up ideas and do things related to climate change.
“It’s simply about supporting people to take action at a community level through the arts.”
For more information go to the EcoArt Facebook page or email info@ecoartcharity.org
