Launch pictures: New climate emergency centre opens in Worthing

CREW, the new Climate Resilience Centre Worthing, is a charity bringing together local groups to deliver events, information and workshops on a wide range of topics. Energy bill advice, climate justice, insulation for homes, people not profit, listening circles, eating sustainably, stories for a better future, wellbeing, green travel, climate information, repair, recycle, reuse, rewilding and gardening with nature are all covered.

CREW was officially opened in South Street, Worthing, on Thursday, February 16, as part of a growing network of climate emergency centres across the UK. Worthing mayor Henna Chowdhury cut the ribbon and made a moving speech, having recently returned from Bangladesh, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Co-founders Amberlouise Everitt and Sean Hellett also gave speeches, Amberlouise reminding everyone the important reasons for setting up the centre and Sean explaining the journey to getting the charity registered and the centre open. Amberlouise said: "We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who made CREW's grand opening a success. We are now officially open!" Sean added: "We are so grateful to all our wonderful volunteers who gave their time and worked hard to get the launch day organised, also for our volunteers' continued hard work and for all that they do.”

The centre, at 8/9 South Street, in the town centre, is open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 10am to 4pm. As a community hub, it provides information, support and solutions to help build resilience in a climate emergency through talks, workshops, events and information.

Amberlouise said: "What we do in the next two to three years to stop burning fossil fuels, stop deforestation, change transport systems, reduce meat and dairy consumption and stop consuming so much will determine whether we have a habitable planet or not. Climate change is already happening and is accelerating due to human activity. The UK will not escape climate change, with our winters projected to become warmer and wetter and summers hotter and drier with increasing likelihood and severity of heatwaves. Global food shortages will occur due to crop failure and 1.2billion displaced people are expected by 2050.”

CREW has been working with St Oscar Romero Catholic School in Goring, where the Fingerprints not Footprints group is planning a youth space at the centre, with activities for local young people to get involved. Tobias Chaffer, ambassador for Fingerprints not Footprints, gave a moving speech at the launch event. Known as 'T', he talked about why the climate issues were so important to him.

CREW is offering the opportunity to submit a mural design for the ground floor wall at the centre. The submission date is March 17, 2023, email [email protected]. It needs to have a rewilding/nature based theme and message with the emphasis on beauty, perhaps with some extinct or threatened species included. Visit worthingcrew.co.uk for more information about events and visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/climate-resilience-centre-worthing-1198526 to support the centre.