New Climate Café to launch in Axminster

A new Climate Café is launching in Axminster after Easter – one of several across the South West set up in response to people's growing eco awareness and anxiety about climate change.

So far, facilitators Fiona Anderson and Diane Cheshire have arranged two dates, on Saturday , April 15 April and Saturday, June 10 at Axminster Wellbeing Centre, from 10.30am to 12noon.

Now retired, Diane has spent much of her life in caring professions. She's interested in developing community resilience through group sharing and support.

Fiona is a former journalist and leadership coach, and she's been running cafes online with the Climate Psychology Alliance and in person in Seaton for the last year. 

What she's found is that people really welcome the time to reflect and talk about their feelings about climate change.

"Whether someone's just waking up to what is changing in our environment, or is already a busy activist, we all need space to stop and think," she said.

"When I moved to Axminster I was immediately impressed by how many people are trying in different ways to take on climate change, like the plastic free campaign, the regular repair cafe, and the preloved toys project based at Pippins. 

"Our town councillors' initiative in setting up the Axminster Climate Action Group seems exactly the right time to start a climate cafe in Axminster to support those efforts.

The cafes on Saturday, April 15 and Saturday, June 10 will be held in the John Tweed Room at the Axminster Health and Wellbeing Centre from 10.30am to 12noon.

Fiona said: "We're not holding the event in an actual cafe as we've found they're too noisy for the conversations we want to have - though we shall be offering hot drinks and biscuits.

"And it's not a drop in - the cafe is carefully structured to make sure everyone who wants to gets a chance to speak and to be listened to, so people should try to arrive for the start and aim to stay till it finishes."

To book a place or for more information, please email Fiona at [email protected]