This Autumn, world leaders will meet in Glasgow for COP26, the UN  Climate Change Conference. This summit is a crunch point for tackling climate change, countries will need to agree and meet highly ambitious targets to reduce Greenhouse gases.

Ahead of this event, communities across the UK are holding their own Great Big Green Week fringe festivals, stepping up their actions to reduce emissions and urging world leaders to ‘step up’ too.

CEYOU initially registered the Pontypridd Green Week expecting to run a single multiplier event for the project combined with a social media campaign throughout the week. But the people of Pontypridd, home of CEYOU coordinators Pontydysgu, knew we could do better than that! Now we have partnered with Climate.Cymru and the local branch of Friends of the Earth and we are organsing what is shaping up to be a bumper week of activities, workshops, arts, presentations and celebrations.

Pontypridd Green Week even has its own poet in residence, Rufus Mufasa, former Future Generations Act Poet in Residence for Wales and a  leading artist in promoting and mentoring young voices.

The week kicks of with a community fancy dress litter-pick followed by drop-in engagement sessions, presentation of the CEYOU products, an upcycled art project, a recycled fashion show, documentary film screening, and CEYOU youth forum session. On day two, members of the youth forum have been invited by Mick Antoniw MS to visit the Senedd, (theWelsh Parliament).

During the week there will be social media challenges, an eco book club and shop window displays to entertain and engage passers by. CEYOU will also hold a series of webinars on youth engagement with circular economy initiatives.

At the end of the week we have a Repair Cafe, introduction to permaculture and a plenary session with  local councillor and assembly member, Heledd Fychan.

Throughout the build-up to Pontypridd Green Week local people have been contributing ideas to create a bill of rights for the Taff, the river flowing through the heart of the town. These rights, such as ‘The right to be free from litter’ will be incorporated into a handmade scroll and presented during a celebration of the rights of the river.

CEYOU has circulated info packs to local schools and businesses. They are also available to download.

For more info please follow the Pontypridd Green Week Facebook page.