Cumbria CVS Green blog No 25 – March 2026
March 1, 2026
Welcome back to Cumbria CVS Green!
In our twenty-fifth blog post, guest blogger Helen Attewell, from Futureproof Cumbria, fills us in on Great Big Green week in June. Plus, details of funding available, free media training and an online event to share ideas.
If you have any suggestions about what you’d like to see in our regular updates, let us know! Contact us by emailing info@cumbriacvs.org.uk
You can find our what we’re doing to minimise our environmental impact and find details of organisations supporting positive environmental action in Cumbria on our Climate Commitment page here
Catch up on our other blog posts here
Great Big Green Week
Spring is coming, a hopeful time of year when we can look forward to more warmth and sunshine in the months to come. And for me, one of highlights will be Great Big Green Week, which takes place this year from the 6th – 14th June with a theme of ‘Together for Good.’
As Coordinator for the Cumbria Sustainability Network of grassroots groups working on climate and nature issues, I have had the privilege of seeing support for the week growing since its inception in 2020, and have been constantly amazed and delighted by the variety of events and activities which local community groups have organised. The programme of activities has involved groups from across the spectrum of the VCSE family, from larger charities like MIND and Growing Well, to youth projects, arts organisations and community projects; highlighting how passionate Cumbrian residents are about the environment and take great pride in place.
Great Big Green Week is a countrywide initiative coordinated by the Climate Coalition of national charities as a way of raising awareness of climate change and the biodiversity crisis, and getting more people involved in supporting nature and taking action to reduce their carbon footprint. Last year nearly 80 groups throughout Cumbria got involved with a huge range of activities: from planting for pollinators, wildlife walks, plastic-free picnics, films, talks, litter picks, compost demonstrations, music and performance, visual arts projects, games and family activities, learning about energy saving tips and solar panels, swap shops, repair cafes, upcycling and so much more.
I see that amazing programme of events as an expression of our Cumbrian creativity and resilience. There’s no doubt that climate change is an issue of epic importance that will increasingly pose challenges for us, our children and grandchildren, and will have a huge impact on the prospects for our dearly-loved birds, plants and animals, but I’m blown away that so many people in our communities are ‘doing their bit’ to tackle the issue on behalf of future generations. Surely that must give grounds for optimism that we can get our politicians on board and turn things around together?
Both Cumbrian local authorities have got behind the week in different ways. The Westmorland and Furness locality boards are once again providing funding for Great Big Green Week, and grants of up to £300 are available for not-for-profit groups planning a climate and nature themed celebratory event. Since the week also coincides with Open Farm Sunday on the 7th June Visit A Farm – Open Farm Sunday and the Eden Project’s Big Lunch initiative The Big Lunch 2026 | Eden Project Communities, Cumberland Food Partnership has allocated funding of up to £200 per organisation to host a food-focussed event. Their aims are to bring together communities and promote local food; lower carbon and healthy food options; low waste, single-use-plastic-free events and food growing, including celebrating local growers, encouraging people to grow their own, and strengthening connections with community gardens, allotments and farms.
So please, please get involved this year and make sure that you’re part of the celebrations which are building a movement for positive action in Cumbria!
Details of both funding opportunities are here: Great Big Green Week – Zero Carbon Cumbria – Carbon reduction action across the county. There are also some online training sessions which are open to all, which aim to build groups’ skills around boosting publicity and profile for the celebration, but also to ensure that any events you are planning take into account your carbon footprint.
We are offering free media training led by the Sheffield-based Storytelling Exchange, which will take place on Wednesday 25th March on Zoom at 7pm. Please book on through the Futureproof Cumbria events page here: Events – Futureproof Cumbria
And a further online event to share ideas about Great Big Green Week and Big Lunch activities will take place online on the evening of 15th April 7 – 8.30pm with an overarching theme of planning a low carbon event:
I’m really looking forward to hearing from groups that have been involved with Great Big Green Week in previous years, but equally would love more communities to take part this year. As local charitable organisations, we are ‘trusted messengers’ within our communities and ideally placed to influence opinion and action on climate and nature.
Both Great Big Green Week and the Big Lunch provide opportunities to bring communities together, build relationships, boost health and wellbeing and create the building blocks for resilience to weather the storms of the years ahead. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me Helen.attewell@futureproofcumbria.org.uk if you’d like any more information or support.
Tell Your Green Story: Media & Storytelling for Great Big Green Week
Wednesday 25th March, online. See above for details.
Sharing ideas for Great Big Green Week
Wednesday 15th April, online. See above for details.
The Big Lunch
Friday 5th – Monday 8th June. See above for details.
Open Farm Sunday
Sunday 7th June. See above for details.
Great Big Green Week
Saturday 6th – Sunday 14th June. See above for details.
‘A silent majority’: MPs underestimate support for green policies, study reveals
From solar power and energy efficiency to meat taxes and frequent flyer levies, a recent study found that politicians consistently failed to appreciate people’s appetite for policies that tackle climate change.
Led by Lisa-Maria Tanase, an academic at the University of Cambridge, the study surveyed 100 current UK MPs, broadly reflecting the current political spread in parliament, and more than 600 Flemish politicians in Belgium. The UK MPs were asked in early 2025 to estimate the level of public support for green policies and their answers were compared with an Ipsos poll of the public that asked the same questions. When asked about a tax on frequent fliers and taxes to reflect how environmentally friendly products are, the MPs thought only a minority supported them, when a majority actually did: the MPs underestimated support by about 15 percentage points.
