Blairgowrie & Rattray Hub Magazine Winter 2023

The Climate Café
“Synecdoche” (noun)
Something smaller representing a bigger thing.
This word came up at one of our Climate Cafe
meetings and it seems to sum our efforts up
quite nicely, and possibly acts as a good oneword
summary of our activity since the last
Hub Magazine...
It all kicked off with the Friendship Cafe
who left us with a signed letter expressing
their care about the future of our planet. We
presented the letter to John Swinney when
we welcomed him back to one of our Climate
Cafe meetings in August, which was all very
engaging and overall quite positive.
We were then visited by local artist Helen
McCorrie who is working on a sustainable
travel project with Perth Theatre. Through
creative outlet we expressed the importance of
bus services to/from Blairgowrie and how they
could be improved and made more accessible.
The artwork will be showcased at a big event at
Perth Theatre on November 11th 1-4pm.
We continue to support Apples Galore and
held two community apple pressing events this
season that made 100s of litres of apple juice
from both donated, and people’s own, apples.
It was great to be back at the market in the
Wellmeadow for one of these events. CHECK
this went ahead and confirm number of apple
pressing events held
A big moment came for all Climate Cafes in
October as former Deputy First Minister, John
Swinney MSP led his first member’s debate in
16 years in Holyrood. He used the platform to
highlight the activity and success of Climate
Cafes with our very own Heat Project praised
by not by one or two, but by three members
of Parliament. The Heat Project is one of many
initiatives that grew from a conversation had
at Blairgowrie, Rattray and District Climate
Cafe, and it got us thinking about the initial
meetings we had when our Climate Cafe first
started and when we posed the question “what
would we like to see happen in our town?”
Our Climate Cafe is a space for people to come
together for a drink and a chat, with most of
us having a keen interest in the environment
around us. If you think you would like to come
along to chat, listen, or have a few ideas on
what positive impacts we could bring to our
community, then please pop by - everyone is
welcome. We also are very keen to create a
spin-off group to help act on these ideas, so
if you are interested in being involved in this
then let us know.
Climate action isn’t about not driving, turning
lights off or sitting in a cold house - it’s about
building a better community that works for
everyone. It’s where people can afford to be
warm in their homes, able to get to places they
want to go, and safely breathe unpolluted air
when they walk down the street.
It’s a chance for us to look at our resources,
what might not be working well for some
people, and what opportunities there are
to work together to improve it. It’s about
facilitating sustainable choices, empowering
people, and doing what is best for people and
planet, not just big business and the superrich.
There are lots of pieces to the puzzle, and
it isn’t one size fits all but there are lots of
benefits to everyone from a fairer greener
world.
If you want to be part of the conversation,
or just join us for a hot drink - we are now
meeting at the BaRI Building (55 High St,
Blairgowrie) from 7.30pm, every third
Wednesday of the month.
Contact at info@climatecafeblair.org.uk
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