‘Clean Air For The Ends’ campaign comes to life in South London – South London News

A Brixton charity which supports thousands of black and marginalized people every year has launched a new campaign to tackle pollution inequality.

For the past two years, Poetic Unity, based in Windrush Square, Brixton, has worked alongside campaign group Live + Breathe to raise awareness of air pollution in south London.

Black residents are exposed to higher levels of illegal air pollution than any other ethnic group in London, according to research from the Runnymede Trust UK and Greenpeace UK.

In Lambeth, which has majority black residents, “dangerously high” levels of nitrogen dioxide, almost double the standard recommended by the World Health Organisation, were recorded by the 2022 study.

Poetic unityHis new Clean Air For The Ends campaign promotes alternative travel such as bicycling and rollerblading for black youth.

The charity filmed a video of a poem written by Blaize Alexis-Anglinby in Brixton to raise awareness around the issue. The video featured 100 bikes that were donated by Forest Bikes in support of the campaign.

Ryan J. Matthews-Robinson, founder of Poetic Unity, said: “Air pollution is a problem that affects us all every day, but because it’s not something we can physically see, it tends not to be taken as seriously like other problems.

“We know the racial injustice related to air quality and we want to make sure our young people have fairer and cleaner air quality for the future.

“Clean Air For The Ends brings the community together to not only highlight this important issue, but to share joy, provide purpose and tangible steps to find long-term solutions together.”

The Clean Air For The Ends poetry video will premiere at Theater Peckham on June 20, which is National Clean Air Dayin an event that will include live performances and conversations about air quality.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: https://www.theatrepeckham.co.uk/show/clean-air-for-the-ends

Top image: Poetic Unity’s video shoot for Blaize Alexis-Anglinby’s poem (Image: Ruma Film)

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