Meet Beeston’s new Climate Action Worker, Abi

I am delighted to introduce myself as the new Leeds Beeston Hub Worker for Climate Action. My name is Abi Paterson and I currently work in the Beeston community and surrounding areas as an Active Clubs trainer for Health for All, promoting physical activity and healthy living.

In my role as a hub worker I hope to connect more with the Beeston community by connecting with the amazing projects, volunteers and groups in the area. I’m excited to get stuck into all things green and sustainable, whether it’s planting flowers and vegetables in allotments or gardens or running reuse and recycle workshops.

My special interests are around upcycling and sustainable fashion and as a result I started learning to sew, which I am keen to collaborate and share with others.

Over the last month I have been going out into the community and getting in touch with different groups and organizations in the local area. This included visiting St Lukes CARES, Green Futures youth group and Lychee Red group as well as many other spaces in Beeston. Through this work I discovered many new parts of the local area that I hadn’t been to before and enjoyed talking to and meeting people who make up this wonderful community.

At the beginning of the month, a lot of work was done in order to officially open the Demonstration court on Marley View. This included planting and gardening sessions as well as adding finishing touches to the space, creating a relaxing, social and eco-friendly space. It’s a great example of how you can create a biodiverse green space in a built-up or small area.

Once open, a ‘how to’ guide will be produced to facilitate other parts of the community to create their own usable, safe and environmentally friendly courtyard in similar areas.

We are currently planning a community allotment day at Clarkesfield Allotments where people from the local area are invited to come and help clear and replant the Health for All plot. Thus, the plot is ready for interested community groups to use in their free time, planting different plants and vegetables and having a space to connect with nature.

Anyone is welcome to come and join for as long as you have time. Alternatively, if you or your group are interested in using the allowance, please email me below.

If you have any ideas on how you think Beeston can become greener or want to get involved in any way, please email [email protected]

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