How a Bristol community is uniting to seek grassroots solutions to the climate crisis

Music booms out sporadically from a vast bicycle-powered speaker set up outside Sweet Mart on St Mark’s Road on Thursday afternoon.

A small group is clustered near the person peddling furiously, chatting to passers-by and sharing out cake and information.

The members of Eastside Community Trust, Bristol Energy Network and the CHEESE (Cold Homes Energy Efficiency Survey Experts) Project are all taking part in a street-wide action that is bringing people together to seek grassroots solutions to the climate crisis.

Just down the street, Tarek Ahmed is busy behind a workbench made from old scaffolding planks in the pop-up upcycling workshop that he’s set up outside his shop, Gulzar Fancy Goods.

“We’re living in a throwaway society but we can upcycle everything,” explains Tarek, whose late father Nizam set up the business in 1997.

“One man’s rubbish is another man’s gold.”

Tarek sells a vast array of tools and equipment and hopes to inspire and assist people to re-use and upcycle unwanted items rather than throwing them away and buying new.

“We’ve got all the tools and all the materials people might need and just want to inspire people to do their own stuff,” he adds, working on a new lightbox made from old scraps of wood and an unwanted lamp donated by a neighbour.

Abiir Shirdoon of Eastside Community Trust, Martin Chittell of TravelWest, Mia Smith of Bristol Energy Network and Nettie Burd of the CHEESE Project at the St Mark’s Road day of climate action – photo by Ellie Pipe

The day of action to tackle climate change was organised by a collaboration of organisations, businesses and individuals in and around St Mark’s Road. It comes in the wake of the proposal to pedestrianise the road, which divided opinion in the community and was ultimately rejected.

Abdul Malik, the chair of Easton Jamia Mosque, says this is only the beginning of work to bring people together to tackle climate change at a grassroots level.

“I think that the conversation needs to be had at grassroots level and there is an education process that needs to happen across the communities, for people that might not be switched on with these issues,” says Abdul, who was among those who campaigned against pedestrianisation.

The mosque has published a leaflet titled ‘A Muslim’s Guide to Climate Change’ and is hosting an exhibition with information panels and an interactive model by Bristol Energy Network aimed at engaging people in small changes they can make to their homes to become more sustainable.

Abdul says the impact of global climate change is being felt among different communities, with one person from Pakistan telling him the dramatic rise in water levels has hit crops and is having a direct impact on families.

Junior Sheikh, director of the MTM Awards, interviews Abdul Malik, chair of Easton Jamia Mosque about climate action – photo courtesy of MTM Awards

As the owner of Pak Butchers, he says he has faced criticism from some about the trade and it’s impact on the environment but says he is educating himself and speaking to suppliers about more sustainable solutions.

Abdul says that he is open to making changes to his business and personal life in the face of the climate crisis.

“It’s really understanding what the needs are and coming up with a plan,” says Abdul, explaining that while encouraging more cycling and electric vehicles is a positive move, there needs to be the infrastructure in place to support them.

He adds: “Where there is change that needs to be made and there are words that have to be listened to, I’m hopeful that people will come forward and help us on this journey.”

Dan Narayanan, one of the founders of Bristol Energy Network, peddles the bike that powers the music on St Mark’s Road – photo by Ellie Pipe

Back at the stand by Sweet Mart, Abiir Shirdoon of Eastside Community Trust is deep in conversation with a passing resident about work to combat the negative impacts of climate change.

She explains the organisation is one of a number across the city leading a community climate action project that works in collaboration with residents to improve the local environment, as well as wellbeing and sustainability within the neighbourhood.

Emily Fifield, community project manager for Eastside Community Trust, adds: “Over the summer, we’ve been talking to local people to develop a picture of how we can build a healthy and happy community that cares for and helps rebuild our environment whilst protecting it for future generations.

“These conversations, feedback during events and responses to our survey will all feed into the Community Climate Action plan we are developing that outlines the priorities for our area.

“The past 18 months have shown us that we are stronger than we know when we work together. It’s also proven to us that we have the ability to take on enormous challenges as a community, especially when we’re protecting the people we love.

“This is just the start of a long process but we do know that with the experiences, knowledge and passion in our community we can make plans for a healthy future for us and our planet.”

Just across the street, a screen mounted on the window of the St Mark’s Road Community Kiosk shows live statistics, such as air pollution levels, from the road.

Inside, Stuart Phelps has a display of different initiatives that have been launched by traders in the area seeking to make their businesses more sustainable – from Thali’s cargo bike for deliveries to Sweet Mart’s electric vans and gradual shift to more sustainable packaging.

But there are also challenges, with the need for customers to support the investment in such measures, as well as better infrastructure such as electric charging points.

Stuart, as a member of Residents Against Dirty Energy (RADE Bristol), argues that one of the biggest issues in the area is the increasing use of wood burning stoves, which generate air pollution, and is a problem only expected to escalate this winter.

As part of the pioneering grassroots action taking place in the neighbourhood, there is the ongoing Easton Data Garden project is a collaboration between young people in the area, UWE Bristol and STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) ambassadors to collate and present real-time data collected.

This will be displayed in the community kiosk in due course.

St Mark’s Road comes together to Tackle Climate Change – photo courtesy of MTM Awards

Read more: Sweet Mart promise to leave St Mark’s Road if street is pedestrianised 

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