Kingston Environment Forum

For the latest updates from KEF members and others, read and subscribe to Kingston Environment News, the monthly e-newsletter of Transition Town Kingston and Kingston Environment Centre, for everyone interested in green events, activities and news around Kingston. For the most recent KEF news see the links on the left and at the bottom of this page.

KEF news

2022 - KEF has downsized. In the absence of any interest in coordinating or representing this loose network, KEF is now just this website/archive of resources and a Facebook page for local environmental queries, campaigns and discussions... 

2021 - Several KEF collaborations are bearing fruit this autumn: GreenZone is appearing outside Kingston Library on Sunday 10th October; the Kingston green mapping project, first discussed at at a real-life meeting in one of John Lewis' community rooms some time ago is about to be published; and a Kingston Climate Emergency Centre looks very likely to be open soon. We are pleased to have brought together the groups and individuals that are making these things happen - KEF fulfilling its role as a convener and catalyst! Watch this space for further news. 

A reminder about funding opportunities from Kingston Voluntary Action
Green groups large and small looking for funds are reminded to keep an eye on KVA's Funding page https://kva.org.uk/funding/ and regular Funding bulletins, which list current funding sources and occasional funding seminars.

2nd KEF on-line discussion,  May 26th, 6.30pm, on Kingston GreenZone 2021?
Could a 2021 GreenZone event in the town centre help to galvanise the public, raise the profile of local green groups, recruit more volunteers, create a more connected and committed community, and encourage more environmental activity locally? How green could Kingston be? A panel of GreenZone experts and enthusiasts, led by Alison Whybrow of Transition Town Kingston,will be discussing these and other questions about how to revive the one-day GreenZone event, much missed last year. Come along to share ideas. There will also be an opportunity to share other local environmental news and updates in an Open Forum at the end and the evening will end at 8.00pm at the latest. Register for this event, hosted by Kingston Environment Forum, at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kingston-greenzone-2021-tickets-152907074175.

First KEF on-line talk con Kingston Kingston's Peoples Assembly on the Climate Emergency, April 2021
Bob Bollen and Simon Sinclair talked and answered questions about a new project in Kingston, Kingston's Peoples Assembly on the Climate Emergency. The main presentation was follwed by an open forum, an opportunity to share other local environmental news and updates. Find out more at https://e-voice.org.uk/kef/calendar/item/44973353

2021, KEF talks?
KEF is considering hosting a few on-line talks/discussions on local environmental issues, perhaps quarterly. As an umbrella group/forum KEF is well placed to look at cross-cutting themes and/or to present new local green themes or groups or campaigns to each other and beyond. We have had some suggested topics already, but offers and ideas from KEF member groups or interested parties would be welcome too - contact the KEF coordinator via this email with your suggestions; ideally, KEF talks and discussions would be of local but broad environmental interest, and informative, positive, forward-looking, action-focussed and non-party-political.

2021 KEF participation in Kingston Council's Communities Covid Recovery Task Force
See separate news items and updates, with latest news also on Home page

2020 - is there a need to reconvene?
It can be useful to the borough and the Council to have a forum support and enocouragement to the  when it does the right thing, and urge it to do even more. There are a lot of environment issues around the borough at the moment: new cycle lanes and opposition to them; development; maintenance of green spaces, grass verges, trees; air quality; action on last years' Climate Emergency Declaration; Seething Wells... ut, as we have found in the past, it is difficult to (a) get together and (b) arrive at a group view when the main interests of the member-groups are quite diverse and sometimes conflicting. If any of our member-groups would like to revive meetings and/or group projects and responses, do please get in touch. Otherwise, this website can remain as a resource and our Facebook page as a place to raise questions and concerns, and I can carry on maintaining them as KEF Coordinator, former Chair, Marilyn.

Read an interesting report from WWF on eco-footprints in the UK.

Click on the links below for news and updates from KEF member-groups and others.  

You can also: 

- get news about Habitats & Heritage

- sign up for Kingston Biodiversity Network updates at https://www.kingstonbiodiversitynetwork.org/  

- read the Berrylands Nature Reserve blog ayt https://berrylandsnaturereserve.org/blog/

- get Guardian Green Light for national and international green news

- subscribe to New Scientist's Fix the Planet newsletter