Richmond’s Great Big Green Week 2023

The official jam-packed timetable for Richmond upon Thames’ Great Big Green Week has dropped.

The week kicks off on June 10 and will run until June 18. The week is part of a national iniative with events inspiring community action to tackle climate change and protect nature.

Councillor Julia Neden-Watts, Chair of the Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee, said: “We all have a role to play when it comes to addressing climate change, and initiatives like Great Big Green Week are the perfect opportunity for our communities to see the breadth of convenient opportunities that exist to get involved locally.”

From river clean-ups on paddleboard and foot, and building wildlife habitats, to the popular Kew Village market, there is something for everyone. There is plenty planned for children too including story times, flower and vegetable planting and decorating ladybird houses.

In Barnes, there will be the Beverley Brook Lost Nature Trail (12 June) – Beverley Brook is missing some species, largely due to climate change and human activity. The Community Bluescapes self-guided walk will give you a peek into these species and what we can do to help.

Kew Village market will take place on Sunday June 4 and feature around 45 food and craft stalls. This year it will help to pilot a new recycling scheme for the area.

On June 16, Luke Jerram’s Gaia exhibition will launch in the Landmark Arts Centre. The exhibition will bring mesmerising sights of NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface with sound composition by BAFTA award-winning composer, Dan Jones.

A children’s guided tour and eco-education learning trip to Kew Botanic Gardens is scheduled for June 18. The event is free for all but requires booking.

Dramacube’s poetry competition for children aged 7 to 14 years old will run until June 30. The best poems on the importance of wildflowers will receive prizes and the winning poem will appear on the plaque of a flower planter on Hampton Hill High Street.

There are various informational talks and sessions with experts scheduled to teach different ways of sustainable living and climate-positive behaviours.

Julia said: “It doesn’t matter if you’re at the beginning of your journey toward becoming more climate conscious or a seasoned expert – tackling the climate crisis and becoming greener as a community is all about finding shared solutions and taking steps to understand what we can all do to reduce our carbon footprint.”

Check out Richmond.gov.uk for more details and the full timetable of events.