The Community Climate Action Plan for Camelon and Tamfourhill was developed by a core group of local partners and that process was facilitated by Keep Scotland Beautiful throughout the spring and summer 2022. The Plan has facilitated a number of local climate action projects, including: The very recently completed Tamfourhill Energy Efficiency and Net Zero Hub Project, a wide array of environmental improvement projects, community growing initiatives and young person led community arts recycling projects. Although this Plan continues to be a valuable framework for tackling climate change at a community level, SCYAP believed it could be greatly enhanced and reinvigorated by organising young person led Climate Action Events. These would involve various hands-on workshops facilitating experiential learning, were empowering and giving young people a meaningful voice, encouraging further collaboration between the community, schools and relevant agencies and successfully identifying young people’s priorities for future community-based climate action in Camelon and Tamfourhill. The Climate Action Events were delivered through February and March 2025 and were part funded through the FEL Seed Grant Funding and the SCYAP core youth action funds. The intention is to now confirm a delivering plan for local young person climate action over the next 12 months which will be fully aligned to our existing CCAP.
83 Young people, 10-15 years old took part in 3 Climate Change Events held at Tamfourhill Community Hub , involving Carmuirs and Easter Carmuirs Primary Schools, Falkirk High School and members of the SCYAP Youth Awards Group. They all participated in a number of themed workshops, including:
- Recycle, Reuse , Reduce: Our SCYAP Community artist delivered a workshop focused on sewing, using left over materials and fabrics and which attempted to share skills in sewing and reusing materials as a way or example of how to reduce waste. The young people were tasked with creating badges which contained a symbol of a climate opportunity they felt was most important to them and based upon the Falkirk Schools Climate Agreement. It was noted that young people felt most connected to protecting the natural environment and wildlife, with energy and transport also being important – waste and food growing seemed to be much less important.
- Waste Management : Falkirk Council facilitated an interactive workshop around the councils approaches to waste management and highlighting the environmental impacts of waste, litter and fly tipping.
- Sustainable food networks: This workshop was delivered by FEL and involved watching some video footage and discussing facts about the environmental impact of world-wide food production and some food tasting took place.
- Active Travel and reducing our Carbon footprint: These sessions were delivered by FEL Project Officers and Falkirk Councils Energy and Climate Change Coordinator. In the first activity young people were asked to indicate which actions they thought would result in the highest Greenhouse Gas reductions using counters on a table and the groups then talked through discrepancies between beliefs held by the general public and the reality of potential Greenhouse Gas emissions reductions. Young people indicated which actions they would be willing to take using counters, they also discussed the practicalities of taking on these actions and weighing up other concerns with making those emission savings (e.g. financial cost, time, and convenience) the second activity was focussed upon making suitable net zero adaptations in the Communithy and encouraged creativity and problem-solving, with participants sharing their thoughts on how to improve the environment. Over 150 ideas and observations were submitted, covering a range of topics such as reducing pollution, active travel, increasing green spaces, and using renewable energy sources. The workshop helped the young participants understand the importance of sustainable living, showing them how small changes in their communities can have a big impact on the planet. The event emphasised practical actions like better waste management, more eco-friendly transport options, and the need for greener buildings. Finally, was an opportunity for every young person to have a go at the very popular smoothie bike: At this activity the young people spoke about how the energy we create from our own bodies can be used to help the environment, from walking or cycling to school, to powering a blender that would usually be powered by electricity, by bike and therefore our bodied energy. The fruits that were used in the smoothie bike were all healthy and fairtrade and this emphasised the positive impact that healthy food can have on our bodies and on the planet. This approach was further emphasised by the opportunity for every young person to make their own fruit kebab as a low carbon snack
- Helping Nature & the Environment: This input was delivered by volunteers from SCYAP and the Scottish Wildlife Trust and had 2 distinct elements, firstly; young people were tasked with building bat boxes, bird nesting boxes and bug hotels, it was very hands on and very much enjoyed by the young people with 14 boxes being built over the 3 events, and secondly: groups of young people were accompanied to the woodland area beside the Hub to carry out a survey and analysis of the different habitats and places for wildlife, and taking consideration of some of the challenges and risks to these habitats, especially in relation of littering. This session concluded with a litter pick of the woods and later the installation of the bird, bug and bat boxes along with a hedgehog house.
- Plenary and casting your votes session: Each event concluded with an opportunity for every young person to cast 2 votes, a first and second preference vote for their priorities for local climate action. The intention was for young people to cast their votes in line with their experiential learning over the day, and there were six themed ballot boxes for casting their votes:
- Campaigning for Climate Change
- Community Growing Projects
- Environmental Improvement Projects
- Encourage Active Travel
- Helping Nature & Encouraging Biodiversity
- Recycle, Reuse & Reduce
The Next Steps:
Having collated the voting returns as detailed above an action plan will now be proposed for young person led climate action in Camelon and Tamfourhill. Although priorities vary between age groups the feedback from partners workshops allied to young people’s voting response indicates that the key areas for future activity should be focused upon:
- Encouraging active travel
- Campaigning for local Climate Action
- Helping nature and encouraging biodiversity
- Community growing projects.
A draft report with recommendations for a young person led climate action plan will be presented to the next meeting of our CCAP Core Group on 22nd April 2025, I will off course present that outcome in Mays SCYAP blog, with the view to full implementation from the summer of 2025. Watch this space !
Any finally:
Our Easter Programme 2025: All activities are free, food & drink are provided, you just turn up and if required registration forms will be issued. The Twilight Sports sessions are open to all 10–16-year-olds and I am pleased to advise that Dr Bike will be in attendance along with the smoothie bike at each twilight sports sessions over the 3 locations , the snacks will be pizzas and make your own fruit kebabs.
The Canal benches celebration on Friday 11th April 12noon to 4pm is being hosted by our Youth Action Group and is open to all the community, we would advise however that anyone under 10 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. The programme on the 11th will include: arts & creativity, nature activities, active travel, an angling taster opportunity , a barbecue with fruit kebabs and live musical entertainment.
Thanks to our partners: FEL Scotland Falkirk Wheelers Go Forth and Clyde Make it Glasgow
Further details available at: john@ttrohub.co.uk & 07391524528
Safer Communities Youth Action Project 