New partnership with The Race Equality Centre

Today marks the launch of our new partnership with The Race Equality Centre in Leicester! We're so excited to be working with them.

Here's the press release:

Leicester groups link up to fight racism and the climate emergency 

•       Race and climate justice must go hand-in-hand, say groups

•       Two Leicester sites in desperate need of reviving with some creative planting to be transformed into wildlife-friendly spaces

 Race equality and environmental groups in Leicester are teaming up to fight racism and the climate emergency. 

The Race Equality Centre (TREC) is joining forces with Leicester Friends of the Earth and Climate Action Leicester and Leicestershire to jointly campaign for a cleaner, fairer future. 

This is a crucial year for combatting the climate emergency, with the UK government hosting the COP26 UN climate summit in Glasgow later this year. 

The historical bulk of pollution over centuries has come from industrialised nations in Europe and North America, but it’s poorer countries, that have done the least to cause climate breakdown, that are now paying the highest price. Many of the people and organisations TREC works with come from climate-threatened nations, such as Sudan, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. 

At a national level the groups are calling for richer countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions faster and provide financial aid to less wealthy nations to help them cope with the sharp end of the climate crisis.

On a local level, to mark this positive and creative partnership, the organisations will be transforming two derelict local spaces into wildlife-friendly gardens projects. The sites at the Highfields Centre where TREC is based, and the Caribbean Court Day Centre, will also promote the well-being of service users. 

Iris Lightfoote, CEO of TREC, said: 

“We are delighted to launch this partnership with Friends of the Earth. We have much in common – both organisations are passionate about tackling racism and the climate crisis. Ending racial injustice has to be part of facing up to climate change.

“The home nations of many of our service users are already on the sharp end of climate change. They are already suffering from severe drought and flooding that has devastated crop yields causing economic devastation and forcing communities to flee into unknown territories for a better life. It’s vital that communities join together to stop the climate crisis getting any worse.” 

Albert Blake, Chair of Trustees, Caribbean Court Day Centre, said:

“We are pleased to be working with Leicester Friends of the Earth to build new green space in the city. Friends of the Earth’s start up grant will help our service users get involved in creating an eco-friendly space within our local environment, and it will be great for their wellbeing too!”

Hannah Wakley, Co-ordinator of Leicester Friends of the Earth, said: 

“We are delighted to have formed this partnership with TREC and to have found so much in common. The two garden projects are exciting, and we are looking forward to working with them on our campaign to raise awareness around the vital COP26 international climate talks in Glasgow in November.” 

Richard Dyer, East Midlands Campaign Organiser, Friends of the Earth’s head office, said: 

“If we are to win against climate change, we also have to win on racism. Climate change is already impacting on all of us. We must work together for a fairer, greener world. Our new partnership with TREC is a vital development in building links between environmental and racial justice.”

It was covered in the Leicester Mercury.