Community action/Cambridge

| Map | |
|---|---|
| Location | Cambridge, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 52° 12' 19.91" N, 0° 7' 7.19" E |
The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across Cambridge.
News
Britain’s roofs can be a huge resource for solar energy, theguardian.com (Dec 22, 2023)
Partnership project involving local communities helping nature and climate getting underway in Cambridge., climateoutreach.org (Sep 18, 2023) — The River Cam CAN (Climate Action through Nature) project will involve communities near the river working on initiatives that will benefit them and the environment. “The River Cam connects most of the city’s green spaces, habitats and communities – including some of the most economically and socially disadvantaged. The river system is also emblematic of the environmental challenges that Cambridge faces; it suffers from flooding, pollution, drought and over-use of water, all are getting worse, and many are connected to climate change. This has impacts on both communities and nature and this project is about encouraging people to get involved and help their rivers and streams." James Littlewood, Cambridge Past, Present & Future. The two-year project is a being delivered by a partnership of local organisations supported by the national charity Climate Outreach, with funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.
'England's first cycle street' opens to the public, BBC News (May 29, 2026)
Sustainability on show at Co-op Group’s newest store, thenews.coop (Aug 21, 2025)
‘A game-changer’: the 9,000 acre project reclaiming the Fens for nature, theguardian.com (Nov 04, 2023)
National Trust asks public to join call for urgent Government action after hundreds of wildfires break out, and full extent of nature loss at Dunwich Heath emerges, nationaltrust.org.uk (Aug 07, 2026) — “The climate crisis long predicted by scientists is happening here and now. Ferocious wildfires, unprecedented temperatures and record-breaking droughts are already hitting communities and nature across the UK – they are not a distant threat. Tackling this emergency must be a cross-Government priority because it touches every aspect of our lives, our society and our economy. So we’ve launched a petition to demonstrate to Ministers the strength of public feeling on this issue." National Trust Director-General Hilary McGrady. To sign the petition, visit: nationaltrust.org.uk/wildfire-petition
All of England's rivers and lakes polluted with chemicals, officials say, BBC News (Aug 06, 2026)
Firefighting aircraft aren’t enough – Britain needs to build a wildfire‑resilient society that involves everyone, Komal Raj Aryal, Lecturer in Crisis and Disaster Management, Aston University, theconversation.com (Aug 06, 2026)
Europe’s rivers are running dry, and the knock-on effects are disastrous, Yiannis Baboulias, theguardian.com (Aug 05, 2026)
How Australia combines modern tech and Indigenous knowledge to fight wildfires, BBC News (Aug 01, 2026)
May and June heatwaves killed about 2,700 people in England and Wales, data suggests, theguardian.com (Jul 13, 2026) — Extreme heat led to 440 deaths a day during June peak, say scientists, with climate crisis ramping up temperatures
South Korea's president orders all-out response to heatwave, reuters.com (Aug 06, 2026)
Young activists in the Maldives confront climate threats to their island nation, seattletimes.com (Aug 06, 2026)
Philippines steps up solar transition as Iran war hikes energy costs, eenews.net (Aug 06, 2026)
Networks, sustainability and international development initiatives
- Transition Cambridge
- Climate change and sustainability, information from Cambridge City Council. links checked 19:16, 10 November 2023 (UTC)
- Abbey People, "community charity in the Abbey Ward of Cambridge, improving the lives and wellbeing of Abbey residents." added 13:17, 18 November 2023 (UTC)
- Cambridge University International Development W, student run society aiming to promote awareness and discussion of international development issues across Cambridge. This is primarily achieved through events and the Vision magazine which is published termly.
Each week 3 different short videos from across the UK or world.
Community action/Manchester, Community action/Essex, Community action/West Sussex / ...This week's featured Global videos / ... read more about Cosmolocalism
UK and international events
UK events
Aug 10 - 16, 2026 (Mon - Sun) — National Allotments Week, 2026 theme is “Grow to Learn.”, thenas.org.uk
Global or international events
Aug 09, 2026 (Sun) — International Day of the World's Indigenous People, observed on 9 August each year to raise awareness and protect the rights of the world's indigenous population, un.org
Aug 12, 2026 (Wed) — International Youth Day, awareness day designated by the United Nations taking place on Aug 12 each year, un.org
2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events
Cambridge video
Community resources
- Makespace, community inventing shed, Cambridge
Community and voluntary action
Cambridge SCA (Cambridge Student Community Action) is a registered charity which facilitates community volunteering opportunities for the students of the University of Cambridge in England. Projects typically serve the local community. Cambridge SCA runs 10 of its own 'Internal Projects', each led by student Project Leaders. These include educational projects and projects to help children and elderly people. Additionally, they offer volunteering opportunities through external organizations, such as Cambridge Carbon Footprint, Headway, and the Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre.
- Cambridge Student Community Action, link checked 19:08, 10 November 2023 (UTC)
Food activism
- Cambridge Food Hub, Creating a better food system for people and planet, added 16:48, 31 March 2025 (UTC)
- Cambridge Sustainable Food, network of individuals and organizations supporting local sustainable food.
- Cambridge Growing Spaces
- Rock Abundance, new community-led project aiming to encourage more people in Cambridge (UK) to 'swap and share' fresh fruit and veg and long-life preserves.
Maps: Map of Cambridge Growing Spaces
Community farm
- Cambridge cofarm, added 16:05, 26 August 2020 (UTC)
Cohousing
- Marmalade Lane, Cambridge's first cohousing community, added 15:21, 20 November 2022 (UTC)
Towards sustainable economies
Circular Cambridge, a season of events celebrating progressive ways to design, manufacture, access, repair and reuse the things that we want and need in our lives.
Arts, sport and culture
- Together Culture, gathering a membership community united in their desire to help create a more equitable and ecological creative economy. Video: Together Culture on youtube.com, added 20:01, 22 April 2024 (UTC)
Climate action
Cycling activism
National Cycle Routes in and around Cambridgeshire include: Route 11: connecting Harlow in Essex to King's Lynn in Norfolk, via Cambridge W; Route 12: incomplete but when fully constructed it will run from Enfield Lock (London) to Grimsby (Lincolnshire) via Peterborough W; and Route 51: connecting Colchester and the port of Harwich to Oxford via Cambridge W
Urban sustainability
- Water Sensitive Cambridge, Community Interest Company "Reconnecting people, land and water in Cambridge UK and beyond through a “Water Sensitive” Approach", and "working with the people of Cambridge to put rain in the ground close to where it falls."
Open spaces
- Cambridge Past, Present & Future, charity protecting the beauty of Cambridge and its environment. Video: Cambridge Past, Present & Future channel on youtube.com, added 09:11, 19 December 2023 (UTC)
- Cambridge Lakes Project, community group that formed in 2012 to lobby for public access to the Cherry Hinton Chalk Pit Lakes
Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, Northamptonshire to the west, and Bedfordshire to the south-west. The city of Peterborough is the largest settlement.
News archive
2014-2020
- Cambridge's Dutch-style roundabout: Why all the fuss? Sep 26, 2020...BBC News
- Marmalade Lane: the car-free, triple-glazed, 42-house oasis, May 8, 2019...The Guardian
- The city where children go to school in a plywood box, Oct 14, 2017...BBC News
- Floating bus stops making cyclists' lives safer, report says, Oct 25, 2016...cambridge-news.co.uk
- Cambridge: Council's electricity supply goes 100% green, Oct 13, 2016...cambridge.gov.uk
- How Cambridge Became the U.K.'s Model Cycling City, August 6, 2015...CityLab
- Learning from Cambridge Skillsfest – in more ways than one, March 3, 2014...A dragons best friend
About Cambridge
Campaigns
- Save the Green Corridor! Cambourne to Cambridge – bus lane not busway, petition on change.org
Past events
- July 25, 2015, First stall for 2015 at Rock Road Library, Rock Abundance
- December 3, 2014, How To Clean Your Home Naturally, Cambridge Carbon Footprint
- September 14 & 20, 2014, Open Eco Homes
- May 31, 2014, Cambridge's first Repair Cafe!
Cambridge ( KAYM-brij) is a city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, 55 miles (89 km) north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of the City of Cambridge was 145,700; the population of the wider built-up area (which extends outside the city council area) was 181,137. There is archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dating back to as early as the Bronze Age, and Cambridge became an important trading centre during the Roman and Viking eras. The first town charters were granted in the 12th century, although modern city status was not officially conferred until 1951.
The city is well known as the home of the University of Cambridge, which was founded in 1209 and consistently ranks among the best universities in the world. The buildings of the university include King's College Chapel, Cavendish Laboratory, and the Cambridge University Library, one of the largest legal deposit libraries in the world. The city's skyline is dominated by several college buildings, along with the spire of the Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church, and the chimney of Addenbrooke's Hospital. Anglia Ruskin University, which evolved from the Cambridge School of Art and the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology, also has its main campus in the city.
Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology Silicon Fen also known as the Cambridge Cluster, which contains industries such as software and bioscience and many start-up companies born out of the university. Over 40 per cent of the workforce have a higher education qualification, more than twice the national average. The Cambridge Biomedical Campus, one of the largest biomedical research clusters in the world, includes the headquarters of AstraZeneca and the relocated Royal Papworth Hospital.
Cambridge produced the first 'Laws of the Game' for association football and was the site of the first game, which was held at Parker's Piece. The Strawberry Fair music and art festival and Midsummer Fair are held on Midsummer Common, and the annual Cambridge Beer Festival takes place on Jesus Green. The city is adjacent to the M11 and A14 roads.
Near you
Cambridgeshire community action - Peterborough community action
External links
| Authors | Phil Green |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Philralph (2022–2026). "Community action/Cambridge". Appropedia. Retrieved August 13, 2026. |









