Community action/Surrey
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 Surrey.
News
[edit | edit source]
From a Surrey oil well to the supreme court: how an activist changed UK climate law, theguardian.com (Apr 20, 2026) - A friend of the Earth: how I stopped Surrey becoming the new Texas, observer.co.uk (Jun 20, 2025)
- Council in Surrey launching an action fund for projects which help tackle the impact of climate change, BBC News (Jul 13, 2024) — Elmbridge Borough Council say the fund is for projects that make a "tangible difference" to education around carbon emissions, biodiversity enhancement, and energy, water, and waste reduction
- The UK towns at risk of running out of water within six weeks, inews.co.uk (Aug 12, 2026)
- White storks: why introducing non‑native species in rewilding projects can be a good idea, theconversation.com (Jun 05, 2026)
- Record-breaking heat and dry spring leave parts of England without water, reuters.com (May 29, 2026)
- Half a million trees to be planted in England in three years, says government, theguardian.com (Sep 30, 2026)
- The Space Time Continuum, Alternative Editorial (Sep 27, 2026) — Empty spaces will be put back into use, Andy Burnham said, turning them into "community hubs, health centres, shared workspaces, cafés and the local services that people actually want to see.”
- UK shares findings of damning climate crisis national security report suppressed under Starmer, theguardian.com (Sep 23, 2026) — El Niño poses critical threat to nations’ defences, says Ed Miliband in presentation to global foreign ministers
- Citizens need to power Europe's future, demnext.substack.com (Oct 02, 2026) — The EU can enable new democratic institutions: in European countries; with a European Citizens’ Assembly as a 4th branch of government, and by legally enforcing the Global Citizens’ Assembly on AI, Claudia Chwalisz and Another Democratic Future
- Reclaiming the streets: the architects clawing back Europe’s car-centric spaces, theguardian.com (Sep 09, 2026) — The European Prize for Urban Public Space’s shortlist highlights projects helping people cope with climate crisis
- We’re the mayors of Paris, Milan and Phoenix. The heat crisis has us all facing the same question, Emmanuel Grégoire, Giuseppe Sala and Kate Gallego, theguardian.com (Sep 07, 2026) — Our three cities are learning from each other about how to protect residents. These climate policies are also public health measures
- Citizens need to power Europe's future, demnext.substack.com (Oct 02, 2026) — The EU can enable new democratic institutions: in European countries; with a European Citizens’ Assembly as a 4th branch of government, and by legally enforcing the Global Citizens’ Assembly on AI, Claudia Chwalisz and Another Democratic Future
- Fifty Billion Seedlings: Can Ethiopia Replant Its Ravaged Forests?, e360.yale.edu (Oct 01, 2026)
- Want solar but don’t own a roof? California just legalized plug-in panels, no permission required, latimes.com (Sep 30, 2026)
Networks and sustainability initiatives
[edit | edit source]- Transition Farnham
- Transition Haslemere
- Transition Redhill
- Woking Environment Action, link checked 17:31, 21 September 2022 (UTC)
CDC video
[edit | edit source]Each week 3 different short videos from across the UK or world.
Community action/Dorset, Community action/Gloucestershire, Community action/United Kingdom/Cycling activism / ...This week's featured Global videos / ... read more about Cosmolocalism
Surrey video
[edit | edit source]
Events
[edit | edit source]Regular events
UK events
Sep 7 - 11, 2026 (Mon-Fri) — Zero Waste Week, zerowasteweek.co.uk- Sep 11 - 20, 2026 (Fri-Sun) — Heritage Open Days, celebrating our fantastic history and culture. Your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are FREE to explore, heritageopendays.org.uk
- Sep 18 - 27, 2026 (Fri-Sun) — Great British Beach Clean, mcsuk.org
Global or international events
- Sep 15, 2026 (Tue) — Free Money Day, Global invitation for people to explore, in a liberating and fun way, what it might be like if our relationship to money was a little different. Sep 15, annually, freemoneyday.org
- Sep 18, 2026 (Fri) — Park(ing) day, global, public, participatory project where people across the world temporarily repurpose curbside parking spaces and convert them into public parks and social spaces to advocate for safer, greener, and more equitable streets for people, myparkingday.org
- Sep 21-27, 2026 (Mon-Sun) — Global Week Of Action For Peace And Climate Justice, climatemilitarism.org
- Sep 21, 2026 (Mon) — International Day of Peace, Globally shared date, Sep 21 each year for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace, internationaldayofpeace.org
2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events
Food activism
[edit | edit source]Grace + Flavour, community fruit & vegetable-growing co-operative for East & West Horsley.
Community energy
[edit | edit source]In the United Kingdom the first sustainable community energy system was pioneered by Woking Borough Council, starting in 1991. The system uses traditional and a phosphoric acid fuel cell co-generation plants, thermal storage, heat fired absorption cooling and photovoltaics (over 9% of the UK's small capacity), to supply both residential and non-residential customers, as well as the Council's own facilities. By end of 2005 there were over 60 generating islands in the Borough.
Despite the investment in the plant, the system delivers cheaper energy than can be supplied from the traditional 'brown energy' suppliers, helping to tackle fuel poverty. It is part of a plan to cut local carbon dioxide emissions by 80% by 2050. Their initiatives won the Council the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2002. W
Action Surrey - Wikipedia: Woking, Energy policy
Land
[edit | edit source]- Surrey Interactive Map, on surreycc.gov.uk, link checked 16:26, 28 December 2024 (UTC)
Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle
[edit | edit source]Farnham Repair Cafe on Facebook
Climate action
[edit | edit source]- Talking Tree, Climate Emergency Centre and cafe on Staines High Street, projects include a Community fridge, added 10:45, 10 February 2022 (UTC)
- What Next?, Godalming based environmental charity, added 10:22, 5 July 2021 (UTC)
- Dorking Climate Emergency, Surrey based Climate action group, added 17:48, 23 June 2021 (UTC)
- Zero Carbon Guildford, helping the borough of Guildford reach carbon neutrality by 2030. Currently acquiring a space to act as a Climate Emergency Centre. added 15:30, 13 May 2021 (UTC)
- Surrey declare climate emergency, July 2019...climateemergency.uk
- Staines, Guildford and Farnham have Climate emergency centre groups...Handbook, Climate emergency centre
- Extinction Rebellion Reigate and Redhill
- Horse Hill Rebel Alliance on facebook
- What is Surrey County Council doing about climate change? surreycc.gov.uk
- Surrey Climate Commission, a collaboration of organisations, launched in June 2019
Sustainable transport activism
[edit | edit source]Walking: Wikipedia: Footpaths in Surrey (category)
Waterways:
The River Wey Navigation and Godalming Navigation together provide a 20-mile (32 km) continuous navigable route from the River Thames near Weybridge via Guildford to Godalming (commonly called the Wey Navigation). Both waterways are in Surrey and are owned by the National Trust. The River Wey Navigation connects to the Basingstoke Canal at West Byfleet, and the Godalming Navigation to the Wey and Arun Canal near Shalford. The navigations consist of both man-made canal cuts and adapted (dredged and straightened) parts of the River Wey.
- River Wey and Wey Navigations Community Site
- The Wey & Arun Canal Trust, Wikipedia:Wey and Arun Canal
Cycling activism
[edit | edit source]Biodiversity
[edit | edit source]Open spaces
[edit | edit source]News archive
[edit | edit source]- Ministers accused of ‘environmental crime’ over South Downs oil drilling, theguardian.com (Aug 23, 2023)
- Horse Hill oil - a legal challenge with real climate impact, friendsoftheearth.uk (Jun 28, 2023)
- Appeal for water customers to be mindful when turning on the tap, southeastwater.co.uk (Jul 11, 2022) — South East Water is asking people to be mindful of the amount of water they are using as hot temperatures push up demand beyond levels expected for the time of year. Water latest, southeastwater.co.uk
- Building Community Action Through Climate Hubs, Transition Together (Feb 27, 2022) — guide to community-led climate hubs from Zero Carbon Guildford
- Six key issues Surrey County Council must address, Sarah Finch, Extinction Rebellion Reigate & Redhill, Feb 3, 2020...xrreigateandredhill.org
In July 2019, Surrey County Council declared climate emergency. Two months later, they gave the go-ahead to plans for four more oil wells at Horse Hill, near Gatwick. To highlight the dangers of more oil drilling in a time of climate emergency, there will be a demonstration in October. Sep 16, 2019...Horse Hill Rebel Alliance on facebook
- 20 years of oil production at Horse Hill approved, Sep 11, 2019...drillordrop.com
- Campaigners celebrate as oil drilling at Surrey Hills site is blocked, Sep 4, 2018...The Guardian
- How Farnham UK's Repair Café Takes a Bite Out of Waste, Feb 23, 2017...transitionnetwork.org
- Surrey moves away from incineration, Jan 6, 2010...ukwin.org.uk
- Woking: Solar canopy is 'gateway' to town, Sep 11, 2007...BBC News
- Woking shines in providing renewable energy, Jan 26, 2004...The Guardian
About Surrey
[edit | edit source]Campaigns
Surrey ( SUH-ree) is a ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the west. The largest settlement is Woking.
The county has an area of 1,663 km2 (642 square miles) and had an estimated population of 1,248,649 in 2024. The north of the county, which includes the towns of Staines-upon-Thames and Epsom, is densely populated and forms part of the Greater London conurbation. A second conurbation along the western border of the county includes Camberley and Farnham and extends into Hampshire and Berkshire. Woking is located in the north-west, and Guildford in the centre-west. The south of the county is rural, and its largest settlements are Horley in the south-east and Godalming in the south-west. For local government purposes Surrey is a non-metropolitan county with eleven districts. The county historically included much of south-west Greater London but did not include what is now the borough of Spelthorne, which was part of Middlesex. It is one of the home counties.
The defining geographical feature of the county is the North Downs, a chalk escarpment which runs from the south-west to north-east and divides the densely populated north from the more rural south; it is pierced by the rivers Wey and Mole, both tributaries of the Thames. The north of the county is a lowland, part of the Thames basin. The south-east is part of the Weald, and the south-west contains the Surrey Hills and Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons, an extensive area of heath. The county has the densest woodland cover in England, at 22.4 per cent.
See also
[edit | edit source]| Authors | Phil Green |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Philralph (2014–2026). "Community action/Surrey". Appropedia. Retrieved October 3, 2026. |