The Bolton branch of Extinction Rebellion (XR) continued on its mission to raise awareness of the climate crisis with two events in one week.

The organisation held a climate network at the Quaker Meeting House on November 16 and a climate cafe at the Albert Halls on November 18.

The climate network was attended by over a dozen organisations, from Urban Outreach to Wildlife Trust, who discussed how to engage with authorities and communities about the climate crisis.

Vicki Attenborough, of Bolton XR, said: "The environmental emergency is an immense challenge and the impacts are felt by everyone. 

"Together we can achieve so much more than we can individually and we want this to be the start of a conversation across the town."

Ms Attenborough said: "Already we have had the commitment of the Bolton Trades Council to host the next network and we hope council members as well as council officers are able to join us. 

"We are stronger together."

The Bolton News: The climate network at the Quaker Meeting House

The climate cafe was attended by around 20 residents who discussed how to enjoy Christmas Day with limited waste or no waste at all.

Research indicates the UK discards tens of millions of platefuls of food and tens of millions of pounds of presents at this time of the year.

Here are some of the ideas...

  • ... to make presents using skills such as crafting or cooking
  • ... to offer presents using skills such as decorating or gardening
  • ... to purchase presents from antique shops or charity shops
  • ... to purchase tickets for events or experiences in the area

The membership of Bolton XR are renowned for their protests including one outside the town hall around two years ago and one outside offices linked to Conservative MPs Chris Green and Mark Logan this year. One member, Paul Barnes, also known as Captain Rebellion, was convicted of aggravated trespass after he and around a dozen protesters blockaded an Esso Petroleum oil terminal last year.

However the organisation stresses there is no obligation to participate in these actions to participate in its activities as a whole.

The climate cafe is at 10am on the third Saturday of each month at the Albert Halls although the next one is not until the New Year.

For information search for Bolton XR on social media.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.