Welcome March to Glasgow on 9 October 2021
Join the fun on Saturday 9 Oct as a colourful troupe of Coventry performers welcome March to Glasgow to our city.
Gather outside Coventry train station at 12 noon to see pantomime characters and drummers dancing their way through the pedestrian centre to Coventry cathedral ruins, where there will be free entertainments to raise awareness of this year’s 20+ million climate refugees.
March to Glasgow is an international group hiking up the whole of the UK to the Climate Change conference (COP26): https://coventry2021.co.uk/what-s-on/coventry-welcomes-march-to-glasgow-cop26
Coventry’s Cllr Dr Kindy Sandhu will welcome the march to the cathedral at 12.30pm on Saturday and express support for this group, and many others, going to Glasgow next month – let’s show them a warm Coventry Welcome!
Entertainment from Coventry band DUCK THIEVES and colourful characters including Alice, Cheshire Cat, Rabbit and Bee will perform a family-fun pantomime ALICE SAVES THE PLANET FROM BIG OIL (15 minutes) around 1pm.
Anne Patterson, chair of Coventry Green Party, will speak about how we can all work together to make the necessary changes to how we live and work to help create a sustainable future for all.
David Chapman is a trained Climate Reality Leader from the University of Warwick, helping groups around Coventry to understand the urgent need for action. He will speak about how the effects of climate change are already being felt in the UK with thousands losing their homes this year. According to UK government figures, extreme weather events and disasters are increasing with 5 million properties at risk of flooding in the UK.
Local artists Claire and Sam have been helping young people to create cardboard artworks for City of Culture’s Arts & Homelessness festival. Claire said
“Coventry is a place of welcome for refugees and we’re grateful for their contributions to the arts and culture of our city… Families and communities around the world are losing their homes due to climate change extreme weather conditions and rising sea levels. This is happening right now.”
Young helper, Bryony (8) painted “Everyone needs a safe home”. The collection will be on display at Coventry cathedral ruins on Saturday 12.30-1.30pm.
The marchers set off from Portsmouth last week and will reach Coventry on Saturday 9 Oct. Local cyclists will help to escort them to the city centre. After the cathedral events, the marchers will continue north and invite local people to join them for any part of the route. They will average 30km a day with no rest days until they reach Glasgow next month.
Becky Stoakes from March to Glasgow said:
“I think the time has come to act. We have to show that we care about our planet.”
More details of the marchers can be found on their website: https://marcha-a-glasgow.net/en/home/