Community groups - Extinction Rebellion UK
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Community groups

Community Groups will be at The Big One, picketing, marching and hosting “hubs”. You can connect, collaborate, and meet likeminded people – and join in with packed programmes.

Programme
What Next
People’s Pickets
Communities
Maps
Patchworks
Safety
Demand

Each hub is described below, with their location and contact details. Many are running events during The Big One. For specifics, see the full programme. Top tip: many of the hubs have a dedicated calendar towards the bottom of the programmes page!

Families

The Families Hub is a coalition of XR Families, Mothers Rise Up, Parents for Future, and Mothers CAN. At the hub there will be:

  • Board games, Duplo Rebellion, Lego Rebellion, a climate quiz, face panting, telescopic kites & dance ribbons, Post-It Subvertising and crafts
  • Sing alongs, babygro printing, an ‘Ask the ecologist’ session, sound exploration workshop, stories by moonlight, drama workshop, and more

The hub will have a block in Saturday’s biodiversity march to celebrate our favourite animals, bugs and plants. (The march has different ‘blocks’, some celebrating biodiversity, and some mourning the biodiversity loss – families recommended to join the celebratory block). For the pickets, families are encouraged to join XR Educators outside the Department for Education, where there will be kid-friendly activities going on.

Where?

  • The Hub will be in different places depending on the day
    • On Friday and Monday: At the end of College Green, on the corner with Great College Street and St Margaret Street
    • Over the weekend: Parliament Square next to the Abraham Lincoln statue
  • Picket: Department for Education 

Find out more

Other spaces for child-friendly activities:

  • XR Grandparents and Elders will host a relaxing space and child-oriented activities, next door to the families hub
  • The planetary health hub is running an all ages space with facilitated games on Saturday and Sunday (see below)
  • The Faith Hub has a play area (see below)
  • Traditional ink and block printing in Parliament Square. Print XR artwork on bags and clothes or grab yourself a pre-made patch
  • When not leading the Biodiversity March, XR Rhythms will be at Tufton Street, for listening and dancing

Grandparents and Elders

Grandparents and Elders have an open invitation to come along, relax and talk at their Hub. They will be sharing the same space as the families hub on Saturday and Sunday. There will be activities for children (including books and crafts) and a place for older rebels to meet and discuss. On Saturday at noon, Rebecca Lester, a member of the People’s Assembly that created the newly launched People’s Plan for Nature, will lead a session about the Plan and how we can help to implement it.

And all are welcome to join them at their picket at the Department of Work and Pensions.

Where?

Find out more

Planetary Health

A coalition of 26 organisations related to healthcare and medicine

  • The Hub:
    • An Open Air ‘Stage’ hosting talks from experts on what the recent IPCC report means; on mental health in the context of the climate & ecological crisis; and much more 
    • Climate Cafes hosted by the Climate Psychology Alliance and XR Psychologists
    • An all ages space with games for kids and adults
  • Walking tours through Westminster
  • A health picket will be held outside the Department for Health and Social Care

Where?

Find out more 

Education

The Education Climate Coalition will be running the Education Hub, for students, teachers, lecturers, academics and anyone involved in education.

The Hub will feature talks and workshop activities centred around climate action at places of learning. Whether you’re already a part of a climate group or just thinking of getting into the movement, it will be a welcoming place to meet others like you, to network, get support, share experience and gain new skills.

They will also be picketing at the Department for Education on Friday and Monday, with key themes of curriculum (will be following a school day timetable, for example “Music lesson: Music and Bees“) and safeguarding, drawing a chalk mural of protective hands on the road to demand that the Government follows its own safeguarding policy.

Where?

Find out more 

Faith

The Christian Climate Action and XR Buddhists.

Each day at the Faith Hub there will be singing, prayer flag making, poetry, prayers and a play area. Worship and talks include: 

  • “No Faith in Fossil Fuels” service led by Tearfund, Christian Aid, CAFOD and Green Christian with music from the Salvation Army and Engage Worship
  • Services led by Black Majority Churches, by young people, Catholic Mass and Anglican Communion and Franciscan prayer walks
  • A celebration of Eid, with Eid cards to design, colour and write, and vegan chocolate to share 
  • A panel with members of the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee
  • XR Buddhists will be gathering every morning for meditation and planning, and lead a guided meditation practice
  • Multi faith event: XR Buddhists will be hosting an hour to pause, reflect and reconnect on Sunday at 1.30pm. All are invited to simply sit or to contribute an offering – perhaps of prayer, meditation, ritual or music – from your tradition

They will also be Picketing the Ministry of Justice and Tufton Street

Where?

Find out more 

Trade Unions

Trade Unions will host the Trade Union Hub on Saturday from 11am, with speakers and discussions on how trade unions and climate activists can and must work together, on solutions we need – and those we don’t. This will also be an opportunity to build the climate/green networks across trade unions.

All are welcome to drop into the hub.

There will be a union block at the Biodiversity march and they will be picketing various government departments

Where?

Find out more 

Scientists for XR

Find Scientists for XR at their Hub from 8am to 6pm, including joining them at 5pm each day to hear short, funny, emotional stories of scientists’ experiences of climate/social/environmental action.

They will also be joining pickets at the DEFRA and DESNZ

To find them at their Hub or the pickets, just look for the sign ‘ASK A SCIENTIST’!

Where?

Find out more 

Quakers in Britain

Quakers in Britain are hosting daily meetings and worship during The Big One. Begin by gathering at Westminster Meeting House for a meeting and worship at 10am on Friday. 

Westminster Meeting are generously hosting Quakers in Britain and are allowing their Meeting House to be used as a base. Those joining are able to seek support, rest and hospitality until 5pm each day.

Where?

Find out more 

XR Peace

XR Peace, including the Stop the War Coalition and The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), will be hosting workshops and holding a picket line.

Where?

  • Events: The green area between Whitehall and the Ministry of Defence (off Whitehall and Richmond Terrace)
  • Picket: Ministry of Defence (Whitehall side)

Find out more 

Citizens’ Assembly Working Group

XR UK’s Citizens’ Assembly Working Group (CAWG) supports the achievement of Extinction Rebellion’s demand for an independent, UK-wide Citizens’ Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice. Their hub will include sessions to:

  • Increase the knowledge and understanding of citizens’ assemblies, introductory sessions on “What is a citizens’ assembly?”
  • Share experiences from citizens’ assemblies happening all over the world
  • Learn from deliberative democracy experts

Where?

  • Hub: The north end of Abingdon Street, before you get to Parliament Square, outside the Houses of Parliament

Other community groups at The Big One

  • XR UNIFY – Info coming soon
  • Rainbow Rebellion – Info coming soon
  • Waterways Rebellion are asking all boaters to join them for The Big One. Find them at the Biodiversity march, in a block led by the ‘United we float, divided we sink’ blue banner, and picketing the  Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). More info on Instagram and WhatsApp chat
  • XR Media Tell the Truth will be picketing the Department of Culture Media and Sport to protest the way the UK mainstream media is being allowed to severely underplay the climate and ecological emergency, and in doing so, delay political action. Find our more on Twitter
  • XR Farmers will be picketing the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. They are keen to hear from farmers, particularly their opinions about Defra and anything else relating to climate change. Get in touch via Facebook
  • XR Walkers are hosting a Web of Walking, with walks from eight points to Parliament Square on 21st April. They will then be joining the People’s Picket at Defra and present their book of messages. Start from these locations, or join somewhere along the way:
  • Find out more by clicking on the WhatsApp groups above, on maps here, or email xrwalkers@gmail.com

Represent your local area!

XR UK local groups exist all over the UK. There are around 150 groups, some covering a city block, others large rural regions. Many will be at The Big One, and would love to meet people from their area! You can: