AROUND 100 people attended a public meeting at St Augustine’s Parish Hall on Thursday 30 January to discuss ideas for tackling the climate emergency in Penarth.

Penarth 2020 was organised by Gwyrddio Penarth Greening (GPG), a local environmental group.

The event heard contributions from Haydn Cullen-Jones of Transition Monmouth, a group which promotes self-sufficiency, and Steve Westlake of Cardiff University who is researching the role of positive leadership in promoting local environmental action.

Kitty Bax and Lila Smith, chair and vice chair of Penarth Youth Action, also discussed how their organisation has helped to focus local attention on green issues.

The event marked the 10th anniversary of GPG, which is known in the community for developing various local initiatives including the Shop Penarth scheme and the ongoing Plastic Free Penarth campaign.

Founding member Tricia Griffiths said: “We wanted to mark our first decade by looking forward, rather than back.

“It was fantastic to have so many people present, so much buzzing energy in the room, and so many inspiring ideas coming forward.”

Cllr Lis Burnett, Deputy Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration, said: “This was a super event with a lot of interesting discussion. It made me reflect on how much the Vale has done that we need to share – and look for ways to collaborate.”

Penarth 2020 now hopes to build a network of participants from across the town and turn concerns raised at the event into positive action. It will identify a list of priorities and aims which will be followed up throughout the year.

To find out more about the Penarth 2020 campaign, contact: gwyrddiopenarthgreening@googlemail.com, or visit the group’s Twitter @gpgpenarth.