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The Camp

Can you help out at the Climate Camp or supply any of the things on our wishlist?

The Camp for Climate Action is taking place in Megawatt Valley, near Leeds and Selby.

What is the camp like?

The camp itself is a mix of workshops, meetings, socialising, information sharing and action. It is bringing together hundreds of people from the UK who want to act to stop climate change before it's too late. Everyone is welcome to come for all of the camp or just for part of it.

The camp features a programme of almost 100 workshops and discussions on topics relating to climate change and what we can do to stop it.

The camp is wheelchair accessible. People with accessibility issues are advised to email the Site Practicalities Working Group, site[at]climatecamp.org.uk (replace the [at] with @), so that we can cater specifically for their needs.

Families are welcome at the camp. There is a Kids Area, with activities for younger children, and space for them to play and be creative, as well as a Youth Space for the older ones. Parents are encouraged to get involved with the childrens' activities. Children are the responsibility of their parents at all times, even while in the Kids Area. We welcome volunteers to help run activities in the area. If you would like to volunteer check out the Workshops & Activities working group or email workshops [at] climatecamp.org.uk.

The camp itself offers a hint of what things might be like if we scale back to a more sustainable pace of life. It uses small amounts of energy and all the energy it does use comes from renewable sources.

The camp is be self run on a neighbourhood system, what this means is that the camp is split into areas of roughly 200 people, each area has it's own large marquee with a kitchen at its centre, this kitchen provides food for the 200 people in the neighbourhood, members of the neighborhood are welcome to help out in the kitchen whenever they want throughout the camp. This in effect means that the camp has lots of communities within it, these communities or neighbourhoods meet everyday probably after dinner to discuss issues relating to the camp, what's happening the next day etc..

On your arrival you will find a Welcome Tent. Here; you will receive information on the workings of the Camp and will enable you to decide where to pitch your tent. If there isn’t a neighbourhood for your geographical area don’t worry you can choose a neighbourhood of your choice where you will receive a warm welcome.

neighbourhoods

Part of the aim of the camp is to carry out non-violent direct action against companies which are among the worst contributors to climate change. Direct action will not occur at the camp itself but the camp is a place to plan and discuss actions which will take place at nearby locations. There is a range of different types of actions so people can choose to take whatever role they feel comfortable with. Of course many people will come to the Climate Camp without taking part in any direct actions and this is fine too :-)

The camp is run non-hierarchically. The work of running the camp is done by working groups, which are open for anyone to join: if you are interested in joining a working group have a look at the working groups page or come to one of the monthly planning meetings. Every day at the camp there is a spokescouncil meeting in which representatives of all the neighbourhoods and working groups will make decisions about the day-to-day running of the camp using consensus decision-making.

Due to difficulties in renting a site, we are using a legally occupied (squatted) site. Squatting is legal. The police have a host of powers to deal with gatherings whether on squatted or rented sites. In all cases, coming to the event is completely legal. The police may ask you to leave. refusing may in some circumstances be an offence.

People are needed to help take the site down and return it to the state in which we found it - so while you are at the camp please spend an hour or a day helping with set-up, take-down, as well as cooking, cleaning, recycling, and all the other tasks that is required to keep the camp running smoothly. This is a chance to learn practical skills and help to collectively create the camp. You don't need to have any prior skills or experience and you can do as much or as little work as you want with the Site Practicalities working group to guide you.

If you would like to get involved in taking down afterwards, check out the Site Practicalities working group.

How to get to the Climate Camp

The camp is near Leeds with the nearest train station being Selby. Selby is serviced by main line trains and easily reachable from most parts of the country.Timetable 1 Timetable 2 There are buses from Leeds to Selby. (Timetable) Please arrive at Selby Train Station from 12 midday where there is an info desk pointing you in the right direction.

if you come by public transport there is a shuttle bus servive to the site. If you come by car, you are pointed in the right direction from there as well - if could also give someone a lift from the station at the same time, that would be great.

If you are coming to the Camp after Saturday either head to Selby Train Station or check out the website from midday for the announcement of the site. We strongly encourage the use of public transport to the camp to reduce our overall emissions.

There is a free shuttle service from Selby rail station to the Climate Camp for the camp's duration, There may also be the occasional run to Leeds and back as well depending on requirement. There is also be a bicycle library available for those who wish to cycle from Selby to the camp.

If any groups are bringing a mini bus and wish to do the occasional shuttle run to help, out then please come to the transport tent at the camp and we will slot you in.

Transport would like to thank all those peope offering their services as drivers, its very much appreciated.

Transport for the climate camp is powered by passion, determination and bio diesel..........see you all there.

We are planning to have facilities for safe bike parking. Please book your bike with us by ringing 0845 600 1674 so we will know how many bikes to expect. If you are bringing a bike on a train it may be an idea to avoid peak times like 7:30 to 9:30 in the morning and 5 to 7 in the evening.

We very strongly encourage people NOT to bring a car if you can possibly avoid it. There is limited parking off the site and we are trying to find places in Selby where it is possible for people to park.

For those who absolutely MUST come by car, we recommend travel-pooling to reduce your impact on the environment. We have set up a lift-share scheme on freewheelers www.freewheelers.co.uk/Camp_for_Climate_Action. You can register your wish for a lift or your offer of a lift on this site.

If you do come by car please note that personal vehicles (motorbikes, cars) will not be allowed on-site. Drop-offs can be made at the gate and there is a car-park facility nearby. There is a £10 flat fee per vehicle (£5 for motorbikes).

If you would like to come with a live-in vehicles please register first by emailing site[at]climatecamp.org.uk so we can make sure we have space set aside for your vehicle.

How to get to Selby

There are several trains a day direct to Selby from London Kings Cross (train final destination: Hull) which only take about two hours. Otherwise you need to go to Leeds and change there to get to Selby. There are only a couple of trains from Doncaster or York each day but there is a regular service to Hull from Leeds stopping at Selby. Return journeys for wheelchair users need to be booked for assistance in crossing the line.

There are fairly frequent local bus services from York and Doncaster as well as Leeds but no express services. Most services are wheelchair friendy.

Those travelling by National Coach or Megabus will do best to terminate at Leeds and use either train or local bus to get to Selby.

The best location for pickups is the Railwaymans Social Club between the train and bus ststions.

Hitchhikers, narrowboats and cyclists may be better convergeing at Whitley Bridge near the A19 juncion of the M62. It is are on the Aire Calder Navigation at a mid point between the junctions of Aire, Calder, Don and Trent Canal Systems. The Ouse, Aire and Selby Canal are not the best locations for narrowboats though closer to Drax. There is a local bus service from Doncaster to Selby via Whitley Bridge.

Knottingly Junction has changed and is not really suitable as a hitch-hiking junction. A1 travellers would be better going to the Leeds-Selby Road junction (A63 I think) crossing the A1 and hitching into Selby.

If you have any additional information about how to get to Leeds or Selby from various parts of the UK, please email website[at]climatecamp.org.uk.

What should I bring?

This is a list of stuff it would be helpful if you could bring. Obviously, some are more important than others, but they're all things that we don't think we can have too much of. There is limited water supplies on site, as we will have to bring it to the gate in bowsers. While you should make sure not to get dehydrated & follow basic hygiene, we urge you to use water sparingly. Neighbourhoods are encouraged to install rainwater catchment systems from marquees, toilets etc. There is some guttering and barrels on site, but bring whatever you can. So please make sure you bring as many of the things on the list as you can!

  • Water bottle
  • Soap and detergent
  • Tent
  • Sleeping bag
  • Loo roll (recycled)
  • Washing stuff -- soap, towel etc.
  • Clothes
  • Personal first aid kit
  • Sunblock
  • Tealights and jamjars
  • Bottle opener
  • Torch and spare batteries
  • Campden tablets/milton sterilising fluid
  • Any medication you need
  • Insect repellent
  • Plate, mug, cutlery
  • Car phone chargers
  • Solar lights
  • White dust masks and dust suits - useful for actions - available at DIY shops and some pound shops

What not to bring: plastic and other non-recyclable materiels. (But do bring a water bottle!) You are asked to take your non-recyclable materiels away with you when you leave.

Cost

Entrance to the camp is free to enable everyone to attend. We are asking for donations - suggested donations: kids free, teenagers £5-10, adult on benefit £10-15, low-waged adult £15-20, above-average wage £25-£30 etc. There is a flat fee for parking vehicles. Cheap meals is available from neighbourhood kitchens on site (around £4/day). We are hoping to run a shop on site selling essentials including local organic veg but the nearest proper shop is likely to be several miles away.

Dogs

We have a policy that says 'don't bring them'. If you need to bring a dog you must register in advance with the facilitation group: facilitation[at]climatecamp.org.uk. People who turn up with unregistered dogs is turned away. Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times. If you don't clean up after your dog you is asked to leave. People who bring dogs will be asked to form a working group together to deal with issues such as mess, dogs running around off the lead, etc.

Commercial activity

Commercial policy- basically no activity that is primarily about profit, though there is NGOs there who is happy to get new members/subscriptions.

The Climate Camp approach to energy

To provide an example of practical solutions to climate change the site aims to use as little energy as possible and use renewable energy sources where possible. Individual neighbourhoods is powered by ‘stand-alone’ renewable systems. The site power group runs a small power system for essentials such as electric wheelchair charging and radios.

Energy use on site

Energy use is minimised through:

  • Use of public / shared transport
  • Communal cooking & heating (fires)
  • Limited use of luxuries such as sound-systems, computers & video projectors
  • Eating local, organic and vegan food
  • Limited use of hot water for washing
  • Low consumption of packaged goods and through the use of bulk purchasing
  • Recycling and composting

Energy is sourced from:

  • Bio-diesel for transport where possible
  • Wind/sun to for neighbourhood electricity generation
  • Wood for heating
  • Sun / wood for hot water
  • Gas / wood for cooking
  • A bio diesel standby generator for essential loads such as wheelchair charging

Entertainment

There will a sound system and cinema run entirely from solar / wind. Electricity is stored in batteries during the day and used when required.

What to bring

The site is not be brightly lit so people are encouraged to bring lanterns (try jam jar and tea-light) or a torch (with rechargeable batteries) as. If people bring mobile phones they are encouraged to bring car cigarette lighter type adaptors, as many of the renewable systems on site operates from car batteries. No generators are allowed on site other than the bio-diesel generator run centrally for essential loads.

How the camp works

The Camp for Climate Action based on the ideas of self-organisation and decentralisation. Everyone has a say in and responsibility for running the camp. Below is a basic outline of how the camp will work including some policies that were drawn up at open organising meetings over the past eight months.
The Info point
If you need any information, have questions or problems come to the Infopoint (see map). This will be staffed from 8.30am to 8pm. At night there will be a Tranquillity team to be either found near the info point or at the gate. The info point has a central info board that shows where and when meetings, a summary of decisions made and outlines of agendas for future meetings, the workshop schedule, updates on actions, where and when to meet if you want to do an action and work that needs doing. There is also a map of the site and a list of the neighbourhoods you can join.
Every morning at 10.30 am in the Meetings Marquee there will be a short session on how the camp works and how you can help out.
Living in Neighbourhoods
The camp is organised on the basis of neighbourhoods. Your neighbourhood is the place where you will be living, sleeping, eating during the camp and make most of the decisions affecting daily life. There are around a dozen of different neighbourhoods, and if you have not come as part of a neighbourhood already then you need to choose one to join. All are open to new people joining in and all neighbourhood neighbourhoods can be based on a location, such as the Manchester Neighbourhood, or they can be based on a group or theme such as the Rising Tide Neighbourhood. Neighbourhoods do not run themselves – they need everyone living in it chipping in with chopping vegetables, cooking food, washing up, tidying, making fire, recycling, clearing away rubbish, looking after marquees, welcoming new people.

Neighbourhood meetings:
Every morning from 9-9.30am, open to everyone living in the neighbourhood. For making decisions affecting your neighbourhood and organising jobs that need doing

Neighbourhood info board :
Every neighbourhood has one of these for announcements of meeting times, workshops and actions happening, jobs that need doing, summaries of decisions made at meetings.

There are a number of issues that require co-ordination between neighbourhoods on a campwide level. These are discussed at the site meetings, which happen every morning from 9.30-10.30 am after the neighbourhoods have met. The site meeting will co-ordinate the following services: food buying and distribution, water supply, toilets, recycling and rubbish collection, power generation and distribution, transport to actions/shuttle service from/to Selby (and what else????). For this it is important that each neighbourhood identifies any supply needs and any issues before each daily site meeting and selects two delegates to send (they don't have to be the same people every time) to feed in this information. The site meeting will also be attended by delegates from working groups. Everyone is welcome to attend this meeting but only the delegates will be given time to speak.
Working groups
Some of the vital services will need teams of people working round the clock to make sure they happen. These teams are called working groups and need lots of volunteers to organise and take on the work. You can sign up for a working group at the Info point or by coming to the site meeting or by just getting involved when you see people at work somewhere. Working groups include: Transport, Water, Toilets, Food distribution, site structures, First Aid, Legal Support, Safety and Wellbeing, facilitation team, workshops and entertainments programme, action support, media and outreach group (and what else??? Not sure about names???)
Each of these working groups will send at least one delegate to the site meetings to work out what needs doing and also to tell neighbourhoods about any volunteers needed. Working groups meet at least daily, as and when needed.
How we make decisions
At the camp we work through collective decision-making where everyone gets an equal say, in an open and transparent fashion. We want to do away with the traditional idea of leadership, where one person tells everyone else what to do. Instead we are using consensus decision-making, a creative decision-making process that aims to find solutions that are acceptable to everyone.
Why do we use it?
Consensus at its best means that everyone's voice is heard, that minorities are not marginalized, that a decision is make which contains the best ideas of all members of the group, and that all members of the group are satisfied with and committed to the decision.

Who we are

A coalition of individuals and groups determined to take positive action against the root causes of climate change. We decided that we wanted to create a space for people to come together to debate, protest and take action. To this end we decided to organise the camp for climate action in the north of England from August 26th to September 4th.

We know about the storms and spreading deserts, about drought and species loss that climate change is causing. Deep down most of us know that the dream of consumption without end is becoming the nightmare of ecological collapse.

But the real problem is that everyone is waiting, waiting for technology to save us, waiting for the government to sort it out, waiting for the next series of 'Desperate Housewives'.

Waiting will achieve nothing. Techno-fixes such as nuclear power just feed denial and delay meaningful action. The government gives us blood and tragedy, wars for the dwindling resources causing the problems in the first place. The problem won't be solved by greenwash, petitions and voting every five years but by ending the system that requires economic growth. Climate change is as real as it gets. Solutions need to come from the people not the corporations or politicians. We need to take action and we need to do it now.

Our aims

The Climate Camp is...

  1. A place were we explore grassroots solutions to climate change through workshops, skill-sharing, education, debate and entertainment. The camp brings together people already campaigning on this and related issues.
  2. Take direct action against the root causes of climate change. Yes we need to change light bulbs and stop flying to Spain for the weekend, but we also need to act collectively. This is the only way to stop the actions of those vested interests that watch the planet burn while counting the money they make from the fire.
  3. Demonstrate and live the alternatives by bringing diverse groups and individuals together to live in an ecologically sustainable, cooperative way. The camp aims to be as carbon neutral as possible and all energy, except perhaps gas for cooking, comes from renewable sources.
  4. Be a space for celebration, for kids and families, a place to socialise with friends old and new. Western civilisation has tried to answer the eternal question of what it is to be human by surrounding itself in a cocoon of objects, an endless stream of meaningless stuff. This is a chance to show the opposite, that less can be so much more.

More info...

If you have any questions about the climate camp, email us: info [at] climatecamp.org.uk, or check out the contact page.



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