On Friday the 23rd of February, Another Way hosted the first Power of 10 festival at Rheged in Penrith for local secondary school students interested in environmental issues. The event was attended by over 200 students and multiple climate specialists, such as neuroscientist and author Ben Martynoga and marine biologist Dan Bailey, allowing students to interact and engage with environmental experts.
Besides the amazing opportunities it presented, the festival also promoted and trialed the new Power of 10 app, which aims to create “the largest community of young people making change for the climate”, acting as both a forum and resource for climate activists. Amy Bray, the founder of Another Way and the Power of 10 app, stated that “no one is ever too small or insignificant to make an enormous change” and the day fully embodied that. The main message was that if one person shares something with ten people then they share something with ten others and so forth, it would only take ten days for the message to spread around the world, and this positivity and inspiration pervaded the festival.
The day began with a film, exhibiting the amazing changes brought about by Another Way within Cumbria and outlining the beautiful environment around Cumbria. Afterwards, multiple sessions were available throughout the day, such as art, eco-anxiety, climate science talks and a Q&A with local MP Tim Farron, arming young people with the knowledge and confidence to advocate for change. There were also multiple stalls on offer from organisations like the RSPB, Ocean Generation and The Tree Council, where students could plant their own oak trees to take away with them.
The festival ended with students designing their own climate campaigns within schools, from reducing plastic in canteens to increasing green spaces. With the same positivity that began the event, an overview of the day concluded the festival, exemplifying the motivational atmosphere that encapsulated the Power of 10 festival.
By Caitlin Hamer
