More than 150 people gathered at the Cheese & Grain on December 5th to join author Rob Hopkins for an uplifting event on tackling the climate crisis and building more resilient communities through ‘unleashing the power of the imagination’. The event was organised by Sustainable Frome and Frome Town Council linking in with the council’s climate emergency programme.
Hopkins, founder of the Transition Towns movement and one of the Independent’s Top 100 Environmentalists, used imaginative exercises throughout the event to explore the questions in his newest book From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want. The book tackles 9 what-if questions, including ‘What if we took play seriously?’, ‘What if we followed nature’s lead?’ and ‘What if we fought back to reclaim our attention?’. Backed up by real world examples, Rob argued that imaginative projects can bring people together and help tackle issues such as the climate emergency and poor mental health. The event ended with a Q&A session and a chance to get signed copies of the book sold by Hunting Raven Books.
Cllr Anita Collier, who was at the event, said “What an enjoyable evening meeting new people and seeing great examples of projects from all over the world. Frome’s own imaginative projects like the Community Fridge and the SHARE shop show how thinking outside of the box can lead to a huge impact.”
If you couldn’t make it to the event, you can watch the full talk online here: Rob Hopkins – What If Event Video. Copies of the book are available to buy at Hunting Raven on Cheap Street. For more information on the Town Council’s climate programme and upcoming events visit: www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/climate-emergency or to get involved with Sustainable Frome visit: www.transitionfrome.org.uk
Published 19/12/19
