In the run-up to our ten year celebration, we caught up with a number of key people who have helped build the Sustainability Festival over the last decade into what it has become today. We also got their views on what makes #SustFest so special, the impact on the local community and how it can help the future generations.
Reflecting on Impact
What sustainability achievement are you most proud of during your time with the group?
I am very proud of our team’s achievement in organising the launch event of the 2018 Sustainable St Albans Week: ‘Our Planet Our Future’ (OPOF). This was a TED-style afternoon of amazing speakers at Rothamsted Conference Centre in April 2018, that Susheel Rao and I co-organised. I’m equally proud of the popular ongoing OPOF discussion talks, walks and films that we continue to hold regularly in Harpenden.
What project or initiative had the most lasting impact, in your view?
There have been so many lasting initiatives and activities flowing from SustFest over the years! Back in 2015, the idea of a Sustainability Festival was novel. The overall success of the ‘Sustainable St Albans Weeks’ that year was clear both to us in the district and to the wider network of transition groups across the country. Since then, as well as our own SustFest activities growing, numerous other groups around the country have organised their own Sustainability Festivals, each of which will, in turn, no doubt, have led to many local lasting initiatives.
Celebrating Collaboration
What did you enjoy most about working with other members?
Working with people who were all focussed on a common agenda to promote sustainability was very inspiring; the team members all brought different experiences and expertise and it has been great to learn from everyone involved.
Were there any unexpected partnerships or collaborations that turned out to be especially fruitful?
Our collaboration with Harpenden Town Council to trial Sustainability Markets in 2021 has led to an ongoing partnership and the Harpenden Sustainability Markets being a regular feature of Harpenden’s town calendar. The markets have become a valuable hub for local eco-conscious businesses to showcase their products and services, connect with new customers, and network with other enterprises in Harpenden and the surrounding area. The collaborations that have formed between stallholders has been fantastic to see. For example, Jefferson Eco, a regular from the start, hosts around ten other past and present stallholders in their shop in St Albans. Vivianna from MyRefill Life held her first stall at our first market. Growing from this initial venture, her business now delivers closed-loop eco-friendly products around Harpenden, including products from several other stallholders.
Learning and Growth
What’s one thing you learned from being part of the group that you still carry with you?
It’s important to pause occasionally to see how far we’ve come and celebrate each other’s contributions. Change is slow day to day, but look back over a year … or two … or ten(!) and progress is palpable.
Did your involvement change how you think about sustainability or community action?
Achievement takes sustained persistence in developing new initiatives, and generosity and time in helping others copy what you’ve done. Initiatives like playing out, repair fairs and having thermal imaging cameras to borrow have multiplied inside and outside the district. The community and sustainability activities that flow from street-level initiatives (such as Transition Streets, Playing Out, Street Parties, Festive Streets, Wilderhood Watch) have emphasised how much can be achieved by neighbours coming together. Small-scale neighbourhood initiatives are fun and make a tangible difference for real people whilst quietly having a positive climate impact.
Looking Forward
What opportunities do you see for future sustainability efforts in our community?
There are many opportunities for personal action to make the district more sustainable. By working together with our families, our friends and neighbours or with groups such as Sustainable St Albans, we can all make a difference, because getting involved really works! Getting involved with a Sustainable St Albans Project would be a great way to start.
What message would you give to the future generations, like those at Oaklands, about the sustainability challenges ahead?
It seems likely that the district’s population will grow in the coming decades. Working to ensure that growth encourages sustainable living and that we adapt and build to high-quality environmental standards is vital and will have a lasting impact for generations to come.
Moments of Joy
What was the most fun or memorable event you participated in?
I very much enjoyed hearing The Reverbs Ukulele Band play for the first time at the sustainability market and it continues to be fun hearing them play at each market.
What made being part of the group meaningful or enjoyable for you
Making long-lasting friendships and seeing our environmental initiatives grow and foster new projects inside and outside the district.