A new climate festival is coming to Monmouth next week.

It’s a collection of events that aims to raise awareness of local projects designed to help people make changes to lower their carbon footprint of our community, be more environmentally aware and have fun too.

Calling itself the festival that doesn’t cost the earth, it takes place from September 20 to September 26. The event is free and based across the whole town.

Community groups, businesses and individuals are coming together from all over Monmouth to share what they are doing to make a difference.

The festival is focuses around six core environmental themes. Each activity or event will highlight an aspect of at least one of these themes. The themes are, energy, environment, food, waste, transport and buying.

Blake Theatre, Sustainable Development Fund, The National Lottery Community Fund, Viridor and Prosiect Gwyrdd Community Fund, Tesco Community Grants, and Monmouth Town Council are all contributing funding.

Visitors can expect a plethora of talks, shows, debates and events, all of which take place in various parts of Monmouth.

Festival events include: a talk from Dr Steph Tyler on the diversity of the ponds and their importance in supporting local wildlife at the Wonastow Ponds.

STEM ambassador Dr Emily Grossman will be hosting an interactive science quiz show.

Young people will be putting questions to both national and local politicians on key issues of the climate emergency.

An evening bat walk to observe the important mammals using habitats will be presented by MonLife and Monmouthshire Bat Group.

There are also a selection of workshops, activities, exhibitions, stalls, films and talks for children. Children can even build, race or spectate at Lemmiout Activites’ Go-cart Stem project and learn about sustainable transport among countless other activities.

Young people will be putting questions to both national and local politicians on key issues of the climate emergency in a political debate.

Information on all of the festival activities can be found at www.acemonmouth.org/festival.

The event is spearheaded by the Action on Climate Emergency Monmouth (ACE) group.

The group started in response to Monmouth Town Council declaring a Climate Emergency. ACE Monmouth was set up in May 2019 with support from the town council and attracted a large and enthusiastic group of local residents to take action on the climate emergency.