A mum from Bromley has launched a Community Green hub at the Glades Shopping centre to “create and build a better future” for kids around the world.
Founder of the Greener and Cleaner charity Parisa Wright says her motivation for setting up the community hub also stems from creating a better environment for her children to grow up in.
She told the News Shopper that she also “cares passionately” for the community around her and the area that she was raised in.
After opening the doors of the Community Green hub on March 11, she said it's been a "long overdue goal" where locals can learn more about the environment.
It is the first locally run green hub that aims to support members of the public in discovering and learning information on climate change.
Parisa said: “How can I bring my kids into this world that I’ve helped damage.
“My two kids motivate me to keep going and keep pushing this message to Bromley residents.
“It’s my responsibility as a parent where I want to create a safer and better future for them and other children too."
The hub will also include a Library of Things where Bromley locals are able to borrow DIY items rather than buying new ones for every home.
It will also host workshops and events, offer opportunities for other community organisations to engage with sustainability.
Parisa said after working on this project for almost a year with her team of other local parents her aim now is to reduce the carbon emissions of Bromley within eight years.
She explained: “A lot of blood sweat and tears have gone in from a lot of people.
“When we set not for profit in 2019, the idea was to reach out to Bromley locals and share information and what they can do to have a positive impact on their environment.”
“We’ve gone from having 20 people to now 7,000 households that are involved and other community groups.”
“Every year we’ve done events at schools to encourage others on how we can keep cleaner environment.
“I should be doing and will do everything I can to reduce the carbon emissions of this borough."
The Library of Things was founded by Emma Shaw, Rebecca Trevalyan, and Sophia Wyatt in 2016.
More than 5,000 people have now borrowed items over 10,000 times across other hubs in London, according to the Greener and Cleaner charity.
Emma said: “We’ve had lots of interest in Library of Things from Bromley residents and organisations – so we’re excited that they’ll soon be able to borrow quality items like Bosch drills, Karcher pressure washers and STIHL hedge trimmers for a few pounds per day.
“This is an important step for Library of Things, as we expand our work to create a community-led circular economy in neighbourhoods across London.”
The Community Green Hub will be open for residents to reserve items online from the Greener and Cleaner website.
The centre is open five days a week from 10am till 6pm however it is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Have you got a story for us? You can contact us here.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.
Sign up to our newsletters to get updates sent straight to your inbox.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here