The Sustainable Futures Forum: Empowering community-led sustainability in Folkestone & Hythe

The forum delivers regular events, workshops, and networking opportunities, from TEDx-style talks to video workshops, that empower a wide range of stakeholders to develop impactful projects, give a stage and a voice in addressing climate change, build community resilience, and work towards net zero.  

By fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, the SFF helps turn ideas into action, links groups, and supports projects to market and raise their voice about the positive work they are doing. 

The Forum launched with a flagship event in 2023 at The Burlington Hotel, Folkestone, featuring TEDx-style talks followed by breakout workshops, networking, and Q&A sessions. The event targeted all stakeholders, encouraging community-led involvement and showcasing a wide range of local initiatives. 

Regular events since have included video workshops designed to help groups showcase their projects and give them a voice and confidence to share their great work, as well as ongoing thematic workshops and coaching sessions for local carbon champions. The Forum is hosted and supported by the Council, with active volunteer leadership and growing local stakeholder engagement essential to its ongoing success. 

Past events and programme highlights have included: 

The Forum has fostered a vibrant community of green innovators and activists, increasing awareness and collaboration across the district. It has helped surface diverse local initiatives, supported a series of collaborations, enabled access to Council and external grant funding, and strengthened partnerships that accelerate local sustainability efforts. Participants report increased confidence, resources, and networks to develop their projects, while the Council uses the Forum as a hub to channel support and align community activity with district carbon reduction targets. 

Successful outcomes include: 

Kent Food Hub Electric Van 

Kent Food Hub exemplify successful collaboration through their joint achievement of securing the largest funding grant for an electric van, an initiative central to transforming local food distribution in Kent. This van enables Kent Food Hub to efficiently collect produce from a widening network of local producers, thereby increasing their product range and service accessibility while reducing their carbon footprint. Additionally, the van is used for customer deliveries, making fresh, ethical food more readily available to the community. When Kent Food Hub does not require the van, others can rent the van, using it, for example, for the collection and transportation of compost and food waste, supporting broader sustainability efforts. Importantly, the van is intended to be available for community hire, with the long-term aim of enabling more groups in Kent to lower their environmental impact, though raising public awareness remains ongoing.  

SUP Yoga and Community Collaboration: Pick Up for the Planet 

A local SUP (Stand-Up Paddleboard) Yoga instructor from Fin and Flow has initiated the "Pick Up for the Planet" project. This initiative brought together various community groups to address litter issues in Folkestone. In collaboration with The Folkestone Youth Project, known as "The Shed," they will design and build litter picking stations around the area. 

This project provides practical, skills-based learning for the young people at The Shed, while also addressing the local litter problem. The project exemplified community collaboration, with materials donated by Gingerly Green Flower Farm and upcycled by Making Waves Studio. This initiative not only helps keep Folkestone clean but also fosters a sense of community ownership and environmental responsibility. 

The Folkestone Youth Project: Upcycling for Urban Greening 

The Folkestone Youth Project, "The Shed," continues to be a hub for innovative collaborations. One of their notable projects involves partnering with local construction firm AW Rail to repurpose building materials into planters. This initiative not only diverts waste from landfills but also provides an opportunity for young people to learn practical skills. 

The project doesn't stop at creating planters. The youth involved in the program also take responsibility for filling and tending to these planters, using locally produced compost. This hands-on experience in urban greening helps foster a sense of environmental stewardship among the young participants while beautifying the local area. 

Sandgate Community Garden: Closing the Loop on Food Waste 

The team at Sandgate Community Garden have recently launched an innovative composting initiative. They collect food waste from multiple local sources, including Touchbase Care's Kitchen and Folkestone College's cafe and catering department, where the college has donated the space for the digester to be kept. This waste is then transformed into high-quality compost for the community garden. 

This project addresses several sustainability goals simultaneously. It reduces food waste emissions, provides a cost-effective source of compost for local community gardens and projects, and creates potential for a future income stream. Beneficiaries of this locally produced compost include Folkestone College, Touchbase Care Gardens, and community projects like The Shed. By turning waste into a valuable resource, this initiative exemplifies the principles of a circular economy in action. 

The Forum has been effective in building a collaborative sustainability culture in Folkestone & Hythe and supporting tangible project development. The Council have committed budget for the next two years with plans for further events, increased funding opportunities, and stronger partnerships to maintain momentum towards district net zero goals. 

The success and ongoing impact of the Sustainable Futures Forum in Folkestone & Hythe rest heavily on the exceptional facilitation and leadership skills of Liu Batchelor, its project lead. Her role as the host and connector ensures the Forum remains a dynamic and community-led initiative that successfully aligns with the Council’s broader net zero objectives.