Creative writing courses for young climate activists

Article date: 21 May 2024

St Helens Borough Library Services are working together with Read Now Write Now who are running the Climate Champions 2024 creative writing project across the Liverpool City Region.

Read Now Write Now will deliver a series of free writing courses in schools, libraries and online to help young people aged 9-13 write powerful and inspiring stories about climate change. The stories will be collected in a published book (using recycled paper), displayed in local libraries and online as well as read out at special storytelling events.

Writing courses are taking place across the city region, but in St Helens Borough will take place during the summer half-term holiday at:

• Thatto Heath Library on Tuesday 28th, Thursday 30th and Friday 31 May 10.30am to 12.30pm

To join simply choose one of the three available sessions. Places are free but limited, so please book by contacting charles@readnowwritenow.org.uk. The other regional locations are:

• Birkenhead Library, Wirral on Saturdays 11th, 18th and 25th May from 10am to 12pm.
• Huyton Library, Knowsley on Wednesday 29th, Thursday 30th and Friday 31st May 10.30am to 12.30pm
• Spellow Library, Liverpool on Wednesday 29th, Thursday 30th and Friday 31st May 2pm to 3.30pm
• Widnes Library, Halton on Saturdays 15th, 22nd and 29th June 10.30am to 12.30pm
• Bootle Library, Sefton on Saturdays 6th, 13th and 20th July 10.30am to 12.30pm

 Online courses are also available on:

• Tuesdays 5pm to 6.30pm from Tuesday 11th June for 4 weeks
• Thursdays 5pm to 6.30pm from Thursday 13th June for 4 weeks

Councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said:

Climate anxiety among children and young people is a worrying but natural and warranted rising trend. They are rightly concerned about the world they will inherit. The actions we take and the choices we make every day, from recycling more and driving less to preserving water and energy, are for our children and future generations worldwide. We should all be listening to them and I'm eager to read their collected stories, while similar initiatives like our Youth Climate Commission are giving young people the opportunity to seize the climate change conversation."

Councillor Kate Groucutt, Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Leisure, said:

Our children and young people bear the weight of such vast global issues which they had no part in creating and feel they have little power to affect. It is vital that we as their parents and guardians, neighbours, teachers and community leaders foster hope and quell the notion that 'it's too late' to alter the course of climate change, while taking action to reduce our impact and prove that it isn't. We hope these free courses will provide a positive and creative outlet for young people with these concerns, and I can't wait to see what they come up with."