A-list traders aim to galvanize community around key environmental issues

Traders and community groups in Chiswick are hoping to make their leafy part of London the greenest place in the capital.

They’re holding a ‘Green Night’ this Thursday, June 19th, where plans will be floated to turn Chiswick into an eco-Village and encourage householders to cut their carbon footprint and soaring energy bills.

They hope to build on the success of Kew – where plastic bags are due to disappear from July 1st – and go further by encouraging local traders also to recycle all waste and use ‘green’ electricity.

The ‘eco-village’ plan is being launched by Eco, the new shop and consultancy in Chiswick High Road, owned by the actor Colin Firth, his wife Livia, her brother Nicola Giuggioli and the financier Ivo Coulson. 'Green Night' takes place at 7.30 for 8.00pm on Thursday June 19th in St Michael & All Angels Parish Hall, next to Turnham Green tube station.

Other organisations involved in the evening include greentomato.org (http://www.greentomato.org); the Green Homes Concierge Service; the Bedford Park Society; Kotuku, which promotes sustainable resource management in the construction industry (http://www.kotuku.org); Chiswick House Kitchen Garden (http://www.kitchengarden.org.uk); and Waterstones Chiswick, which will run a green bookstall. The ethical food company, Turnham Green, will announce the winners of its children’s contest to nominate ‘Chiswick’s Greenest Dad’ (http://www.turnham-green.co.uk/GreenDadsCampaign.aspx) .

There'll be stalls, refreshments, prizes, practical advice and lively debate. ‘Green Night’ forms part of the 42nd Bedford Park Festival, an arts and community event based in the world’s first garden suburb, which raises money for local charities and the church. Those attending will be invited make a £5 donation to the Festival charities.

The organisers hope ‘Green Night’ will build on the success of the Festival’s ‘Green Days’ weekend - a two-day fete, funfair and craft fair, where all the waste is cleared for recycling.

“With fuel bills rocketing and much greater awareness of the need to protect the planet, lots of people have been asking what can be done here in Chiswick” said Torin Douglas, co-ordinator of the Bedford Park Festival. “We're bringing them together on ‘Green Night’ – and we hope the combination of community groups, businesses, councillors and residents means we really can ‘make every day a Green Day’.”

Chiswick residents speaking on ‘Green Night’ include: David Shreeve, director of the Conservation Foundation and environment adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury; Nicola Guiggioli, of Eco Age, the ‘green’ shop and consultancy, who is launching a campaign to turn Chiswick into an Eco village; and local architect Oliver West, who is exploring the possibility of using solar panels on the roof of St Michael & All Angels’ Parish Hall to heat the church’s water.

For the past four years, under the slogan Keep Green Days Green, the Bedford Park Festival has collected and recycled all waste on its opening Green Days weekend, earning praise from Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. It could not do this without the active support of Grundon Waste Management.

It also forms part of Love London, the annual green festival, which celebrates projects and organisations that are making a real contribution to creating a more sustainable capital. The sixth annual Love London festival takes place between the 1st and the 21st June 2008.

June 18, 2008