Oxfordshire’s One Planet Party – just the beginning
Bioregional’s joy-filled One Planet Party in Oxford on 11 June signified the end of the first phase of One Planet Oxfordshire. This was an 18-month project bringing together people from across all sectors in Oxfordshire – local councils, universities, businesses, community groups and more – to envision a brighter, greener future for Oxfordshire.
But this was far from a farewell party.
Our One Planet Oxfordshire project, funded by the KR Foundation, has galvanised a vast range of organisations and people to collectively imagine what Oxfordshire would look like if we attained county-wide One Planet Living – and to co-create a routemap to getting there.
We have been wildly successful so far. Over 100 different organisations have been involved in the project, coming to our two large stakeholder workshops and getting training to introduce One Planet Living into their own organisations. Multiple organisations have even created their own mini ‘One Planet Action Plans’ that will feed into our larger vision.
With close to 80 people in attendance, the event was buzzing with energy and excitement. It demonstrated that Oxfordshire is clearly charting the way for the rest of the UK, with innovative projects and new initiatives taking place all over the county.
And now that, amazingly, we’ve secured more funding to continue the project, we’ll be looking at how we can expand our reach even further, bringing more and more people onboard and catalysing ever-more ambitious change.
So we just had to make a song and a dance about it! Our party was held at Tap Social, a fantastic social enterprise set up to employ people who have been through the criminal justice system and who would otherwise struggle to access training and employment after time in prison.
Local band The Heavy Dexters played us jazzy/funky tunes, surplus food caterers Waste2Taste provided tasty canapés, and some table tennis was even played. Organisations exhibited their action plans and the inspiring steps they’ve taken towards One Planet Oxfordshire.
We also announced the winners of our One Planet Living photo competition.
With close to 80 people in attendance, the event was buzzing with energy and excitement. It demonstrated that Oxfordshire is clearly charting the way for the rest of the UK, with innovative projects and new initiatives taking place all over the county.
It was good to take a break, to sit back and to just celebrate what has already been achieved. And to imagine Oxfordshire in the future: full of beautiful greenspaces, wildlife, and opportunities to interact with the land, respectfully stewarded by a network of close, equitable and resilient communities, populated by people whose lives are all the better for it.
As the great 19th century feminist Emma Goldman wrote:
"I did not believe that a cause which stood for a beautiful ideal… should demand the denial of life and joy. I want… everybody's right to beautiful, radiant things."
Get involved in One Planet Oxfordshire
We’d love more people to get involved as we enter the next phase of One Planet Oxfordshire. You can:
- Read the Shared Vision for the future Oxfordshire we want to see
- Create your own action plan using our Goals and guidance
- Sign up for CPD-accredited training in One Planet Living
- Access locally distributed Oxfordshire funding for some of your actions, through Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment and Oxfutures GreenFund
- Join Oxfordshire Greentech and network with businesses and social enterprises that are delivering the low carbon One Planet Living future we need
View some of the entries in the One Planet Oxfordshire photography competition.