On Sat 29th April 2023, 8 local speakers took to the stage – to deliver TEDx style talks, all about their local sustainable projects, ideas, and initiatives.
The videos of all the speakers talks from this event you can see below, as well as via the YouTube channel HERE
As part of the wider event programme – designed to provide support, skills, and spotlighting for great local sustainability champions – the speakers all took part in a 8 week speaker coaching programme, designed and delivered by former TEDx curator, Liu Batchelor – to help them powerfully articulate their ideas and stories, and to build their confidence to showcase the great work they do.
Floortje Hoette – Produced in Kent
Floortje Hoette, Chief Executive for Produced in Kent, membership organisation for the local independent food and drink industry in Kent and Medway, is passionate about making our food system more local and more sustainable, and able to provide for our community. Committed to tackling food waste in Kent, Floortje will explain why farms end up with surplus vegetables and fruit, and how we can make sure that more of that surplus ends up on a plate. www.producedinkent.co.uk
Ruth Tyler – Folkestone Youth Project ‘The Shed Urban Wilderness’
Wife, Mother, Nanna and Holistic Youth Worker. Just an ordinary person trying my best to help people and nature.
Not qualified at all to talk about sustainability other than my own story of Creating our Urban Wilderness Site on fresh air, hope and a lot of recycling!
Coming out of my comfort zone to encourage others to make small changes to help nature and highlight barriers to sustainability for low income families. www.originalshed.org.uk
Leonie Wootton – Sandgate Community Gardens & Incredible Edible Cheriton
I am a volunteer for the Sandgate Community Gardens, Touchbase Care kitchen garden and Incredible Edibles Cheriton. I help organisations and individuals to grow fruit and vegetables, and encourage the making and using of compost from garden waste and kitchen peelings. However not all food waste can be composted in this conventional manner, such as bread, cooked food, chicken bones and fish heads; which is currently collected by the council and taken on a one hundred mile trip to be processed. How can we take care of this valuable resource in our own communities, and reduce the carbon footprint? https://sandgatepc.org.uk/sandgate-community-garden and www.facebook.com/incredibleediblecheriton
Greg Mckenzie – AW Construction
I work for AW Group based here in Folkestone covering projects across the commercial construction and rail sector. Amongst the many hats that I wear is the Sustainability lead for the group. Over the past year we have been engaged in some exciting projects and initiatives, locally and across the UK for the more ethical use of timber/wood either taken out of projects or used for construction purposes. Wood recycling has become a passion for me and the team here and we’re delighted to be able to speak to you about some of the things we have put in place. www.awltd.co.uk
India Pearson – Fin & Flow
India Pearson is an Outdoors Advocate and Yoga Teacher. India’s passion for wellbeing and nature has led her to produce and host the podcast ‘Start a Ripple’ which celebrates the power of moving in nature for the mind, body and environment. In 2020 India paddle boarded the length of the Royal Military Canal in 1 day, litter picking as she went, to raise money for a beach cleaning station in Hythe. India is the founder of Fin & Flow, a hub for like minded people to connect through wellbeing activities such as yoga, paddle boarding, and beach cleans. www.finandflow.co.uk
Georgie Brown – Seagarden
We are an independent soap company established with the aims of providing a naturally handmade product to fund our coastal awareness projects and invest what we take back into other local preservation schemes to keep our message alive. Seagarden plans to make waves throughout the east coast with our food and drink friendly blend of hard and liquid soaps. With the help from Kents countless coastal pubs and inns, we can work together to keep our seaside view gleaming and not just our hands. www.instagram.com/seagarden.soap
Ed Kyrke-Smith – Rebel Farmer
I’m Ed, 41, a tree surgeon from London. I moved to Kent with my young family in 2015 and I’m now known as Rebel Farmer. After a progressive journey of discovery in the world of Permaculture and Market gardening I am seeking to make a positive change to society by encouraging a change towards a complete relocalisation of the food system and rediscovery of local, seasonal produce. This change can massively reduce our use of carbon creating enormous well being to the community and the natural surroundings, encouraging biodiversity and storing carbon back in the soil with circular waste streams. www.rebelfarmer.co.uk
Beckie Alves – Kent Food Hubs
As a busy mum, I know that with the fast paced, busy lives that we all lead, its not always easy to find the time to seek out and visit farm shops and farmers markets. So a group of us (producers and local people) came together to look at making local food more accessible. Kent Food Hubs CIC offer online and physical local produce markets. Our food hub (where people can order locally produced online) is in Folkestone, and we run physical markets in Folkestone, Dover, Herne Bay and Whitstable. www.kentfoodhubs.co.uk
Opening and Closing remarks from Folkestone & Hythe District Council
In addition to the speakers talks, the event also featured opening remarks from Cabinet Member for the Environment – Cllr Lesley Whybrow, and well as from Olu Fatokun – Low Carbon Senior Specialist & Facilitator CI-Lab, Folkestone & Hythe District Council
Sustainable Futures Forum 