Skip to content

Meet the young people shaping Swindon's green future

Kirsten RobertsonWiltshire
BBC Girl with green top and sunflower lanyard. She has long brown hair and a septum piercing and smiles at the camera.BBC
Anya is part of a team of young people forging a new chapter for Swindon

Young people asked to give their views on tackling climate change say a lack of money is one of the biggest obstacles.

A group of teenagers in Swindon said they are optimistic for the future of the town, but also said the next generation need to be supported to make more environmentally-friendly choices.

Anya Cheesley, 16, said: "How are we meant to worry about it if we don't have our own lives together? [Some people] can't really worry that much about climate change because everything is really expensive."

She is part of WAY Changemakers, a group which recently compiled a report called Greener Swindon featuring the views of 88 young people.

Ideas included in the report include more solar panels on schools and stricter fines for those who fly-tip. But poverty has made tackling climate change feel out of reach for some.

"It does not really surprise me that young people worry about the expense when it comes to being more environmentally aware," said Rylee Howard, 19.

"Buying organic food, going vegan, getting solar panels or an electric car - that is all really expensive. It is a little weird something meant to be the better option is so expensive."

WAY Changemakers Text from an online report. The words are below Town centre feels concrete and dead. “-Town centre – it’s just concrete and feels dead, it’s disgusting and scary.” “-The whole town needs to be greener if possible. No one wants to go there.” Schools should be greener and more educational. “-Schools should have more gardens – kids would learn to grow food.” Estates and local areas need more trees and colour. “-In my estate we’ve got tiny patches of grass but no trees.” “-Walcot and Park North needs more colour, flowers, not just grass.” Accessibility matters. “-Disabled people need accessible green areas, not just fields with no paths.” Creative greening ideas. “-Even bus stops could have plants.” “-We want to see indoor green spaces so that I can hang out in bad weather, if it’s too hot or too rainy.” WAY Changemakers
An excerpt from the WAY Changemakers' report into climate change views in Swindon
Girl with blue top and a cross necklace. She has a septum piercing and black hair with green coloured highlights. She smiles at the camera.
Rylee worked with WAY Changemakers on a new climate change report

One green step which could be taken is to reduce the costs of buses, the Changemakers said.

Ms Cheesley, who travelled between Highworth and Swindon for school, said: "The dayrider bus tickets have gone from £2 to about £3.80. For people with limited income or big families, that's a big difference."

Keen cyclist Jonathan Ayres, 19, said he hoped improvements at Fleming Way - which saw dedicated bicycle lanes built - could be repeated across the town.

He added: "I understand how people might not be confident cycling on the road. Better bike infrastructure will encourage more people to get on their bikes and would mean fewer cars on the road."

Young man with black hair and a black-tshirt. He is smiling at the camera.
Jonathan said some people fear cycling in Swindon due to a lack of cycle lanes
A clearly segregated cycle lane which is separated from the main road with a slim section of paving. It is a spacious scene with a bus stop on the side.
Cycle lanes at the Fleming Way bus station in Swindon

Swindon has hit headlines for a "dangerous" shopping centre shopping centre, "rundown streets"and a lack of police in recent months, but the WAY Changemakers are confident a new - greener - chapter is coming.

Ms Howard said: "I've been getting more optimistic about the future.

"In terms of the environment in Swindon, I think we are going in the right direction.

"Other places should listen to the ideas of young people on how to improve their local area. The more they do that, the better the global environment will be."

Emma Bushell, deputy leader of Swindon Borough Council, met with the WAY Changemakers to discuss how their ideas linked up with the council's Decarbonisation Framework which aims to reduce the town's carbon footprint.

A group of people in a circle having a discussion. Young people sat and look towards someone speaking while councillor Emma Bushell sits with her arms on her legs and listens intently.
Emma Bushell, pictured in all black by the door, met the WAY Changemakers

"There is a little bit of negativity in the public debate at the moment that climate change is not a real thing, and in extreme cases that it's not something we should be putting any recourse into tackling," said Ms Bushell.

"So it's really important to hear from young people that this is a priority for them."

Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

Similar stories
Related internet links