We are raising money to put on the second Colchester Eco Festival.

The first one was held last year and was a tremendous success despite problems caused by Covid.

This year it will be even bigger and better. With over 70 stalls showcasing local traders and environmental groups and projects, workshops, vegan and vegetarian food and drink stalls, a Babyzone, Childrens Zone, Sustainable transport zone and a health and wellbeing tent. Together with music and dance performers throughout the day.  

Who are we?

We are en-form: a registered environment charity based in Colchester. We do a lot of environment projects and help other people in our community to set up their own environment projects. Find out more about us on Facebook or our website en-form.org.uk and ecocolchester.org.uk. 

Why are we setting up this project?

In 2019 a group of 20 individuals from the local Community approached us and asked us to assist them to put on Colchester's first Eco Festival: The festival was delayed due to Covid, but happened in September 2021, and exceeded all expectations.

The event encompassed many different activities all designed to draw the attention of the general public, including the harder-to-reach parts of the community, to the benefits of more sustainable ways of living.

Activities included were:

• Over 70 environmentally themed stalls including  local environment groups showcasing their projects and local businesses offering sustainable products and services
• A children’s ‘Kids zone’ tent, with wildlife and recycled material art projects and magician
• Environmentally themed local artists, music, theatrical and dance acts
• An E-Cargo bike demonstration area
• An electric car and bike show including demonstration and try out areas
• A sustainable transport area providing safe cycling tuition, Dr. Bike free bike fixing, and free security tagging
• Speakers and poetry tent
• Health and wellbeing tent
• Clothing swap and mending table

Since this was the first festival of its kind in Colchester, we did not know how many people to expect and estimated perhaps 1,000 visitors. In the event, 3,500 people turned up, and, generally, our expectations of the festival were exceeded across the board. This success involved a lot of hard work. Over 50 volunteers contributed their time but even so, it cost over £11,000 to put on.

However, the festival presented an ideal opportunity for local traders and businesses to promote their sustainable products and services to a lot of people at one key event.

What do we need the money for?

Looking at the feedback from visitors, it is clear that what many people want is for us to put on a larger range of workshops at next year’s event so that people can take practical action, themselves, to move to a more sustainable lifestyle.

This funding is to raise enough money to enable us to:

• put on a range of workshops
• record our experiences of putting on a sustainable festival for use by other groups and event organisers nationally to help them make their events more sustainable
• produce a free downloadable guide available on our website to share with other communities on the recipe for putting on their own community run ‘Eco Festival’ events.
• Any extra funds raised will contribute to the general Eco-Festival funding and be used to improve the festival and boost the number of volunteers further.

What if we don't raise enough money to put on the Eco Festival in 2022?

The Eco-Festival proved itself to be something that a great many people wanted, something that can in the future become a regular and important part of Colchester's cultural life, and be a model for festivals elsewhere. Luckily we have already managed to raise the majority of funds we need to put the festival on so it will go ahead. However, we are a bit short of our target and don't want to reduce what we have planned for the festival. Costs are coming in much more expensive than last year.

Meet the team

Finally, none of this would have been possible without our more than 50 volunteers and in particular the 20 people on the Eco Festival committee who came up with the idea in the first place. A few of them can be seen in the photo below.

And a few photos from the day

What do our visitors say?

Many of our stallholders said they had had their busiest day ever. Including the caterers.

It was great to see the whole community having fun as well including one little girl who said ''this has been the best day ever''.

Find out more about the Eco Festival at eco-festival.org