COP30: Climate Stalls - activities, speakers, gifts

Free hot drinks and biscuits at the Stalls Festival greeted COP30 marchers, after their city centre rally, then parade with music, chants, banners and placards. Many thanks to the Coop for donating the welcome treats!

St James's Hall on Northumbria University campus hosted the post-March Climate Stalls Festival for the second year. New this time were displays of banners - a vital part of climate messaging to help keep this vital issue front and centre of everyday lives.

As well as information and activities on group stalls (see list and pictures below), there were hands-on opportunities to try out blockprinting and a Listening Circle (both provided by XR). And facepainting with environmental themes was provided by CAN supporter Polly Ord.

Uplifting climate singalongs were provided by talented singer/songwriter Bethany Elen Coyle. Her song sheets can be seen here and this is a recording of the music she kindly shared.

Stalls Festivals (pics/ video below): Climate Action Newcastle; Stop Flights Doubling Airport campaign (here and here); North East Animal Rights; Greenpeace; North East National Nature Park; Newcastle Fairtrade Partnership; St Francis Church/Heaton Churches; Northumberland Wildlife Trust; Stop the War/Palestine Solidarity Campaign; Green Party; Divest Tyne & Wear; Stronger Shores.

Stalls Festival Speakers (Pictured below in order):

Nic Cook - disability and climate justice activist, Joe Gartland - Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Anna Malia - North East Animal Rights

Lesley Mountain - Divest Tyne & Wear, Roger Haydon (ANAG - Aircraft Noise Action Group)

- Stop Flights Doubling Airport campaign, Heather Lambert - Ride for their lives, and Rev Robert Lawrance - St Francis Church

And big thanks to St James's Church Hall manager, Alan Wong!

His ultimate can-do attitude included helping another new addition: putting up a marquee and assisting with our free distribution of spare crops (especially a bumper apple harvest!), house plants and strawberry plants.

***Thank you for the suggestion of offering an opportunity to write messages to show our solidarity and welcome to people staying in the refugee hotel in central Newcastle. This booklet is to be delivered just before Xmas.

***More pictures and special report - see Evening Chronicle coverage, here: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/gallery/36-pictures-climate-activists-gather-32881156

***COP30 Newcastle event: highlights and main report

***COP30 Rally and Speakers: pictures and report

***COP30 March: music, banners, Red Rebel Brigade!

***Celebrate North East climate activism 2025! - COP30 slideshow/video here