The Rochester Eco Hub

09/08/2026

We still have some spaces left for our People's Emergency Briefing on the Climate and Nature Crises this Tuesday 1th August. With wildfires on the Peninsula this week we are really starting to experience the impacts of climate change locally. It's so important that we come together to understand fully what we are facing and even more importantly what we can do about it! We are pleased to be welcoming Councillor Simon Curry, Medway Council's Portfolio holder for Climate Change along to participate in discussion with us.

Doors open 7:15pm for a 7:30pm start. Please do come along and share the booking link with friends, family and your networks.

Footage from November’s National Emergency Briefing of leading experts on climate change impacts followed by discussion.

30/07/2026

🌱 What role should trees and green spaces play in Medway's future?

Trees boost biodiversity 🐝, improve wellbeing 😊 and help create healthier communities 💚

We're developing Medway's Tree Strategy and want to hear your views on how trees and green spaces should be:
✅ Planted
✅ Protected
✅ Enhanced

📢 Share your feedback and help shape a greener Medway for generations to come 🌳 https://orlo.uk/Brszh

This consultation closes at 11:59pm on Sunday, 16 August.

🌿🍃🌳

28/07/2026

We are joining forces with The Vines Church in Rochester to host another screening of the People's Emergency Briefing. It will take place on Tuesday 11th August 7:15pm for a 7:30pm start. The link to the booking is below. Hope to see you there - please feel free to share with your networks.

Footage from November’s National Emergency Briefing of leading experts on climate change impacts followed by discussion.

27/07/2026

Eco Hub Drinks will be taking place tonight at The Royal Crown Pub in Rochester at 7:30pm. Please do come along... we'll be talking about The People's Emergency Briefing, Eco Fairs, Litter Picks, Trees and more...

09/07/2026

Come and say hi to us at the Cherry Picnic at The Vines Park this Saturday!

06/07/2026

Are you wondering how best to keep cool in the heatwave? One of our Eco Hub members has put some thoughts together and I thought I'd share them in case they can help you:

WAYS TO KEEP COOL

Cool your pulse points. Put a cold flannel on your wrists, ankles and neck.

Create ventilation. Stand in a breeze or fan yourself.

Dress for solar reflectivity. Wear white or light-coloured clothing, avoid dark clothes that absorb heat.

Dress for breathability. Wear light weight, cotton or linen clothing avoid synthetic fabric that trap the heat.

Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water, eat water rich foods like cucumber, strawberries and melons. Avoid alcohol and caffeine drinks.

Block direct sunlight. Stay in shade, close curtains on sunny side of house.

Cool your house. Hot air rises. Combine exhaust ventilation (opening loft hatch and ground floor windows on shaded side) with shade from closed curtains on sunny side.

Acclimatise your body. Gradually let your body adapt to warmer weather by avoiding air-conditioning and using the above strategies instead.

Here's the thoughts behind the tips:

The human body aims to maintain an internal temperature of 37.5 deg. C and uses blood flow to moderate its internal temperature, concentrating blood within the body when it is cold and dispersing blood to its extremities when it is very warm.

In extremes of temperature the heart works harder and has to be supported by whatever means are available.

The human body loses heat through 5 mechanisms: radiation, conduction, convection, evaporation and respiration.

Radiation. The body emits infrared heat waves.

Conduction. Heat transfers directly by contact to a cooler surface.

Convection. Moving cooler air or water passing over the skin pulls heat away.

Evaporation. The body secretes sweat which absorbs body heat and then evaporates.

Respiration. Breathing out expels air that has been warmed by the body.

The effectiveness of the some of the above for cooling the skin can depend on the area of the skin that is exposed.

20/06/2026

Rochester Eco Hub drinks will be on Monday 29th June this month. Usual place, The Royal Crown, Rochester High Street at 7:30pm. Hope to see you there!

20/06/2026

Thanks for covering this Local Authority: Independent news for Medway. We'd love to see these venues saved and reopened.

The future of the Royal Function Rooms is not just a planning application. It is a fight over whether one of Medway’s few mid-sized live venues should be treated as a piece of public cultural heritage or folded quietly into private housing.

Bob Collins sets out why he believes the Rochester venue can still be protected, how the planning process works, and what residents can do before the objection deadline.

🔗 Link in the comments.

30/05/2026

It's nearly that time of year again, we're looking forward to having a stall at the Cherry Picnic, hope to see you there,

It's just 6 weeks to the Cherry Picnic. We have lots of exciting things planned including face-painting, music, dancing, stalls and children's activities. Grab your friends, families, picnic baskets and come along to enjoy the beautiful park.

28/04/2026

Last night we hosted a screening of the National Emergency Briefing on climate and nature. It was great to have a full a house with representatives from Labour, the Conservatives and the Green Party as well as a local journalist from the Local Authority and various members of the community.

After the film we spent time reflecting on what we had heard before thinking about what action we might take, including asking our MPs to support a Parliamentary Call to have the video screened on prime time national television.

If you are keen to find a screening or are thinking about hosting a screening yourself you can find all the information on the National Emergency Briefing website:

https://www.nebriefing.org/

Thanks to all who came along and to Medway Adult Education for providing us with a venue.

National Emergency Briefing | The UK’s leading climate and nature experts brief MP's on the risks, impacts and solutions to the climate emergency