A COMMUNITY sustainability movement in Southbourne has captured public attention.

ECO Sobo has planned a sustainability event for the public, showcasing sustainable solutions for homes and businesses.

What began as an eco-fair planned for Southbourne in May 2024 has expanded into an eco-movement with monthly sustainability workshops and a more community-focused event planned for September 2024.

Eco Sobo officially launched in January 2023 with the aim to highlight all the sustainable and ethical organisations, businesses and charities in the community.

Lizzie McManus, co-founder of Eco Sobo, said: "When we launched last year, we thought we'd be planning a one-day event with a few businesses.

"We happily underestimated the appetite for sustainable living in Southbourne. We knew people were interested, but we hadn't realised quite how many would be!"

Eco Sobo will be taking place Saturday, September 14 2024, along Fisherman's Walk in Southbourne from 11am to 7pm.

The one-day event will showcase sustainable solutions for homes and businesses, including veggie growing workshops, stalls for eco-friendly products around the home, local food and drink, live music, a speaker's corner, mending, baking, seed-swapping and clothes-swapping.

Lizzie added: "We are now taking applications for stalls, stands, vendors, and artists".

She has urged those interested to get in contact. 

Led by Lizzie and co-founder Rosie Edwards, the pair secured a grant from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to deliver a series of sustainability workshops.

This funding was distributed by the Dorset Community Foundation, which works with the BCP Council via the BCP Thriving Communities Fund.

Rosie said: "We started organising these workshops last summer with the aim of sharing the wealth of sustainability knowledge we already have on our doorsteps with the wider community.

"We organised these workshops using venues and guest speakers from within our community.

"For example, our first workshop, 'All the Rs' was all about reducing waste, reusing items, refusing packaging, repurposing items, and recycling.

"We've hosted a wildlife-friendly gardening workshop at Grounded Community in Boscombe for families, a workshop on how to shop sustainably at Just1Swap, and a 'Green Travel' workshop at Velo Domestique in Southbourne."

Lizzie added: "With each new workshop, we're generating more and more interest in Eco Sobo and it's really wonderful to see and be a part of."