Grassroots Collaborations for a Greener Tomorrow
WELCOME TO LANCASTER ENVIRONMENT ACTION & PROTECTION
Bringing together different sectors & communities to decide on key grassroot solutions to counter climate change.
EVENTS & ACTION 2025
RECYCLED FUTURE FASHION CULTURAL SHOW
LEAP Directors Dr Shorna Pal, Dr Kailash Parekh, Dr Richa Soni and Dr Gargi Das are extremely proud of the impact made by our second Recycled Fashion Show at the Gallery of the beautiful Storey building in Lancaster! Our heartfelt thanks and congratulations to all of you for supporting these early efforts to normalise Recycled and Reinvented Fashion as our everyday sustainable clothing choices now and in future. A big thank you to the UK Government and Lancashire County Council for funding the event.
We were so grateful and happy that Councillor Caroline Jackson, Leader of Lancaster City Council, could make the time to not only be our esteemed Chief Guest but also was kind enough to stay on and support the whole event as a judge for the catwalk competitions!
A massive thank you to Mrs Charu Jalota for curating the Western fashion from St John's Hospice, Sewing Cafe Lancaster and LEAP. The LEAP fashions included wonderful reinvention of clothes at the LEAP workshops by Councillor Sue Tyldesley, Mandy Foreman and Mrs Ratna Das, who has been working to support underpriviledged lady tailors in Kolkata India.
A huge thank you to Tai Chi Gold medalist and X Factor finalist Goldie Webb for supporting participants with training for the catwalk as well as her beautiful Fan dance performance on the day of the Show, and indeed the professional modelling!
A huge shoutout to the judges Cllr Jackson, Mrs Harsha Shukla MBE, Dr Shadaba Ahmed, Ms Judy Ainger and Ms Laura Stanbridge
No thanks are ever enough for Mr Pritam Pal, Mr Daruk Pal, Mrs Annu Sharma, Mr Jagjit Singh and Mrs Rashmi Mukesh as well as all the volunteers who worked so hard to coordinate before and during the show.
And a salute to the best audience too... totally involved and very supportive!!
Many congratulations to our first ever Ms Sustainability Junior and Senior from the Western Collection and Ms Everfashion Senior and Junior from the Eastern Collection! These are the true queens of the future, who can look after their planet.
Huge congratulations to all participants for flying the flag of reinvented and/or recycled fashion and such an impressive walk on the catwalk! It is extremely difficult to walk up to an audience and confidently display the clothes you are modelling. We are specially grateful to Councillor Sue Tyldesley for making the time in her busy schedule to attend some workshops, reinvent a clothing piece and model it at the show!
In the Western collection, we had both clothes recycled and those reinvented in a workshop. In the Eastern collection clothes both demonstrated reinvention techniques including waterproofing and other climate adaptable techniques taught in the workshops and those handed down multiple generations.
RECYCLED FUTURE FASHION CULTURAL WORKSHOPS
If you missed the workshops, you can download the DIY LEAP Booklet which covers the techniques taught in the workshops here:
LEAP brings you our second year of this fun FREE workshop series hosted by Lancaster Central Library. You can attend one or all the workshops. The sessions will take place on Saturdays 18th, 25th Jan and 15th, 22nd Feb from 1-3 pm in a room on the ground floor of the Library. You should be fourteen years or older to participate and if under eighteen, must be accompanied by an adult. These workshops are kindly funded by Lancashire County Council and the UK Government.
Workshops will involve learning Multicultural Techniques such as Batik, Block printing, Tie-and-Dye and learning about how Natural Dyes are created, to reinvent Recycled clothes and cloth. Workshops will also explore how this Re-invented Fashion can also be made Climate Adaptable, learning about Thermal Management and Waterproofing.
Participants can also put their names forward to model at the Recycled Future Fashion Show on 8th March International Women's Day. Wear what you design and stun Lancaster!
Come unleash your creativity! This event is perfect for anyone interested in fashion, sustainability, or simply looking to have a fun and creative time. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to learn and create with like-minded individuals!
LEAP RECYCLED FUTURE FASHION CULTURAL SHOW
8th March, 2025. Lancaster
The fashion industry is responsible for 10 % of annual global carbon emissions. This is a crucial time to change the way we look at Recycled clothes from being unwanted throwaways to being Climate-ready and Reusable Statements of the Multicultural Society we live in! The Recycled Future Fashion Cultural Show will be showcasing the innovative designs created through Recycled Fashion Cultures workshops which will encourage young people and their families to engage in learning multicultural techniques, designs, themes and styles that can be applied to unwanted clothing and accessories
Everyday is World Environment Day 2025
Learn About Our and other Innovative and Important Solutions & Approaches
to the Climate Change Crisis. Watch us at the Healing Our Earth webinar.
Thursday 5th June 2025 - Watch this space for the link
FEATURED NEWS
LEAP WINS BBC AWARD 2024!
OUT OF OVER 1000 NOMINATIONS, WE WON THE MAKE A DIFFERENCE HIGHLY COMMENDED!
OUR RECYCLED CULTURES WORKSHOP WAS FEATURED AT THE AWARD CEREMONY
AT BLACKPOOL TOWER ON 21ST SEPTEMBER '24!
BE A LEAP LOCAL BACKER FOR OUR 2025 INITIATIVES FOCUSSING ON MULTICULTURES OF SUSTAINABLE FASHION TRADITIONS
Every contribution makes a huge difference
Read about the project and support us at:
Recycled Future Fashion Cultural Show (spacehive.com)
FEATURED EVENTS - AUTUMN 2024
Describe your image
LEAP RECYCLED FASHION CULTURAL SHOW
3rd November 2024 @Lancaster Town Hall
The fashion industry is responsible for 10 % of annual global carbon emissions. This is a crucial time to change the way we look at Recycled clothes from being unwanted throwaways to being Climate-ready and Fashionable! We hope you will stand with our pledge to encourage people to make thoughtful, sustainable lifestyle choices.
The event was attended by over a thousand visitors. The Recycled Fashion Show showed the way to Sustainable Fashion choices in both Eastern & Western traditions, designed by young people and their families through the Science in Fashion workshops, preloved fashion from St John's Hospice shops and the Sewing Club. Models were organised by Lancaster & Morecambe Hindu Society. The show was supported by the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund.
EVENTS & ACTION 2024
SCIENCE IN RECYCLED FASHION WORKSHOPS
Lancaster Central Library
The fashion industry is responsible for 10 % of annual global carbon emissions. This is a crucial time to change the way we look at Recycled clothes from being unwanted throwaways to being Climate-ready and Fashionable!
The Science in Recycled Fashion workshops on 10th & 20th August and at the Lancaster Fun Palace event at the library on 5th October 2024 encouraged young people and their families to engage in a series of experiments on unwanted clothing and accessories to reuse old clothes and use science to make them climate adaptable. The workshops offered activities at different tables for children of all ages, young people and older adults.
There were opportunities for very young children to create their own paper and recycled cloth designs and try them on toy mannequins and paper dolls. Older children and young people learnt about the Science principles underlying creating clothes that are water resistant or heat resistant and which are energy generating. They then worked on recycled cloth to make them attain these properties in a way that enhanced their fashion appeal.
The clothes at the end of the workshop were used to dress the life size mannequin. The ensemble will also be displayed by a live model at the Recycled Fashion Show in October!
 LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion Workshop Oct 24 7 |  LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion Workshop Oct 24 6 |  LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion Workshop Oct 24 3 |
|---|---|---|
 LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion Workshop Oct 24 5 |  LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion Workshop Oct 24 4 |  LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion Workshop Oct 24 2 |
 Mini Mannequin Fashion 1 |  Waterproofing Recycled Clothes 3 |  LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion Workshop Oct 24 |
 Waterproofing Recycled Clothes 2 |  Waterproofing Recycled Clothes 1 |  Solar mobile chargers in Accessories activity |
 Solar mobile chargers in Accessories activity 4 |  Solar mobile chargers in Accessories activity 3 |  Solar mobile chargers in Accessories activity 2 |
 Science in Recycled Fashion workshops |  Science in Recycled Fashion workshop |  Science in Recycled Fashion workshop 2 |
 Science in Recycled Fashion workshop 3 |  Science in Recycled Fashion artwork 1 |  Recycled Fashion Mannequin Family 3 |
 Recycled Fashion Mannequin Family 4 |  Recycled Fashion Mannequin Family 2 |  Recycled Fashion Mannequin Family 1 |
 Recycled Fashion Mannequin Child 8 |  Recycled Fashion Mannequin Child 7 |  Recycled Fashion Mannequin Child 5 |
 Recycled Fashion Mannequin Child 6 |  Recycled Fashion Mannequin Child 4 |  Recycled Fashion Mannequin Child 3 |
 Recycled Fashion Mannequin Child 2 |  Recycled Fashion Mannequin Child 1 |  Optics for Heat resistant recycled clothing |
 Optics for Heat resistant recycled clothing 5 |  Optics for Heat resistant recycled clothing 4 |  Optics for Heat resistant recycled clothing 3 |
 Optics for Heat resistant recycled clothing 2 |  Mini Mannequin Fashion 2 |  Mini Mannequin Fashion 3 |
 LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion workshop |  LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion workshop_energy group |  LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion workshop_optics group |
 LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion workshop_waterproofing group |  LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion workshop_Mrs Harsha Shukla MBE |  LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion workshop_winner 2 |
 LEAP Science in Recycled Fashion workshop_Daruk Pal presentation |
Environmental Management for Community Organisations
As our training on LEAP's Environmental Assessment & Management (EAM)Toolkit funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, for member organisations of the Hindu Forum of Britain, an umbrella organisation with over 320 members, draws to a close and we enter the Evaluation Analysis phase, here is what participants have to say about the course:
Everyday is World Environment Day 2024
Learn About Our and other Innovative and Important Solutions & Approaches
to the Climate Change Crisis. Watch us at the Healing Our Earth webinar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-v7a8tsa_E
LEAP at Preston City Council Climate Jury 2024
Dr Kailash Parekh, LEAP Director, was part of Preston City Council's People's Climate Jury. Learn more about the Climate Jury by visiting the link below.
https://www.preston.gov.uk/article/7872/People-s-Climate-Jury
EVENTS & ACTION 2023
LEAP at COP28
LEAP Directors were invited to the live stream interviews at the COP28 Rotary stall in Dubai, UAE. Watch the interviews below:
Environmental Management for Community Organisations
LEAP delivered the Environmental Assessment & Management training nationally funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, for member organisations of the Hindu Forum of Britain, an umbrella organisation with over 320 members. The training covered two modules on Climate Change Awareness and Environmental Assessment and Management, delivered over sixteen sessions to multiple groups. Module topics covered were as below:
MODULE 1
Climate Change: Impact & Action
This module aims to introduce the broad topic of Climate Change, how it impacts us, why we must take action now and ways in which we can individually and collectively enable substantive action at a grassroots level.
Session 1: Introduction
Session 2: Greening the landscape
Session 3: Improving Energy Efficiency
Session 4: Conserving Water Resources
Session 5: Recycling and Waste Management
Session 6: Green Worship and Celebration practices
Session 7: Green Awareness and Education
Session 8: Peer Network Support Session on Climate Change
MODULE 2
Environment Assessment & Management
for Climate Change
This module aims to introduce the Environmental Assessment & Management (EAM) toolkit and map the process by which Hindu temples can use this, to reflect on their practices in recognising and recording the sustainability measures in place in their Faith Spaces and to think of those areas where there is scope for further sustainability to be incorporated.
The module will also trace the onwards journey to formulating an Environmental Policy and agreeing collectively to an Environmental Charter.
Session 1: Introduction
Session 2: EAM Toolkit
Session 3: Applying the EAM - I
Session 4: Applying the EAM - II
Session 5: Applying the EAM - III
Session 6: Using the EAM for a Climate Change Emergency Plan
Session 7: Environmental Policy & Charter
Session 8: Environmental Temple Standards
LEAP Voices of Youth shares their work in compiling Eco-Festival booklets with faith organisation representatives at an Environmental Management session.
Everyday is World Environment Day 2023
Learn About Our and other Innovative and Important Solutions & Approaches
to the Climate Change Crisis. Watch us at the Healing Our Earth webinar.
https://www.youtube.com/live/Trxvs0fYrIM?feature=shared
EVENTS & ACTION 2022
LEAP VOY Eco-Festival Booklets in the News
Eco-Festival booklets by LEAP Voices of Youth children, help families celebrate festivals sustainably and economically. Read about this in the Lancashire Evening Post:
Eco-Festival booklets by LEAP Voices of Youth children, help families celebrate festivals sustainably and economically. Read about this in the Asian Image:
Everyday is World Environment Day 2022
Learn About Our and other Innovative and Important Solutions & Approaches
to the Climate Change Crisis. Watch us at the Healing Our Earth webinar.
LEAP is an Environmental Partner for Community Organisations
LEAP is excited to announce that in collaboration with HFB, and funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, our research and training project Environmental Assessment & Management for Climate Change is well underway!
To download the Programme Guide and join the EAMCC Training Programme register on eamcc.hfb-charity.org.uk.
EVENTS & ACTION 2021
Last year, we worked hard with the Hindu Forum of Britain to make temples across UK increase sustainable practices. You can download the pilot Environmental Assessment Toolkit for Temples from the green button below.
If your faith or other community organisation would like an environmental partner to help contribute more to protecting the environment, please contact us.
C O W C A R E IN S C O T L A N D!
LEAP is proud to collaborate with Hindu Forum of Britain and support the ground breaking COWCARE initiative from ISKCON Scotland.
YOU CAN SOON SWITCH TO SUSTAINABLY SOURCED MILK & PROTECT THE BEAUTIFUL COWS!
BIODIVERSITY IS ESSENTIAL TO OUR CONTINUED EXISTENCE ON THIS PLANET! LOOK AFTER COWS AND OXEN BY DONATING TO THIS FAR SIGHTED AND GROUND BREAKING INIATIVE BY ISKCON SCOTLAND.
BE THE CHANGE! CLICK THIS LINK TO DONATE SECURELY:
https://www.facebook.com/donate/913908095892927/
WE ARE SO PROUD OF THE COWCARE INITIATIVE BY ISKCON SCOTLAND, WHO OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED THIS PROJECT ON 30th OCTOBER 2021. COWCARE OFFERS A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODEL TO THE DAIRY INDUSTRY, WHICH WILL LOOK AFTER COWS ALL THEIR LIVES AND PROVIDE SUSTAINABLY SOURCED MILK!
LEAP's COP26 Footprint - Timeline of support to community & partners
4th September 21 - Training pilot delivered to 40 Temple organisations across UK in Environmental Assessment & Management
18th September 21 - Official Launch of the UK-wide Hindu Environmental Task Force
With the support of Bob Blackman, MP, the Hindu Forum of Britain and LEAP brought together all key Hindu organisations in the UK such as ISKCON, Brahmakumaris, Art of Living and large temple groups, to share existing and decide on new key actions for countering climate change.
18th & 19th September 21 - Environmental Awareness sessions delivery to childrens groups
22nd September 21 - Phase 1 Roll out of pilot Environmental Assessment & Management Toolkit across UK temples
25th & 26th September 21 - LEAP Superheroes Big Green Week Ideas & Designs competitions for Children Awards Ceremony & Green Play
1st to 5th November 21 - Schools Eco-Diwali Action Week
5th November 21 - Interfaith UK : HETF Conference - Environmental Balance through Sanatana Dharma
6th November 21 - HETF - GRP Multifaith Festival of Lights, Theatre, Glasgow Caledonian University
LEAP believes in Early Learning & Thinking in Sustainability
We are supporting schools in the UK to engage their children more actively in environmental awareness. If your school would like to participate in activities such as an Eco-Diwali or an Eco- Christmas week, write to us.
LEAP SUPERHEROES
COMPETITION WINNERS!
Younger Gold medal - Idea - Olive Baines
Older Gold medal - Idea - Pavan Patel
Younger Gold medal - Design - Addis Taye-Tiffin
Older Gold medal - Design - Tanish Kirodian
Younger Silver medal - Idea/Awareness - Vihan Patil
Older Silver medal - Idea/Awareness - Deeya Goodwin
Younger Silver medal - Design - Naisha Soni
Older Silver medal - Design - Vedha Patil
Joint Younger Bronze medal - Idea/Awareness - Dorsa Rahmani
Joint Younger Bronze medal - Idea/Awareness - Riyansh Kirodian
Older Bronze medal - Idea/Awareness - Daniel Rajczyk
LEAP Sustainability Youth Ambassadors 2021
Ms Rachael Dabble
Mr Daruk D. N. Pal
LEAP Sustainability Schools Champion 2021
Moorside Primary School
Each Entry for the LEAP Sustainability Superheroes competition was truly the work of a Superhero who wants to protect our planet and so we awarded Superhero certificates to each and every one of the entries!
Here are some of the winning entries and there are more, brilliant Superhero ideas and designs shared on the Green Week page. Brilliant thoughts such as using every broken old glass jar to being careful about disposable masks as they can trap birds, amazed us!
If your SUSTAINABILITY SUPERHERO WOULD LIKE TO JOIN LEAP VOICES OF YOUTH, PLEASE DO EMAIL US! SEVERAL OF THE CHILDREN WHO SENT ENTRIES HAVE JOINED LEAP VOICES OF YOUTH, WHICH WORKS IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS INCLUDING RUNNING THEIR OWN NEWSLETTER, GIVING IDEAS FOR RESOURCES THAT SCHOOLS CAN USE TO ENGAGE CHILDREN IN MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CELEBRATIONS OF FESTIVALS, TO PRESENTING ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AT SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES!
Winning MOMENTS
Winning entries
The LEAP Big Green Week brought families together in activities to learn to care and share best practice in protecting our planet in a fun and enjoyable way! We were hugely supported by the wonderful children and their guardians, LEAP Youth Ambassadors, Volunteers, Lancaster Fire & Rescue, and specially by Lancaster Royal Grammar School, Moorside Primary School, St Stephens Primary School!
Here are some winning moments from the LEAP Green Play, as children, parents, grandparents and guardians came together to decorate and stick waste materials like recyclable plastic bottles onto wireframe models! There were also online activities such as the LEAP Abracadabra Reuse Crafts workshop for those who could not come into town for the Green Play!
TRAINING WEBINAR ON THE PILOT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT TOOL 4 SEPTEMBER 2021
LEAP is proud to support faith organisations in making their community spaces greener. At present it is working hard to support the Hindu Forum of Britain, an umbrella organisation with 320 member organisations, to pilot Environmental Assessments across temples and their community spaces to minimise energy and other waste and maximise environmentally friendly practices.
On 4th September 2021 LEAP delivered very successfully the first of a series of training events on Environmental Assessment and Management for over 40 temple organisations, many with subsidiary tens of temple branches. Huge applause for Hindu Forum of Britain and HFB President Mrs Trupti Patel for being our community partner enabling this crucial action. This means that temples all over the UK will start to use our pioneering Environmental Assessment & Management (EAM) pilot toolkit to surface all the points at which they can start or improve on existing environmentally friendly practices such as asking temple users all across UK to bring all fruits and sweets offerings in biodegradable packaging and using steel or biodegradable food trays at events and activities like elderly luncheon clubs, as well as sourcing groceries locally. This grassroots impact will be effected through many thousands of people across UK.
If you are a faith or other community organisation, please do contact us to find out how we can help you get an environmental assessment & management plan for your organisation.
Visit Hindu Forum of Britain to find out more what the Hindu Environmental Task Force are doing in the Green Week.
www.hfb.org.uk
LEAP WASTE MANAGEMENT WEBINAR 27 JUNE 2021
LEAP is developing a Grassroots Waste Management Strategy aligned to which this webinar was developed to both form multiple points of sector and community consultation as well as disseminating information on local authority and multiple level services available and practices in waste management. The Key Note was presented by Councillor Dave Brookes outlining the Waste Mangement Process delivered by Lancaster City Council and Lancashire County Council, and by Ms Jean Nelson who outlined how Bay Area Recycling's multiple Waste Streams were able to complement waste management opportunities and services provided by the local authorities.
LEAP DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION - BAME FAMILY LEARNING THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL THEATRE 10 JUNE 2021
LEAP believes that we can counter climate change in the best way by us all being accountable and involved. We were proud to collaborate with Balgokulum Lancaster, who run a weekly cultural and sports activity session for upto thirty BAME families. LEAP and Balgokulum presented 'Vasant Utsav', a read along environmental awareness play performed online by the children and their parents of the Balgokulum group. If you would like your community group to perform a culturally diverse environmental play, we would love to support you! Contact us on projects@lancashireleap.org.uk.
LEAP COMMUNITY SURVEY 5 APRIL 2021
LEAP conducted a community consultation survey to find out what the local communities felt were the key challenges and possible solutions to climate change at the grassroots level.
LEAP COMMUNITY WEB FORUM 29MARCH 2021
LEAP brought together community leaders, local residents, local recycling volunteers, environmentalists and the Environmental Agency to highlight local issues and to discuss how some of these could be tackled.
Interested in getting involved with LEAP? Join our FaceBook page for starters and write to us about how you would like to get involved by emailing projects@lancashireleap.org.uk to
CONTACT US
LEAP Lancashire
Lancaster Environment Action & Protection
Lancashire, UK
Tel. +44 7423 389725
