There's a weekend of sustainability and community themed events in Southampton on Feb 20-21, with a Buy Social Buy Local Day and Sustainability Festival on Saturday 20, and Southampton Seed Swap and a Clothes Swap on Sunday 21.
Buy Local & Sustainability Festival on Saturday
Social Enterprise Zone Solent is promoting a Buy Social Buy Local day on Saturday 20, as part of a week which celebrates social enterprise in the area.
In Southampton social enterprises and co-ops include community café The Art House on Above Bar Street, the Round About Café in Mansbridge, Rice Up Wholefoods at Hanover Buildings (next to Bella Italia), and October Books in Portswood. There are also many other social enterprises without shop fronts - click here to download a PDF (available for limited period) giving more information about Buy Social Buy Local, and about social enterprises in the city.
The aim of the day is “to raise awareness about local social enterprises and co-ops, and share some stories about how local shops are working together,” according to the Zone's website, where you'll find details of other Solent Social Enterprise Festival Week events detailed.
The 7th Sustainability Festival at the University of Southampton's Highfield campus on Saturday 20 is a day long interactive conference run annually by student organisation Southampton Hub, aiming to raise awareness about sustainability.
There's a chance to hear from speakers about topics including The Bristol Pound, the importance of the marine environment, edible insects, and the workings of community owned renewable energy.
For more details on the festival, including guest speakers, click here.
Seed & clothes swaps on Sunday
On Sunday 21, the annual Southampton Seed Swap, sponsored by the Art House Café and October Books, gets underway once again at Southampton Solent University, 157-187 Above Bar Street from 11am – 3.30pm (entrance £2).
It's where you can bring your saved or surplus seeds to swap, or buy seeds at 30p a packet. Also expect gardening advice, stalls (including The Veg Shed), plants – and of course refreshments at the Art House opposite. There's more information on the Southampton Seed Swap website.
And last but not least, head to the Alexandra Beer Emporium, 6 Bellvue Road SO15 2AY for a Clothes Swap on Sunday 21 from 1-5pm.
Clothes swaps are “free and informal events which save clothes from landfill and present exciting alternatives to spending your money on new things from expensive shops and potentially unethical production methods,” according to the event's Facebook page, where there's more detailed information about how it all works.
Link
Buy Social Buy Local information (pdf)