Wales regional training at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT)

Find out all about the regional training event with a eco-twist as People & Planet’s very own Amy Hall (Comms Volunteer) spills the beans on the awesome training event in Cymru!

Wales People & Planet recently completed their regional training with a difference at the Centre for Alternative Energy in Machynlleth deep (ish) in the mountains of West Wales. Being blasted out of stuffy student and rooms and into the snowy fresh air enthused the Welsh P&Pers and also attracted some P&P virgins who were curious about CAT and soon became curious about P&P.

As well as some immense snowball fights, a mammoth walk through the dark to find a pub and some amazing teamwork veggie meals, CAT provided the ideal location for some serious training and action planning.

The groups involved, who trekked from Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea by train, bike, car and bus, enjoyed a tour of the site and a fence building workshop as well as training in running Buy Right and Going Greener campaigns. They also planned a stonking national action day centred on RBS which will take in April at banks all over the country involving fun props like a fake oil spill and dead fish as well as getting the message about dirty banking out to the Welsh public. The group also got to meet visitor from Climate Camp Cymru to hear about some serious direct action going on in Wales.

Accommodation was provided in the surprisingly warm and cosy ‘eco cabins’ at CAT which have their own renewable energy systems.

Extra P&P points have to go to Joe Firth, Wales’s Regional (country!) Rep who organised the weekend as well as Lucy and Margo from the support office for battling all the way from Oxford to get there for some ace workshops. A special mention also has to go to Swansea for spending hours on what was (possibly) the snowiest road in Wales and pushing their car out of a snow drift!