The climate crisis will be resolved through governance, rather than government. Many researchers argue the need for non-centralised measures and interconnected networks beyond the state to tackle a global problem which transcends state boundaries.
There is, however, in environmental stewardship today a lack of coordination, funding and enforcement, and organisations with too many conflicting interests; but we forget one source of fundamental power which is available: ourselves as communities. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt while staying here in Frome, it’s that if we’re going to confront the climate issues that affect us, we have to do it at our level -as communities. Community-led action is crucial for driving the climate revolution.
I’ve had the privilege of witnessing and experiencing this people-powered climate shift right here in Frome, one of the most vibrant, active and independently-minded towns where people are determined to face social and environmental injustice head-on. Through Green and Healthy Frome, it’s been truly inspiring to see how three partners have come together to deliver meaningful, genuinely beneficial change that reflects the people’s needs and aspirations. It’s a powerful example of the transformative power of partnership. I had a front-row view of these projects in action – from Plastic Free Periods to Healthy Homes, Choosing Wisely, and Cycle Together, to name just a few. What wowed me the most above all was Future Shed (part of Edventure) – which unites and empowers people to spark and develop eco-friendly, wellbeing focused projects by offering free support and building strong community networks. Among this welcoming group, one activity I found myself immersed in, was preparing the community loom for Sustainable Fashion Week with Everyone Needs Pockets – a committed, strong-willed and powerful group that showed me how it’s possible to rise against fast fashion from the ground up.
Frome allows community change. Frome is the place to shape a fairer, greener and more connected future from the ground up. In my three months in Frome, I’ve learnt that Fromies are friendly and deeply committed, not least as they are represented by a town council composed entirely of independent councillors (the first in the UK!). I was astonished at how closely they engage with the town’s local issues, from Mayday Saxonvale to Civic Imaginaries and beyond. I can’t help but think back to a vivid example of this: when GHF’s Youth Climate Action Group put forward an idea to Frome Town Council. Where I’m from, it would have been a definite ‘no’, but here, the council approved it, even offering extra support and funding.
Green and Healthy Frome should serve as an example to show other towns how to rekindle a sense of community that has been lost at the expense of mainstream individualisation, and to show that campaigning to give their River Frome rights is not such a crazy idea! Strengthening a more conscious, connected community often starts small, like a pop-up canteen where people of all ages sit, eat and connect together, eating the food that they have all grown and prepared through communal effort. From these small beginnings, connections are formed, ideas are born, alliances form, behaviours shift – and what starts small becomes quietly transformative.
By Solène Quandalle (in Frome from September to December 2025)