Menu
 
Home | News | COP26 pilgrimage visits Langholm
 
News | 22nd October 2021
 

COP26 pilgrimage visits Langholm

 
 
 

PILGRIMS on their way to the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow stopped off in Langholm last week to ‘listen to the land’.

The group of 20-plus people known as ‘listening to the land’ began their journey on the 4 September at Tower Hill in London and plan to arrive in Glasgow for the start of conference in November armed with an increased knowledge on what the earth means to local communities.

The group, which was been created by theatre company Kriya Arts and environmental community interest company No Planet B Initiative, have been walking 10 miles a day to get to the conference.

When they arrived in Langholm, they were 400 miles into their 500-mile eight-week journey.

Venturing into Scotland, they said they were met with a ‘nice welcome’ of tea and a place to stay in the church as with many other places during their pilgrimage, which has included fields, farms, and even girl guiding sites.

“We have been walking from London to Glasgow in order to urge world leaders to recognize that nature is vital for all our survival and happiness,” said one of the walkers, Sara Howell.

“Our plan has been to listen to the land and the landscapes and the communities along the way to have a better understanding of what it means to other people and we’ve learnt so much.

“We’re really tired and have sore feet but very excited – it’s a privilege to be able to do this.”

So far, the group which consists of people from many walks of life and from all over the UK, including the Isle of Wight, Wales and Lancashire, have visited a number of cities, towns and villages – Stoke, Manchester, Oxenholme, and Kirkby Lonsdale.

Now they are on their way to Billholm as they make their way to Edinburgh and then Glasgow.

Along the way they have held community meetings, collected interviews and quotes, as well as visited community gardens, organic orchards, eco-churches and other groups to see how they are connecting the public to green spaces.

“This is a pilgrimage for nature and listening to people has made us realise what is happening in communities – floods, droughts, weather changes – you don’t hear about that for each town and each village, so doing this has given us first-hand knowledge of the impacts of climate change,” said another walker, Zoe Allen.

“Everyone has been so kind and this journey has meant so much.

“To see the kindness of other humans despite a walk to highlight devastation is so important, it shows me that there is hope for the future.”

At the end of the walk the pilgrims and organisers will weave their newly found knowledge into a landmark piece of performance art and co-created ‘charter’ document to be presented to delegates at COP26 in Glasgow.

Funded by the Arts Council England, and Wildlife Works, members of the public’s quotes will also appear on bespoke illuminated street signage all over the rooftops of the city during the conference.

The aim of the COP26 conference has been described as a chance to enable and encourage countries affected by climate change to protect and restore ecosystems.

In addition to building defences, warning systems and resilient infrastructure and agriculture to avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and even lives.

Representatives from all the world’s governments, plus people from non-governmental organisations, businesses, faith groups, scientists, and other groups such as Indigenous Peoples’ delegations are due to attend the event which runs from 31 October-12 November.

 
 
Would you like to support us?

The Eskdale and Liddesdale Advertiser is our community owned local newspaper and even in today’s troubled times, we aim to bring you local news and articles in an impartial, responsible and factual way.

We hope you have enjoyed reading this free article but we need your support so we can keep delivering quality journalism that’s open and independent and keeps you up to date with what is happening in Eskdale and Liddesdale.

Every reader’s contribution, however big or small, is so valuable to us.
 
 
‘Owned by the Community...Published for the Community’
Do you have a story?

Please get in touch if you have a story or article you would like to see published.

Related Articles

U15 gold medal for Langholm’s Aoiffion

Amazing 12 year old athlete makes her mark in her…

 

Service held to celebrate union of parishes

The Church of Scotland presbytery of the South West held…

 

Eskdalemuir's Hub generate Eowyn warmth

But Scottish Power falls short of supporting othervulnerable customers after…

 

Return to the Far Pavilions for Helen

Another Himalayan adventure for gardening columnist Helen Knowles Life is…

 

Copshaw on the the cusp of red and amber for Éowyn

Health Centre provided a Warm Hub throughout the storm By Gilly…

 

Touching tributes to an incredible young man

Both the Langholm Primary and Secondary schools and the Xcel…

 

Langholm’s firefighters are the pride of D & G

Best Dumfries and Galloway Fire Station for 2024/2025 awarded to…

 

Scottish Tories to hold vote on controversial mega-pylon plans

The Scottish Conservatives will this week hold a vote at…

 

Langholm’s ‘model’ citizen hits the highlights in Milan

Proud Langholm Mum, Deborah Laidlaw, set off on a four-flight…

 

Langholm Housing Needs survey – the results are in!

Exceptional response captures the views of 24% of the town’s…

 

Canonbie trust has its eye on Cross Keys Hotel

Potential purchase of historical inn presented to local residents Canonbie…

 

Hilltop Leaf responds to questions about the project

CEO Hamish Clegg brings us up to speed with the…

 

Copshaw's golden boy adds to his medal haul

Paralympian Stephen Clegg receives an MBE in King’s New Years…

 

Langholm Fire Station wins ‘best in D&G’

Audit of regional facilities puts Langholm on the top rung!…

 

Cumberland commits to Langholm High Street

Building society seeks to assure customers that it has no…

 

Serious inaction by D&G Council

Letter to the Editor I am writing again to express…

 

Busy first meeting for new community council

Unclear how access to LEWCC finances will be resolved and…

 

Creation Mill to create their own textile centre

Inspirational Langholm firm take their business a stage further Creation…

 

Another blow to Langholm as Skinyards set to close

Up to 10 jobs to be lost as 176-year-old employer…

 

Joe the butcher runs 50km to make a difference

Amazing gesture of kindness Well-known Langholm butcher and Longtown man,…

 

A new future for three local churches

By Anthony Lane Many readers of the E&L will be…

 

King Charles honours dedicated Langholm bandsman with MBE

David Calvert is presented with his medal by Lord Lieutenant…

 

Erskine Church is on a downward ‘spire-al’…

After contact with the owner, it appears thatthe eyesore will…

 

Buccleuch confirms its commitment to 150 lodges

Center Parc’s plans for development of site near Hawick will…

 

Langholm Girls 14s pluck a win from Galloway Thistle

By Calum Graham On Sunday, Langholm Girls FC welcomed Galloway…

 

Aoiffion & Lara are Dumfries & Galloway Life award winners

Locals are well represented in glamorous, district-wide event Two Dumfries…

 

Will Center Parc’s Hawick plans affect Irvine House?

Buccleuch assures the E&L that they are fully committed to…

 

Castleholm is officially in community hands

Landmark deal sees cherished land transferred to the people of…

 

Hope Hospital shines in Excellence in Care inspection

The Thomas Hope hospital in Langholm recently had a six-month…

 

Emergency services rescue woman from chilly River Esk

Firefighters from Langholm, Annan, Dumfries and Gala required as water…

 

Disappointment with LINK’S response to cash worries

Cash machine company not a lot of help in finding…

 

Holiday village plans for Irvine House and grounds

Buccleuch’s vision for up to 150 lodges couldbenefit Langholm businesses…

 

Town loses out on funding due to mis-reported population

Discrepancy between census statistics andBorderlands figures has cost Langholm dear…

 

Banking possibilities under investigation

After announced closure of Bank of Scotland,solutions including a Post…

 

All kinds of everything at the 172nd Langholm Show

MAIRI TELFORD JAMMEH reports on Langholm’s Rural Highlight in an 8-Page Supplement…

 

Signage, speed limit, flooding and potholes

An update from the A7 Action Group’s meeting The A7…

 

15 nights road closure for A7 improvements

Overnight works to resurface road south of Canonbie will run…

 

Bank of Scotland to close Langholm branch

As High Street loses its last remaining bank,residents are saying…

 

Inaction by BT leaves Hub incommunicado

Eskdalemuir venue unable to function properly without phoneline or broadband…

 

Nearly 1,000 objections to Warblaw Woodlands

Langholm locals object to commercial forestry on their doorstep An…

 
 
Kelso_Banner
requires mailchimp logins and wired up to a list
Join our mailing list
Keep up to date with all that’s going on at the E&L
This website uses cookies
This site uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. We use necessary cookies to make sure that our website works. We’d also like to set analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. By clicking “Allow All”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
These cookies are required for basic functionalities such as accessing secure areas of the website, remembering previous actions and facilitating the proper display of the website. Necessary cookies are often exempt from requiring user consent as they do not collect personal data and are crucial for the website to perform its core functions.
A “preferences” cookie is used to remember user preferences and settings on a website. These cookies enhance the user experience by allowing the website to remember choices such as language preferences, font size, layout customization, and other similar settings. Preference cookies are not strictly necessary for the basic functioning of the website but contribute to a more personalised and convenient browsing experience for users.
A “statistics” cookie typically refers to cookies that are used to collect anonymous data about how visitors interact with a website. These cookies help website owners understand how users navigate their site, which pages are most frequently visited, how long users spend on each page, and similar metrics. The data collected by statistics cookies is aggregated and anonymized, meaning it does not contain personally identifiable information (PII).
Marketing cookies are used to track user behaviour across websites, allowing advertisers to deliver targeted advertisements based on the user’s interests and preferences. These cookies collect data such as browsing history and interactions with ads to create user profiles. While essential for effective online advertising, obtaining user consent is crucial to comply with privacy regulations.