The Places We Need in a Changing Climate

If you are anything like the team at St Annes House, you may be breathing a sigh of relief at the possibility of rain this week, a welcome respite in a summer that so far has seen the driest July on record.

Since the Red Extreme heat warning was issued from the Met Office back in late June we have seen 4 heatwaves, leaving the UK’s landscapes parched, brown and in some cases, on fire. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced that an estimated 2,877 people had died in the May and June heat, bringing into sharp relief the very real impacts of human-induced climate change.

For many people, this summer has been a worrying insight into the weather extremes set to become a regular feature of our warming climate. Here at St Annes House we share people’s concerns, which is why we have been imagining into, and preparing for, the impacts of climate change for a while. In fact, it was the research findings of US Sociologist Eric Klinenberg, who made a pioneering study of a lethal heatwave in his native Chicago in 1995, that was part of the initial genesis of St Annes House.

Klinenberg’s research showed that the likelihood of death or illness from heat in extreme summer heatwaves in his city related not only to deprivation and social position, but also to the physical form and condition of people’s neighbourhoods. ‘Social Infrastructure’ – shared spaces that allow people to make connections, form networks and collaborate on ways to improve their lives – emerged as an essential contributing factor to survival, in Klinenburg’s study. Encountering this research, Bricks founder Jack was affirmed in his idea that communal spaces are the lifeblood of our collective resilience. And so, as Bricks has developed its work, we remain committed to fostering long-term, creative, community-led spaces that support us to grow, connect, and thrive.

This idea comes to life in our community programme,  a key strand of which supports local residents to face the urgencies of climate change together. In 2024 we worked with our neighbours to develop the Brislington Community Climate Action Plan. Since then, we have been hosting regular community climate events, artist commissions and activities to strengthen and support the ambitions laid out in the plan.

Our seasonal climate gatherings aim to platform and celebrate local action, offer creative insights and artistic responses to local climate priorities, and build the relational strength in our communities that – like Klinenberg’s research showed – is essential for local climate preparedness. On Saturday 22 August 2026, local climate organisers who connected through our April climate gathering, will be hosting the first Climate Cafe at St Annes House. Climate Cafes are an initiative designed to bring neighbours together to reflect and share feelings about climate change in a caring and considerate space.  Their proposition: the first thing we need to do about Climate Change is talk about it. If you have been feeling anything about climate change after the extreme impacts we have been experiencing this summer, and would like to explore this with others, you can find out more about the event here. 

The sticky summer heat has also catalysed our ongoing plans to adapt and improve our building so that it remains a welcoming space for all, whatever climate impacts come our way. We’ve been testing out some initial measures to keep our spaces cool, including a low-carbon, low cost french architectural technique: painting the glass with pure chalk (calcium carbonate), which naturally reflects solar radiation before it cooks the room.

This is an ongoing experiment and if you use St Annes House, we’d love to know how it’s been feeling for you. You can give us feedback by following the link below. We are pleased to be in communication with the Cool Spaces network, to share learning on how to best meet the needs of our communities during extended summer heat. 

Looking for more ways to get connected to climate action in Brislington? We recommend attending the monthly Green Drinks held every second Thursday of the month at the Langton Pub. See here: https://www.greendrinks.org/Avon/Bristol%20BS4 . Organisers of Brislington’s Big Green Week, volunteer groups that support important green spaces such as Friends of Brislington Brook and representatives from local organisations such as the wonderful Woodcroft Community Orchard, are regular attendees. It’s a great way to meet people in an informal setting and find out ways to get involved.

Got ideas of climate action you would like to see happen next? You can also drop us a line and we can see how we can support you. We are here to support local communities to take the lead. Organising together, we will be able to weather whatever lies ahead in our Climate Changed world.