THE chair of Winchester Action on the Climate Crisis (WinACC) will soon be stepping down.

At the recent annual meeting, Dr Alex Clayton reflected on his time leading the charity and how the organisation has evolved over 16 years.

Dr Clayton, a glaciologist and teacher, is moving away from the area and is resigning as chair of the trustees, leaving a vacancy open.

READ MORE: WinACC appoints new chair of trustees to continue net-zero plans

He said: “I was pleased to take up my position last year, as my own climate anxiety rose and extreme weather events happening more often than ever, it felt like something positive I could do around my day job.

“I have been amazed at the volume of work carried out by this tiny charity. The work falls broadly into three areas:

  • Reducing the amount of harmful polluting gases released into our atmosphere, 

  • Working with communities on ways to tackle climate change that are meaningful to them and 

  • Pushing for big changes that make it easier for everyone to reduce their carbon footprint.

“Even though WinACC operates with action groups, a small part-time staff team and volunteers from various backgrounds, they manage to stay organised and effective. They encourage volunteers to join action groups, start campaigns, and work on projects they care about.

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Hampshire Chronicle: Dr Alex ClaytonDr Alex Clayton (Image: WinACC)

“I was proud to lead on our response when we heard the distressing news that oil pumping was to resume in Avington, right next to Cheesefoot Head, on the edge of our beautiful South Downs National Park. WinACC was able to quickly send out notices to our community about what was happening and receive tremendous support from the public. So far more than 95 of our political representatives across Hampshire have received letters from constituents asking for the law to be changed so that oil stays in the ground where it belongs. This would not have happened without WinACC.”

The climate group is recruiting a new chair of trustees who cares about the environment. No prior trustee experience is needed as support and training will be given. Anyone interested in an informal chat about the role should email company.secretary@winacc.org.uk.

WinACC aims to help people in Winchester make a real difference in combatting climate change. For more information go to winacc.org.uk/.