In my recent columns, I’ve talked about changes you could make at home to become a bit more sustainable, but I haven’t really touched on the community, and what better week to talk about that, when I’m organising a free community sustainability event at 6pm on June 24 at the Settlement in Letchworth, as part of Letchworth Festival!

Part of sustainability is about community, which includes supporting local businesses and volunteering for local organisations, whether in conservation activities, helping vulnerable people, youth work or anything else to improve the area and reduce inequality.

Supporting local businesses is important as it keeps the money you spend local, rather than giving it to a big corporate that has nothing to do with our area.

I know times are tough, but I still check the price of things locally before going online and if the price is the same, or near enough, I buy from a local business.

To support the local economy, one of the initiatives of the Letchworth Festival is the Fiver Fest, where shops will have lots of £5 special offers to encourage shopping local. Just remember, don’t buy stuff for the sake of it: if you need it, snap it up, if you don’t, walk on by!

Another way to support your community is to volunteer – pick something you’re passionate about, as you’ll be more interested.

I volunteer as a school governor and at the Garden House Hospice, which I find immensely fulfilling. I’ve also made some really good friends this way – great when you’re new to the area and feeling a bit lonely.

There are so many organisations that benefit (and rely on) volunteers, so have a look at all of the great initiatives in the area and lend a hand if you can.

Hopefully by now, you’ve got that I’m not about judgement, and all about everyone doing something to have a more positive impact on the place where we live. With that in mind, the Sustainability & Community Event will be a really informal, no judgement event for anyone curious about the planet and our community and how to live a little better.

It’s aimed at people who haven’t gone to sustainability or environmental events before – perhaps by put off by the way media reports things, or feeling like you wouldn’t fit it. This isn’t that kind of event – everyone is welcome.

We will have some guest speakers who are very much part of Letchworth life, who can tell you more about what they do, and how you can help them, and we will have representatives from some local organisations that you could sign up to support with a little bit of your time.

So, please come along to Letchworth Settlement for a 6pm kick off on 24th June where you can learn more about sustainability and how you can incorporate small changes into your live to make a positive difference.

You can find out more about Letchworth Festival on their website or Instagram @letchworthfest, and more about my event on my Instagram @sust.consulting.