The first meeting of the Eco Weddings Cumbria network took place online last week March 2, organised by Eden-based wedding consultant, Annabel Candler. 

The online social media networking Group already has more than 50 member businesses and this first meeting aimed to build that network’s connections and clarify future priorities as well as introduce Mike Siddall, Project Manager with ECO-I North West, as guest speaker.

“Not everyone was online,” says Annabel, “but the main thing was that those who took part found it useful. Mike made us all think more carefully about avoiding greenwashing and he gave us some perspective on where we can have the most environmental impact and could make the most difference.”

Two of the businesses that took part were Lauren May Photos, which is based in Carlisle, and Felicity Ashby, a makeup artist based near Workington.

“Both Lauren and Felicity realised that their travel and their banking are two key areas,” says Annabel. “It’s not just about the products that we use, these are environmental impacts that we have in common with lots of Cumbrian businesses and, if we can find solutions to invest in sustainability and reduce carbon emissions, we can improve things.”

Annabel is hopeful that the second meeting, later this month, will attract more of the network to take an active part. The speaker will be Tim Maiden, Founder of Green Small Business and based in Kendal. The event takes place online from 7:00pm on Thursday, March 23. 

“I’ll be publicising the link in the Facebook Group – and new members are very welcome,” says Annabel. “I really hope that we can build on the first meeting to generate more connections, more ideas and more action.”

Green Small Business aims to drive authentic climate action by providing practical and impactful environmental support to businesses of all sizes.