A community screening of a national climate film is set to take place in Epsom next month, bringing together residents, councillors and community groups to explore what the climate and nature crisis means locally.
The event, hosted by St Martin’s Church and Sustainable Epsom and Ewell, will feature The People’s Emergency Briefing, a 45-minute film based on a high-level national briefing delivered in Westminster last year.
Organisers say the screening forms part of a UK-wide programme designed to make complex information about climate and environmental risks more accessible at a local level, with community discussions encouraged after each showing.
Local screening details
The Epsom event will take place on Saturday 11 April at St Martin’s Church, Church Street, starting at 3pm (doors open 2.30pm). Entry is free, although attendees are asked to register in advance so organisers can plan capacity.
Invitations have been extended to local councillors, community leaders and Epsom and Ewell’s MP, alongside residents interested in environmental issues.
From Westminster briefing to community film
The film is based on a landmark briefing held in November 2025 at Westminster Central Hall, attended by more than 1,200 MPs, peers and leaders from across business, culture, faith and media.
Experts at the event examined the implications of climate and nature breakdown across areas such as food security, health, infrastructure and the economy, alongside practical evidence on how risks might be reduced.
That material has now been adapted into a public-facing film, launching nationally in April 2026, with screenings planned in venues ranging from churches and village halls to libraries and schools.
A “civic event” as well as a film
Organisers emphasise that the screenings are intended not just as film showings but as civic events, encouraging discussion about local impacts and responses.
Each event is expected to include a facilitated discussion, allowing residents to reflect on how national risks relate to their own communities.
The wider programme has backing from organisations including WWF, the National Trust, CPRE and the Royal Meteorological Society, with hundreds of screenings anticipated across the country.
Broadcaster Chris Packham, who opened the original Westminster briefing, said: “I’d encourage people everywhere to attend a screening… It creates exactly the kind of honest local conversation we now urgently need.”
Local focus
For Epsom and Ewell, the event offers a chance to connect global environmental challenges with local concerns, from green space and biodiversity to resilience and community preparedness.
Organisers say they hope the screening will help spark informed, constructive discussion about how the borough can respond to the issues raised.
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