Youngsters together in electric-free dreams

Residents are being invited to an environmental event taking place this weekend supported by Manchester City Council.

The open day, taking place at the Lifestyle Centre in Wythenshawe on Saturday July 18 from 1-4pm, is part the City Council's Proud Of Manchester programme, which encourages residents to take pride in their communities and live sustainable lifestyles.

It is being held by the Wythenshawe based Rite2No environmental group to raise funds for a visit to the 12 century Featherstone Castle in Northumberland later this year.

Youngsters from the group will live there with no heating or lighting, eat only local food, and abandon games consoles in favour of old-fashioned entertainment like storytelling.

Saturday's event will provide an opportunity for the group to share their film about climate change, entitled A Change for the Better, and to help to build links with the local community.

Local people will be entertained with a salsa dancing display and workshop and there will be an opportunity to browse stalls, make gift bags and jewellery from recycled materials and take part in climate change quizzes.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for the Environment, said of the trip which the group is planning: "This low-carbon trip is an interesting experiment which should make members of this group think very differently about how they use electricity."