A Brentford community group who maintain green spaces in the area have urged residents to action ahead of the COP26 ,which began yesterday.

Air Quality Brentford (AQB) are a residents' group who help mitigate the effects of air pollution in the ward by maintaining greening projects, and they have asked residents to help spread the word about climate change.

This is ahead of the COP26, which began 31 October and will see governments from around the world come together in Glasgow to pledge what changes they will make in this climate emergency.

AQB has recently been chosen for the next round of the Co-op Local Community Fund and you can now find them on the Co-op Groups section of our noticeboard.

The funding round started Sunday, 24 October and will run for 12 months until 22 October 2022. During this time, Co-op Members will be able to select the group as their cause and Co-op will donate funding when you sign up and swipe your card.

The funding will be used to help maintain their planting projects.

Call to action

In their Autumn 2021 newsletter, AQB have highlighted a number of ways to act and stay informed about climate change.

- They highlighted 8 things we can all do about climate change, courtesy of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

- Plant some trees to help mitigate climate change. Hounslow Council is giving away free trees.

- Brentford HS5 monitor results can be looked at here, where you can create a graph - select Nitrogen Dioxide or PM10 Particulate Matter, key in a date or range and click 'create graph' to familiarise yourself with peaks in pollution on the A4 in Brentford.

- Now is the time of year to plant spring bulbs. Get yours from Syon or Osterley Garden Centres, or a supermarket. Pop them in the ground or a container before December for some springtime colour.

Make your own front garden, balcony or window box greener, and help make Brentford and London a healthier place to live and work.

Action carried out by AQB:

The planter on the south side of Brentford Station went ahead this Spring.

A hedge will be planted this Winter along the A4/M4 beside Middlesex Court on Glenhurst Road.

There are discussions with Hounslow Council about relocating the Mercury House nursery trees planted in 2018 to the estates in Brentford.

The Market Square containers have been a success and Hounslow Council are planning to add one more of these in coming months.

Have you heard of 'parklets'? It's a lovely idea adopted by some London councils including Hackney - a small park for 'people-parking' in place of a parking space, it's a community space to sit down and enjoy some greenery. Let AQB know if one of these could work on your street?

Tour de Plants will be on-going and bulbs will soon be planted for some spring colour next year.