What We Do
Here at SoCAN, climate and nature matter deeply. We were set up to bring people together so we can coordinate locally-grown activities in the city and have a stronger voice. We have a quarterly seasonal climate gathering, which is open to anyone. We have a Steering Group made up of people (mostly volunteers) to keep our work on track. We focus on grassroots activities around regenerative issues such as repair, reuse, householders and businesses reducing energy use, nature recovery, sustainable travel, local food, and an economy that works for people and planet.
What's On
Commentaries
A crucial part of our work is to promote discussions and discoveries around climate and nature. For this reason, we host the online SoCAN event calendar.
This means that we can see what different people and organisations are up to across the city. It enables anyone to find and share news of a whole range of local activities with a sustainable, regenerative theme and find something that suits you: walks; talks; films; projects; meet your politicians; local and national campaigns; advice events; conservation volunteering; research workshops; music and arts activities; policy discussions and much more.
By hosting a calendar in one place, we encourage organisers of activities to try and avoid date clashes. If you would like to connect with us or support our work, or that of the various groups that make up SoCAN , a good place to start is to come to our seasonal gatherings or our events and get to know us. If meeting up isn’t your thing, we also really welcome connections and support in other ways.
Part of our function as a Climate Action Network is to identify areas where information and discussion would benefit our understanding of local issues. These include reducing carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, novel ways of engaging with the community and much more. We commission occasional reviews or commentaries from experts when appropriate and share these via workshops, bodies like Southampton Climate Commission and through our membership organisations. We also edit and publish papers in association with relevant colleagues.
Our commentaries so far include:
1. Responses to Southampton City Council's City Vision Local Plan consultation
2. Response to Southampton City Council's Net Zero Strategy consultation
3. Response to the proposals put forward by the Solent Cluster regarding hydrogen production locally
4. Review of upcoming legislation on climate and nature and devolution proposals
More will be added as they are published
We aren’t just about what individuals can personally do. The point about coming together as one climate action network is about influencing change. We talk to people, informally and through organised events, to hear what matters most to local residents. We then use this information to promote change. SoCAN is a member of Southampton Climate Commission and we collaborate with others such as Hampshire Climate Action Network. We write policy papers, have regular meetings with our MPs and feed into on policy consultations. We also develop projects as a result of what matters to people.
Our Projects
Climate Hub
A new Climate Hub is being launched in Portswood, enhancing this community organisation’s strong commitment to climate, nature and sustainability over many decades. Weekly drop-in on Wednesdays, in the back room of October Books between 4-5:30pm. All welcome!
As SoCAN we are working on neighbourhood-based approaches elsewhere in the city. A key focus for the next couple of years or so will be the Shirley neighbourhood including the area around Shirley Towers and High Street. We will build on the community wealth building approaches shown through our Local is the New Global film.
We also champion other good work which increases people’s engagement in climate and nature activities elsewhere in the city and demonstrates how positive approaches can help people with their day to day lives and needs. Examples include Cross Culture Hub’s Repair and Wear sessions, Transition Southampton’s Repair Cafes, The Urban Wild Festival in May and Sholing Valley Study Centre’s work to enhance nature-based skills in the east of the city and care for this precious nature reserve.
Funding
At our March 2026 Steering Group meeting we reiterated our priorities for the next year. We are mostly volunteers who are already at full capacity delivering projects and organising events. We need to focus on ways to improve our communications, our web-based content, widen our engagement, strengthen our links with our members and have robust governance. We are busy seeking additional funding to help us fill our gaps with paid team members who can help us do more, including coordinate volunteers and develop impactful projects. We use a mixture of income generation (e.g. making the most of our skills in facilitation and community connectedness), grant funding and business sponsorship to build our income streams.