Dorset Councillor is a Maker and Shaker for the Environment

Councillor Roe, who is also a ward member for Colehill and Wimborne East, was presented with a beautiful handmade climate stripe bookmark. The bookmark indicates the rate of global warming since 1962 to 2022 locally.

The colours on the bookmark represent the average air temperature for each of the last 61 years. Temperatures were measured at Hurn in Dorset and are available on the Met Office website as historical data. Dark blue represents the coolest and dark red the hottest. https://showyourstripes.info/

Presenting the award was Rosemary Lunt, co-founder of a new Wimborne-based environmental group Makers and Shakers who had created the bookmark. Rosemary Lunt said: “Councillor Roe has done so much in her four and a half years as a Dorset councillor to raise the profile of the environment crisis across Dorset. She is also so supportive of giving small community groups like ours a voice.”

Makers and Shakers Wimborne was founded in April of this year and meets at Wimborne’s Fair Ground Fair Trade Shop with the aim of turning eco-anxiety into eco action through the ‘gentle activism’ of craft activities.

Sarah Wise, director of Fair Ground, which is based in Wimborne’s Cornmarket said: “We are very excited to see our shop becoming an eco-hub and a place to support local initiatives like Makers and Shakers with lots of events planned for the future.”

Councillor Maria Roe said: “Dorset Council is looking at its carbon footprint in isolation, but it also needs to look at the county.  With work still ongoing on its local plan. I believe there is so much more that can be done as a local planning authority to support green initiatives. For instance, why aren’t new houses being built with solar panels? I’ve also been lobbying government to look at the county’s local transport situation with the aim of improving it to reduce car usage.”

She added: “It takes political will alongside local voices and actions like these women in our community. I’m thrilled to receive this bookmark which is a constant reminder that we all need to rally government and rally soon to make a change to the environmental crisis.”

For more information on Makers and Shakers and how to get involved, visit their facebook page or email: makersandshakerswimborne@gmail.com