A free public screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing will take place at Westhall Village Hall on Wednesday 8th July at 7pm, followed by a facilitated community discussion. Organised by Halesworth ASH (Area Sustainability Hub), this is the latest in the popular “Green Films” strand and forms part of a growing UK-wide programme of events designed to help ensure that both the public and decision-makers are clearly informed about the climate and nature crisis – and what it may mean for communities across the country.
In November 2025, more than 1,200 MPs, peers and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media gathered at Westminster Central Hall for the National Emergency Briefing – a landmark event bringing together leading experts to assess the UK’s exposure to climate and nature risks. The briefing, introduced by Chris Packham CBE, set out the implications of climate and nature breakdown for food security, public health, infrastructure, the economy and national security, alongside evidence-based actions that could reduce these risks.
This national event has now been adapted into a 50-minute public film, The People’s Emergency Briefing, which is now being screened in communities across the UK, with Westhall’s screening leading the charge in the Blyth Valley. The film brings together leading scientists to present a clear picture of the challenges ahead, while creating space for local communities to consider what these issues may mean in their local area, and how they can support their MP and Councillors to call for stronger action.
Chris Packham said “I’d encourage people everywhere to attend a screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing. It creates exactly the kind of honest local conversation we now urgently need, both about what these changes mean where we live, and about what we can do together to address them.”
In Westhall, and the wider Halesworth area, the screening comes at a time of increased pressure on farmers from unpredictable weather patterns and, for all of us, geo-political tensions causing a spike in heating oil and fuel prices – both of real concern to us in the countryside.
Following the film, audience members will be invited to take part in a discussion designed to support open, constructive conversation about the issues raised and what they may mean locally. “This event is intended as a civic space, bringing together residents, community leaders and decision-makers to discuss, reflect and offer support in these changing times” says Jim Green, Chair of Halesworth ASH. Local Councillors have been invited to participate in this important community event.
Kim Hoare, one of the event organisers, said, “This is about creating space for people to come together, review the evidence, and begin a more open and informed conversation about what it means for our community – and how we can collectively support the bolder action now called for by the science, which will also do so much to improve lives, as the film explains”.
With screenings taking place nationwide, this Westhall event forms part of a broader effort to build a shared understanding of climate and nature risks across the UK, and to support constructive public dialogue about future choices.
Tickets for the Westhall screening are free!