Council urges residents to support Clean Air Day 2024 by making one small daily change

Residents in Southend are being encouraged to make small changes to their daily routine to promote better air quality as part of a national initiative to support Clean Air Day on 20 June 2024.

3 people sitting round a small round wooden table deep in discussion. The table is full of resources.

This year's campaign will encourage everyone to consider how they can change the journeys they take and walk, wheel, cycle or use public transport more to reduce air pollution, which is the single biggest environmental health risk in the UK.

A series of Clean Air Day events and activities are planned throughout the week. Community engagement events have already been held with members of our Youth council and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) community connectors. Event participants shared how they enjoyed debating air quality and plan to submit their own pledges, which were particularly interesting due to the wide age range of debate participants.

Local schools are also involved in this year's campaign with conversations being held and pupils being encouraged to make a pledge. In addition, 10 schools now have air quality monitoring equipment to help develop knowledge about local pollution and consider interventions that will improve air quality and reduce pupil exposure to pollution. This innovative two-year Clean Air Schools Project started last year thanks to the council securing an external grant.

There are a variety of resources and ideas available online to help make your school, workplace or home more air-friendly.

Krishna Ramkhelawon, director of public health, said: "I encourage as many people as possible to submit their pledges for Clean Air Day and take those pledges forward. It's important that we take air pollution seriously for the health and wellbeing of residents, and I'm sure that, with enough of us working together, we can make a real difference to our air quality."

What you can do

There are 2 main ways you can support Clean Air Day:

  • Learn: find out more about how air pollution impacts our mental, physical and planet's health.
  • Act: walk, wheel or use public transport to reduce your exposure and contribution to air pollution. If you drive, try leaving the car behind on Clean Air Day and one day every week going forward.

Other things you can do are:

Published: 18th June 2024

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