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Hampshire climate campaigners begin 160m cycle to Westminster to join thousands urging MPs to take urgent action

Husband and wife Wayne and Sian Andrews will join thousands of people in a mass lobby of parliament on Wednesday calling for urgent action to protect the planet and its people – and will be making the journey from their Hampshire home by bike.

Today (Monday) the duo set off on their 160-mile round trip to Westminster where they will join campaigners from across the country meeting their MPs outside the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday June 26th and where at 2pm campaigners will set off alarm clocks and mobile phone alarms to stress that the time for action is now.

The mass lobby, The Time is Now, organised by The Climate Coalition will bring together supporters from groups as diverse as Christian Aid, Surfers against Sewage and the Women’s Institute, to call on MPs not to press snooze on climate action.

Sian, a member of Hedge End’s St Luke’s Church, hopes to meet with Eastleigh’s Tory MP Mims Davies to encourage her to call on the Government to set a target of zero carbon emissions by 2045 and pass an ambitious Environment Bill to put a halt to the mass extinction of species.

She said: “The earth’s alarm clock is ringing and our MPs have to wake up and take action.
“As a Christian and Christian Aid supporter I want to stand up against injustice and poverty, and climate change is one of the greatest injustices being faced by people today.

“Those who have contributed the least are the most affected by droughts, storms and flooding. People are already suffering, losing homes and livelihoods and going hungry and malnourished because of the relentless use of fossil fuels in the global north.

“We need to look after the earth, so that it, in turn can look after us and generations to come. MPs are being rickshawed out to meet with their constituents and we hope Mims Davies will come out so we can tell her how important it is that the Government acts now, at local, national and international levels to combat climate change. The UK should be leading the way.

“I’m hoping that the fact that we’re prepared to make the effort to cycle all the way to London will encourage her to meet with us and convey the message of how important this is. Life as we know it is at stake, these are unprecedented times and it is absolutely crucial for governments to take ambitious action now”

Wayne is a Bikeability instructor and will be keeping his training up by cycling to different schools in Hampshire every week and Sian is preparing for the ride by cycling to work in Whiteley and with longer weekend rides to the South Downs.

Sian said: “Quite a few of our journeys are by bike instead of car, but they’re usually much shorter ones than this one will be!
“I am a little nervous about cycling in London traffic but am looking forward to the achievement of getting to the centre of London under my own steam and having the opportunity to take part in this important action.”

Anyone who would like to take part in the lobby can register here: www.christianaid.org.uk/campaigns/climate-change/thetimeisnow

Ends

Interviews available.

Photo caption: Climate campaigners Sian and Wayne Andrews are cycling to Westminster to call on MP Mims Davies to wake up to climate change