Extinction Rebellion Malvern
Welcome to XR Malvern!
Who are we?
We are a friendly local group of people who are active in Extinction Rebellion. We are all extremely concerned about the rapidly deteriorating climate and the breakdown of the natural world. We only have one planet, and it’s being trashed right now. We want to do whatever we can to stop this nightmare. Many of us take part in non-violent direct action, to try to get governments and large organisations to make the changes we urgently need. We have a vision of a much better world, with a culture of respect, nonviolence and care for all life.
What do we want?
Our demands are that governments (in all forms) Tell The Truth about the climate and ecological emergency, Act Now to address climate change and biodiversity loss, and move beyond politics to Be The Change, creating a Citizen’s Assembly so ordinary people can lead the way to climate and ecological justice.
What do we do?
We meet usually twice a month, in person or on Zoom. We take part in peaceful, nonviolent actions locally, in Malvern and Worcester; regionally (e.g. Birmingham); and nationally (e.g. London, G7 in Cornwall). We spread the message of the need for urgent government action, by giving talks, and offering friendly chats and free gifts on local stalls. We arrange support and social activities, like listening circles and nature walks, as we recognise the importance of accepting our emotions, looking after ourselves and others, and feeling community support. We make beautiful art work as part of our message.
XR Malvern’s main meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month (currently all in-person). New people are always welcome!
News
- July 2026 news
Insurance Action, Birmingham, 21st July Worcestershire Rebels joined other Midlands XR groups in Birmingham on Tuesday 21st July to highlight the role that some insurance companies are playing in exacerbating climate change and nature loss.
The Institute of Actuaries warn us that entire regions are becoming uninsurable as climate change leads to food system shocks, water insecurity, heat stress and infectious diseases. UK insurers paid out £1.2 billion for weather related claims in 2025, 14% higher than 2024.
An “oily monster” and Red Rebels led a short procession around the Colmore area before the Planet Medics street theatre sought to resuscitate the Earth and the Dice of Destruction was rolled to demonstrate the impact of climate change and the cost to the insurance industry.
A recent report by the Government’s Joint Intelligence Committee has said that nature loss and climate change threaten the UK’s national security. Insurance companies such as Allianz, AXA, Chubb and Zurich must stop insuring fossil fuel projects which are fueling these emergencies.
See more pictures of the event on the Malvern telegram chat https://t.me/+Pmb0KMz8J4tlZGM8Picnics! It’s picnic season and you have not just one, but two opportunities coming up. The XR Malvern Summer Picnic will take place on Thursday 6th August, to replace our usual meeting at the Quaker Meeting House. See ‘Upcoming events’ for full details.We will be somewhere on the flat area of grass near to Pickersleigh Road – those less mobile should be able to park along the roadside and have a short walk across flattish grass to our spot. Bring some nibbles and something to drink, maybe a rug or a chair (silverware and butler optional). All welcome – friends from outside Malvern as well as locals!
Please note: this event will be weather dependent. If the weather looks doubtful, we will send a cancellation email the day before. If so, we will rearrange to another Thursday in August.
There will also be the XR Marches Re-union and Picnic from 1:00 Sunday 9 August on the Castle Green, Hereford. Croquet and other lawn games. With some initial organising for attendance at the Love and Rage XR event in London in September. ‘We would love anyone from Malvern XR to join us’…and a few of us are hoping to attend, so if anyone from Malvern would like to co-ordinate travel, please get in touch (via Telegram or reply to this email).People’s Emergency Briefing News 
In the past month we have had two more extremely successful screenings of the People’s Emergency Briefing, at the Fold on 28th June and Welland Parish Hall on 1st July. Both events had a good turn out of people and excellent engagement – leading to quite a few follow up actions including letters to the local press and to our MP, and more people arranging screenings in the Worcestershire area as a result of coming to our events.
The next local screening will be at:St Andrews Church, Poolbrook, Malvern on Saturday 15th August 7-9 pm
Free tickets: https://buytickets.at/nebmalvernhills/2296283
This will be our 5th screening in the local area (not counting those arranged by private groups), with more screenings to follow in the autumn. Please do promote this event in any way you can: we are on a mission to reach as many local people as possible, particularly those who may not usually attend a climate-related event. Below this section you can find images of our flyer advertising the St Andrews event: these can be shared on social media or printed out – or we can make print copies available if you would like to help by putting notices up in shops and other community noticeboards.
Nationally, there are now over 2,400 screenings registered. Over the last few months, the film has helped change the national conversation. It has received major press coverage, mentions in Parliament, and has even been discussed by film critics Kermode and Mayo! A total of 131 MPs have called for a televised emergency briefing and the ripples from screenings are now spreading across all sectors of society with major national companies screening to their staff.
You too can get involved – and there’s many things you can choose to do:
– Tell your friends/colleagues/neighbours/people you meet at the bus stop… Similar sessions are happening across the whole of the UK – for other locations see: https://www.nebriefing.org/screening-map
– Sign the parliamentary petition: National Emergency Briefing . Please note, the petition now has almost 40,000 signatures. The government have made an initial – and unsatisfactory – response. The NEB response to the government is here: Our reaction to the government response. We need signatures to reach 100,000 to trigger a debate in parliament.
– Contact our local group to find out more about getting involved locally: nebmalvernhills@gmail.com
Upcoming events
Here are the upcoming events from XR Malvern plus some other related events you may find interesting. New to XR Malvern or haven’t caught up with us for a while? You are very welcome to come along to one of our ‘main meetings’ to find out more about us. Or, if a less formal session is more your style, come along and meet us at the vigil at the top of Church Street every Saturday 12-1pm and/or for an after-vigil cuppa – see below for details. Malvern Green Space Sharing Hub
Rodway Hall (scout hut), Redland Rd, Malvern WR14 1LY.Saturday 1st August 11am – 3pm.
Seed/plant sharing, light lunch (vegan), activities for children and adults, preloved clothes, surplus food, sewing help and repairs.
XR Malvern Summer PicnicThursday 6th August, 7pm bottom of Link Common near Pickersleigh Road
This will replace our usual meeting at the Quaker Meeting House.We are planning our now traditional summer picnic for the first Thursday in August. We will be somewhere on the flat area of grass near to Pickersleigh Road – those less mobile should be able to park along the roadside and have a short walk across flattish grass to our spot. Bring some nibbles and something to drink, maybe a rug or a chair (silverware and butler optional).
Please note: this event will be weather dependent. If the weather looks doubtful, we will send a cancellation email the day before. If so, we will rearrange to another Thursday in August.
XR Marches Re-union and Picnic
From 1:00 Sunday 9 August on the Castle Green, Hereford.
Croquet and other lawn games. With some initial organising for attendance at the Love and Rage XR event in London in September. Malvern rebels welcome!
People’s Emergency Briefing
Saturday 15th August, 7-9pm St Andrew’s Church, Churchdown Road, Malvern WR14 3JX
If you haven’t managed to attend a screening so far – now’s your chance!Tickets are free but please book a space: https://buytickets.at/nebmalvernhills/2296283
Please note that there will be no XR Malvern Main Meeting on Thursday 20th August. If we need to rearrange the picnic we will use this date.The next Malvern group meeting will be on Thursday 3rd September (as usual 7-9 pm at the Quaker Meeting House, Orchard Road, Malvern).
Love and Rage: London September 12th-14thReady for a long weekend with some serious action this September?Join XRUK from Saturday to Monday 12th to 14th September in London. (Precise location still under wraps!)Are you up for two days of events, collaborating with like-minded climate and nature activists? With a banging action finale? There’ll be something for everyone!National and global security is under threat. We cannot tolerate the damage to our communities, the mismanagement of our health, water and food systems, or the destruction of Nature and the myriad of species that cannot speak.Join the telegram chat to get involved: https://t.me/+75Og-3iuH2w1NDVk
On Saturday and Sunday we’ll focus on building loving community. We need you, we need everyone, to bring about the world we want to see. So let’s upskill and discuss ideas. And have some fun while we’re at it.Monday 14th is about action. We’ll bring a vibrant creative protest to the streets as we urge those in power to Tell the Truth about the threats we face.
Malvern people will be attending across all 3 days. If you would like to connect with those of us who are going, please get in touch, via Telegram or by replying to this email. As usual, if you can’t attend one of our meetings but want to know more about any items mentioned, please do reply to this email address: xrmalvern_community@riseup.netMalvern Regular Events and Projects Our main meetings are always the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. Worcester Critical Mass Cycle Ride and Climate Café are the 3rd Saturday. Venues and times as in the ‘Upcoming Events’ section.
Saturday Vigils – You are invited to the weekly Saturday vigils, from midday to 1:00pm or for a shorter stint if preferred, at the steps opposite Malvern Post Office. The vigils are a great way to spend time reflecting on life and nature, and to show that Extinction Rebellion are a nice bunch of people! There is outreach also so you can just sit with us, or meditate, or help us hand out leaflets and engage with passers-by.At 1pm we go for coffee, and we’d be very happy to see you at the vigil or meet us on the steps at 1pm. We usually go to the Alturo Lounge if you are looking for us.
Malvern Green Space Community Meals
Please note that there will be a summer break, so NO MEALS in August – back again on 4th September. See the Malvern Green Space website for updates. - June 2026 News
Clean Air Action, Worcester, Saturday 13th June A simple and quickly put together, but effective action. Based on the ‘cube of truth’: 4 people sat in a square with placards with air pollution messages on them – this was effective and people were obviously stopping to read the signs. We also displayed the big clean air board, and there were people doing outreach. The response was generally very positive. We found that focusing on a single subject makes the message accessible to some who might not be able to engage in the wider climate crisis. On a more negative side it can also lead to people dismissing concerns “I already have an electric car”. Some interactions were able to lean into the wider problem: people in electric cars are still breathing polluted air, and the people least able to afford alternatives are often the most affected. Interestingly, someone from London recognised that Worcester is not designed for active travel. Thanks to all who helped out, and it was great to see Paul from the Marches! The county council are doing a survey on pollution at the moment Air Quality | Worcestershire Regulatory Services and there was an article in the Malvern Gazette. We will continue this initiative with leaflet distribution to shops and businesses and at the vigil.
People’s Emergency Briefing in West Malvern – 13th June Following the succesful event at Holy Trinity Church Hall at Link Top on 16th May, members of Malvern XR were again involved in organising and facilitating a second local screening at West Malvern Social Club on 13th June. About 50 people gathered to watch the hard-hitting film, then divided into small groups to share their reactions and discuss what should be done in response to the expert evidence presented in the film. We are grateful to West Malvern Social Club for hosting this event free of charge and for providing a bar to lubricate the discussions. We have two more local screenings coming up very soon. Welland Parish Hall on the 1st July is now sold out, but spaces are still available at:- The Fold, Bransford on Sunday 28th June 7-9 pm
- Free tickets: A special community screening: The People’s Emergency Briefing – The Fold
- Tell your friends/colleagues/neighbours/people you meet at the bus stop… Similar sessions are happening across the whole of the UK – for other locations see: https://www.nebriefing.org/screening-map
- Sign the parliamentary petition: National Emergency Briefing . Please note, the petition now has over 27,000 signatures. The government have made an initial – and unsatisfactory – response. The NEB response to the government is here: Our reaction to the government response. We need signatures to reach 100,000 to trigger a debate in parliament.
- Send a WhatsApp message to BBC Newsnight. With so many people-driven screenings it is time they covered the climate and nature crisis properly and the Heatwave is a good time to do it. Tel. number is 0330 678 4783
- Contact our local group to find out more about getting involved locally: nebmalvernhills@gmail.com
The Wye Walk Tracing 136 miles over nine days in May from Plynlimon to Chepstow, Josh and I walked for the joy of the River Wye and to witness her struggle. The relentless heat nearly broke us but the support of friends and family sustained our resolve. The river’s beauty remained breathtaking. We found ourselves surrounded by iridescent damselflies, singing skylarks, and ancient sweet chestnut trees. This natural resilience stood in painful contrast to human impact. Beyond the litter and rusting machinery, we observed a deeper sickness: disappearing minnows in Llangurig, rising phosphate levels, and water turning thick and brown as it reached the sea. A local mother shared how the river’s pollution had made her child gravely ill—a sobering reminder of the harm caused by sewage and agriculture. Despite a human sense of entitlement over her, the Wye persists. Her water shifts from bright rapids to soft shallows, a quiet insistence on life that demands our care. I finish this walk with sore limbs but a resolved heart. The time for quiet observation has passed; we must rage and speak urgently for the river before her song falls silent. With that in mind River Lamentations is a protest performance project that began in May with a workshop led by myself and Ruana Xerri-West; the project continues with another session on July 11th, 11.30 – 15.00 by the Teme in Bransford. Join us to keen and move for rivers and nature. Rachel Freeman (rfeverybodydance@gmail.com) - Art to Imagine a Better Future
A few of us are launching the Art to Imagine a Better Future project in January, which invites people to produce stories and artwork showing what it would look like in 10 years if all that could be done to solve the climate and nature crisis had been done.
We have set up a Crowdfunder to help support the project, so if you could afford a one off or regular donation that would really help us get the project off the ground.
You can also contact us if you would like to help. We are particularly looking for people to be part of a team running workshops in schools and colleges, for which we have materials prepared.It is a Malvern Climate Community Group project that has grown out of Rob Hopkin’s imagination work. We have the display boards near Malvern Waitrose booked for early 2025.
- Dirty Water – blue plaques
XR Malvern joined a UK-wide day of action unveiling blue plaques in Upton on Severn and Worcester, where we joined with other Worcestershire XR groups to highlight the impact on the River Severn of our local MPs’ voting record on the discharge of raw sewage. In Upton, the plaque reads: “Harriett Baldwin MP Voted to block a law requiring water companies to dump less raw sewage in our waterways and seas, 20th Oct 2021”. The 2021 records show the Upton on Severn overflow spilled sewage for a total of 1,407 hours. This is happening up and down the River Severn and all our major rivers and coastline.
- Festival of resistance postponed
Festival of resistance postponed
Due to Thursday’s news about the passing of Queen Elizabeth, the Rebellion Planning team, and other groups involved, made the difficult decision on Thursday to postpone the Festival of Resistance this weekend in London until further notice.
It was felt that the risks to our mobilisation efforts outweigh the desire to continue, and occupying a Royal Park at this time would not be practical. The decision has not been made lightly and in full appreciation that it will impact so many who have put much time, heart and commitment into making this festival the beautiful reality it was gearing up to be. This message comes with immense gratitude and respect for everyone involved and every single person who was about to attend Rebellion for the first time. This decision comes as multiple groups who had protest plans over the coming week make similar announcements.
There will be further updates after the weekend about what we intend to do next. If you’re not already following the Rebellion Broadcast, please join now for updates.
There will be many strong feelings around this decision, which everyone involved in this decision shares. There will be a space to come together on Saturday at Mile End Park for the afternoon for those in London or planning to travel to London in the next few days.
Love & gratitude,
Rebellion Planners
