A truly inspiring outing.
The IIPM students were invited to the Sound Lounge in Sutton, on October 13, 2022, by our cool lecturer Rachel Kan. Who teaches us at UCA Epsom, sustainability and cirularisim goals.
The sound Lounge is the first carbon-neutral venue in the UK. They promote Veganism, and organic produce. They source most of their produce locally, and promote good sustainable goals (See Fig.1). Located in Sutton, SM1 1N.
And it went like this.
My day started early as usual. I met up with a few of my classmates at the station and we strolled to the venue which was located in the town center.
Walking in, I must say the feeling and environment were very warm and inviting. Their values on sustainability and recycling of materials were felt all around the room. There were well-worn class wooden tables and chairs, even classroom primary school tables….Niceeeeeeee 😊. To the loveliest ceramic teapots and teacups. Like an Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter tea party feel (Carroll, 1865).
Due to train delays and cancellations (Very common in the UK), Rachel and a few of my IIPM classmates came in late. But it started well. Rachel in her fun and warm manner on stage with the proprietress Hannah White captivated me and my classmates. I was taken by Hannah’s passionate response to Rachel’s question on her journey so far on being carbon neutral, veganism, sustainable values, and circular community growth.
Furthermore, I loved Hannah’s truth. As she confessed, she is still on the journey. They started in 2012 and went fully plant-based in 2017. Even though there were a lot of challenges in the local community, eventually people came around and became more open-minded about their ideas and goals. Even their vegan lifestyle was embraced. Hannah did not force or ram the eco message into her customers or audience but in subtle ways, she pushes the message into their hearts and mind.
After the talk, we relaxed, bought some drinks, and chatted for a while. I took some nice pictures and proceeded to go explore the Sutton environment with my friends.
References
Carroll, L., 1865. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. London: Macmillan.
Kan, R., 2022. Sound Lounge Activity. [Art] (UCA).