Grassington will host a free public screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing on Saturday 1 August, bringing a nationally significant climate film to the Yorkshire Dales with a Deputy Lieutenant of North Yorkshire in attendance. Professor David Hill CBE DL, founder and president of Foundation For Nature, will be present at the event, organised by Climate Action Grassington. The 50-minute film features nine leading UK scientists and experts alongside familiar public voices, examining what climate change and nature loss could mean for extreme weather, food security, health and the cost of living. The screening takes place at The Octagon, Grassington Devonshire Institute, running from 7pm to 9pm with doors opening at 6.45pm.
A Film Rooted In A National Moment
The film draws its material from the National Emergency Briefing, held at Westminster Central Hall in November 2025, where more than 1,200 MPs, peers and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media gathered to hear experts set out risks to public health, food supplies, infrastructure, the economy and national security. That gathering has since been distilled into a shorter briefing designed for community audiences, featuring appearances from wildlife presenter Chris Packham and businesswoman Deborah Meaden, alongside voices from communities across the UK.
Bringing that content to a rural setting such as Grassington gives the film a different register. Organisers point to the area’s close relationship between farming, water, wildlife and weather, arguing that national and global findings translate directly into local concerns for residents of the Yorkshire Dales.
Local Organisers On The Purpose Of The Event
Climate Action Grassington has framed the screening as a starting point for discussion rather than a lecture, with a community conversation planned to follow the film.
A spokesperson for Climate Action Grassington said:
“This is an opportunity for people to come together, hear clear information and think about what it may mean for our own community. We want to create space for an open and informed discussion, and the event is open to anyone, whatever their starting point or previous view.”
Professor Hill On The Urgency Of The Issue
Professor Hill brings decades of conservation experience to the event, having developed the concept of biodiversity net gain and served as deputy chair of Natural England, alongside senior roles across a range of conservation and environmental organisations. His remarks ahead of the screening set out why he sees films of this kind as necessary at community level.
Professor Hill said:
“Climate change and biodiversity loss are both existential threats to us. We are already seeing the effects of climate change through dramatic increases in energy in the atmosphere leading to greater extremes of intense heat, more and heavier rainfall, flooding and loss of snowbound winters.”
“Catastrophic global impacts include habitat loss, desertification, a lack of water, wildfires, and potential changes to ocean currents, all of which will make the planet less habitable for our ever-growing human population.”
“His Majesty The King has led the march to have climate change impacts properly recognised with urgency. Our window for influencing future climate change is closing; that is why people must embrace the challenge and take notice of the very sobering messages from this important film.”
Attending The Screening
Free tickets for the event can be reserved online, with booking recommended given limited seating at the venue. Light refreshments will be provided, and donations towards venue hire and running costs are welcome, though attendance remains free. Organisers have set a recommended minimum age of 16 for the screening.
The evening’s structure, a screening followed by open discussion, reflects the intent behind bringing a Westminster-scale briefing into a village hall setting: turning national findings into a conversation that residents of Grassington and the wider Yorkshire Dales can shape for themselves.
