Chris Packham backs Newbiggin by the Sea screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing

A free public screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing will take place at Newbiggin by the Sea at the Sports and Community Hub, Woodhorn Road, NE64 6HG on Saturday 7th November 2026, from 1.00pm. The film is 50 minutes long.

The screening forms part of a growing UK-wide programme of events designed to help ensure that both the public and decisionmakers are clearly and honestly informed about the climate and nature crisis - and what it may mean for communities across the country.

In November 2025, more than 1,200 MPs, peers and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media gathered at Westminster Central Hall for the National Emergency Briefing - a landmark event bringing together leading experts to assess the UK’s exposure to climate and nature risks.

The briefing, introduced by Chris Packham CBE, set out the implications of climate and nature breakdown for food security, public health, infrastructure, the economy and national security, alongside evidence-based actions that could reduce these risks.

This national event has now been adapted into a 50-minute public film, The People’s Emergency Briefing, which launched nationwide on 7th April and is now being screened in communities across the UK.

The film brings together leading scientists to present a clear picture of the challenges ahead, while creating space for local communities to consider what these issues may mean in their local area, and how they can support their MP to call for stronger action.

Chris Packham said:

“I’d encourage people everywhere to attend a screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing. It creates exactly the kind of honest local conversation we now urgently need, both about what these changes mean where we live, and about what we can do together to address them.”

In Newbiggin by the Sea, the screening comes at a time when the local community is extremely aware of how precious our coastal environment is and why we need to protect it for current and future generations. As the cost-of-living crisis has hit our communities we know that people are more open to more sustainable ways of using energy - including wind and solar. Following the film, attendees will be invited to take part in an informal discussion, designed to support the community’s feelings about the issues raised and what they may mean locally.

Ian Lavery has accepted an invitation from local organisers, Newbiggin Environment Network (NEN), to attend the event to view the film alongside the community.  NEN has requested that after the viewing he joins the growing number of MPs who back the Parliamentary Call for government to hold its own emergency briefing to the nation - introduced by the Prime Minister, delivered by independent experts and broadcast live across TV, radio and social media.

Caroline Mitchell one of the event organisers, said:

“This is about creating space for people to come together, look at the evidence, and begin a more open and informed conversation about what it means for our community - and how we can support the bolder action now called for by the science, which will also do so much to improve lives, as the film explains”

With screenings taking place nationwide, local events form part of a broader effort to build a shared understanding of climate and nature risks across the UK, and to support constructive public dialogue about future choices.

Tickets for the Sport and Community Hub screening are free, but advance registration is encouraged on the Newbiggin Environment Network [NEN] Facebook page https://fb.me/e/7pYuKJyNW.