A summary from PACE Manningtree (Practical Actions for Climate and the Environment) about how the Sustainable Travel Initiative went at the Tendring Show in July 2024, how we could improve it, and other ideas for discussion relating to sustainability.

Object of improving Sustainable Travel to Tendring Show.
PACE and Tendring Show are working together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with visitors travelling to Tendring Show thus making the Show more sustainable for the future.

Rationale
Over 20,000 visitors travel to the Tendring Show each year. The great majority come by car. If we can increase the numbers coming by more sustainable travel such as on Foot, by Bike, by Car-sharing, by Bus, by Train this will lead to:
· a reduction in emissions,
· a reduction in traffic congestion,
· an important message to visitors to the Show
· support for the future of the Show as climate issues become more significant.
The Sustainable Travel Initiative for 2024 Show
PACE organised a PRIZE DRAW which was promoted for 2 weeks before the Show in local newspapers, on social media, website and by Email.

All Show visitors who arrived on Foot, by Bike or with a Full Car were offered a PRIZE DRAW entry as they entered the Showground (We did not have capacity to extend to train and bus shuttle in 2024).
 

Show visitors could register their free entry into the PRIZE DRAW at the PACE Stand C27.

First Prize = £200 + a Bee hotel + £20 voucher for Manningtree Wholefood Store

Second Prizes (x2) = £50 + a Bee Hotel + £20 voucher

Third Prizes (x5) = £20 + a Bee Hotel + £20 voucher.

The PRIZE DRAW was drawn at 4pm on Show Day by Vicki Brooks, Show Executive Committee, and John Hall chair of Trustees of PACE.

The Prize Winners were announced over the loudspeakers at 4.45pm by Tom Berryman.

PACE arranged for prizes to be collected by the Winners

The Results
Approx. 21,000 visitors attended the Tendring Show on 13 July 2024.

32 PACE volunteers were positioned in Car Parks and Cycle/Foot Entrance to give out PRIZE FRAW entries to visitors arriving on Foot, by Bike, or with a Full Car (4 or more persons – with some discretion eg 2 people in a 2-Seater car).

1755 PRIZE DRAW entries were issued by volunteers to visitors.

408 (23%) of these were brought to the PACE Stand for entry into the Draw:
- 217 were drivers of Full Cars
- 180 were Pedestrians
- 11 were Cyclists

All Prize Winners were located – 3 at the Show and 5 after Show Day.

Suggestions from PACE - if we are to repeat the Sustainable Travel Initiative at Tendring Show in future years (number in brackets shows the number of PACE volunteers who mentioned this point).

1. 90% of the volunteers thought this a good initiative and a least 75% would be keen to help again next year on this or another initiative at the Tendring Show.

2. Need to improve the promotion/publicity about the initiative beforehand – most visitors had not heard about the initiative before they arrived at the Show, so this year most visitors came the way they chose to come and had not changed their behaviour. Some who had heard in advance did change the way they travelled – but most visitors did not know in advance. So, need to get more and longer in advance in papers, on Social media and websites of both Tendring Show and PACE (8).

3. Need more volunteers in the Car Parks at the busier times particularly 10am to 1pm – volunteers at this time could not keep up with the influx of cars. (6)

4. PACE Stand needs to be more central and clearer on the Showground map – some visitors had difficulty finding their way round the Showground, which may explain in part why only 23% found the PACE Stand to enter the PRIZE DRAW. (5)

5. Shuttle bus from the Station would be good – a few visitors did come by train but commented that the walk up Coxs Hill was tiring. The Community Rail Partnership are interested in offering a Rail/Bus/Show discount ticket if we organise well in advance (4).

6. Electric Vehicles and 2-Seaters should also be given entry into the PRIZE DRAW – volunteers were given discretion on offering this – but would it apply to Hybrid Vehicles? (4)

7. Improve the PRIZE DRAW Entry Leaflet – it was well laid out and attractive but too many words, not enough emphasis on the Prizes (£200 is a good Prize), had dates on so surplus could not be use in 2025 (3)

8. Give a discount on Show Ticket price for those on Foot, on Bike or on Public Transport – a financial incentive at the time visitors buy their tickets would make a big difference to take up of sustainable travel options. (3)

9. By giving PRIZE DRAW entry to those who had travelled on Foot, by Bike or Full Car, we rather missed the opportunity of influencing most of the target audience –could we speak to everyone who comes through the gate to prepare them all for the following year? (2)

10. The live moth display added a lot to the PACE stand and gave us an opportunity to talk to visitors – could we add similar displays eg live animals from rivers and ponds and impact of pollution on these (2)

11. Other points mentioned:
- PACE Volunteers in Hi-Viz to take more care where they stand in Car Parks so as not to get mixed up with the Car Park Stewards
- Offer more for children who come to the PACE Stand
- One of the Prize Winners had simply walked from Lawford Green – it was the only sensible way for him to get to the show.
- Tinted glass makes it difficult to see how many passengers are in a car.
- Possibility of collecting info on how far visitors have travelled to the Show.
- Concerns that the Manningtree Earth Festival is in June, and this also takes a lot of PACE volunteers
- We will not know whether we are improving sustainable travel to the Show unless we repeat, with improvements, in future year(s).

Suggestions from PACE organisers about other initiatives which would be useful in future years to make Tendring Show more sustainable.

1. Reduction and Recycling of Waste – at present all litter is discarded in large bins or potato crates. As far as the visitors are concerned there is no message about them reducing, sorting and recycling. And waste in these large bins will be contaminated so that it is difficult for any company to sort off-site. This is not a good message for Tendring Show. PACE could consider helping with a recycling initiative on the Showground, providing the Show is also committed to this.

2. Regenerative Farming, Agroforestry, ELMs – Environmental Land Management schemes, BNG - Biodiversity Net Gain – there was a bit about these subjects at the Show, however, are all being engaged by many local landowners - but the show visitors know little about them.

3. Other ways that local people and local businesses can reduce their impact on the environment and adapt to the changing climate – such as Energy improvements (Solar Power, Insulation, Heat Pumps); Travel improvements (Electric cars and vans, public transport etc); Water saving methods; Advice available to individuals and businesses.

4. Local Food – more local food stalls and more information about local food providers.

We look forward to any further comments/suggestions.

John Hall
PACE Manningtree
Practical Actions for Climate and the Environment
Registered Charity 1204980
23 July 2024