*** NEXT EVENT: RSA Southampton on 20th Nov 5.30pm: Celebrating 2025, Shaping 2026 - What we have - and will - achieve together. This includes an update on Beat the Heat and the chance to get involved. Tickets here***

BEAT THE HEAT is about community imagined solutions for rising heat and urban health

Rising temperatures and the increased prevalence of heatwaves is impacting our economy, our health and our wellbeing. These are projected to become more frequent and severe, resulting in significant risk to our health, communities and businesses.

Beat the Heat is a new project creating community imagined solutions for rising heat and urban health in the Southampton area.

By coming together as residents, community organisations, public services, businesses, academia and more, we are co-designing and delivering solutions for heatwaves.

Together, we have run collaborative workshops and meetings, engaging over 100 people, businesses and organisations. As a community we have identified four strands of work:

1. AWARENESS RAISING TO HELP US ADAPT

We will come together to increase awareness of heat issues and how we can adapt. This will include public communications and a focus on people who are most vulnerable.

2. MAPPING AND DATA

We will collect and share maps and data about heat hotspots across the Southampton area, with a more detailed focus on the areas where local people are keen to see change happen.

3. A NEIGHBOURHOOD-BASED PROJECT IN SHIRLEY

We will bring people together – residents, health and public services, schools, businesses, community organisations, people involved in development and more – to understand better how heat is impacting people at home and when out and about.

We will explore how adapting our behaviour, clothing, buildings and urban spaces could reduce overheating. We will look at the potential for more planting, trees and access to water. We will implement some ideas, so the project will lead to practical change with tangible impact.

4. FUNKY HATS PROJECT

We will run creative activities where people can make their own solutions to weather problems, including hats for shade in summer and warmth in winter. Through this we can help share practical tips and engage with people of different ages and different communities across the Southampton area about issues related to extreme weather. We aim to have our launch event in January 2026.

***Next event: RSA Southampton on 20th Nov 5.30pm: Celebrating 2025, Shaping 2026 - What we have - and will - achieve together. This includes an update on Beat the Heat and the chance to get involved. Tickets here***

Our work so far

This project started at a meeting where it was clear that lots of people have a common concern about climate change, people's access to green spaces and the need for healthy lives. We know that people struggle in heatwaves, and this is particulaly so for the most vulnerable in society. University of Southampton and Southampton City Council has written a report on climate vulnerability, which is available via the Sustainability and Resilience Institute, or get in contact with us and we will share a copy.

On Tues 8 July 2025 we held our first event in partnership with RSA Southampton, where we explored community imagined solutions for rising heat and urban health. This helped shaped the foundations of the project which we hope will have real impact of life in the Southampton area in a warming world. Many ideas were shared an we started to think about what a Theory of Change process would look like - to make sure that ideas led to change. Since then, we have been developing a plan for the next steps and applying for funding to help deliver it, including meetings on 7 and 8 October to refine our ideas.

If you would like to keep up-to-date about this project or get involved you can sign up here

You can share any personal experiences of life in heatwave conditions through the above sign up form, or drop us an email.

Further information is available by contacting Rebecca Kinge: rebecca [at] socollective.org.uk

About our collaborators

The following organisations are involved in Beat the Heat and we welcome the involvement of local residents and new collaborators.

Southampton Collective is a social enterprise focused on health and sustainability in Southampton. As a community development organisation, we work to make sure that community voices are embedded in the city activities through coproduction processes and co-design. We believe in taking creative approaches wherever possible. We help coordinate Southampton Climate Action Network

RSA Southampton is proud to partner with the Southampton Collective in delivering ‘Beat the Heat’, as is helping us to deliver the Beat the Heat event on 8 July 2025. Fred from RSA Southampton says "As our world warms, the frequency and severity of heatwaves in Southampton and Hampshire is increasing, posing a threat to people, organisations and infrastructure. It is critical that these risks are addressed and encouraging to see a coalition of partners put community experiences and voices at the heart of imagining potential mitigations."

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust: Team Wilder is a national movement led by the Wildlife Trusts. We are all facing a crisis for our natural world. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust wants both wildlife and people to be able to benefit from a healthy environment. They are restoring broken ecosystems and returning missing species. They are putting nature's recovery at the heart of everything they do, recognising that eveybody has different skills, knowledge, and experience to offer. The Wildlife Trust support people in their wilder journey - with wildlife knowledge and expertise in community engagement and campaigning. No one knows your local area better than you and it is your time, voice and action that will make the difference. So join #TeamWilder, a growing national movement led by the Wildlife Trusts and help tip the scales back in nature’s favour. 

Southampton City Council's Sustainability and Natural Environment team are part of this project, and other departments will join in as appropriate. Southampton City Council Public Health Team is interested in collaborating with ‘Beat the Heat’, subject to capacity, given the strong links between heat and health.

University of Southampton (various researchers) are collaborating with this project.

Environment Centre in Southampton provides a Keeping Cool Guide and has recently blogged about about coping in extreme weather: Coping in extreme weather – the Environment Centre (tEC). Their project My Home Made Better is a valuable resource for residents who are interested in improving their home’s ability to keep cool during extremely high temperatures. The scope of their advice includes how large measures such as insulation can keep the heat out (not just in during winter), as well as a wide range of tips and behaviours such as understanding the property’s orientation and making best use of curtains and blinds. They also regularly discuss the benefits of solar panels and the gains people can often make from them. Book a free, 30-minute phone call to get started, or call the Environment Centre on 0800 804 8601. 

Transition Southampton works with others to create positive, sustainable, community-based solutions that tackle climate change and energy scarcity. It delivers a range of projects including Repair Cafes and Green Open Homes Week 13-21 September 

Want to be added to the list of collaborators? Get in touch.

Header image: Pexels/Fauxels