A WOMEN'S Institute group are rewarding local groups by presenting them with green hearts.

Malvern WI will begin their presentations with Malvern Theatres at 3.30pm on Friday October 14 due to their installation of LED lighting, which has saved a lot of energy.

As part of the Climate Coalition's week of action, WI members will also be joined by local MP Harriett Baldwin.

Julia Goodfellow-Smith, WI climate ambassador in Malvern, said: “Climate change is an issue that is affecting us all already, with heatwaves, storms, floods, droughts and food shortages around the world, including here in the UK.

"We have an opportunity to take action now to protect future generations from the worst impacts of climate change.

"We run an environmental consultancy firm and have spent a lot of our lives working with companies to reduce emissions and energy usage.

"We wanted to do something really positive to encourage people to take action and to do more."

Next Friday will be the first of a number of different events that Mrs Goodfellow-Smith and her husband Mike who co-run Quest for Future Solutions, are planning to do.

Green hearts will be presented to organizations for taking a range of positive actions, including switching to LED lighting, providing the opportunity to buy good quality second hand clothing.

It also includes switching to a renewable energy tariff, generating their own solar energy and encouraging people to grow their own food.

Each of these actions will have a positive impact on the carbon emissions that cause climate change, and each of them are actions we can consider taking in our own lives.

The names of other organisations that will be presented with green hearts is still yet to be finalised, with confirmation needed that someone will be there to collect an award.

Mrs Goodfellow- Smith said: "We aim to inspire them to do more, and inspire everyone in the Malvern area to think about what they can do.

"It’s easy to switch to a renewable energy tariff for your electricity supply.

"It’s fun to grow some of your own food, and it feels great to donate to and buy from charity shops. Let’s all just take one more action this year to reduce our impact and make life so much better for our children.”

This ‘Green Heart Gratitude Walk’ will be followed by a walk from London to Balcombe, a village that has embraced renewable energy, now generating as much solar power as they use. That walk will be over three days.

The next walk will be from Oxford along the River Thames to London, to present a green heart to Christiana Figueres, a leading figure in the United Nations, and the person responsible for facilitating a major international agreement on climate change in Paris last year.