The idea for the Green Centre evolved from The Green Workshop, a mobile teaching unit offering environmental education throughout Sussex. The Green Workshop has appeared on the streets of Brighton and Hove, at farmers’ markets, at fairs and festivals throughout the county (BBC Spring Watch, Beach Dreams, Brighton Pride, Climate Change Rally, Brighton Science Festival, etc.) and at schools and businesses.

Following 24 months offering this service in the heart of the Sussex community, several themes emerged:

• A desire to gain a greater understanding of issues relating to global warming and climate change
• A willingness to participate in activities which tackle global warming and climate change.
• Greater awareness of existing reduce/reuse/recycle opportunities
• A chance to explore creative and inclusive projects in order to engage with a wider audience

The Green Workshop has addressed some of these issues however there are limited opportunities for a small mobile unit. In order to develop the existing partnerships created by The Green Workshop we decided to open a Green Centre.