Speaker hopes craftwork display inspires MPs to protect the environment

The Loving Earth display, opened by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, features embroidered, felt, appliqué and knitted panels urging humans to change their behaviours to preserve the world they live in.

Created by people of all ages from across the UK, the craftwork includes the planet as an egg that is broken, school strikes on climate change organised by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg - and a call for single use cups to be avoided.

Sir Lindsay, who first saw the Loving Earth display in St Laurence’s Church in his Chorley constituency, said he hoped the messaging "would inspire MPs".

"This is our constituents telling us through artwork about their fears for the future of our world, and their vision of a better place," he said.

"I am so impressed by the level of detail; the skill and the thought that has lovingly been put into every panel – this exhibition certainly made me take notice."

The project was started by the Quaker Arts Network, working in partnership with Woodbrooke Study Centre in Birmingham.

Organiser Linda Murgatoyd said the priority was to involve as many people as possible, without great expense or using lots of materials.

"Most people have scraps of fabric, which together with a bit of imagination they can use to express how they feel about protecting the natural environment."

The exhibition, which also travelled to COP26 – the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in 2021 - can be viewed in Portcullis House until 17 March.