An elderly man from Dorset will be one of thousands of people attending a mass lobby in Westminster calling on MPs to act on climate change.

Bernard White, 72, will be joining The Time is Now climate lobby on Wednesday(June 26).

The event aims to be the largest mass lobby for climate and the environment that the UK has ever seen, with 10,000 people expected to attend.

Hundreds of MPs are expected to meet with their constituents at the event and Mr White hopes MP Richard Drax will agree to meet him on the day.

Last December, Mr White, who is from Wool, travelled 24 hours by bus with CAFOD (The Catholic Agency For Overseas Development) to protest outside the UN climate talks in Poland.

He said: “I believe that climate change is the biggest threat to the planet and all the people and other living things in it.

“The 423 million people who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change are already living in extreme poverty. That is more than the populations of the USA and the UK combined.

“Governments must be made to take this seriously and lead action to arrest it. Public pressure can be very powerful.”

At the lobby, organisations belonging to The Climate Coalition, including CAFOD, will unite to call on the government to take urgent action on the climate crisis.

Mr White will travel to the event on a ‘climate pilgrimage’ with other local people from all walks of life, who are all calling for UK leaders to support climate action to protect the environment.

CAFOD’s local representative in Dorset, Simon Giarchi, added: “We’re really looking forward to Bernard joining us in our pilgrimage to London as we unite for the mass lobby of parliament.

“CAFOD supporters in parishes and schools across Dorset know that now is the time to confront the climate and environmental crisis.”

Mr White is also encouraging other people from the area to get involved.

Coaches are travelling from every town in England and Wales. Find out more or sign up at cafod.org.uk/climatelobby