Hope you enjoy reading our latest update, including details of our next meeting at 8pm which is preceded by Yorkshire Seal Group at 7pm on Tuesday 20th June.
Welcome to June’s Update including the Great Big Green Week
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June sees the arrival of the Great Big Green Week, the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature organised by the Climate Coalition . Launched in 2021 with diverse partners including World Wildlife Fund, FairTrade Foundation, the National Trust and Surfers Against Sewage the week is an opportunity to engage and inform about climate action and protecting nature with wide ranging national and local events. Local events are highlighted below but there are national activities you can take part in, information here: https://greatbiggreenweek.com/
What’s Going On – news and events
Environmental talk and monthly meeting – Tuesday June 20th 7-9pm
This month’s whole group CASaV meeting will be on Tuesday 20th June at The Globe Community Library, North Road, Stokesley. At 7pm there will be an interactive talk from Sally Bunce, marine veterinary nurse with the Yorkshire Seal Group (https://yorkshireseals.org/)
Sally will use our native seals as a ‘feature creature’ to deliver an understanding of how our lifestyle choices impact our planet and the creatures we share it with, showing us how to identify different seal species, how an unwell poorly and a healthy seal appear and how to respond if they need help. You will also learn about our local marine environment and some of its current challenges.
This will be followed by our usual whole group meeting 8 – 9pm.
All are welcome – spread the word!
Great Big Green Week – our local CASaV events
There will be a number of CASAV events for Great Big Green Week organised by our different subgroups including Nature / Environment, Food and Waste as well as other organisations – more info here: https://climateactionstokesleyandvillages.org/events-2/great-big-green-week-2023/
Saturday June 10th 10-12 Repair Cafe & Upcycling Competition, Stokesley
During Great Big Green Week there will be one of our monthly Repair Cafes, this month at the Globe Community Library in Stokesley 10-12. Bring along your household items in need of repair – electrical goods, computers & mobile phones, bikes & toys, clothing & textiles, ceramics & crockery, furniture & wooden items – and learn repair skills whilst one of our pink T-shirted volunteers restores your item to working order (or gives advice if we can’t). With refreshments, all for free but donations to cover costs welcome.
At the Repair Cafe there will also be an opportunity to enter our Upcycling Poster Competition, closing date 24th June which is National Upcycling Day. All ages from 7 to 107 are invited to design an upcycling idea on A4 size paper showing how any article, which otherwise might go to waste, could be transformed into something new that could be useful or fun! Paper, pens, collage materials etc will be available on the day and you can post your entry into the special ‘Upcycling Postbox’ at the Globe, Stokesley. More information here:
Organised by CASaV
Saturday 10th June – gardening for wildlife in Stokesley 2pm and 7:30pm
The event will be a guided walk around the garden highlighting the importance of the gardening for wildlife and the different elements in the garden. These include – native/non native plants, different levels, how to be insect friendly, providing winter habitats etc. Children are welcome to look under stones and in ponds etc.
There will be two sessions over the course of the day. 2pm – 4pm and 7.30pm – 9.30pm and the evening session will include using a bat detector!
There will be a limited number of places (15 max) and must be booked in advance, details below. The address of the venue will be provided to those that book.
Refreshments will be provided.
Booking by email bridgetholmstrom@hotmail.com or call 07795 463202 or contact via our website https://climateactionstokesleyandvillages.org/contact/
Organised by CASaV.
Sunday 11th June 2pm – identifying wildflowers in Great Ayton
Organised jointly by CASaV and Brighten Up Great Ayton.
Sunday 11th June 4.30pm – wildflower walk at Cod Beck
Join Helen Herring, local expert botanist, for a wildflower walk around Cod Beck Reservoir. Meet in the main car park at 4.30pm, approximately 2 hours
Organised by CASaV.
Wednesday 14th June 10am – wildflower walk, Ingelby Greenhow
Meet at 10am Bank Foot, Ingelby Greenhow for a walk guided by local expert botanist Anne Press.
Organised by CASaV
Wednesday 14th June 11am – 1pm North Yorkshire Rotters, Great Ayton
Join the composting experts, the North Yorkshire Rotters, the Discovery Centre, Great Ayton for inspiration and advice on saving food and garden waste and fertilising your garden for free from 11am – 1pm.
Saturday June 17th 9am – 4pm Discover the Art of Scything, Faceby
If things have got a bit out of hand during No Mow May, now may be the time to learn the graceful and eco-friendly art of scything. You can acquire this ancient skill and reconnect with nature like never before on this one-day Scything Course on June 17th in the charming village of Faceby, nestled under the majestic Cleveland Hills.
The course runs on Saturday, 17th June 9-4 with exact address provided when you apply for a place. Expert Instruction is provided by John Grundy, an experienced scything instructor who will guide you through the fundamentals, teaching you the proper techniques and best practices to master this traditional method of grass cutting. Whether you’re a complete beginner or have some experience, this course is designed to suit all skill levels.
Limited scythes will be available to borrow on the day or you may want to buy a scythe before you attend the course. John sells them directly from his website www.wildernesstamed.com/store
For more information and to book a place go to
Sunday 18th June Keep the lights shining – Whitby Esk Energy tours for families, Ruswarp various times 1 – 3.45pm
Tours at 1-1:45pm, 2-2.45pm and 3-3.45pm
Can you get the water flowing to keep the lights shining?
Energy related activities for all the family to take part in whilst you visit our community-owned 50kW Archimedes screw hydroelectric turbine on the River Esk at Ruswarp.
More information here: https://whitbyeskenergy.org.uk/keep-the-lights-shining-whitby-esk-energy-tours-for-families/
This event is not only part of the Great Big Green Week but also part of Community Energy Fortnight more info here: https://www.communityenergyengland.org/pages/community-energy-fortnight
Saturday 10th – Sunday 18th Environment At Risk & Sustainable Food Displays, the Globe Community Library, Stokesley
All through Great Big Green Week there will be displays on our environment at risk from climate change as well as a display of vegan cookery books and sustainable eating at the Globe, Stokesley.
Read all about it!
CASaV produces a monthly Climate Column for the Darlington and Stockton Times. Since starting the column over a year ago, it has been interesting to see the increase in letters and debate about environmental issues, climate change and climate action in particular.
At our last monthly CASaV meeting we heard about the issues of phosphates (found in many household cleaning products) in the River Leven and this was also the focus of our latest Climate Column ‘How we can all clean up our rivers’, printed in the Darlington and Stockton Times on Friday 12th May: https://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/opinion/comment/23504161.climate-column-can-help-clean-rivers/
More information on the impact of phosphates on rivers and where to find low phosphate and phosphate free cleaning products here: https://www.riverkennet.org/advice/fewerphosphates
Community Earth Festival Esk Valley & East Cleveland 22nd April – 8th July
This grassroots festival started last month and continues until 8th July with a wide range of accessible events aiming to challenge people to look again at our relationship to the natural world. Events include practical workshops, nature recovery projects, creative performances, guided walks, talks and discussions.
As part of the festival closing event at Botton Village on 8th July, alongside a range of speakers, Simon & Kate Gibbon from CASaV will be giving a short talk on ‘Rethinking Waste’.
Full programme of events available here: https://www.eskvalleynews.co.uk/cef-programme
Sustainable consumer section
The most sustainable consumerism is to just buy less but…
Summer holidays with less environmental impact
Fighting climate change means changing how we do things. And one of the biggest things we can do is fly less. Or not at all. There’s so much adventure to be had right on our doorstep.
Train travel, walking, wheeling or biking your holiday gives you time to take in the true joy of travel – to stop and see the world with fresh eyes.
As summer holidays approach, Possible (https://www.wearepossible.org/) highlights share some resources to help inspire your flight-free travels:
- Former Possible staff member, Sarah, is so dedicated to flight-free travel that she set up a YouTube and TikTok channel all about it. Here’s her top 10 destinations in Europe.
- Any question you can think of about train travel is more than likely answered by The Man in Seat 61. This website has a vast range of information on traveling the world by train. From getting ideas of where to go to planning the minute details of your trip, this has it all.
- Our friends over at flightfreetravel.co.uk have a brilliant podcast where they bring an array of guests to talk about their flight free travel experiences. From the woman who used the £2 bus scheme to get from London to Edinburgh to the sports stars challenging the idea of flying for competition, it’s a fascinating listen (perfect for long journeys).
- If you’re looking for a holiday company to plan and book your trip for you, I’d recommend Byway and Ecosy. Both have tonnes of flight-free holidays to choose from, and loads of advice and support for creating your perfect holiday.
Repairable and ethical headphones
The company that developed the Fairphone, the world’s most ethical and sustainably produced mobile phone, has now developed the world’s first headphones created with 100% fairtrade gold and have been designed to minimise the impact on the climate by avoiding and reducing carbon emissions where possible, as well as contributing to climate projects. Components include parts made from 100% recycled aluminium and 80% recycled plastic.
The Co-op is sufficiently impressed with the credentials of these that they are stocking them in larger stores and online.
Updates from the groups
Transport
Let’s Talk Transport
North Yorkshire Council are asking people living, working, and travelling in North Yorkshire to share information about how they travel and the issues that they face. You can fill in an online survey here Have Your Say Today – Let’s Talk Transport Survey
https://letstalkny.commonplace.is/en-GB/proposals/transport/step1
This follows on from the feedback in last year’s consultations where people said public transport is a priority. The Local Transport Plan sets out the strategic transport aims for the region over the next few years. It will allow the council to continue to bid for funding to deliver the infrastructure we need to better connect residents, unlock economic growth, and promote sustainability. The survey closes on 17 July 2023.
Puffin pilgrimage – car free travel reflection from Caryn Loftus
The last time Mike and I tried to see the puffins at Bempton Cliffs we drove in brilliant sunshine until we were nearly there and then were met with thick fog. We only got a glimpse of a few puffins as they rose up out of the gloom. This year we decided to see if we could get there by public transport to make more of the journey and have a short break in Filey. Trains and buses became a moving hide from which to observe birds and other wildlife enroute. From Great Ayton we went by train to Whitby, then took advantage of the £2 bus fares to catch one of the frequent buses to Scarborough and then onwards to Filey by train. The following day, it was only a few stops on the Yorkshire Coast Line to Bempton followed by a short walk to the RSPB reserve at Bempton Cliffs https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/bempton-cliffs/.
The journey took us across moorland, through woodland, along riversides, past fields and to the coast. By the time we got home we had seen 47 different species of birds, which we’re we wouldn’t have seen from the car. What about the puffins you ask – well they certainly weren’t the highlight as we only saw a few clinging to the cliffs. Maybe we were too early in the season or it was a symptom of the puffin’s red listed status. The highlight was the amazing sight of the gannets and other seabirds flying around the cliffs but unfortunately due to avian flu their numbers are plummeting as well. Visit the UK’s biggest mainland breeding colony of gannets at Bempton whilst it is still a show stopper.
Food – monthly zoom meetings, please contact if you would like to join
Benefits of Slow Cookers & Beanbag Cookery
The Food Group has been discussing the wide range of benefits of using slow cookers which use less energy than conventional cooking so not only reduce the impact of energy production on the climate but also save people money. There has been a successful project demonstrating the use of slow cookers in Hull which has helped people avoid having to use food banks.
Some more information here: https://www.foodforfitness.co.uk/slow-cooker-benefits/
There has also been discussion on the use of slow ‘beanbag’ cookery where energy is saved by initially heating the pot by conventional means then continuing the cooking by insulating the pot either by using a specially designed ‘beanbag’ or using old duvets or even a haybox, info here: https://guides.brit.co/guides/create-and-use-the-bean-bag-haybox
FoodCycle
FoodCycle is a national organisation with a vision is to make food poverty, loneliness and food waste a thing of the past for every community. With community dining, week in, week out they feed the hungry and give company to the lonely in communities across the UK; providing delicious meals and great conversation, and using food which would otherwise go to waste.
You can find out more and get involved here: https://foodcycle.org.uk/
‘Cafe Climate’ – a potential CASaV project?
Members of the Food Group are also considering a potential local project inspired by the Hull Slow Cookery project and FoodCycle. Our ideas so far are to offer a ‘pay what you can afford’ community lunch every two months, prepared by different community groups – churches, schools, local businesses – with each lunch around a theme such as slow cookery, ‘Ready steady Cook’ from surplus food, zero miles food, perhaps guided by local chefs with an emphasis on how eating sustainably can fight climate change. If you are interested in developing this idea please get in touch (contact details at end of this full update).
Choose your own salad leaves
Barbara Beveridge at Battersby Junction provides wonderful organic local veg boxes. She would welcome anyone who would like to volunteer to support her on her small holding at Battersby Junction.
Currently Barbara is offering ‘chose your own’ salad leaves at the Stokesley Farmers and Makers Markets. Bring your own container and get wonderful fresh salad without a plastic container.
For more information email barbara at barbarabeveridge118@gmail.com
Co-op Foodshare
Did you know that every evening every week surplus food (which would otherwise go to waste) is collected from our local Co-op stores in Stokesley and Great Ayton and distributed to local charities and groups for those most in need?
Jenny Earle from the Food Group organises this fantastic work and a rota of volunteers collect and distribute the food.
More volunteers to collect and distribute the surplus food are needed, even if you can only volunteer occasionally this is very useful for back up cover if one of the regular volunteers is unable to collect the food at short notice. Email us if you can spare an hour every now and then.
Nature / Environment – monthly zoom meetings, please contact if you would like to join
The Nature / Environment group have been busy this month preparing events and displays for the Great Big Green Week, highlighted above.
Let it bloom June
No Mow May locally appears to have been a great success with many areas in our local villages – both council managed and privately owned – being left unmown with a huge increase in diversity of plant species and invertebrate life. Surveys are ongoing locally to capture this data.
Plantlife, the organisation which promotes No Mow May has suggestions for continuing this diversity and for sustainably managing vegetation to provide a vital sanctuary for wildlife during hot summers and cold winters. (https://www.plantlife.org.uk/let-it-bloom-june-no-mow-may-is-over-whats-next/)
Waste – monthly zoom meetings, please contact if you would like to join
Stokesley and Villages Repair Cafes
Our latest Repair Cafe on 20th May was particularly memorable – have a look here (film courtesy of Joy Smith) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBCxmqqu1tA,
We had some outstanding, never-before repairs! These included:
The three legged horse – at a previous Repair Cafe one visitor brought along a real conundrum, a china horse with one leg missing. Our ceramics expert Mike Foster rose to the challenge and actually crafted a whole new leg from epoxy resin which was indistinguishable from the other three legs. Mike reunited the now much more ‘stable’ horse with his delighted owner at May’s cafe. No rest for magic Mike though, he tackled another ‘leggy problem for another visitor who brought along a three legged china dog!
The seatless chair – again, at a previous Repair Cafe another visitor brought cane woven seated chair where the caning had completely collapsed. Sewing supremo Katy Parkinson revealed a secret talent for expert caning and completely and beautifully restored the chair which was reunited with its delighted owner at May’s cafe.
The crotchless wedding trousers – whilst the Repair Cafe was in full swing there was a wedding about to start just across the beck. One of the groomsmen discovered that the crotch had split in his smart suit trousers but one of the wedding party had heard about the Repair Cafe and quickly sent him in our direction. Sewing goddess Lorna Kessel didn’t bat an eyelid as she restored the gentleman’s wedding finery to full working order and he got back to the church on time!
As always, a great big green thank you to all of you who continue to make our Repair Cafes such a success – repair experts, reception and refreshment volunteers and of course all of you who bring along your household items in need of repair.
Our next two Repair Cafes take place on Saturday 10th June Stokesley Globe Community Library 10-12 as part of the Great Big Green Week and then 15th July at Swainby Village Hall 10-12.
This now monthly event alternates between Swainby and Stokesley and continues to be well attended with 100s of household items repaired / returned to functional use which might have otherwise gone to waste in landfill or incineration, saving the owners the cost of buying replacements as well as reducing the environmental impact of using up resources and the energy in manufacturing.
The Repair Cafes gives us a great opportunity to share the climate action message with people who aren’t aware of CASAV and many have signed up to our mailing list, joined us on Facebook and volunteered for future Repair Cafes.
Remember, bring your household items in need of repair e.g. electrical appliances, mechanical equipment, furniture, clothing, crockery, laptops, smartphones, etc – to the Repair Cafe and extend the life of your items, learn repair skills, prevent landfill waste and help fight climate change!
We are always on the lookout for more volunteers so please get in touch if you are interested or want more information.
Further details here on our website.
Upcycling Day Challenge 24th June
To mark Global Upcycling Day on June 24th Anne Mannix has organised an ‘Upcycling Challenge’ competition for individuals and groups to design the most inventive way of repurposing items and materials into something useful which would have otherwise gone to recycling or to waste. There are a number of categories, including most imaginative and most practical across different age ranges and the winners will receive prizes!
Recycling is the process of destroying waste and repurposing it to make something new from it, e.g. scrap metal is melted, processed, and then used to make a new item which is useful but still requires energy which contributes to climate change. Upcycling is more climate friendly in that it uses waste in its current state to create something new, such as a flower vase made from an empty bottle of wine. The benefit of upcycling is that you can give a raw material a second life without spending a lot of money on recycling, and you can also meet a current need with what you make.
Closing date 24th June!
Refill Day 16th June – reducing use of single use plastics
16th June is World Refill Day https://www.refill.org.uk/world-refill-day/ so a good time to remind you about how you can reduce single use plastics locally using the Refill App.
The Refill App (https://www.refill.org.uk/) allows you tap into a global network of places to reduce, reuse and refill containers for drinks, food and household cleaning substances as well as getting free tap water for your reusable bottle. Anne Mannix and other CASAV members have been out and about encouraging local businesses to sign up to the refill scheme and appear on the app and there are now almost 20 locations where you can refill your own containers, saving packaging and costs.
If you know any local businesses which would like to join the scheme, please get in touch.
Energy
Community Energy Fortnight 10-23rd June
Community Energy Fortnight (CEF) is a nationwide campaign reaching thousands of people and involving hundreds of organisations and it is a great opportunity to show what community energy is all about. It will also focus on skill-sharing within the sector.
https://communityenergyengland.org/pages/community-energy-fortnight
Notice of our CASaV AGM – Tuesday 18th July, 7:30pm
We will be holding our AGM in The Globe Community Library, Stokesley on Tuesday 18th July, starting at 7:30pm. So that our membership year matches our financial year, all those who paid their £1 membership fee from February 2022 until 30th June 2023 will be entitled to vote at the AGM. The membership year will then run from 1st July until 30th June of the following year.
The focus for our AGM this year will be exploring baseline data to help measure the impact of our activity and identify future activity.
Signing off
If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on next month’s update please email Kate at kategibbon@googlemail.com by the end of June.
Kate will also be helping promote activities via Facebook and Instagram so let her know if there is anything that you would like shared via our Facebook group or Instagram page if you are not a Facebook / Instagram user.
Hope to see you at the CASaV whole group monthly meeting on Tuesday 20th June following the marine life talk.
Kate Gibbon,
on behalf of the Climate Action Stokesley and Villages Steering Group Steering group:
Bridget Holmstrom, Caryn Loftus, Jack Turton, Ron Kirk and Simon Gibbon
Climate Action Stokesley and Villages 