Welcome to December’s Update from Climate Action Stokesley & Villages
Supporting local action for a sustainable, greener and more resilient Stokesley & surrounding villages.
December brings a flurry of festive events and convivial gatherings for you with nature and sustainability in mind – eco / upcycled crafting, Christmas jumper swaps, sustainably seasonal market stall, our eco tree on display, monthly Repair Cafe and our whole group festive gathering plus we look ahead to a revitalising nature walk on New Year’s Day. We wish you all a joyous time!
Diary 1: CASaV / local (details below in newsletter)
Tuesday 16/12 19.30 Whole group Christmas gathering with shared festive nibbles & mulled wine at Stokesley Community Library
Monday 1/12 – 22/12 Xmas Xchange at Stokesley Community Library & Discovery Centre, Great Ayton
Tuesday 2/12 15.30 – 17.00 Eco / upcycled Christmas crafting workshop, Stokesley Community Library
Wednesday 3/12 (last day to comment) York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority Retrofit Strategy consultation
Friday 5/12 8.30 – 13.00 Sustainable Christmas & Eco living stall at Stokesley market
Saturday 6/12 12.00 – 14.00 Opening of the Stokesley Christmas Tree Festival featuring the CASaV ‘Nature & Sustainability’ tree, Stokesley Parish Church
Monday 8/12 17.00 – 19.00 Stokesley Mending Circle, Stokesley Town Hall
Tuesday 9/12 13.30 – 15.00 Yatton House Community Garden Working Party
Tuesday 9/12 19.00 – 20.30 Waste & circularity group meeting by zoom
Saturday 13/12 10.00 – 12.00 Christmas Repair Cafe with festive refreshments, Stokesley Community Library
Thursday 18/12 15.00 Nature group meeting with mince pies & sherry, face to face at Stokesley Community Library
Heads up for 2026
Thursday 1/1 10.30 – 12.30 New Year’s day nature walk & bloom hunt, Cod Beck main car park
Thursday 14/1 19.00 Himalayan balsam Group meeting, Stokesley Town Hall
Tuesday 20/1 19.30 Talk on Flood Resilience by Frayer Fletcher from the Environment Agency & short monthly CASaV meeting, Stokesley Community Library
Saturday 24/1 14.00 – 16.00 Stokesley Clothes Swap, Stokesley School
Diary 2: Regional, National & Global (follow links)
Friday 5/12 World Soil Day world-soil-day
Saturday 6 – Sunday 7/12 Yorkshire Robin Festival robin-festival
Friends of the Earth: this month’s news
CASaV is part of the Friends of the Earth local action network so we aim to share important updates and campaign information.
Local environmental data: “Friends of the Earth have built a new tool that gives you extensive details on environmental issues – including flood risk, air pollution and sewage leaks – for every constituency, local and mayoral authority in England. As well as highlighting risks, it tracks how environmental matters show up in our daily lives – from access to green space and transport use to public attitudes on renewable energy. local-data-tool
Government Climate Plan published: The government has just produced a new climate plan which it was legally obliged to do following the High Court ruling that the previous climate plan, produced under the previous government, was not fit for purpose. Friends of the Earth and others successfully took the previous government’s climate plans to Court because they just weren’t good enough and didn’t meet the requirements of the UK’s Climate Change Act. This new climate plan – officially called the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan – is stronger on carbon reduction delivery and stronger on making life much better for people with lower bills, cleaner air, warmer homes, etc. But the new climate plan is far from risk free, particularly with overly optimistic expectations for new technology. And even though it is fairer than previous plans, it still falls short of what it could do to address deep inequalities in the UK. And for the UK to do its fair share globally it should be aiming at deeper emissions cuts.”
Tuesday 16/12 19.30 Whole group gathering with shared festive fare at Stokesley Community Library
All are welcome to a pooled festive buffet with mulled wine. No formal meeting, just a chance to reflect on and celebrate our year of eco action and look ahead to the next.
Bring along something sweet or savoury to share, mulled drinks will be provided.
Now until 23.59 3/12 York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority Retrofit Strategy consultation
York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority wants your views on its draft Retrofit Strategy, which is about reducing
fuel bills and making homes more comfortable through energy-efficient technology.
You can find out more about the strategy and have your say on the combined authority website (the consultation closes at 11.59pm on 3 December). retrofit-strategy/
Now – 23/12 Xmas Xchange at Stokesley Community Library & Discovery Centre, Great Ayton
Research shows that we spend around £220 million on Christmas jumpers each year in the UK and at least a quarter of those are only worn once and will end up in landfill. This year aim to avoid this unnecessary waste, wear what you already own or bring last year’s jumper & accessories to our collection points at Stokesley & Great Ayton Community Libraries November’s Repair Cafe where you may pick up something new to you all for free or a donation to your local library would be welcome. On Thursday 11th December it is Save The Children’s Christmas Jumper Day so why not pick up a new to you jumper and donate the cost of the one you might have bought to this important cause. Any jumpers remaining just before Christmas will be donated to charities supporting vulnerable local people.
Tuesday 2/12 15.30 – 17.00 Eco / upcycled Christmas crafting workshop, Stokesley Community Library
Love decorating your home for Christmas but hate the waste and the cost? Want to learn new crafting skills to make memorable sustainable decorations for years to come? Come along to our crafting workshop where all materials and tuition are provided for FREE (donations to the library welcome). Suitable for all ages and skill levels (under 12s must be accompanied by an adult). We will be creating with resources that might otherwise have gone to waste like old library books and natural items like pine cones, transforming them into unique Christmas decorations and ornaments like stars, angels, jolly gnomes and light catchers.
Friday 5/12 8.30 – 13.00 Sustainable Christmas & Eco living stall at Stokesley market
It’s time again for our Seasonally Sustainable Stall! Come along to pick up your early Christmas gift of a FREE upcycled draught excluder to keep you cosy and save energy costs, be inspired by our waste free wrapping and home decorations (make one to take home!), chat to our festive recycling expert on how to reduce waste, leaflets available on seasonal cooking & cutting energy bills and talk to us on how we can all take steps to live more sustainably and protect nature this Christmas and the coming year.
Saturday 6/12 12.00 – 14.00 Opening of the Stokesley Christmas Tree Festival featuring the CASaV ‘Nature & Sustainability’ tree, Stokesley Parish Church
The Stokesley Christmas Tree Festival will open on Saturday 6th December and continue through December,
celebrating dozens of community organisations. This year, as well as our upcycled sustainable decorations, the CASaV tree is focused on nature and fighting biodiversity loss. Bridget’s heirloom artificial tree is going beautifully strong and having been reused for decades is now much more sustainable than a real tree. Come to view all the creations but most importantly – VOTE FOR OUR TREE!!
Monday 8/12 17.00 – 19.00 Stokesley Mending Circle, Stokesley Town Hall
All are warmly welcome to join the Mending Circle which meets every second Monday early evening. Learn sewing / mending super powers from scratch or get help and inspiration with your current sewing project. Mending clothes has a significant positive climate impact by reducing waste and conserving resources, as extending a garment’s life by just nine months can lower its carbon, water, and waste footprints by 20–30%.
Tuesday 9/12 13.30 – 15.00 Yatton House Community Garden Working Party
The main task will be tidying up the main beds but making sure to leave some places for insects to hibernate in over the winter. Just turn up and join in on the day and enjoy time in a beautiful garden.
Saturday 13/12 10.00 – 12.00 Christmas Repair Cafe with festive refreshments, Stokesley Community Library
Our festive & friendly pink T-shirted volunteers will be here again to fix your household items in time for Christmas! Bring in your electrical appliances (fairy lights, electric blankets?), toys & bikes, blades in need of sharpening (scissors for wrapping duties & carving knives for your Christmas roast?), clothing & textiles (party outfits?), wooden furniture, laptops & mobile phones. Running monthly now for nearly four years, well over 2000 household items have been saved from going to waste by our Repair Cafe – saving our local community the cost of buying new, allowing them to carry on using their cherished items for longer as well as reducing carbon emissions from manufacture & landfill waste or incineration.
Everything is free including this month festive sweet treats and mulled beverages as well as Fair Trade tea and coffee. A great opportunity to meet with friendly, like minded people and learn new repair skills.
November’s Repair Cafe at Swainby was super successful with over 50 people bringing over 70 items to mend, 25 volunteers assisting & refreshing our visitors and fixing their items.
New repair and reception volunteers are always welcome – come along, have a cuppa and a chat or email simongibbon. If you are not sure come and bring an item to be repaired to get a feel for the Repair Cafe.
Thursday 1st January 2026 10.30 – 12.30 New Year’s day nature walk & bloom hunt, Cod Beck main car park
All are invited to a revitalising nature walk on New Year’s Day to learn about local wild flowers with an opportunity to contribute to a regional biodiversity database by recording any plants in bloom. You will be invited to take photos & identify their location (grid references will provided during the walk) and then upload data to add to NEYDC records (North & East Yorkshire Data Centre). Just turn up on the day wearing suitable clothing for the weather and location.
Ideas & news from the groups: Waste & Circularity (including Repair Cafe)
https://casav.uk/waste
This subgroup focuses on reducing waste through circularity: rethinking & reducing consumption; and repairing, repurposing and recycling materials that might otherwise go to landfill or incineration.
Please join us at this month’s zoom meeting on Tuesday 9/12 19.00-21.00: contact email Simon Gibbon for a zoom link
Blankets for Teesside – the knitters delivered!
Our knitting and crochet collective have been busy over the last few months using up yarn which would otherwise have gone to waste to make blanket squares for local vulnerable people who are without secure accommodation. They completed four beautiful & cosy blankets and delivered these to the Redcar Palace collecting point where they were treated to a personal tour of the arts centre by the head curator.
Our next project is creating special ambulance packs of premature baby clothing with repurposed baby wool.
Local recycling / repurposing collections
Medication blister packs – collection boxes now at Stokesley Community Library & the Discovery Centre, Great Ayton collected for recycling at Boots
Plastic milk bottle tops – Rea Funeral services, Stokelsey, raises funds for cancer research
Spectacles – Cooper & Barr, Stokesley collects unwanted spectacles to repurpose for good causes
Bras – donate usuable condition bras to raise funds for breast cancer research, collection boxes at Hutton Rudby GP Surgery as well as Mowbray House Surgery, Northallerton
Used postage stamps, used but clean aluminium foil, children’s wellies, good condition underwear – all being collected locally for good causes contact Louise
Small electrical appliances – the Mind charity shop, Stokesley collects these for sale after safety testing
Ideas & news from the groups: Nature Group
This subgroup focuses on discovering more about and supporting biodiversity and our living environment. Face to face festive meeting with mince pies and sherry Thursday 18th December 15.00 at the Globe Library, Stokesley. Contact Bridget Holmstrom for more information.
Thursday 14/1/26 time 19.00 Himalayan balsam group meeting, Stokesley Town Hall
Following the interesting talk on invasive species at November’s whole group meeting, a group has been formed of those interested in managing Himalayan Balsam which has been reducing local biodiversity. The group’s first meeting will make plans for the year ahead including identifying areas along the river Leven and elsewhere where volunteers can use a range of strategies for reducing the impact of this invasive species. If you would like more information or to join the group please email Bridget.
Ideas & news from the groups: Food Group
This subgroup focuses on food & its impact on climate change – from growing your own and eating seasonally to reducing food going to waste. Meetings held bimonthly, next meeting online January, date tbc contact Wendy Smith for a link to join
Festive (and sustainable) food gifts
Many people say they want to gift more sustainably this year and homemade edible gifts could be the answer.
Recipes for sweets, truffles, biscuits, jams and chutneys, to homemade booze and cooking kits here: edible-gift-recipes
Other ideas for sustainable giving here: https://hubbub.org.uk/actions-and-tips
Foodshare – nightly food redistribution
Foodshare is a joint initiative by the Food and Waste groups and is organised by Jenny. EVERY evening at 9pm a Volunteer collects surplus food from the Ayton Coop and Premier supermarket and both Stokesley Coops and takes it to various distribution centres (often in Middlesbrough) such as Nitelight (for homeless) for use/distribution to those in need. This is fresh food such as fruit, veg and bread, NOT tins and dried food that are needed by Food Banks. Our group collects 40-60 kilos of food every day with a value of approx £250, worth £78,000 every year.
What can I do now? Jenny is always keen to recruit more volunteers to support the foodshare so if you feel this is something with which you could help, please contact Jenny here Jenny Earle.
Ideas & news from the groups: Travel
This subgroup focuses on low carbon travel solutions
Suggest locations for electric vehicle charging points
Do you know a good spot for an on-street electric vehicle charger? If so, North Yorkshire Council wants to hear from you. You can submit your suggestion through their request tool (below) and they’ll consider it when planning future installations.
Barry Warrington is following up with the council to see when we should expect the planned EV chargers in Stokesley and Great Ayton to be in operation that were stalled due to the installation company going bust but if you know know of other suitable places please use the council’s request tool: roads-parking-and-travel/electric-vehicle-charging
Ideas & news from the groups: Environment & Climate Osmotherley (ECO) Group
Environment Climate Osmotherley (ECO) meets regularly and holds events which raise awareness and address local environmental issues such as becoming a Dark Skies Village and increasing local biodiversity.
Contact Becci Wright for more information
Signing off
If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on next month’s (January’s) update please email Kate Gibbon by Sunday 28th December
Hope to see you at the whole group festive gathering Tuesday 16/12 19.30 at Stokesley Community Library
Kate Gibbon,
on behalf of the Climate Action Stokesley and Villages Steering Group Steering group:
Bridget Holmstrom, Caryn Loftus, Ron Kirk, Barry Warrington, Helen Almond, Simon Gibbon
Climate Action Stokesley and Villages 