Welcome to July’s Update from Climate Action Stokesley & Villages
Supporting local action for a sustainable, greener and more resilient Stokesley & surrounding villages
July 30th is the day of Earth Overshoot, when the combined global demand for ecological resources in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year (in the UK alone that date was already reached in May) so our focus this month is on activities & sharing information about how we can all act together to live more sustainably, conserve the earth’s limited resources and protect nature.
Diary 1: CASaV / local (details below in newsletter or follow links)
Tuesday 21/7 19.00 Annual General Meeting & pooled supper at Stokesley Community Library
Saturday 4/7 & Sunday 5/7 11.00 – 16.00 Combined Regional Repair Cafe at the Festival of Thrift, The Bothy, Kirkleatham Walled Garden
Saturday 4/7 13.00 – 17.00 Osmotherley ECO group fundraising Bric a Brac stall at Osmotherley Summer Games
Wednesday 8/7 19.30 Osmotherley ECO group meeting at the Golden Lion, Osmotherley
Wednesday 8/7 19.00 – 20.30 People’s Emergency Briefing film screening by Climate Action Northallerton, Zion United Reform Church – in case you missed our CASaV screening in June or want to see it again, info & join waiting list for free tickets here
Saturday 11/7 10.00 – 16.00 Community Climate Conference – organised by North Yorkshire Climate Coalition, York FOE & Village Green – a day of speakers & workshops to share ideas and address the climate crisis with community groups across York & North Yorkshire, info & book free tickets here
Monday 13/7 17.00 – 19.00 Stokesley Mending Circle, Stokesley Town Hall
Tuesday 14/7 13.30 – 15.30 Yatton House Community Garden Working Party by Brighten Up Great Ayton
Tuesday 14/7 19.00 Rethinking Resources group meeting by zoom
Thursday 16/7 15.00 Nature group meeting Stokesley Community Library
Saturday 18/7 10.00 – 12.00 GBGW Repair (Reuse & Recreate) Cafe with focus on travel, outdoor fun & games, Swainby Village Hall & 13.00 onwards volunteers summer lunch
Looking ahead to August – save the date!
Saturday 29/8 Bilsdale Agricultural show Climate Action information & engagement stall (volunteers needed – contact simongibbon)
2: Regional, National & Global (follow links)
Plastic Free July https://www.plasticfreejuly.org
4/7 – 10/7 UK Net Zero Week https://www.netzeroweek.com/
17/7 – 9/8 Big Butterfly Count https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/
25/7 – 9/8 UK Wildlife Trusts National Marine Week https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/national-marine-
30/7 Earth Overshoot Day https://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org/about/– marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year (see also this month’s Darlington & Stockton Times CASaV Climate Column published Friday 17/7)
Newsletter
Tuesday 21/7 19.00 – 21.00 Whole group Annual General Meeting with pooled supper, Stokesley Community Library
Everyone is welcome to our AGM whether you are a formal member, a supporter or just interested to hear more about our work. We will start the evening with the formal AGM over a pooled supper. This will be followed by an opportunity to hear about the work of Cllr David Hugill in his role as Climate Champion for North Yorkshire Councillors. Please bring something to share for the supper. Members will receive their AGM papers in early July.
Saturday 4/7 & Sunday 5/7 11.00 – 16.00 Combined Regional Repair Cafe at the Festival of Thrift, The Bothy, Kirkleatham Walled Garden
Our local Repair Cafes from Stokesley & Villages, Saltburn, Middlesbrough, Northalleton, Richmond & Thirsk are joining together to provide a special festival edition at the renowned Festival of Thrift. We will be based in the Bothy Gallery at the Kirkleatham Walled Garden and will be fixing your household items including clothing & textiles, small electrical appliances (like toasters & hairdriers), electronic devices (phones & laptops), jewellery & ceramics, small wooden items (NB sorry no clocks or blade sharpening – come to our regular Repair Cafe in Swainby on 18/7 for those!) for free whilst you wait and learn repair skills. If you have nothing that needs fixing you are warmly welcome to pop in and find out more about how repair is saving the earth’s resources and how to set up your own local Repair Cafe. There will be water on hand to keep you hydrated and other refreshments available at the neighbouring Walled Garden Cafe.
Volunteer repairers and welcoming team members are still needed – contact simongibbon if you can spare a few hours on either day.
Saturday 4/7 13.00 – 17.00 ECO (Environment Climate Osmotherley) fundraising bric-a-brac stall, at Osmotherley Summer Games
The ECO (Environment Climate Osmotherley) Group is raising funds for their environmental work with a bric-a-brac stall at the Osmotherley Games. Pop in to pick up a bargain, save waste and protect resources in a good cause!
Monday 13/7 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 as extending a garment’s life by just nine months can lower its carbon, water, and waste footprints by 20–30%.
Jane & Jo, who run the Mending Circle, held another of their successful & popular Clothes Swap events in June, enabling our local community to refresh their wardrobes and whilst saving the earth’s precious resources.
Tuesday 14/7 13.30 – 15.30 Yatton House Community Garden Working Party with Brighten Up Great Ayton
Come and see all the summer flowers at Yatton House Community Garden in all their glory and help keep the garden looking beautiful at our monthly garden working party organised by Brighten Up Great Ayton. A friendly welcome to all.
Community gardens combat climate change by reducing food miles, sequestering carbon and mitigating the urban heat island effect. They also divert organic waste from landfills through composting and foster local, climate-resilient food systems while acting as educational hubs for sustainable living.
Saturday 18/7 10.00 – 12.00 Swainby Village Hall Repair (Reuse & Recreate) Cafe with focus on summer leisure time – focus on fixing toys & bikes, give & take outdoor games & travel books, hands-on creating toys & garden ornaments from scrap materials
As always, our friendly pink T-shirted volunteers will be here to fix your beloved household items – electrical appliances, toys & bikes, wooden furniture, clothing & textiles, clocks, glass & ceramics, electronic items including laptops and phones as well as sharpening household & garden blades.
This month we invite you to join in summer fun & games by bringing toys, bikes, outdoor games & travel books you no longer use and taking away items you do want to keep useful items in circulation and out of landfill whilst conserving our planet’s limited resources.
Bring the whole family to enjoy crafting toys and outside ornaments from scrap resources that might otherwise go to waste and relax with delicious home baked cakes and drinks. Everything is free although donations to cover costs are welcome.
This is a great opportunity to meet with friendly, like minded people and learn new repair as well as crafting skills. New volunteers are always welcome – come along, have a cuppa and a chat or email Simon Gibbon. If you are not sure come and / or bring an item to be repaired to get a feel for the Repair Cafe.
News, campaigns & subgroup update
People’s Emergency Briefing
Thank you to the 50 people who came to the People’s Emergency Briefing on June 11th in Stokesley.
Here is a link to reflections gathered after our discussions following the screening and also a sample of research showing the percentage of people that are concerned/want further action on climate change as a figure was quoted in the film. We will share the reflections, and those of the screening planned by Northallerton Climate Action on Wednesday 8th July, with our MP Rishi Sunak and also arrange to meet him.
The National Emergency Briefing website has links to the full expert briefings, a map showing other screenings in case you weren’t able to make it, information on setting up a screening and how to contact your MP to ask for a national briefing on the climate and nature crisis. There is also a document with the key points of all the expert briefings.
The government has responded to Chris Packham’s petition for a televised emergency briefing – as required when signatories pass 10,000. The organisers of the People’s Emergency Briefing film have issued a statement about the response: https://www.nebriefing.org/petition-response If you haven’t already signed the petition, please do – and help us reach 100,000 to secure a parliamentary debate. Link to petition https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767687
Bird Song walk by Brigten Up Great Ayton
There was a great turnout for our annual walk round Great Ayton’s Floodplain Meadow with 30 people coming to learn how to identify birds from their song. The theme this year was ‘bird song’ to tie in with BTO’s Birds in Greenspaces project.
A big thank you to Ali McGee from Teesmouth Bird Club who helped us explore bird song e.g. the difference between a Blackbird and a Black Cap, both of which we heard during the walk.
We all went away with a better understanding of what to listen out for and how best to use the app ‘Merlin’. The photo shows people using both their ears and the app.
Butterflies
You may have noticed a lot of Painted Lady butterflies following the hot spell in June. Here is a photo taken by group member Geoff Jaques. Martin Partridge, Yorkshire Branch Chair Butterfly Conservation, shared a link ( Poster_Cardui_EN.pdf ) to this beautiful poster from Catalan showing the amazing journey the butterflies take. We have recently added some Bird’s-foot Trefoil plants grown by a member of Friends of Great Ayton Station from seed provided by the North York Moors National Park, to Great Ayton Station Wild Space and the Great Ayton Floodplain meadow. This is the food plant of the Common Blue butterfly.
If you want to find out more about our local butterflies there are useful links on our Butterflies page. Please take part in the Big Butterfly Count 17th July – 9th August
Ideas & news from the groups: Rethinking Resources (Not the Time to Waste) including Repair (Reuse & Recreate) Cafe
This subgroup focuses on rethinking resources: rethinking & reducing consumption; repairing, repurposing and recycling materials that might otherwise go to landfill or incineration. Please join us at this month’s zoom meeting on Tuesday 14/7 19.00 – 20.30: contact email Simon Gibbon for a zoom link
Second life for unwanted stuff!
The average household possesses a staggering amount of unused items, with studies estimating that between 20 and 80% of items in homes are never or rarely used, whilst due to the cost of living crisis more and more families are struggling to afford basic household necessities. Since January this year our successful monthly Repair Cafes have included opportunities to reuse unwanted household items and recreate with resources which might otherwise go to waste, giving them a second life. Items are given freely and all go to good homes where they put back into use. In January surplus craft supplies were recirculated, in March & April dozens of items of gardening equipment & books were brought in and snapped up by keen gardeners. May’s theme was cookery & the kitchen with free tomato plants given away (thanks Pete!) and dozens of kitchen items including recipe books finding new homes and all remaining items going to a bric-a-brac stall to fund a young person’s DoE trip. This month and next we are doing the same for toys, bikes, outside games & travel books and in August and September we will have a ‘Back to School / College / Office’ special to reuse unwanted folders, plastic wallets, stationery, office supplies and text books. Moving into the autumn we have been asked to have a crafting materials ‘swap shop’ including fabric, yarn, arts materials and woodworking materials. We would love to hear from you about other categories of household items and resources we can give a second life to, please email kate@casav.uk
Local recycling / repurposing collections
Medication blister packs – collection boxes now at the Discovery Centre, Great Ayton and restarting early July at Stokesley Community Library which are taken for recycling at Boots stores in Northallerton and Guisborough (or better still use the recycling points in these Boots stores directly).
Since restarting the collection box in Stokesley Community Library last November our group has ensured that nearly fifty standard bin bags full of blister packs have now been saved from waste.
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 the Discovery Centre, Great Ayton and 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 meeting Thursday 16/7 15.00 at Stokesley Community Library, Stokesley. Contact Bridget Holmstrom for more information.
Himalayan Balsam Management
This project has been set up to control the invasive species Himalayan balsam which is destroying biodiversity on the river Leven and tributaries from its source in Kildale to Crathorne. People are already working to reduce the extent of balsam on the river but there are significant areas of balsam for example between Great Ayton and Stokesley that need to be worked on.
Himalayan balsam removal training
We held a training session on the Leven near Great Ayton, about 9 people attended. The session was led by Kennedy Page, INNS volunteer co-ordinator from the Tees Rivers Trust.
The reasons for managing balsam are firstly because the balsam outcompetes native plants for space, light, moisture and nutrients . Rapid growth early in the season leads to dense, tall stands of Himalayan balsam that crowd out other plants and reduce species diversity. Secondly balsam often colonises the banks of rivers, streams and ditches. Its shallow roots and annual growth habit do little to stabilise the soil along banks, leading to habitat alteration and degradation.
We were shown how to pull the balsam from the ground, it comes out very easily, snap the stem below the first node, snap it again and then add to the pile on the ground. For good measure, and to finally prevent regrowth, it helps to stamp on the pile.
Important points to remember
- If the balsam does not come out easily then it probably is not balsam.
- Balsam is often found near nettles so it is important to wear long trousers, long sleeved shirts and gloves.
- It is important to snap the stem below the first node as balsam can take root again if this is not done.
- Balsam should not generally be removed from site as it is considered to be ‘controlled waste’. It should not be put in the council green waste bin, household waste or on a compost heap.
- Balsam should not be managed when it has gone to seed as the seeds can be carried out on clothing and even in your hair.
We are planning to run a couple of group events during July and if you would like to take part please contact us on balsam@casav.uk.
Whilst surveying suitable locations for the balsam training, we found a single giant hogweed. The group were guided to the plant and the main identifying features pointed out. It is very easy to identify when full grown as it is significantly larger than any other plants. It is less easy to identify when small and can be confused with common hogweed. An important identifying feature is the purple blotching on the stem.
If you see anything that you think is giant hogweed on the Leven or tributaries then contact the INNS team at the Tees River Trust, kennedy@teesriverstrust.org. Please provide a grid reference or what 3 words to give an accurate location. It is also very helpful to provide a couple of photographs. Under no circumstances should the giant hogweed be handled as it can lead to severe photodermatitis, with symptoms including burning, blistering, pigmentation and long-lasting scarring. See the link below for more information.
https://www.teesriverstrust.org/tophog
Cod Beck Project 2026
The Nature Group is working on a larger project at the Cod Beck Reservoir and events held throughout 2026 may include bat walks, butterfly and moth walks, and fungus forays. We will be giving a training session on using the iNaturalist app with the help of representatives from the wider Cod Beck Discovery Project. More details will be given on Facebook and through the Balsam group. If you want to find out more please contact codbeck@casav.uk
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 on zoom, next meeting online will in July, date TBC contact Wendy Smith for more information.
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.
Growing your own – good for you and the planet
Growing your own not only benefits you physically, it’s also good for your mental health too, read more here why-gardening-is-good-for-your-mental-health
Wendy continues to stock the Seed Share at Stokesley Community Library – pop in to pick up free flower and vegetable seeds. There is also a Seed Share / Swap at the Discovery Centre, Great Ayton. Still time to sow directing into the ground but water well!
Wendy’s grow your own tip of the month: When your broad beans seem to have reached their natural height, pinch out the tops to prevent black beetle, but then steam the tops as a delicious vegetable. If you have more than 2 broad bean pods in a cluster, you can thin to 2 and eat the thinnings whole like runner beans.
Our green fingered friends at Sow Northern also arrange seed swaps across the area so find one near you now! sownorthern.co.uk/seed-swap
Beans is How
Beans is How is an campaign to double the global consumption of beans (as well as peas, lentils and other pulses) by 2028. A coalition of over 140+ diverse partner organisations across 70+ countries, ‘Beans is How’ is using the power of collective action, to amplify and make visible the importance of beans as a simple, affordable solution to our global health, climate and cost of living challenges. beans-is-how/
Warming in the colder months, beans also make super summer salad dishes such as this delicious grilled radishes with royal corona beans (uses up radish tops too which are often disgarded)
grilled-radishes-with-radish-top-mint-dill-sauce-royal-corona-beans/
Ideas & news from the groups: Energy
This subgroup focuses on using sustainable energy sources & energy saving in the home
Help Us warm Up Our Community!
Do you have an eye for detail and a passion for planet-friendly living? Climate Action Stokesley and Villages (CASaV) is launching an exciting new project to help our community beat the chill and lower their energy bills. We are planning to apply for a National Lottery “Awards for All” grant to fund a thermal imaging camera, allowing us to show residents exactly where their homes are leaking heat. By identifying these “cold spots,” we can provide practical advice on making local homes cosier, cheaper to run, and much greener.
Before we hit “send” on our grant application, we need you!
We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join our Energy sub-group to help coordinate and carry out these surveys. You don’t need to be an energy expert or a tech wizard—we are going to be learning from other areas’ local groups, who will provide all the training you need to use the camera and interpret the results. Whether you can spare a few hours a month to visit homes or prefer to help with the behind-the-scenes organising, your contribution will make a tangible difference in our community’s fight against climate change. If you can help please email energy@casav.uk
Powering Stokesley and Villages: Now is the Time for Community Energy!
Recently, CASaV attended the “Seeing is Believing” community energy event hosted by the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub. The event brought together experts and local groups to showcase how ordinary communities are taking control of their local energy systems—and the main takeaway is that there has never been a better time for us to launch our own local energy initiatives.
Why Now? The national momentum behind community energy is growing at an unprecedented rate. Through the recently announced Local Power Plan, the government has pledged £1 billion to support over 1,000 local and community energy projects. Additionally, there is now an abundance of tailored support, one-to-one expert surgeries, and grant funding specifically designed to help community groups get their ideas off the ground.
Successfully setting up community energy projects allows us to generate clean, renewable power, but it also does so much more. It keeps financial benefits circulating within our local economy, builds community resilience, and significantly lowers energy bills for vital community buildings.
What Are Our Next Steps? We already have great local ambitions. We want to acquire thermal imaging cameras to help residents identify heat loss in their homes, and we are eager to get solar panels installed on the roofs of our local schools. While we have faced some roadblocks in the past—such as navigating school trusts and Church of England approvals—the event opened new doors. We have connections to specialised net-zero officers and successful sustainability groups from nearby areas who are ready to help us break through these specific barriers.
The key lesson from the event is that we don’t need to start with anything big. Other highly successful community groups started with something as small as two solar panels on an allotment. Starting small builds confidence, allows us to test our ideas, and proves to future funders that we can deliver.
Get Involved! We are looking for enthusiastic community members to help us turn these energy ideas into reality. Whether you have professional experience in planning or finance, a bit of spare time to help with community engagement, or simply a passion for making Stokesley and our villages greener and more resilient, we need you.
Let’s harness this momentum together. Please get in touch with CASaV today to find out how you can get involved in shaping our local energy future! energy@casav.uk
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.
The next Osmotherley Environment Group meeting is Wednesday 8th July 7.30pm in the Golden Lion, Osmotherley.
Also the group are running a fund raising Bric-a-brac stall atOsmotherley Summer Games – Saturday 4th July 1-5pm. Contact Becci Wright for more information
Signing off
If you have any content, news or any event / activity you would like promoting on next month’s (August’s) update please email Kate Gibbon no later than Sunday 19/7
Hope to see you at the AGM Tuesday 21/7 19.00 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