Everyone was welcome to our monthly whole group meeting in the relaxed surroundings of the Globe Library, Stokesley, 7:30pm. The garden / allotment produce sharing table at the library was available again so we encourage people with a glut of veg or fruit to share, to bring these along or to help yourself to the fresh, local produce. We had a talk from employees of Labman about their allotment initiative and heard updates from the subgroups and plans for activities for the autumn and beyond.
1. Welcome and Introductions The group welcomed attendees, noting it was good to see everyone despite it being August.
2. Growing Food Initiatives The initial focus of the meeting was on growing food as a sustainable practice.
• Labman Allotments: Joanna reminded the group about the Labman allotments, and Olivia provided an introduction to Labman.
◦ Labman is an engineering company based in Stokesley with nearly 200 employees, specialising in custom automation for various industries (biologics, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, …).
◦ Joanna recently joined the steering group, aiming to increase the company’s involvement with Climate Action Stokesley and Villages.
◦ Sustainability and community engagement are strong elements of Labman’s culture. They implement extensive recycling, reuse packaging, and have built efficient HVAC systems.
◦ Labman has allotments and fruit trees on site, promoting staff wellness through growing food. Produce is shared among staff, from directors to cleaners.
◦ They are developing a new pond for water collection due to recent flooding concerns.
◦ Labman encourages staff to reduce food miles by growing their own food.
• Individual Growing Stories: Members shared their experiences.
◦ One member discussed difficulties with planting figs and the need to cut back overgrown plants.
◦ Another member, mentioned their success with perennials, specifically spiky plants, which are doing well this year.
◦ The likely loss of allotments in Great Ayton was lamented, highlighting the scarcity of allotments in the local area.
3. Upcoming Activities and Volunteer Needs The group reviewed upcoming events and the need for volunteers.
• Show Stalls:
◦ Billsdale Show: Scheduled for 30th August. Volunteers have come forward, but more are always welcome. The primary goal at these events is to engage with people and change opinions.
◦ Kildale Show: Scheduled for 6th September. Similar to Billsdale, volunteers are needed.
◦ The Billsdale Show now includes an environmental statement, stating a commitment to “tread as lightly as we can”.
◦ Stokesley Show: The group was previously refused a stall, possibly due to their waste/recycling message conflicting with the show’s waste contract. The group is reliant on a committee member to champion their involvement in such events.
◦ Action: Members were encouraged to suggest items for the stall.
• Community Action Day: Taking place on 5th September. This event will focus on providing information (e.g., energy saving, plant/food releases) rather than active campaigning. Discussion is welcome, but it is not deemed an appropriate venue for campaigns like “Profit Over Planet”.
• Summer in the Square: Scheduled for 13th September in the Town Hall square (between the toilets and town hall). Barry’s music group will be performing.
◦ The group plans to support the event by bringing climate games, such as a recycling game and a plant game.
◦ Action: Volunteers are needed to help with this event.
• Festival of Thrift: Taking place on 20th and 21st September in Billingham Town Centre.
◦ Middlesbrough Repair Cafe will likely be running an event there.
◦ Saltburn Repair Cafe is organising a lunchtime meet-up for repair cafe volunteers on the Town Green at 12:00.
• Repair Cafes: Scheduled for 20th September in Swain and 11th October locally.
4. Campaigns and Communication
• Friends of the Earth Affiliation: The group is supported by, but not formally a Friends of the Earth group, as it was initially felt the FoE name might “scare the horses”. The term “action” in the group’s name is now ironically considered “dangerous”.
• “Profit Over Planet” Campaign: Helen and Joanna were involved in this neutral campaign from Friends of the Earth, which advocates against deforestation for oil palms.
◦ Campaigning in the library led to a complaint from someone who feared receiving a letter from Rishi Sunak.
◦ Action: The importance of circulating emails more widely to inform members of activities was highlighted.
◦ It was noted that mixing campaigning issues with activities like Repair Cafes can be difficult.
5. Environmental Issues: Waste and Nature
• Nature Recovery Strategy: The strategy is not very active, and there is concern about the lack of baseline data for the audit process, which is supposed to happen every three years.
• River Waste: A discussion on the amount of waste in rivers and its potential impact on wildlife, such as seals in the Tees, took place.
◦ The effectiveness of international conventions and national regulations was questioned, noting compromises at each stage that dilute scientific logic.
• Allerton Park Incinerator: This remains an ongoing concern.
◦ Green councillors from North Yorkshire highlighted that the incinerator has breached its environmental permits 69 times over four years.
◦ It was also fined for not meeting its recycling rate target (aiming for 3%, achieving around 1%).
◦ There was a discussion regarding whether the incinerator stops operations immediately when a breach occurs and its capacity to cope with waste backups.
◦ The need to focus on waste reduction rather than relying on incineration was stressed.
• New Recycling Bins: The local area will receive an additional bin specifically for glass, replacing the previous method of putting glass in the glass box.
◦ North Yorkshire has a contract with Allerton Waste Park until 2043 that includes food waste for biogas, meaning local residents will not be getting food waste collection bins. This is seen as a “slightly bizarre” dispensation.
◦ Action: Members were encouraged to continue campaigning with MPs and councillors for better waste systems that go beyond mere revenue streams.
• Soft Plastics: Supermarkets are increasingly taking back soft plastics for recycling, an example of extended producer responsibility. However, the recycling of polyethylene often results in “downcycling” to lower-value products.
• Recycling at Stalls: The aim at show stalls is to raise awareness about recycling, even if items like dirty pizza boxes cannot be recycled at the event itself, encouraging people to think about their waste.
• Sustainable Banking: Briefly mentioned as an area of interest.
• Politics and Recycling: A comment from a council leader about improving recycling by 7% was discussed, with the sentiment that “politics wins over common sense”. Observations were made that while some local councillors are very knowledgeable about climate change, their actions are often constrained by their perception of the electorate’s views.
6. Transport Initiatives
• Bike Bus: Barry presented an initiative to start a bike bus in Guisborough.
◦ Consideration is being given to 20 mph speed limits in certain areas, with data currently being analysed for suitable spots.
◦ The focus is on one specific school, with a target start date of 19th September. The intention is to gather as many names as possible to present to the school for planning.
◦ This initiative is intended to be parent-led, as schools already have many responsibilities. Parents will volunteer as guides, often making noise and playing music.
◦ The bike bus can boost children’s confidence and conveys a message of sustainability. A classic route from public housing to the primary school is being considered.
◦ The group is making connections with a successful bike bus programme in Glasgow, which has full local authority support and even uses a handheld gadget to change traffic. Glasgow runs webinars and hosted an international meeting of bike buses in Barcelona, indicating its growing popularity.
◦ Action: Gather names for the bike bus initiative by 19th September.
7. Any Other Business
• Apples: A query was raised about what to do with apples. The suggestion was made to take them to an apple press, and there was a firm stance against burning them.
8. Close of Meeting The meeting concluded after 9:00 PM, with a final message against burning, particularly on the moors.
Supporting local action for a sustainable, greener and more resilient Stokesley & surrounding villages.
One great way of making the most of August’s warm days is tending to and harvesting your own grown crops – and also a valuable way of reducing carbon emissions. Allotments enable so many of us to access own grown food and this month Allotment Week celebrates this valuable resource. August’s warm nights are a perfect time to be outside after dark and observe bats and on International Bat Night there are local events which enable you to find out more and how to protect one of our most incredible and endangered species. Late summer / early autumn features agricultural shows like Bilsdale Show where we will have an information stall spreading the word on how we can all play our part in fighting climate change and addressing biodiversity loss.
Diary dates: local events & activities
(details in newsletter)
Tuesday 19th August 19.30 – 21.00 Whole Group Meeting
at the Globe Library, Stokesley
Wednesday 6th August 11.00 – 12.00 Big Butterfly Count All Saints Church, Great Ayton
Saturday 9th August 10.00 – 12.00 Repair Cafe and information stall on local Flood Resilience, Globe Library, Stokesley
Monday 11th August 17.00 – 19.00 Stokesley Mending Circle, Stokesley Town Hall
Tuesday 12th August 13.30 – 15.00 Yatton House Community Garden Working Party, Great Ayton
Tuesday 12th August 19.00 Waste & Circularity Group meeting by zoom (see Waste & Circularity Group section below)
Sunday 17th August 18.00 Foodshare volunteers Summer Supper Topcliffe House, Great Ayton (see Food Group section below)
Saturday 30th August CASaV information & action stall at Bilsdale Agricultural Show
September Events – save the dates!
Saturday 6th September CASaV information & action stall at Kildale Show
Thursday 25th September 19.30 ‘Brink of Extinction’ talk by conservationist Megan McCubbin at Georgian Theatre, Richmond (part of the Richmond Walking & Book Festival 19th – 28th September)
Saturday 27th September 13.00 – 16.00 Stokesley Clothes Swap St Joseph’s Church Hall, Stokesley (see Waste & Circularity Group section below)
Diary dates: regional, national & global events & campaigns
Now until 2026 Friends of the Earth ‘Planet Over Profit’ campaign – local activities
Now until August 10th The Big Butterfly Count – local activities
Now until August 11th North Yorkshire and York Local Nature Recovery Strategy consultation
11th – 17th August National Allotments Week – regional event
30th – 31st August International Bat Night weekend – regional events
Newsletter
Our online newsletter / magazine focuses on our group’s values and purpose, summed up by our motto ‘Think global, act local’, beginning with global / national / regional issues including ways in which you can influence policy, followed by local news and activities you can participate in that develop our relationship with the environment and fight climate change and biodiversity loss.
“Think global”
Friends of the Earth ‘Planet over Profit’ Campaign & webinar 27th August
At a recent CASaV monthly meeting we were joined by Simon Bowens, Friends of the Earth Yorkshire Campaigns Organiser who gave us an overview of the support he can provide to CASaV as a member of the Local Action Group network, the work of Friends of the Earth internationally and the latest campaigns. The campaign that those present were most interested in supporting was Planet Over Profit.
This campaign highlights that UK companies are profiting from supply chains that destroy precious forests worldwide, threaten wildlife, accelerate climate change, and violate the rights of local communities. FOE say we need a new law that requires UK companies to prevent harm to communities and the environment in their supply chains, wherever they operate. A comprehensive Business, Human Rights, and Environment Act would go far beyond the limited protections in existing legislation, requiring companies to actively prevent environmental and human rights abuses, rather than merely reporting on it after the damage is done.
What can I do now: Friends of the Earth local action groups have a critical role to play in the Planet Over Profit campaign. Local action groups like ours are needed to build support for the new law in their communities. There will be petition postcards to write and sign at our whole group meetings, August Repair Cafe and agricultural stalls in August & September
You can also attend a webinar on 27th August via link here:
The Big Butterfly Count is a nationwide citizen science survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and has rapidly become the world’s biggest survey of butterflies. Over 64,000 citizen scientists took part in 2022, submitting 96,257 counts of butterflies and day-flying moths from across the UK. The Big Butterfly Count 2025 is now on until 10th of August.
Counting butterflies can be described as taking the pulse of nature and we depend on you, our citizen scientists, to help us assess how much help nature needs. The data from this and other counts will also help us to identify important trends in species that will assist us in planning how to protect butterflies from extinction, as well as understanding the effect of climate change on wildlife.
What can I do now?
Simply count butterflies for 15 minutes during bright (preferably sunny) weather during the Big Butterfly Count. This time of year has been chosen because most butterflies are at the adult stage of their lifecycle, so more likely to be seen. Records are welcome from anywhere: from parks, school grounds and gardens, to fields and forests.
You can download free identification guides & record your findings here:
You can also join in a group count at All Saints Church, Great Ayton, see below for details and also a report of our Big Butterfly Count group count in July at Great Ayton.
Now until 11th August Local Nature Recovery Strategy Public Consultation
Under the Environment Act 2021, every county in England must produce a Local Nature Recovery Strategy. The strategy is intended to drive nature recovery, along with associated environmental benefits.
North Yorkshire Council is the responsible authority for the preparation of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for North Yorkshire and York. Its main purpose is to identify appropriate actions and suitable locations to enhance existing habitats or create new habitats, where this is most likely to provide the greatest benefits for nature and the wider environment.
There is currently a public consultation which allows you to provide your views on the draft strategy, before it is published towards the end of 2025, but you only have until 11th August to give your views.
If you would like to get your voice heard then do respond to the strategy. Whilst it is a very detailed and informed document, it may be of interest to those who live in the CaSAV area that there seems to be little that the Council is proposing to do in this area. Indeed even the River Leven is given only a passing mention. So even more important that we let the council know nature is hugely important to us here!
Allotments play a positive role in mitigating and adapting to climate change by providing green spaces, promoting sustainable food production, and fostering biodiversity. They can act as nature-based solutions to carbon sequestration and flood risk reduction, and offer recreational opportunities for local communities. On our doorstep we are fortunate to have allotments at Stokesley and Great Ayton although they are so in demand that there are only waiting lists to join if you want to take on an allotment.
What can I do now?
If you are interested in knowing more about allotments the Harrogate & District Allotment Federation will be holding its 64th Annual Allotment Show on 17th August 11.00 – 16.00 at the Sun Pavilion, Valley Gardens, Harrogate
The Show provides an opportunity for plot holders from across the district—Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, and Boroughbridge—to showcase their best vegetables, flowers, baking, and preserves. Charity stalls, craft stalls, a coffee van, produce and plant stalls run by the Federation, a tombola, and a raffle will also be there. More info here: thenas.org.uk/NAW-Yorkshire
International Bat Night weekend 30th – 31st August
Yorkshire Bat Night 30th August Moorlands Nature Reserve
International Bat Night is an annual event celebrating bats and promoting their conservation, held on the last full weekend of August. It’s a time when nature conservation agencies and NGOs organize events like bat walks, workshops, and exhibitions to promote a positive image of bats and raise awareness about their crucial role as pollinators and indicators of biodiversity.
What can I do now?
Locally there will be a Bat Night event at the Moorlands Nature Reserve near Wigginton, York (What3Words control.backhand.rainbow) on Saturday 30th August 20.00 – 21.30 run by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Join their team for a stroll around the Moorlands Nature Reserve on the search for some of the fascinating resident bats and learn more about them including how to use a bat detector. More info here:
Tuesday 19th August Whole Group Meeting 19.30 Globe Library, Stokesley
Everyone is welcome to our monthly whole group meeting in the relaxed surroundings of the Globe Library, Stokesley. The garden / allotment produce sharing table at the library is now available again so if you have a glut of veg or fruit to share, bring these along or help yourself to the fresh, local produce. We hope to have a talk from a local allotment initiative and you will hear updates from the subgroups and discuss plans for activities for the autumn and beyond.
Annual General Meeting 2025 Update
Many thanks to those that were able to make our AGM on Tuesday 15th July. Having filled our plates with tasty dishes from the pooled supper, we held a short AGM (minutes here: casav-minutes-of-agm-15th-july-2025
– we reminded ourselves about the activities undertaken in the past year, summarised in our annual report and accounts
– the steering group members were re-elected and elected Barry who had been co-opted the previous year;
– we voted to increase the annual membership to £10 (as a member you now won’t need to remember to bring a contribution to cover the costs of room hire for meetings (new membership form here: forms)
– the resolution to widen the aim of the group is now passed.
Following Joanna Whitwell offering to be co-opted to the steering group for a year to provide a link with the support offered by Labman, the members of the steering group have welcomed her joining the team.
Unfortunately due to the weather we were unable to have a walk round the community garden but fortunately Jonathan Stephenson, manager at Yatton House, had taken photos earlier. He gave us an interesting overview of the work at Yatton House to make the fabric of the building more energy efficient and the work with members on issues related to the climate and nature emergencies. We thank him for this hospitality.
Wednesday 6th August 11.00 – 12.00 Big Butterfly Count session
All Saint’s Church, Great Ayton
(photo by Martin Partridge, Butterfly Conservation, Yorkshire Branch Chair)
Everyone is welcome to join in a group butterfly count (as part of the Big Butterfly Count) at All Saint’s Church churchyard, 1 Low Green, Great Ayton TS9 6NN. No experience needed, just come along and spend 15 minutes (or more) observing nature, identifying butterflies (with help if needed) and contributing to valuable data collection to benefit our understanding of the changing climate on one of our most beautiful creatures.
This follows an earlier butterfly count held on 31st July at the floodplain meadows where a CASaV gathering was given a guided tour by Dr Martin Partridge (Yorkshire Branch Chair of Butterfly Conservation).
The group were helped to identify a range of species not only by their appearance but also by their behaviour and typical habitats. Species spotted included the purple hairstreak butterfly, only very recently recorded locally for the first time. Martin also shared a range of resources including identification guides, a recording app and the importance of conserving and protecting these fascinating wildlife nature/butterflies
Saturday 9th August 10.00-12.00 Repair Cafe with display on local Flooding Resilience at the Globe Library, Stokesley https://casav.uk/repaircafe
To date over 2000 household items have been saved from going to waste – saving our local community money and allowing them to carry on using their cherished items for longer as well as saving waste from landfill or incineration and so reducing carbon emissions.
Bring along your treasured household items in need of repair on Saturday 9th August 10-12 at the Globe Library, Stokesley. You can also find out all about local Flood Resilience and chat to specialists from the Environment Agency who will have an information stand including maps of flood risk areas around Stokesley.
Our incredible pink T-shirted volunteers will endeavour to fix your items, saving you the cost of buying new and protecting the climate and the earth’s natural resources by reducing waste going to landfill or incineration and reducing the need to manufacture new.
Household items for repair can include: electrical appliances, wooden furniture, toys & bikes, clothing & textiles, laptops & mobile phones. Plus we have blade sharpening so bring along your garden and home tool blades to give them a new edge!
On average, we manage to fix 75% of items, give advice on possible repair steps for 10% and how best to recycle the 10% that are sadly beyond repair (statistics). But 100% of attendees are offered free refreshments of tea, coffee or juice as well as cakes and biscuits and a great opportunity to chat with friendly, like minded people and learn new repair skills.
This month’s free refreshments include Fair Trade beverages and home made sweet treats (including vegan!) made with Fair Trade ingredients, kindly donated by Stokesley Co-op.
We are also hosting an information stall on local Flood Resilience by the Environment Agency so make the most of this opportunity to find out what measures are being taken locally to prevent flooding and how you can volunteer as a local flood warden.
What can I do now?
Come along with your item in need of repair and sit with our skilled repairers as they share their fixing knowledge with you. New repair and reception volunteers always welcome – come along, have a cuppa and a chat or email Simon Gibbon. If you are not sure come and bring an item to be repaired to get a feel for the Repair Cafe.
Monday 11th August 17.00 – 19.00 Stokesley Mending Circle, Stokesley Town Hall (every second Monday monthly)
The Stokesley Mending Circle continues, a monthly textile mending group where the purpose is to reduce textile waste, encourage sustainable consumption, and celebrate the art of mending through free face to face hand mending support where you can learn and share sewing and darning skills including how to mend holes, sew up seams and hems, alter and adapt your existing clothing, sew on buttons and patches to make your cherished clothing or textile items last longer, giving them a new life and saving textile waste. The emphasis is on skill sharing so all are welcome – complete beginners, experienced needle crafters and anyone interested in fun with fabric.
What can I do now?
All materials will be provided or you can bring an item you are working on. All participants will also receive a free mini sewing kit to carry on your sewing superpowers at home (while stocks last!). Session is free but donations to cover costs welcome. Come along to find out more or email mending@casav.uk with any questions
Tuesday 12th August 13.30 – 15.00 Yatton House Community Garden Working Party
There will be a working party at Yatton House Community Garden on Tuesday 12th August from 1:30 – 3:00pm. It is time to tackle the creeping buttercups now they have finished flowering and the Discovery apples could well be ready so bring a bag!
What can I do now?
Just turn up and join in on the day and enjoy time in a beautiful garden.
Bilsdale Agricultural Show 30th August / Kildale Agricultural Show 6th September
CASaV Information & Action Stall
As summer draws to a close, we’re excited to announce that Climate Action Stokesley and Villages will once again have a presence at two fantastic local events:
Bilsdale Agricultural Show (bilsdaleshow : Saturday, 30th August
Kildale Agricultural Show (kildaleshow) : Saturday, 6th September
These shows are a highlight of the local calendar and a brilliant opportunity for us to connect with our community. In previous years, our volunteers have had a wonderful time chatting with visitors, helping with on-site recycling, and sharing the positive work CASaV is doing.
This year, our stall will be a hub for friendly conversations about the climate and nature. We’ll be letting people know about our popular activities like the Repair Cafe, our guided nature walks, and the work of our active groups focusing on waste, transport, energy, food, and nature.
We will also be supporting Friends of the Earth’s national ‘Planet over Profit’ campaign, gathering support for a new law to ensure companies are legally required to protect our environment.
What can I do now?
To make these days a success, we’re looking for volunteers to help on our stalls.
This is a really rewarding role and you don’t need to be a climate expert! It’s mainly about being a friendly face for CASaV, welcoming people to our stall, and sharing information. We’ll provide all the materials and support you need, and you’ll be paired up with another volunteer.
We are asking for volunteers to cover a shift of a couple of hours. In return for your valuable time, your admission to the show will be free, leaving you with plenty of time to explore and enjoy the rest of the day’s attractions. It’s a great way to support a vital local cause while still being part of a fun community event.
Ready to get involved?
If you can spare a few hours to help us at either show, we would love to hear from you.
Please email Simon Gibbon at simongibbon@casav.uk and stating which show(s) you can attend and your general availability on the day.
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 12th August 19.00-21.00: contact email Simon Gibbon for a zoom link
Aiming for zero waste: round up of local options for reduced packaging shopping
A simple step you can take to reduce single use plastic is to use shop refill stations for household cleaning liquids, beauty products and some foods. Also aim to buy loose fruit and vegetables rather than plastic wrapped prepacks
Some local heroes reducing the need for single use plastic:
Tindalls Hardware, Stokesley
Tindalls stock a wide range of eco household cleaning products which you can either buy in bulk or refill existing smaller containers to reduce single use plastic waste. Their range includes laundry liquid, washing up liquid, liquid hand soap, toilet cleaner, fabric conditioner, all purpose surface cleaner and dishwasher tablets.
Roots Farmshop, East Rounton
Roots Farmshop encourages you to bring your own containers to fill and refill to reduce plastic waste. Their extensive range of zero waste products includes frozen foods (fruit, vegetables, pastries, deli items), cooking oils, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. You can also use your own containers for fresh fruit and vegetables or paper bags are provided. They also sell plastic free toothpaste, soaps and other beauty products.
A little further afield but worth visiting if you’re in the area:
Refill Save Weigh, Billingham
Supplies refill / zero waste food and household cleaning products.
Earth Warriors, Darlington
Supplies plastic free food and household cleaning and beauty products. Also sells a good range of organic wines and organises wine tasting evenings.
Off the Scale, Castleton
Supplies refill / zero waste food products specialising in home baking ingredients.
The Old Weigh, Pickering
Supplies refill /zero waste food products as well as household cleaning and toiletries.
Clothing circularity: Stokesley Clothes Swap September 27th 13.00 – 16.00, St.Joseph’s Church hall, Stokesley
The climate impact of clothing is significant, with the fashion industry considered one of the most polluting industries globally, contributing heavily to greenhouse gas emissions through its production processes, material sourcing, and waste generation, primarily due to the high water usage, energy consumption in manufacturing, and reliance on synthetic materials like polyester which are derived from fossil fuels.
Not only this, but “fast fashion” encourages frequent clothing purchases and quick disposal whilst garment workers are often exploited with low pay, unsafe working conditions, and long hours. Fast fashion’s affordability and new trends can make consumers value clothing less so instead of taking care of our clothing and repairing any damage to extend the life of our clothing we end up buying more and more that will sit in our wardrobes and never see the light of day.
What can I do now?
– Support sustainable and ethical fashion brands and choose high-quality clothing that lasts longer.
– Recycle or repurpose clothing when it’s no longer needed.
Most of us have far more clothing stuffed in our wardrobes that we no longer wear or in some cases have never worn after an impulse buy.
There will be a new to yougood quality clothing swap event on 27th September13.00 – 16.00 at St Joseph’s Church Hall, Stokesley to coincide with Sustainable Fashion Week (27th September to 5th October) where our local community can have a wardrobe refresh by exchanging the clothes they no longer wear for ‘new to you’ clothes they would like to wear.
If you have any spare clothes rails or would like to volunteer to help or would like more information to participate please contact clothesswap@casav.uk. Watch for updates casav.uk/clothesswap, on Facebook Stokesley clothes swap, on Instagram @Stokesley_clothes_swap
Nature Group
This subgroup focuses on discovering more about and supporting biodiversity and our living environment. There is no group meeting in August so we will meet again in September, at the Globe Library, Stokesley date TBC. Contact Bridget Holmstrom for more information.
Fire risk on North York Moors continues
First and foremost, although we have had some rain, the North York Moors remain at extreme risk of fire.
Bridget Holmstrom, Nature group lead, notes: “Although we vehemently disagree with land managers and owners on the causes of the fuel load on the moors and uplands, I am sure that we all agree that it is vital that wild fires are dangerous and very damaging. So please, no fires, BBQ’s, or smoking on the moors. As the NYM Park Ranger states, it only takes a spark to ignite a wild fire and it is almost invariably a human that provides the spark. Any fires seen on the moors should be immediately reported with a 999 call.
In addition to the obvious fire risk, please also remember that using disposable BBQ’s on the ground burns the grass underneath and will impact the soil underneath. Once the soil reaches a certain temperature, all the seeds within it are killed, as are the fungi and other tiny living things that support the plant growth you see above ground.
The picture shows the impact of a BBQ on the Low Green in Great Ayton. Please keep your BBQ’s at home.”
It is important to note that a human is responsible for virtually all wildfires.
What can I do now? Enjoy visiting the moors this summer but refrain from lighting barbeques or fires. Any fires that are seen should be reported immediately to the fire service.
The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust website is also a great place to find ideas of ways to connect with nature. You can find the nearest reserves including those of Tees Valley Wildlife and Durham Wildlife Trusts. A great resource.
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 in September, date tbc contact Wendy Smith for a link to join
Foodshare Volunteers Summer Supper Sunday 17th August 18.00
All the Foodshare Volunteers are warmly invited to a pooled super/tea at Topcliffe House, Great Ayton on Sunday 17th August at 18.00. If it is fine we will be outside, but inside if too cool. Please let Jenny Earle know if you would like to come.
How extreme weather is driving food prices
The Financial Times publishes a weekly Climate Graphic (available free if you sign up for their email), this week focusing on climate change and food prices. ClimateGraphicFoodPrices
Growing Your own: August Tips of the Month
What are the benefits of growing your own?
Environmental benefits: You can avoid pesticides and herbicides, which pollute the air and water, you can practice water conservation, you reduce food miles, you help pollinators by providing food for them.
Health benefits: you can eat more fruits and vegetables, and include them in healthy meals, homegrown vegetables are more nutritious and taste better because they are free of artificial additives.
Economic benefits: you can save money on food by growing your own vegetables and be more self-sufficient in case of food shortages or price increases.
What can I do now?
August is a great time for harvesting summer produce and planting for autumn and winter harvests. Focus on consistent watering, especially for newly sown seeds and heat-sensitive crops, and consider planting quick-growing crops like salad leaves, spinach, and fast-maturing brassicas. Don’t forget to harvest summer favourites like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, and start planting garlic and other overwintering crops.
Garden Share Scheme
Gardening can be a solitary activity, and for many people, the lack of community gardening can be great, but if you have trouble getting there or you want more say in what you want to grow that’s where garden sharing comes in.
Locally, there are currently many people on allotment waiting lists, and some who have gardens are struggling to manage them alone. Garden sharing with others can help to reduce costs, save time and resources, and build a sense of camaraderie around the joy of gardening.
The Food Group are currently trying to set up a Garden share scheme – those without a garden help those for whom their garden has become too large, by using it for their mutual benefit.
What can I do now? If you are without a green space to grow your own or have a garden that you struggle to manage alone and are interested in this scheme, please contact Wendy Smith
Foodshare: surplus food prevented from going to waste and helping those in need
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 amongst those in need. This is fresh food such as fruit, veg and bread, NOT the tins and dried food that are needed by Food Banks.
Foodshare collects 40 – 60 kilos of food each day with a value of approx £250. This is £78,000 worth in a 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.
August Seasonal Eating
Eating food in season (local as far as possible) can have substantial positive impact on climate breakdown by reducing high-energy input from artificial heating or lighting needed to produce crops out of the natural growing season.
In August the summer harvest continues with a multitude of fresh, local fruit and vegetables to enjoy including:
Vegetables: new potatoes, beetroot, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, cabbage, courgettes, green beans, turnips, aubergine, peas, spring onions, bell peppers, radish, and cucumbers. For fruits, blackberries, blackcurrants, cherries, damsons, greengages, and raspberries are in season.
Fruit and vegetables in season in August – ready to harvest or buy locally in your greengrocers or farm shop: Baby carrots, Broad beans, Chard, Courgettes and summer squash, Currants, Gooseberries, Lettuce, Parsley, Radish, Rocket, Spinach, Spring cabbage, Spring onions, Strawberries
‘Taste not Waste’ Recipe leaflet with recipes created by Stokesley School Students
In the UK, an estimated 9.5 million tonnes of food waste is generated annually. As well being shocking in a cost of living crisis where families go hungry each day, this waste contributes to climate changing emissions harming the planet. Members of the CASaV Waste and Food groups recently worked together with Stokesley School Green Group’s staff to invite school students to create tasty recipes with a focus on reducing waste. These have now been compiled into a free leaflet which will be launched to celebrate Great Big Green Week.
What can I do now? Pick up your free booklet from the Globe, Stokesley and the Discovery Centre Great Ayton or download (save paper!) here: https://casav.uk/tastenotwaste
Ideas from the groups: Transport
Low carbon travel: Moorbus
Moorsbus operates a bus network servicing the North York Moors National Park in summer, from now until September 28th, with services on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. For very low cost you can travel across the moors from Stokesley & Great Ayton to visit Castle Howard, Danby Lodge, Malton, Easingwold, Rosedale Abbey and more.
This year there are some service expansions, but also unfortunately some service withdrawals, so please check the soon to be uploaded timetables carefully, as there are some significant changes since last year.
Moorsbus is run by a group of volunteers aiming to create an affordable transport system to and around the North York Moors. They want to help locals, as well as visitors from home and abroad, to travel without cars. In 2014 they formed the Friends of Moorsbus and the Moorsbus Community Interest Company as not-for-profit organisations, working with communities and other groups to develop and promote local bus services. They depend on donations to keep the services running as the fares and the low pass reimbursement only pay for about half the bus costs each year.
What can I do now? Check out the Moorsbus website for timetables and updates and start planning your car free travels around the beautiful moors this summer, information here:
5. Ideas 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.
If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on next month’s (September‘s) update please email Kate Gibbonby Thursday 28th August.
Kate also helps promote activities via Facebook so let her know if there is anything that you would like shared via our Facebook page if you are not a Facebook user.
Hope to see you at the whole group meeting Tuesday 19th August 19.30 at the Globe Library, Stokesley
Kate Gibbon,
on behalf of the Climate Action Stokesley and Villages Steering Group Steering group:
On Wednesday 30th July, come and help members of Climate Action Stokesley and Villages count butterflies, with the support of Martin Partridge Chair of Yorkshire Branch Butterfly Conservation, as part of the Big Butterfly Count. Recently Martin surveyed the meadow and identified two butterflies that had not been recorded in this area before.
Meet at 11 am by the picnic benches in the Floodplain Meadow, if it is not raining.
If you can’t make it but would like to know more about butterflies you can spot in Yorkshire, then take a look at Butterfly Conservation Yorkshire’s Guide to Yorkshire Species: www.yorkshirebutterflies.org.uk/yorkshire-species
And if you want to know more about butterflies in Yorkshire have a look at the links Martin has provided on our butterflies page.
Welcome to July’s Update from Climate Action Stokesley & Villages
Thank you for your role in taking urgent action globally and locally on climate breakdown and biodiversity loss.
July welcomes the start of the Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count, a key Citizen Science project to not only monitor these beautiful insects but to also track how climate change is impacting on wildlife generally. We have an opportunity to join in a group count locally as well as counting in your own garden or nearby green space. Plastic Free July invites everyone to make a personal pledge to be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Read on for a round up of local zero waste businesses which help reduce all waste including plastic as well as nearby opportunities to act on waste plastic.
Diary dates: local events & activities
Tuesday 15th July 19.00 – 21.00 Annual General Meeting & pooled picnic supper, Yatton House, Great Ayton
Saturday 5th July 13.00 – 17.00 Bric-a-brac stall by Environment Climate Osmotherley (ECO) at Osmotherley Summer Games
Tuesday 8th July 13.30 – 15.00 Yatton House Community Garden, Great Ayton working party
Tuesday 8th July 19.00 Waste & Circularity Group meeting by zoom (see Waste Group section below)
Monday 14th July 17.00 – 19.00 Stokesley Mending Circle, Stokesley Town Hall
Tuesday 15th July midnightLast date to respond to North Yorkshire Council’s Local Plan (see Nature group section)
Thursday 17th July 15.00 Nature Group meeting at the Globe Library, Stokesley (see Nature Group section below)
Saturday 19th July 10.00 – 12.00 Repair Cafe with display on local Flood Resilience followed by volunteers garden lunch 13.00
Thursday 31st July 18.30 Food Group Face to Face Meeting at Wendy’s allotment (see Food Group section below)
Diary dates: regional, national & global events & campaigns
July 1st – 31st Plastic Free July:
Saturday July 5th 10.30 Saltburn monthly beach clean
Saturday 19th July 19.00 ‘A Plastic Ocean’ film screening, Saltburn
Ongoing until 2026 Friends of the Earth ‘Planet Over Profit’ campaign – with local activities (see below)
July 18th – August 10th The Big Butterfly Count – with local activities (see below)
Newsletter
Our online newsletter / magazine focuses on our group’s values and purpose, summed up by our motto ‘Think global, act local’, beginning with global / national / regional issues including ways in which you can influence policy, followed by local news and activities you can participate in that develop our relationship with the environment and fight climate change and biodiversity loss.
“Think global”
July 1st – 31st Plastic Free July
Single-use plastics significantly harm the environment by contributing to pollution, harming wildlife, and exacerbating climate change. They persist in the environment for hundreds of years, breaking down into microplastics that contaminate ecosystems and enter the food chain.
The UK generates roughly 5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. While some measures, like the plastic bag charge and bans on certain single-use items, have been implemented to reduce plastic waste, significant challenges remain in reducing overall single use plastic consumption and improving recycling rates.
This year’s Plastic Free July campaign focuses on small changes each of us can make to reduce plastic waste under the slogan “Small steps, big difference”.
What can I do now?
1. Choose one single-use plastic to avoid The “Top 3” items are single-use plastic items we commonly use each day that most of us can be easily replaced by;
Refilling reusable water bottles from the tap
Bringing a reusable cup or sitting and enjoy a real cup
Switching from plastic wrap to reusable containers or wax wraps.
3. Check out our latest round up of zero waste shopping packaging options available locally in the Waste & Circularity section below.
4. Saturday 19th July 19.00 at Saltburn Community & Arts Centre Plastic Free Saltburn have organised a film screening of ‘A Plastic Ocean’, an award-winning feature length documentary created by a group of dedicated scientists, film-makers, social entrepreneurs, scholars, environmentalists and journalists, that explores the fragile state of our oceans and uncovers alarming truths about the consequences of our disposable lifestyle. All welcome to attend. Get tickets on Eventbrite.
5. All summer – Take part in a beach clean
As well as beach cleans organised byYorkshire Wildlife Trust in nearby Saltburn the Keeping It Clean At Saltburn (KICAS) group holds regular beach cleans on the first Saturday each month, next session is Saturday 5th July 10.30, just turn up, all equipment provided.
Friends of the Earth ‘Planet over Profit’ Campaign
At the CASaV May monthly meeting we were joined by Simon Bowens, Friends of the Earth Yorkshire Campaigns Organiser who gave us an overview of the support he can provide as a member of the Local Action Group network, the work of Friends of the Earth internationally and the latest campaigns. The campaign that those present were most interested in supporting was Planet Over Profit.
This campaign highlights that UK companies are profiting from supply chains that destroy precious forests worldwide, threaten wildlife, accelerate climate change, and violate the rights of local communities. FOE say we need a new law that requires UK companies to prevent harm to communities and the environment in their supply chains, wherever they operate. A comprehensive Business, Human Rights, and Environment Act would go far beyond the limited protections in existing legislation, requiring companies to actively prevent environmental and human rights abuses, rather than merely reporting on it after the damage is done.
What can I do now: Friends of the Earth local action groups have a critical role to play in the Planet Over Profit campaign. Local action groups like ours are needed to build support for the new law in their communities. There will be petition postcards to write and sign at our AGM and July Repair Cafe as well as at forthcoming market stalls and agricultural stalls in August
The Big Butterfly Count is a nationwide citizen science survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and has rapidly become the world’s biggest survey of butterflies. Over 64,000 citizen scientists took part in 2022, submitting 96,257 counts of butterflies and day-flying moths from across the UK. The Big Butterfly Count 2025 is between the 18th of July and 10th of August.
Counting butterflies can be described as taking the pulse of nature and we depend on you, our citizen scientists, to help us assess how much help nature needs. The data from this and other counts will also help us to identify important trends in species that will assist us in planning how to protect butterflies from extinction, as well as understanding the effect of climate change on wildlife.
What can I do now?
Simply count butterflies for 15 minutes during bright (preferably sunny) weather during the Big Butterfly Count. This time of year has been chosen because most butterflies are at the adult stage of their lifecycle, so more likely to be seen. Records are welcome from anywhere: from parks, school grounds and gardens, to fields and forests.
You can download free identification guides & record your findings here:
CASaV will be organising a visit to the floodplain meadow in Great Ayton to count the butterflies on a sunny afternoon during the Big Butterfly Count. If you would like to take part please contact Caryn.
Several counts will also take place in the Butterfly Conservation Trust Wild Space at Great Ayton Station. The planting in the new planters at the station will hopefully attract plenty of pollinators. These new planters on the platform at Great Ayton Station, installed by Friends of Great Ayton Station, were designed and constructed by Thompsons Timberworks with funding and support from Northern and Climate Action Stokesley and Villages. Great Ayton Station is designated as a Butterfly Conservation Trust ‘Wild Space‘ so plants were chosen to attract pollinators.
“Act Local”
This month’s local activities
Tuesday 15th July Annual General Meeting 19.00 Yatton House,
Great Ayton
(Artwork for the community garden created by children from Marwood School, Great Ayton)
Our AGM will be at Yatton House, Great Ayton on Tuesday 15th July, starting at 19.00. We warmly invite everyone to come 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 picnic supper. This will be followed by talk about the work of Yatton House including having a look around the beautiful community garden that CASaV helped develop (weather permitting).
Please bring something to share for the picnic supper.
NB Registered members:As a change is being proposed to the constitution (see recent email to registered members only dated 1/7/25 regarding AGM) it is essential that registered members vote as the proposal needs 75% in favour to make the change. If you are a registered member and unable to attend the AGM please respond to the email with your decision to support or reject the proposal.
Tuesday 8th July 13.30 – 15.00 Yatton House Community Garden Working Party
Thank you to the group of children from Marwood CoE Infant School who recently came to help in the garden. They sowed some vegetable seeds, planted out some flowers, weeded one of the paths and hunted for bugs. They also brought along their fantastic design for a sign for the reflective space in the garden.
The next working party will be on Tuesday 8th July, from 1:30 – 3:00pm. Come and help get the garden ready for summer visitors and our AGM.
Monday 14th July 17.00 – 19.00 Stokesley Mending Circle, Stokesley Town Hall (every second Monday monthly)
After delivering two sewing / mending lesson sessions in May, in June textile artist and mending tutor Jane and sewing and alterations businesswoman Jo launched the Stokesley Mending Circle, a monthly textile mending group where the purpose is to reduce textile waste, encourage sustainable consumption, and celebrate the art of mending through free face to face hand mending support where you can learn and share sewing and darning skills including how to mend holes, sew up seams and hems, alter and adapt your existing clothing, sew on buttons and patches to make your cherished clothing or textile items last longer, giving them a new life and saving textile waste. The emphasis is on skill sharing so all are welcome – complete beginners, experienced needle crafters and anyone interested in fun with fabric.
What can I do now? All materials will be provided or you can bring an item you are working on. All participants will also receive a free mini sewing kit to carry on your sewing superpowers at home (while stocks last!). Session is free but donations to cover costs welcome. Come along to find out more or email mending@casav.uk with any questions
Saturday 19th July 10.00-12.00 Repair Cafe with display on local Flooding Resilience at Swainby Village Hall followed by garden lunch for repair volunteers
Since we started over three years ago our incredible volunteers have fixed over 1500 items, saving their owners money and allowing them to carry on using their cherished items for longer as well as saving waste from landfill or incineration and so reducing carbon emissions.
Our July Repair Cafe includes free Fair Trade beverages and vegan treats to refresh you whilst our wonderful volunteer repairers meet your fixing needs. Bring along your treasured household items in need of repair on Saturday 19th July 10-12 at Swainby Village Hall.
Our pink T-shirted volunteers will endeavour to fix your items, saving you the cost of buying new and protecting the climate and the earth’s natural resources by reducing waste going to landfill or incineration and reducing the need to manufacture new.
Household items for repair can include: clothing & textiles, electrical appliances, wooden furniture, toys & bikes, laptops & mobile phones. Plus we have blade sharpening so bring along your garden and home tool blades to give them a new edge!
On average, we manage to fix 75% of items, give advice on possible repair steps for 10% and how best to recycle the 10% that are sadly beyond repair (statistics). But 100% of attendees are offered free refreshments of tea, coffee or juice as well as cakes and biscuits and a great opportunity to chat with friendly, like minded people and learn new repair skills.
This month’s free refreshments include Fair Trade beverages and home made sweet treats (including vegan!) made with Fair Trade ingredients, kindly donated by Stokesley Co-op.
We are also hosting an information stall on local Flood Resilience by the Environment Agency so make the most of this opportunity to find out what measures are being taken locally to prevent flooding and how you can volunteer as a local flood warden.
Following the Repair Cafe there will be a garden lunch for volunteers and their families. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer you are warmly invited to join us.
What can I do now?
Come along with your item in need of repair and sit with our skilled repairers as they share their fixing knowledge with you. New repair and reception volunteers always welcome – come along, have a cuppa and a chat or email Simon Gibbon. If you are not sure come and bring an item to be repaired to get a feel for the Repair Cafe.
Ideas & news from the groups
1. Waste / Circularity (including Repair Cafe)
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 8th July 19.00-21.00: contact email Simon Gibbon for a zoom link
1. Plastic Free July: latest round up of local options for zero waste packaging shopping
For Plastic Free July a simple step you can take to reduce single use plastic is to use shop refill stations for household cleaning liquids, beauty products and some foods. Also aim to buy loose fruit and vegetables rather than plastic wrapped prepacks
Some local heroes reducing the need for single use plastic:
Tindalls Hardware, Stokesley
Tindalls stock a wide range of eco household cleaning products which you can either buy in bulk or refill existing smaller containers to reduce single use plastic waste. Their range includes laundry liquid, washing up liquid, liquid hand soap, toilet cleaner, fabric conditioner, all purpose surface cleaner and dishwasher tablets.
Roots Farmshop, East Rounton
Roots Farmshop encourages you to bring your own containers to fill and refill to reduce plastic waste. Their extensive range of zero waste products includes frozen foods (fruit, vegetables, pastries, deli items), cooking oils, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. You can also use your own containers for fresh fruit and vegetables or paper bags are provided. They also sell plastic free toothpaste, soaps and other beauty products.
Guisborough Refill supplies refillable, vegan friendly toiletries to reduce single use plastic including a range of shampoos, conditioner, facial cleanser, moisturiser and hand soap.
A little further afield but worth visiting if you’re in the area:
Refill Save Weigh, Billingham
Supplies refill / zero waste food and household cleaning products.
Earth Warriors, Darlington
Supplies plastic free food and household cleaning and beauty products. Also sells a good range of organic wines and organises wine tasting evenings.
Off the Scale, Castleton
Supplies refill / zero waste food products specialising in home baking ingredients.
The Old Weigh, Pickering
Supplies refill /zero waste food products as well as household cleaning and toiletries.
2. The Restart Project Brings Repair Back to Westminster
Our Stokesley and Villages Repair Cafe co-ordinator, Simon Gibbon, joined 40 members of UK Repair Cafes and Restarters to “Bring repair back into Parliament“. Simon says, “We went to Parliament to make sure that repair moves up the legislative priority list, so it was great that we were joined by 35 MPs and the Minister for Circularity, Mary Creagh. Our nearest MP was Tom Gordon (Harrogate and Knaresborough) who agreed to sign the Repair and Reuse Declaration after very little perssausion. Mary Creagh was amazed to hear that even in rural North Yorkshire, people needed and were using repair cafes, such that Stokesley and Villages Repair Cafe had the most recorded repairs of any UK Repair Cafe in 2024.”
The presence of Mary Creagh highlighted the growing importance of the circular economy in the UK, giving added momentum to Repair Cafes and Restarters, who focus on repair and reuse initiatives. While Repair Cafes are looking at increasing repair generally, Restarters highlight the environmental urgency posed by electronic waste (WEEE) and the associated carbon emissions, alongside the significant economic opportunities that a shift towards repair and refurbishment will create, including job growth and financial benefits. Jeremy Vine had personal experience of the challenges posed by manufacturers who design products that are difficult to mend, leading him to celebrate the vital role of community-led repair cafes and government commitment, symbolised by the Minister for the Circular Economy, in fostering this transition.
The Restart Project aims to tackle the climate emergency by making electronics work for people, for the planet, and for longer as well as supporting Repair Cafes and other initiatives across the UK. The UK is the second highest producer of electronic waste per capita in the world. So Restart is calling on politicians to make the UK a leader by removing barriers to repair and reuse. Their Repair and Reuse Declaration has been signed by hundreds of community groups, allied organisations and businesses and endorsed by a growing list of MPs. The Repair and Reuse Declaration has five asks: 1. Make repair affordable (repair vouchers, reduce VAT on parts), 2. Make repair easier (right to repair), 3. Help people choose repairable products (repair stars on product like energy), 4. Reduce waste through reuse (targets for reuse not just recycling), 5. Create green jobs (fund and accredit repair training). All of which could be easily accomplished through appropriate legislation / government action.
Mark A Philips was there as the official photographer, his website unbroken.solutions uses his photographs to explore the impact and our systemic solutions to waste.
What can I do now
Come along to our Repair Cafe to have your household items fixed or think about becoming a volunteer – lots of roles as fixers, reception / admin or refreshments. Read more about the event, our Repair Cafe and Restarters : https://casav.uk/repaircafe
3. Clothing circularity: New to You Clothes Swap Event in September – equipment & volunteers & participants needed
The climate impact of clothing is significant, with the fashion industry considered one of the most polluting industries globally, contributing heavily to greenhouse gas emissions through its production processes, material sourcing, and waste generation, primarily due to the high water usage, energy consumption in manufacturing, and reliance on synthetic materials like polyester which are derived from fossil fuels.
Not only this, but “fast fashion” encourages frequent clothing purchases and quick disposal whilst garment workers are often exploited with low pay, unsafe working conditions, and long hours. Fast fashion’s affordability and new trends can make consumers value clothing less so instead of taking care of our clothing and repairing any damage to extend the life of our clothing we end up buying more and more that will sit in our wardrobes and never see the light of day.
What can I do now?
– Support sustainable and ethical fashion brands and choose high-quality clothing that lasts longer.
– Recycle or repurpose clothing when it’s no longer needed.
Most of us have far more clothing stuffed in our wardrobes that we no longer wear or in some cases have never worn after an impulse buy.
Jane and Jo, Repair Cafe textiles specialists, are hoping to address this locally and are currently planning a new to yougood quality clothing swap event on 27th September to coincide with Sustainable Fashion Week (27th September to 5th October) where our local community can have a wardrobe refresh by exchanging the clothes they no longer wear for ‘new to you’ clothes they would like to wear.
If you have any spare clothes rails or would like to volunteer to help or would like more information to participate please contact clothesswap@casav.uk. Watch for updates casav.uk/clothesswap, on Facebook Stokesley clothes swap, on Instagram @Stokesley_clothes_swap
2. Nature Group
This subgroup focuses on discovering more about and supporting biodiversity and our living environment. Please join us at our next face to face meeting on Thursday 17th July 15.00-16.30 at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley. Contact Bridget for more information.
1. Tuesday 15th July midnight last date to respond to North Yorkshire Council’s (NYC) Local Plan
The new North Yorkshire Local Plan will guide future development and conservation in the area until 2045. This plan covers North Yorkshire, excluding the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, and outlines our priorities for land use and development.
NYC has started an Issues and Options Consultation. This consultation is running now until midnight on Tuesday 15 July 2025.
NYC is asking for your views on the priorities and issues the North Yorkshire Local Plan should address, the future of places and spaces in the area, and how the new plan can influence that. Read about the Local Plan and have your say here:
2. Wednesday 9th July 19.00-20.00 North Yorkshire & York Local Nature Recovery Strategy webinar
North Yorkshire Council is responsible for putting together the local strategy that will improve nature locally. They are holding a webinar on Wednesday 9th July 7pm – 8pm where you can learn about the strategy and how to have your say in making the strategy as helpful to nature as possible. Follow these links to learn more about the Strategy (north-yorkshire-and-york-local-nature-recovery-strategy) and to attend the Webinar (attend the webinar)
3. Fire risk on North York Moors continues
First and foremost, although we have had some rain, the North York Moors remain at extreme risk of fire.
Bridget Holmstrom, Nature group lead, notes: “Although we vehemently disagree with land managers and owners on the causes of the fuel load on the moors and uplands, I am sure that we all agree that it is vital that wild fires are dangerous and very damaging. So please, no fires, BBQ’s, or smoking on the moors. As the NYM Park Ranger states, it only takes a spark to ignite a wild fire and it is almost invariably a human that provides the spark. Any fires seen on the moors should be immediately reported with a 999 call.
In addition to the obvious fire risk, please also remember that using disposable BBQ’s on the ground burns the grass underneath and will impact the soil underneath. Once the soil reaches a certain temperature, all the seeds within it are killed, as are the fungi and other tiny living things that support the plant growth you see above ground.
The picture shows the impact of a BBQ on the Low Green in Great Ayton. Please keep your BBQ’s at home.”
It is important to note that a human is responsible for virtually all wildfires.
What can I do now? Enjoy visiting the moors this summer but refrain from lighting barbeques or fires. Any fires that are seen should be reported immediately to the fire service.
The more we connect with nature, the more motivated we are to protect it. For those of us looking for nature and biodiversity over the summer, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust website is a great place to find different locations. You can find the nearest reserves including those of Tees Valley Wildlife and Durham Wildlife Trusts. A great resource.
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 in person meeting Thursday 31st July at Wendy’s allotment contact Wendy for a link to join
1. Growing Your own: July Tips of the Month
What are the benefits of growing your own?
Environmental benefits: You can avoid pesticides and herbicides, which pollute the air and water, you can practice water conservation, you reduce food miles, you help pollinators by providing food for them.
Health benefits: you can eat more fruits and vegetables, and include them in healthy meals, homegrown vegetables are more nutritious and taste better because they are free of artificial additives.
Economic benefits: you can save money on food by growing your own vegetables and be more self-sufficient in case of food shortages or price increases.
What can I do now?
July is the perfect time to prepare for autumn harvesting by sowing chard, pak choi, beetroot, turnips, swede, radishes, broccoli or plant out winter cabbages, kale, and leeks for a later harvest.
2. Garden Share Scheme
Gardening can be a solitary activity, and for many people, the lack of community gardening can be great, but if you have trouble getting there or you want more say in what you want to grow that’s where garden sharing comes in.
Locally, there are currently many people on allotment waiting lists, and some who have gardens are struggling to manage them alone. Garden sharing with others can help to reduce costs, save time and resources, and build a sense of camaraderie around the joy of gardening.
The Food Group are currently trying to set up a Garden share scheme – those without a garden help those for whom their garden has become too large, by using it for their mutual benefit.
What can I do now? If you are without a green space to grow your own or have a garden that you struggle to manage alone and are interested in this scheme, please contact Wendy
3. Foodshare: surplus food prevented from going to waste and helping those in need
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 amongst those in need. This is fresh food such as fruit, veg and bread, NOT the tins and dried food that are needed by Food Banks.
Foodshare collects 40 – 60 kilos of food each day with a value of approx £250. This is £78,000 worth in a 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.
4. July Seasonal Eating
Eating food in season (local as far as possible) can have substantial positive impact on climate breakdown by reducing high-energy input from artificial heating or lighting needed to produce crops out of the natural growing season. In July there is a multitude of fresh, local fruit and vegetables to enjoy including:
Artichokes, Courgettes, Broad beans, Aubergines, Chard, New potatoes, Onions, Spring onions, Watercress, Spinach, Parsley, Rocket, Lettuce, Raspberries, Strawberries, Gooseberries, Blueberries, Cherries, Peaches, Blackcurrants and redcurrants, Plums
Recipe of the month:
More info on seasonal eating: Minty Griddled Courgettes
Make the most of July’s bounty with this tasty side dish
Fruit and vegetables in season in June – ready to harvest or buy locally in your greengrocers or farm shop: Baby carrots, Broad beans, Chard, Courgettes and summer squash, Currants, Gooseberries, Lettuce, Parsley, Radish, Rocket, Spinach, Spring cabbage, Spring onions, Strawberries
5. ‘Taste not Waste’ Recipe leaflet with recipes created by Stokesley School Students
In the UK, an estimated 9.5 million tonnes of food waste is generated annually. As well being shocking in a cost of living crisis where families go hungry each day, this waste contributes to climate changing emissions harming the planet. Members of the CASaV Waste and Food groups recently worked together with Stokesley School Green Group’s staff to invite school students to create tasty recipes with a focus on reducing waste. These have now been compiled into a free leaflet which will be launched to celebrate Great Big Green Week.
What can I do now? Pick up your free booklet from the Globe, Stokesley and the Discovery Centre Great Ayton or download (save paper!) here: casav-leaflets/taste-not-waste/
6. Food news
Food businesses must make it easier for customers to buy healthy food, under new government plans announced on 29th June. Supermarkets and food manufacturers in England will partner with the government to tackle obesity rates by encouraging people to make their weekly shop healthier including increasing fresh fruit and vegetables. Ministers say it will be up to food retailers to decide how they do that, but it could involve offering promotions on healthy food, tweaking loyalty points to incentivise healthy options, or changing shop layouts.
Consuming higher amounts of fibre reduces levels of toxic Pfas “forever chemicals” in human bodies, a new peer-reviewed pilot study suggests. The research found fibre most effectively reduces Pfos and Pfoa, among the two most common and dangerous Pfas. Each can stay in bodies for years, and federal data shows virtually everyone has the chemicals in their blood. Fibre is only found in plant based food.
Moorsbus operates a bus network servicing the North York Moors National Park in summer, from now until September 28th, with services on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. For very low cost you can travel across the moors from Stokesley & Great Ayton to visit Castle Howard, Danby Lodge, Malton, Easingwold, Rosedale Abbey and more.
This year there are some service expansions, but also unfortunately some service withdrawals, so please check the soon to be uploaded timetables carefully, as there are some significant changes since last year.
Moorsbus is run by a group of volunteers aiming to create an affordable transport system to and around the North York Moors. They want to help locals, as well as visitors from home and abroad, to travel without cars. In 2014 they formed the Friends of Moorsbus and the Moorsbus Community Interest Company as not-for-profit organisations, working with communities and other groups to develop and promote local bus services. They depend on donations to keep the services running as the fares and the low pass reimbursement only pay for about half the bus costs each year.
What can I do now? Check out the Moorsbus website for timetables and updates and start planning your car free travels around the beautiful moors this summer, information here:
5. Ideas 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.
They will be holding a fundraising Bric-a-brac stall at the Osmotherley Summer Games on Saturday 5th July, any offers of help greatly appreciated. They need people to manage the stall on the day & people to dispose of unsold goods in the following week.
If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on next month’s (August‘s) update please email Kate Gibbonby Tuesday 29th July .
Kate also helps promote activities via Facebook so let her know if there is anything that you would like shared via our Facebook page if you are not a Facebook user.
Hope to see you at the AGM Tuesday 15th July 19.00 at Yatton House Community Garden, Great Ayton
Kate Gibbon,
on behalf of the Climate Action Stokesley and Villages Steering Group Steering group:
Our AGM was held at Yatton House, Guisborough Rd, Great Ayton on Tuesday 15th July, starting at 7pm. Everyone was welcome to come along whether you are a formal member, a supporter or just interested to hear more about our work.
The evening started with the formal AGM over a pooled supper. This was followed by an opportunity to hear about the work of Yatton House, where we had hope to visit the community garden that CASaV helped develop, but the weather did not permit.
The new planters on the platform at Great Ayton Station, installed by Friends of Great Ayton Station, were designed and constructed by Thompsons Timberworks with funding and support from Northern and Climate Action Stokesley and Villages. Great Ayton Station is designated as a Butterfly Conservation Trust ‘Wild Space‘ so plants were chosen to attract pollinators.
Welcome to June’s Update from Climate Action Stokesley & Villages
Thank you for your role in taking urgent action globally and locally on climate breakdown and biodiversity loss.
June heralds Great Big Green Week, the UK’s biggest celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. Locally we have lots of different events and activities that you can get involved with. Globally June also brings us World Oceans Day with vital environmental campaigns you can participate in wherever you live.
Diary dates
Tuesday 17th June 19.30 – 21.00 Whole Group Meeting, Globe Library, Stokesley
Displays on ideas for action on GBGW theme of ‘Swap together for good’ at the Stokesley Globe, Great Ayton Discovery Centre & Hutton Rudby Community Hub
Launch of free ‘Taste not Waste‘ recipe leaflet by Stokesley School students, available at all GBGW events
Monday 9th June 17.00 – 19.00 Stokesley Mending Circle (launch of regular monthly event), Stokesley Town Hall
Tuesday 10th June 10.30 – 12.00 Yatton House Community Garden Gardening Working Party, Great Ayton
Tuesday 10th June 13.00 – 15.00 Creative Nature Journaling Session with focus on pollinators, Discovery Centre, Great Ayton
Tuesday 10th June 19.00 Waste & Circularity Group (incl Repair Cafe) Outdoor Gathering including Wildlife Habitat Tour (see Waste & Circularity Group section below)
Saturday 14th 10.00 – 12.00 June Repair Cafe the Globe Stokesley
Thursday 5th June Friends of the Earth Planet over Profit campaign webinar
Sunday 8th June World Oceans Day – global, national and regional events
Saturday 14th June Friends of the Earth Yorkshire Summer Action Gathering – Hull
Thursday 19th Nature Group meeting (face to face) Globe Community Library, Stokesley (see Nature Group notes below)
Saturday 21st June Friends of the Earth North East Summer Action Gathering – Gateshead
Save the Date! Next month’s meetings & events
Saturday 5th July Bric-a-brac stall by Environment Climate Osmotherley at the Osmotherley Summer Games
Tuesday 15th July 19.30 Climate Action Stokesley and Villages AGM
Venue and speaker to be confirmed. AGM papers will be sent to members nearer the time.
Saturday 19th July 13.00 Repair Cafe volunteers buffet lunch
Following July’s Repair Cafe all volunteers are invited to a garden buffet lunch
Thursday 31st July 18.30 Food Group Face to Face Meeting at Wendy’s allotment (see Food Group section below)
Newsletter
Our online newsletter / magazine focuses on our group’s values and purpose, summed up by our motto ‘Think global, act local’, beginning with global / national / regional issues including ways in which you can influence policy, followed by local news and activities you can participate in that develop our relationship with the environment and fight climate change and biodiversity loss.
Interested in the future of sustainable food in our region? Head to Middlesbrough Town Hall on Thursday June 5th for a vibrant day of connection, creativity, and collaboration as they mark their Sustainable Food Places Gold Award. This is more than a celebration – it’s a launchpad for what comes next. You’ll hear from inspiring speakers, enjoy a delicious sustainable lunch, and take part in interactive workshops designed to shape the future of food in Middlesbrough and beyond. Whether you’re a food grower, policymaker, community leader or passionate resident, your voice matters. Come be part of the conversation – and the celebration!
What can I do now? You can get free tickets for this event which includes lunch here:
Our oceans cover 70% of the planet’s surface and play a vital role in sustaining life. From providing oxygen for every second breath we take to feeding billions of people and hosting 80% of the world’s biodiversity, the ocean is essential to our existence. However, our oceans are facing unprecedented threats. Pollution, overfishing, bycatch, and climate change are putting marine biodiversity at risk. World Oceans Day is an annual event serving as a reminder of the critical importance of protecting our oceans and marine life.
What can I do now? Regionally there are many ocean related events and activities you can take part in plus you can join a campaign to ban supertrawlers destroying marine environments:
Yorkshire Puffin Festival Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th June all day
Learn more about this most wonderful of seabirds at Flamborough Cliffs nature reserve through expert-led guided walks, boat trips and much more on Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th June 2025. North Yorkshire’s Flamborough Headland is one of the best places in the country to see puffins from land – as well as thousands of other seabirds. Experience the sights and sounds of the ‘seabird city’ through a fun-filled programme of events including Oceans Day beach cleans.
David Attenborough’s ‘Ocean’ film: special screening Saturday 8th June 09.45 – 12.00 Dalton Park, Durham
A special event for World Ocean’s Day with a screening of David Attenborough’s movie Ocean and a welcome and call to action from Climate Action North and The Sea We See, North East based community interest companies both working on ocean action.
As well as beach cleans organised by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, in nearby Saltburn the Keeping It Clean At Saltburn (KICAS) group holds regular beach cleans on the first Saturday each month, next session is Saturday 7th June 10.30, just turn up, all equipment provided.
Right now – Save our seas from destructive overfishing – Support Greenpeace’s campaign
David Attenborough’s new film ‘Ocean’ exposes the giant fishing ships trashing our oceans. Together we can stop them. Currently industrial supertrawlers are tearing through the UK’s Marine Protected Areas, wiping out marine life at an alarming rate and impacting the livelihoods of small-scale fishing communities. You can sign the petition now calling for the government to ban supertrawlers from our Marine Protected Areas.
Saturday 14th June 10.00 – 17.00 Friends of the Earth Summer Action Yorkshire Gathering, Hull
Saturday 21st June 10.00 – 17.00 Friends of the Earth Summer Action North East Gathering, Newcastle
Across the UK Friends of the Earth is organising regional Summer Action Gatherings to inspire, inform and motivate climate and environmental activists. Climate Action Stokesley & Villages is an affiliated member of FOE so all are invited. You can:
Hear inspiring stories from campaigns and groups across our network.
Plotting and planning actions around campaigns in your region.
Share ideas and learn new skills to boost your work.
Yorkshire Gathering location: 62 King Edward Street Kingston upon Hull HU1 3SQ
Friends of the Earth ‘Planet over Profit’ Campaign;
webinar 5th June 201.5
At the CASaV May monthly meeting we were joined by Simon Bowens, Friends of the Earth Yorkshire Campaigns Organiser who gave us an overview of the support he can provide as a member of the Local Action Group network, the work of Friends of the Earth internationally and the latest campaigns. The campaign that those present were most interested in supporting was Planet Over Profit.
This campaign highlights that UK companies are profiting from supply chains that destroy precious forests worldwide, threaten wildlife, accelerate climate change, and violate the rights of local communities. FOE say we need a new law that requires UK companies to prevent harm to communities and the environment in their supply chains, wherever they operate. A comprehensive Business, Human Rights, and Environment Act would go far beyond the limited protections in existing legislation, requiring companies to actively prevent environmental and human rights abuses, rather than merely reporting on it after the damage is done.
What can I do now: Friends of the Earth local action groups have a critical role to play in the Planet Over Profit campaign. Local action groups like ours are needed to build support for the new law in their communities.
Thursday 5th June 20.15 Planet over Profit Webinar
Planet over Profit summer action webinar, showing you how to campaign to hold UK companies accountable for the environmental and human rights impacts of their global supply chains. Book a place here: planetoverprofitwebinar
Tuesday June 17th 19.30 Come along to our whole group meeting (see below) to help us plan our action.
Tuesday 17th June 19.30 Whole Group Meeting, the Globe Community Library, Stokesley
Come along to our face to face whole group meeting where we will start exploring the Planet Over Profit campaign mentioned above as well as having updates from our various subgroups.
Great Big Green Week
Saturday 7th June – Monday 16th June Displays with ideas for action and information on the GBGW theme of
‘Make swaps together for good’ at:
The Globe Community Library, Stokesley
The Discovery Centre, Great Ayton
The Hub Community Centre, Hutton Rudby
The threat of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss can feel so overwhelming that many people feel at a loss at how they can make a personal difference. Throughout Great Big Green Week there will be informative displays in the three locations above with lots of Information and ideas for action including take away leaflets on making simple swaps in your everyday living that will have significant impact on climate change and biodiversity loss.
What can I do now? Please pop in to the Stokesley Globe Community Library, Great Ayton Discovery Centre Community Library and Hutton Rudby Community Hub have a read, pick up a leaflet and make a difference.
Launch of ‘Taste not Waste’ Recipe leaflet with recipes created by Stokesley School Students
In the UK, an estimated 9.5 million tonnes of food waste is generated annually. As well being shocking in a cost of living crisis where families go hungry each day, this waste contributes to climate changing emissions harming the planet. Members of the CASaV Waste and Food groups recently worked together with Stokesley School Green Group’s staff to invite school students to create tasty recipes with a focus on reducing waste. These have now been compiled into a free leaflet which will be launched to celebrate Great Big Green Week.
What can I do now? Pick up your free booklet from the Globe, Stokesley and the Discovery Centre Great Ayton or download (save paper!) here: casav-leaflets/taste-not-waste/
Monday 9th June 17.00 – 19.00 Stokesley Mending Circle, Stokesley Town Hall (every second Monday monthly thereafter)
After delivering two sewing / mending lesson sessions in May, textile artist and mending tutor Jane and sewing and alterations businesswoman Jo are launching the Stokesley Mending Circle, a monthly textile mending group where the purpose is to reduce textile waste, encourage sustainable consumption, and celebrate the art of mending through free face to face hand mending support where you can learn and share sewing and darning skills including how to mend holes, sew up seams and hems, alter and adapt your existing clothing, sew on buttons and patches to make your cherished clothing or textile items last longer, giving them a new life and saving textile waste. The emphasis is on skill sharing so all are welcome – complete beginners, experienced needle crafters and anyone interested in fun with fabric.
What can I do now? All materials will be provided or you can bring an item you are working on. All participants will also receive a free mini sewing kit to carry on your sewing superpowers at home (while stocks last!). Session is free but donations to cover costs welcome.
Tuesday 10th June 10.30-12.00 Yatton House Community Garden Working Party, Great Ayton
The Yatton House Community Garden is blooming! Community gardens are growing in the UK as they are hugely beneficial because they foster community, act as social hubs, promoting interaction and a sense of belonging, while also enhancing physical and mental well-being through activities like gardening and access to stimulation green spaces.
A slight change of plan for next month’s Yatton House Community Garden working party. The 2nd Tuesday of the month (when we hold the working party) falls during Great Big Green Week, so to fit everything in we’ve moved the working party to the morning i.e. Tuesday 10th June from 10:30 – 12 noon. This will allow you to attend the Nature Jourmaling session if you are interested. If you can’t make the morning then the garden will be open in the afternoon for you to come and weed as usual. A priority will be to take any nettles/thistles out of the grass area as we have a group from Marwood Infant school coming on the Thursday to have a look at the garden and help with some weeding/planting.
What can I do now?
Please contact Caryn for more information or just come along to our next working party on Tuesday 10th June 10.00 – 12.00 at Yatton House Community Garden, Great Ayton when we will tending the growing crops and flower borders.
Tuesday 10th June 13.00 – 15.00 Introduction to Creative Nature Journaling session, Discovery Centre, Great Ayton
Do you want to find a way to record your thoughts and observations on nature or have you been inspired by Great Ayton’s Bug Trail to explore the role of pollinators?
Then this introductory session to nature journaling, with the theme of pollinators, might be for you. During the session nature artist Suzi Smith will introduce you to ‘nature journaling’:
a practice of recording observations, thoughts, and feelings about nature in a notebook or journal, often using a combination of writing, drawing, and other creative mediums. It’s a way to deepen your connection with the natural world and learn more about it while enjoying the pleasure of creativity and gaining a sense of calm.
The session, organised by Climate Action Stokesley and Villages as part of Great Big Green Week, is on Tuesday 10th June, from 1-3pm, in Great Ayton Discovery Centre. There is a charge of £10 for the session.
Some materials will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own journal/sketchbook, craft materials and images.
What can I do now: To book a place please contact Caryn at climateactionsav@gmail.com or call 07773 048250
Tuesday 10th June 19.00 – 21.00 Waste / Circularity Group Gathering with guided tour and talk on created wildlife habitats & refreshments, Great Busby
The Waste / Circularity group goes wild this month to celebrate Great Big Green Week with a face to face gathering in place of our usual zoom meeting. We will start with a guided tour of the dozens of habitats, many repurposing materials which would otherwise have gone to waste, created to encourage and protect wildlife then gather for refreshments then end with our usual meeting to discuss waste initiatives, our Repair Cafe and all things sustainable. Please contact Simon for location and to let us know you are coming. All welcome.
Saturday 14th June 10.00-12.00 Repair Cafe at The Globe, Stokesley
Since we started over three years ago our incredible volunteers have fixed over 2000 items, saving their owners money and allowing them to carry on using their cherished items for longer as well as saving waste from landfill or incineration and so reducing carbon emissions.
Our June Repair Cafe includes free Fair Trade beverages and vegan treats to refresh you whilst our wonderful volunteer repairers meet your fixing needs. Bring along your treasured household items in need of repair on Saturday 14th June 10-12 at the Globe Community Library . Our pink T-shirted volunteers will endeavour to fix your items, saving you the cost of buying new and protecting the climate and the earth’s natural resources by reducing waste going to landfill or incineration and reducing the need to manufacture new.
Household items for repair can include: clothing & textiles, electrical appliances, wooden furniture, toys & bikes, laptops & mobile phones. Plus we have blade sharpening so bring along your garden and home tool blades to give them a new edge!
On average, we manage to fix 70% of items, give advice on possible repair steps for 20% and how best to recycle the 10% that are sadly beyond repair (statistics). But 100% of attendees are offered free refreshments of tea, coffee or juice as well as cakes and biscuits and a great opportunity to chat with friendly, like minded people and learn new repair skills.
This month’s free refreshments include Fair Trade beverages and home made sweet treats (including vegan!) made with Fair Trade ingredients, kindly donated by Stokesley Co-op.
What can I do now?
Come along with your item in need of repair and sit with our skilled repairers as they share their fixing knowledge with you. New repair and reception volunteers always welcome – come along, have a cuppa and a chat or email Simon Gibbon.
Ideas & news from the groups
1. Waste / Circularity (including Repair Cafe)
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. This year’s World Environment Day on 5th June is all about reducing plastic pollution –https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/
Please join us at this month’s face to face outdoor gathering (see above) on Tuesday 10th June 19.00-21.00: contact email Simon Gibbon for the location
1. The Restart Project lobbying at Westminster
The Restart Project aims to tackle the climate emergency by making electronics work for people, for the planet, and for longer as well as supporting Repair Cafes and other initiatives across the UK. The UK is the second highest producer of electronic waste per capita in the world. So Restart is calling on politicians to make the UK a leader by removing barriers to repair and reuse. Their Repair and Reuse declaration has been signed by hundreds of community groups, allied organisations and businesses and endorsed by a growing list of MPs.and on June 11th they are heading back to Westminster to rally even more support as well as holding a Repair Cafe in the Houses of Parliament itself!
Simon Gibbon our Repair Cafe co-ordinator has been invited to join The Restart Project in Westminster on June 11th to talk to MPs to persuade more to sign up to the cause.
2. Collect and donate plastic bottle tops, metal foil and stamps for good causes
Louise Coidan highlights that Rea funeral service, Great Ayton raised over £200 last year for a Yorkshire Cancer Charity by simply collecting plastic bottle tops. Teesside Hospice raises funds with used postage stamps and Great Ayton Methodist Church collects metal foil to raise funds for a local Youth Group.
What can I do now? Louise asks if you can save up your washed plastic bottle tops, used stamps and metal foil then contact her, she will arrange for them to get to where they are being collected for fundraising. Contact Louise here
3. Household items circularity: Give or Take Event coming soon
Most of us have cupboards, under beds and garages full of household ‘stuff’ – kitchen equipment, bedding & other household textiles, books & magazines, ornaments, DVDs, CDs, toys, hobby equipment – that we never use and / or have duplicates of (just how many saucepans do you really use / need?).
At the same time there are many in the local community who need these household items but cannot afford them, particularly in this cost of living crisis as bills continue to rise
‘Give or Take’ events – where people who have unused surplus household items have a good clear out and people who need household items pick up things they need for free – have been running across the country for a while with some excellent ones running regularly in nearby Ryedale.
Waste / Circularity group members are planning a GIVE OR TAKE EVENT coming soon based in Stokesley (venue to be confirmed) for the local community to give a new life to their surplus, unused but usable household items and for others who can make good use of them. Any items left over will be offered to local charities and community groups or collected and recycled by North Yorkshire Council.
What can I do now?
We need volunteers to help plan and run the event (meeting soon) so if you can help or have household goods you want to repurpose please contact
4. Clothing circularity: New to You Clothes Swap Event in September – equipment & volunteers & participants needed
The climate impact of clothing is significant, with the fashion industry considered one of the most polluting industries globally, contributing heavily to greenhouse gas emissions through its production processes, material sourcing, and waste generation, primarily due to the high water usage, energy consumption in manufacturing, and reliance on synthetic materials like polyester which are derived from fossil fuels.
Not only this, but “fast fashion” encourages frequent clothing purchases and quick disposal whilst garment workers are often exploited with low pay, unsafe working conditions, and long hours. Fast fashion’s affordability and new trends can make consumers value clothing less so instead of taking care of our clothing and repairing any damage to extend the life of our clothing we end up buying more and more that will sit in our wardrobes and never see the light of day.
What can I do now?
– Support sustainable and ethical fashion brands and choose high-quality clothing that lasts longer.
– Recycle or repurpose clothing when it’s no longer needed.
Most of us have far more clothing stuffed in our wardrobes that we no longer wear or in some cases have never worn after an impulse buy.
Jane and Jo, Repair Cafe textiles specialists, are hoping to address this locally and are currently planning a new to yougood quality clothing swap event on 27th September to coincide with Sustainable Fashion Week (27th September to 5th October) where our local community can have a wardrobe refresh by exchanging the clothes they no longer wear for ‘new to you’ clothes they would like to wear.
If you have any spare clothes rails or would like to volunteer to help or would like more information to participate please contact clothesswap@casav.uk
2. Nature Group
This subgroup focuses on discovering more about and supporting biodiversity and our living environment. Please join us at our next face to face meeting on Thursday 19th June 15.00-16.30 at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley. Contact Bridget for more information.
1. Fire risk on North York Moors
The North York Moors continues to be under extreme risk of fire and many of use will see the warning signs. It is important to note that a human is responsible for virtually all wildfires.
What can I do now? Visitors to the moors should not use light barbeques or fires. Any fires that are seen should be reported immediately to the fire service.
2. Drought & extreme rain concerns – how to manage
As the drought continues across the country we, in this area, must consider ourselves lucky that we are not facing hosepipe bans and other restrictions like those who live in the North West. We are fortunate that we can continue to water our gardens but it would be wise to conserve water where possible. Some tips from Gardener’s World:maintain-the-garden/dealing-with-drought-in-the-garden/
The RHS has some practical Do’s and Don’ts in managing your garden for drought and extreme rain events.
Practical tips for water management
Try to carry out the following;
Make long-term plantings of trees, shrubs and hedges that are drought tolerant.
Plant long-term shelter to protect the garden from stormier weather.
Improve soil with grit, gravel and organic matter to ensure drainage and nutrients; additional drainage may have to be installed before planting long-term plants.
Build water collection and disposal measures into new hard landscaping, greenhouses and sheds.
Invest in water features and ponds – they will benefit wildlife and will be appreciated in hotter, drier summers.
Avoid the following;
Make long-term plantings in areas liable to flood.
Clear established vegetation from slopes, but work new plants into existing growth.
Devote extensive areas to plants that suffer in wet winters and summer droughts – including lawns on dry soil.
Remove long-established trees and shrubs – these often have extensive root systems that can withstand drought and protect soil from erosion.
3. What to see and do locally in nature in June: orchids & otters!
The more we connect with nature, the more motivated we are to protect it. For ideas on things to do in nature in June have a look at Natures Calendar from the North York Moors National Park:
June and July are the best times for seeing the 21 beautiful orchid species that grow in the North York Moors. You’ll most likely see the common spotted orchid, with its delicate pale pink flower spikes which grows in many different areas. Otters living on the rivers Derwent, Rye, Dove and Esk will be very active now, supporting their fast growing cubs.
What can I do now? If you’re keen to the full range of orchid species, join Yorkshire Coast Nature on one of its wildflower tours. Nunnington Hall, on the banks of the river Rye, is one place where you may be fortunate to spot an otter. But patience is key. Tread carefully and quietly, and keep upwind, as they are highly sensitive animals.
3. 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 in July at Wendy’s allotment contact Wendy for a link to join
1. Growing Your own: June Tips of the Month
What are the benefits of growing your own?
Environmental benefits: You can avoid pesticides and herbicides, which pollute the air and water, you can practice water conservation, you reduce food miles, you help pollinators by providing food for them.
Health benefits: you can eat more fruits and vegetables, and include them in healthy meals, homegrown vegetables are more nutritious and taste better because they are free of artificial additives.
Economic benefits: you can save money on food by growing your own vegetables and be more self-sufficient in case of food shortages or price increases.
What can I do now? It’s not too late to sow Courgette, Cucumber, French bean and Lettuce. Young plants can benefit from ‘earthing up’ – having earth drawn up around their stems (or of being set more deeply when being planted out). They can then make extra (‘adventitious’) roots which help with feeding and stability. Sprouts, tomatoes, sweetcorn and courgettes all benefit.
2. More vegan food on local menus!
Disappointed by the limited range of plant based options in local cafes and restaurants locally, the food group have delivered letters to eateries in the Stokesley area trying to encourage plant based dishes more suitable for the dietary needs of vegetarians and vegans.
We are fortunate to have the fully vegan The Station Coffee + Kitchen thestationcoffeekitchen in Stokesley but it’s good to have options!
3. Garden Share Scheme
Gardening can be a solitary activity, and for many people, the lack of community gardening can be great, but if you have trouble getting there or you want more say in what you want to grow that’s where garden sharing comes in.
Locally, there are currently many people on allotment waiting lists, and some who have gardens are struggling to manage them alone. Garden sharing with others can help to reduce costs, save time and resources, and build a sense of camaraderie around the joy of gardening.
The Food Group are currently trying to set up a Garden share scheme – those without a garden help those for whom their garden has become too large, by using it for their mutual benefit.
What can I do now? If you are without a green space to grow your own or have a garden that you struggle to manage alone and are interested in this scheme, please contact Wendy (link to be added)
4. A Tale of Two Loaves: The Story Behind Your Daily Bread
5. Foodshare: surplus food prevented from going to waste and helping those in need
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 amongst those in need. This is fresh food such as fruit, veg and bread, NOT the tins and dried food that are needed by Food Banks.
Foodshare collects 40 – 60 kilos of food each day with a value of approx £250. This is £78,000 worth in a 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.
6. June Seasonal Eating
Eating food in season (local as far as possible) can have substantial positive impact on climate breakdown by reducing high-energy input from artificial heating or lighting needed to produce crops out of the natural growing season. In June spring-sown veg crops are finally ready to harvest, as are some soft fruit. This is the month to eat locally grown strawberries, which have been ripened outside in the summer sunshine.
Recipe of the month: No bake vegan strawberry tart
Fruit and vegetables in season in June – ready to harvest or buy locally in your greengrocers or farm shop: Baby carrots, Broad beans, Chard, Courgettes and summer squash, Currants, Gooseberries, Lettuce, Parsley, Radish, Rocket, Spinach, Spring cabbage, Spring onions, Strawberries
4. Ideas from the groups: Transport
Low carbon travel: Moorbus
Moorsbus operates a bus network servicing the North York Moors National Park in summer, from now until September 28th, with services on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. For very low cost you can travel across the moors from Stokesley & Great Ayton to visit Castle Howard, Danby Lodge, Malton, Easingwold, Rosedale Abbey and more.
This year there are some service expansions, but also unfortunately some service withdrawals, so please check the soon to be uploaded timetables carefully, as there are some significant changes since last year.
Moorsbus is run by a group of volunteers aiming to create an affordable transport system to and around the North York Moors. They want to help locals, as well as visitors from home and abroad, to travel without cars. In 2014 they formed the Friends of Moorsbus and the Moorsbus Community Interest Company as not-for-profit organisations, working with communities and other groups to develop and promote local bus services. They depend on donations to keep the services running as the fares and the low pass reimbursement only pay for about half the bus costs each year.
What can I do now? Check out the Moorsbus website for timetables and updates and start planning your car free travels around the beautiful moors this summer, information here:
5. Ideas 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.
They will be holding a fundraising Bric-a-brac stall at the Osmotherley Summer Games on Saturday 5th July, any offers of help greatly appreciated. They need people to manage the stall on the day & people to dispose of unsold goods in the following week.
If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on next month’s (July‘s) update please email Kate Gibbonby Friday 27th June.
Kate also helps promote activities via Facebook so let her know if there is anything that you would like shared via our Facebook page if you are not a Facebook user.
Hope to see you at the whole group CASaV meeting on Tuesday 17th June 19.30 at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley
Kate Gibbon,
on behalf of the Climate Action Stokesley and Villages Steering Group Steering group:
Do you want to find a way to record your thoughts and observations on nature or have you been inspired by Great Ayton’s Bug Trail to explore the role of pollinators?
Then this introductory session to nature journaling, with the theme of pollinators, might be for you. During the session Suzi Smith will introduce you to ‘nature journaling’: a way of recording your thoughts on nature through writing, drawing and use of images.
The session, organised by Climate Action Stokesley and Villages as part of Great Big Green Week, is on Tuesday 10th June, from 1-3pm, in The Discovery Centre, Great Ayton. There is a charge of £10 for the session.
Some materials will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own journal/sketchbook, craft materials and images.
Come along to our face-to-face whole group meeting on Tuesday 20th May from 7:30-9:00pm in The Globe Community Library, North Road, Stokesley. We will be agreeing our plans for Great Big Green Week (7th – 15th June) and discussing the different projects our sub-groups are working on. We’re hoping to also be joined by Simon Bowens, Yorkshire Campaign Organiser, Friends of the Earth. We are part of the Friends of the Earth Local Action Group network so it will be great to hear about the support available and actions planned over the spring/summer.
Welcome to May’s Update from Climate Action Stokesley & Villages
Thank you for your role in taking urgent action globally and locally on climate breakdown and biodiversity loss.
With lighter, warmer mornings what better way to greet the day and feel closer to nature than getting up early to listen to the Dawn Chorus, with several nearby nature reserves celebrating International Dawn Chorus Day with guided walks; it’s time for getting out your lighter clothes and if they’re in need of mending come along to May‘sRepair Cafe together with any other household items in need of fixing. Mend It May is also here to encourage you to make your favourite clothes last longer and reduce textile waste and if you want to master the art of mending and learn sustainable sewing superpowers there are free hand sewing lessons on two dates in May at Stokesley. You can also learn gardening skills alongside others at Yatton House Community Garden May working party and then return to relax in your garden leaving at least some of your lawns and verges to grow throughout No Mow / Let It Grow May and beyond to save our pollinators as well as create habitats for our essential hedgehogs, celebrated in Hedgehog Awareness Week this month.
Diary dates
Tuesday 20th May 19.30 – 21.00 Whole Group Meeting, Globe Community Library, Stokesley
1st – 31st May National No Mow May / Let it Grow to boost biodiversity & protect pollinators
1st – 31st May The Big Fix, national focus on repair cafes and right to repair
1st – 31st May Mend It May, National Sustainable Fashion May
3rd – September 28th Moorsbus, summer bus network servicing the North York Moors National Park
Sunday 4th May International Dawn Chorus Day (see Nature Group section below)
Sunday 4th – Saturday 10th May National Hedgehog Awareness Week (see Nature Group section below)
Tuesday 13th May 13:00 – 15:00 Yatton House Community Garden Gardening Working Party, Great Ayton
Thursdays 8th & 15th May 14.00 Free Hand Sewing / Mending Lessons, Globe Community Library, Stokesley (linked to Mend It May)
Tuesday 13th May 19.00 Waste & Circularity Group (incl Repair Cafe) Zoom Meeting (see Waste & Circularity Group section below)
Thursday 15th May 15.30 Nature Group meeting (face to face) Globe Community Library, Stokesley (see Nature Group section below)
Friday 16th – Friday 30th May Big Ideas by the Sea, events about history, the arts and the environment, Scarborough
Saturday 17th May 10.00 – 12.00 Repair Cafe & Focus on Circularity with free household items giveaway, Swainby Village Hall
Sunday 25th May Deadline to complete DEFRA online consultation on moorland heather & grass burning
Thursday 29th May 19.00 Food Group Zoom Meeting (see Food Group section below)
Our online newsletter / magazine focuses on our group’s values and purpose, summed up by our motto ‘Think global, act local’, beginning with global / national / county issues including ways in which you can influence policy, followed by local news and activities you can participate in that develop our relationship with the environment and fight climate change and biodiversity loss.
“Think global”
1st – 31st May National No Mow May / Let it Grow to boost biodiversity & protect pollinators
We’ve lost approximately 97% of flower-rich meadows since the 1930’s and with them gone are vital food needed by pollinators, like bees and butterflies. But your lawn and outside verges can help! A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground. With over 20 million gardens in the UK, even the smallest grassy patches add up to a significant proportion of our land which, if managed properly, can deliver enormous gains for nature, communities and the climate.
What can I do now?
No Mow May / Let It Grow is the perfect starting point to get your greenspace on track for a wild summer. You’ve taken the first step – now learn more about how to manage your wild lawn all year round! your-no-mow-may-lawn-guide/
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope” – Lady Bird Johnson
1st – 31st May The Big Fix, national focus on Repair Cafes and Right to Repair
Repairing broken items is important because it saves money, reduces waste and minimises environmental impact. It generally is a more environmentally friendly alternative to recycling, as recycling requires significant energy and infrastructure.
Restarters is a global community of people who make local repair events – like Repair Cafes but also individuals repairing – happen and campaign for our right to repair. This month they are inviting any person or organisation to join in The BIG FIX 2025, running Any Day in May, to help raise awareness of the importance of repair generally and Repair Cafés in particular to their communities and in helping protect the planet.
What can I do now?
Our Repair Cafe is signing up to the Big Fix so you can come along to our May Repair Cafe on 17th May, details see below, with your item in need of fixing and our repair volunteers will fix it whilst sharing their repair know how with you. You can also sign up as an individual fixer to log your own repairers to contribute towards a national picture of how much repairing is happening in the UK. More info here: the-big-fix-may-2025
1st – 31st May Mend It May, National Sustainable Fashion
“Mend It May” is a national campaign, associated with Sustainable Fashion Week, that encourages people to mend clothing throughout the month of May rather than buying new items. The goal is to reduce textile waste, encourage sustainable consumption, and celebrate the art of mending.
With fast fashion making clothing more disposable than ever, why aren’t we making do and mending? A lack of sewing and textile education—both in schools and at home—means we’re losing essential skills that keep our clothes in use for longer. In fact, 1 in 3 people never learned how to sew at all. Mend It may is here to change that.
What can I do now?
Check out the free sewing lessons being offered locally here in Stokesley this month – details in ‘Act Local’ section below or look for Mend It May on Instagram and join in with their mending challenges.
3rd May – September 28th Moorsbus, summer bus network serving the North York Moors National Park
Moorsbus operates a bus network servicing the North York Moors National Park in summer, May 3rd – September 28th, with services on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. For very low cost you can travel across the moors from Stokesley & Great Ayton to visit Castle Howard, Danby Lodge, Malton, Easingwold, Rosedale Abbey and more.
This year there are some service expansions, but also unfortunately some service withdrawals, so please check the soon to be uploaded timetables carefully, as there are some significant changes since last year.
Moorsbus is run by a group of volunteers aiming to create an affordable transport system to and around the North York Moors. They want to help locals, as well as visitors from home and abroad, to travel without cars. In 2014 we formed the Friends of Moorsbus and the Moorsbus Community Interest Company as not-for-profit organisations, working with communities and other groups to develop and promote local bus services. They depend on donations to keep the services running as the fares and the low pass reimbursement only pay for about half the bus costs each year.
What can I do now?
Check out the Moorsbus website for timetables and updates and start planning your car free travels around the beautiful moors this summer, information here: moorsbus
Friday 16th – Friday 30th May Big Ideas by the Sea, events about history, the arts and the environment, Scarborough
Big Ideas By the Sea is now an annual event, this year running 16th – 30th May, bringing a host of events focusing on history, the arts and the environment to entertain and inform audiences from Scarborough and beyond.
What can I do now?
Of particular interest to all interested in sustainability and protecting our fragile marine environments, get tickets for talks and events by TV Explorer and environmentalist Paul Rose and prominent marine conservationist Hugo Tagholm, UK director of Oceana, will lead the Sustainable Coast event.
Sunday 25th May Deadline to complete DEFRA online consultation on moorland heather & grass burning
England’s peatlands are of huge international importance, and it is vital that we protect these sites for future generations. However, 80% of England’s peatlands are degraded, with rotational burning being a contributory factor in upland regions like on the North York Moors.
Protecting peat from further damage is crucial to its restoration and recovery. In the uplands, protection is provided by The Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021 (the Regulations) which were introduced to prevent unnecessary burning on peatlands. Repeated burning risks permanently altering the species composition and hydrology of peatland habitats.
This consultation seeks your views on the potential amendments to the Regulations to bring England’s regulations more into line with Scotland. If implemented, these changes will increase the area currently protected from 222,000 hectares to over 368,000 hectares of England’s total 677,250 hectares of deep peat (around half of England’s deep peat is in lowland areas). The entire area of upland deep peat that is potentially subject to burning would be protected.
What can I do now?
Complete the DEFRA online survey on heather and grass burning now before the deadline of 25th May 2025.
This month’s local activities and ideas from our focus groups (Nature, Food, Waste, Energy, Transport) to address biodiversity loss and fight climate breakdown
Tuesday 20th May 19.30 Whole Group Meeting, the Globe Community Library, Stokesley
Come along to our face to face whole group meeting when we will be agreeing our plans for Great Big Green Week (7th – 15th June) and discussing the different projects our sub-groups are working on.
Thursdays 8th & 15th May 14.00 Free Hand Sewing / Mending Lessons, Globe Community Library, Stokesley (linked to Mend It May)
Inspired by Mend It May’s purpose to reduce textile waste, encourage sustainable consumption, and celebrate the art of mending, textile artist and mending tutor Jane and sewing and alterations businesswoman Jo are offering two sessions of free face to face hand mending lessons where you can learn how to sew up seams and hems as well as sew on buttons and patches to make your cherished clothing or textile items last longer.
What can I do now?
All materials will be provided so just turn up on the day, either or both Thursday 8th May or 15th May at 14.00 at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley with items you need to mend or learn with provided materials. All participants will also receive a free mini sewing kit to carry on your sewing superpowers at home!
Tuesday 13th May 13.00 – 15.00 Yatton House Community Garden Working Party, Great Ayton
Photo of child at Yatton House Community Garden published with permission
Thank you to those who came and helped at the full day working party in the community garden last month. Great progress was made. A hedgehog box, made by a local resident, is in place; stepping stones now lead you across the grass past some lovely cowslips; a mirror might take you by surprise; and a bird feeder is starting to be used and hopefully we might be able to spot what is visiting it on camera. We are looking forward to seeing the designs for a reflective area sign from the children at Marwood CofE Infant School and also need some help in constructing a hide.
What can I do now?
If you can help construct a hide, please contact Caryn or come along to our next working party on Tuesday 13th May, from 1:30 – 3:00 pm when we will be sowing seeds, including climbing french beans as suggested by Wendy in the Food Group section, and weeding.
Saturday 17th May 10.00-12.00 Repair Cafe at Swainby Village Hall
Since we started our incredible volunteers have fixed nearly 2000 items, saving their owners money and allowing them to carry on using their cherished items for longer as well as saving waste from landfill or incineration and so reducing carbon emissions.
Our May Repair Cafe includes free Fair Trade beverages and biscuits to refresh you whilst our wonderful volunteer repairers meet your fixing needs. Bring along your treasured household items in need of repair on Saturday 17th May 10-12 at Swainby Village Hall, High Street, Swainby. Our pink T-shirted volunteers will endeavour to fix your items, saving you the cost of buying new and protecting the climate and the earth’s natural resources by reducing waste going to landfill or incineration and reducing the need to manufacture new.
Household items for repair can include: clothing & textiles, electrical appliances, wooden furniture, toys & bikes, laptops & mobile phones and just in time to get your garden tools in action, our brilliant blade sharpener is back!
On average, we manage to fix 70% of items, give advice on possible repair steps for 20% and how best to recycle the 10% that are sadly beyond repair (statistics). But 100% of attendees are offered free refreshments of tea, coffee or juice as well as cakes and biscuits and a great opportunity to chat with friendly, like minded people and learn new repair skills.
This month’s free refreshments include Fair Trade beverages and home made sweet treats (including vegan!) made with Fair Trade ingredients, kindly donated by Stokesley Co-op.
What can I do now?
Come along with your item in need of repair and sit with our skilled repairers as they share their fixing knowledge with you. New repair and reception volunteers always welcome – come along, have a cuppa and a chat or email Simon Gibbon.
Ideas & news from the groups
1. Waste / Circularity (including Repair Cafe)
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 meeting: Tuesday 13th May 19.00 by zoom – contact email Simon Gibbon for a link
1. Circularity – what and why?
Circularity, in terms of sustainability, aims to minimise waste and maximise resources by keeping products and materials in use through practices like reusing, repairing, repurposing, and at the last resort, recycling. The benefits of this are that it can help tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution as well as saving us money and saving the earth’s limited resources for future generations.
At this month’s Repair Cafe there will be a display / information on Circularity Living and an opportunity to reuse books and magazines on sustainable themes such as plant based cookery, gardening & growing your own and mending or repurposing your household items.
2. Household items circularity: Give or Take Event in July
Most of us have cupboards, under beds and garages full of household ‘stuff’ – kitchen equipment, bedding & other household textiles, books & magazines, ornaments, DVDs, CDs, toys, hobby equipment – that we never use and / or have duplicates of (just how many saucepans do you really use / need?).
At the same time there are many in the local community who need these household items but cannot afford them, particularly in this cost of living crisis as bills continue to rise
‘Give or Take’ events – where people who have unused surplus household items have a good clear out and people who need household items pick up things they need for free – have been running across the country for a while with some excellent ones running regularly in nearby Ryedale.
Waste / Circularity group members are planning a GIVE OR TAKE EVENT in July based in Stokesley (venue to be confirmed) for the local community to give a new life to their surplus, unused but usable household items and for others who can make good use of them. Any items left over will be offered to local charities and community groups or collected and recycled by North Yorkshire Council.
What can I do now?
We need volunteers to help plan and run the event (meeting soon) so if you can help or have household goods you want to repurpose please contact
3. Clothing circularity: New to You Clothes Swap Event in September – equipment & volunteers & participants needed
The climate impact of clothing is significant, with the fashion industry considered one of the most polluting industries globally, contributing heavily to greenhouse gas emissions through its production processes, material sourcing, and waste generation, primarily due to the high water usage, energy consumption in manufacturing, and reliance on synthetic materials like polyester which are derived from fossil fuels.
Not only this, but “fast fashion” encourages frequent clothing purchases and quick disposal whilst garment workers are often exploited with low pay, unsafe working conditions, and long hours. Fast fashion’s affordability and new trends can make consumers value clothing less so instead of taking care of our clothing and repairing any damage to extend the life of our clothing we end up buying more and more that will sit in our wardrobes and never see the light of day.
What can I do now?
– Support sustainable and ethical fashion brands and choose high-quality clothing that lasts longer.
– Recycle or repurpose clothing when it’s no longer needed.
Most of us have far more clothing stuffed in our wardrobes that we no longer wear or in some cases have never worn after an impulse buy.
Jane and Jo, Repair Cafe textiles specialists, are hoping to address this locally and are currently planning a new to yougood quality clothing swap event on 27th September to coincide with Sustainable Fashion Week (27th September to 5th October) where our local community can have a wardrobe refresh by exchanging the clothes they no longer wear for ‘new to you’ clothes they would like to wear.
If you have any spare clothes rails or would like to volunteer to help or would like more information to participate please contact clothesswap@casav.uk
4. Waste group events in April: 3rd Birthday Repair Cafe at the Globe, Stokesley
April’s Repair Cafe at the Globe, Stokesley started with celebrating three years of running our monthly Repair Cafe. Candles were lit, Happy Birthday was sung and cake was eaten! Our ever ready pink T-shirted volunteer repairing heroes rose to the challenge yet again and 53 items were fixed to the delight and gratitude of their owners
Volunteers were also on hand on our now regular information stand to discuss the all things biodiversity and climate change and new members to the group were signed up.
2. Nature Group
This subgroup focuses on discovering more about and supporting biodiversity and our living environment. Please join us at our next face to face meeting on Thursday 15th May at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley. Contact Bridget for more information.
1. Sunday 4th May International Dawn Chorus Day
Each year, the first Sunday of May is dedicated to the chorus of birdsong that can be heard each day at dawn. While it is often enjoyed (or sometimes found unpleasant!) for its various tunes, tones and melodies, it has a much more practical, underlying purpose for the survival of birds across the world – it is performed by birds looking for love and to defend their patch. Dawn Chorus Day takes place on the first Sunday of May, as it marks the beginning of the breeding season. Some species sing throughout the day, but it’s at dawn, as the morning light begins to break, that many different birds join together to perform.
Listening to birdsong is a great way of potentially increasing our happiness and well-being. A recent study found that listening to 6-minute recordings of birdsong reduced feelings of anxiety, depression and paranoia across 295 participants, whereas listening to recordings of traffic noise was connected to a significant increase in depression.
Birds are highly sensitive to changes in the environment, making them great indicators of environmental health, including changes in the climate. However, this also means they are vulnerable to climate change, which is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss across the world. Climate change may also alter the future of the dawn chorus. Climate modelling has predicted that early morning temperatures may become suboptimal for vocal communication due to warmer temperatures at night, which may shift singing times to even earlier in the morning when light levels and foraging abilities are lower.
What can I do now?
To feel more connected to nature and for your own interest and wellbeing, get up early and sit outside to listen to this wonderful nature event. There are a number of smart phone apps that can identify the tunes of different birds or you can have a listen here:
Make sure you support and protect habitats for nesting birds. You should only cut hedges outside of bird-nesting months – typically between March and August every year, but they may vary depending on weather conditions. It is a legal offence to harm nesting birds, or their eggs, under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981.
2. Sunday 4th – Saturday 10th May National Hedgehog Awareness Week
This national annual campaign highlights the problems hedgehogs face and how to help them. Hedgehogs are important because they serve as natural pest control in gardens, are indicator species for healthy ecosystems, and contribute to the overall biodiversity of an area. They consume invertebrates like slugs and beetles, helping to keep populations in check and reducing the need for chemical pesticides. Their presence also suggests a healthy environment with enough food and vegetation.
What can I do now?
This year people are being asked to ‘Give hedgehogs the edge!’ by making the edges of their gardens and green spaces havens for wildlife, and encouraging landowners such as schools and councils to do the same. More information here: hedgehog-awareness-week
Last year our group were treated to a special talk from Smoggy Hogs Rescue based in Middlesbrough but supporting the rescue and nursing back to health of hedgehogs across all TS postcodes. More information here: smoggyhogsrescue
3. What to see and do locally in nature in May
For ideas on things to do in nature in May have a look at Natures Calendar from the North York Moors National Park. northyorkmoorsnature-calendar/may
What can I do now?
The more we connect with nature, the more motivated we are to protect it. This month make sure you catch the beautiful bluebells under the dappled shade of our deciduous woodlands such as those at Hackfall Wood, Newton Wood & Roseberry Topping .
4. Dandelion Day Market Stall Success
On Friday 4th April the Nature Group held an information stall at the busy Stokesley Friday market. As well as beautifully blooming dandelions there were a display of other wild flowers including violets and primroses (carefully taken from group members’ gardens not from the wild!) for people to take away along with leaflets on local wild flowers and their importance and uses (Dandelion flower cocktails anyone?). Dozens of market shoppers stopped to discuss all things wild and encouraging biodiversity. Free blue heart signs to encourage people to leave areas of their gardens and verges to grow wild to create habitats for pollinators were also given away. Find out more on Let It Grow.
3. 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 29th May 19.00 contact Wendy for a link to join
1. Growing Your own: May Tips of the Month
What are the benefits of growing your own?
Environmental benefits: You can avoid pesticides and herbicides, which pollute the air and water, you can practice water conservation, you reduce food miles, you help pollinators by providing food for them.
Health benefits: you can eat more fruits and vegetables, and include them in healthy meals, homegrown vegetables are more nutritious and taste better because they are free of artificial additives.
Economic benefits: you can save money on food by growing your own vegetables and be more self-sufficient in case of food shortages or price increases.
What can I do now?
This year why not try growing climbing French beans which produce many more beans than the dwarf sort from the same area of ground (or pot). And out of reach of slugs! Can be planted now if soil is warm enough.
2. The EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health
This recent research brought together 37 world-leading scientists from across the globe to answer this question: Can we feed a future population of 10 billion people a healthy diet within planetary boundaries? The answer is yes, but we it will be impossible without transforming eating habits, improving food production and reducing food waste.
The EAT-Lancet report is the first full scientific review of what constitutes a healthy diet from a sustainable food system, and which actions can support and speed up food system transformation. One of its key recommendations was that people in the global north eat less meat to benefit both the planet and their health.
One of the key findings from the EAT-Lancet report above was the need to change food production methods. For example, global food systems are responsible for around one third of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions each year. Carbon Brief has produced a guide of 25 ‘climate friendly’ farming methods you can read here: https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/glossary/agriculture/index.html
4. Cooking and eating rice safely
Rice is a staple part of the world’s diet but, as with all food preparation, caution is needed to ensure safe eating. Arsenic, a naturally occurring element, can be found in rice, particularly in flooded rice fields. it can be a cause for concern, especially for infants and young children. Rice tends to absorb more arsenic from the soil and irrigation water than other cereals.
New research found that as “carbon emissions rise and the Earth continues to warm, so too will arsenic levels in rice”, BBC News reported. While “almost all rice contains arsenic”, amounts can vary, the study noted. Rising CO2 levels could contribute to “approximately 19.3m more cancer cases in China alone” due to increased arsenic intake, it said. The outlet pointed out that the worst-case warming scenario in the study was “beyond the high emissions” scenario used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But, it added, the research “provides a snapshot” of what could happen to rice crops globally – not just in China, where the researchers conducted their experiments.
What can I do now?
To reduce the arsenic in your rice, first give it a good rinse. Place the grains in a fine mesh strainer and pour water over them until it runs clear. Cook the rice in excess water, at a ratio of one cup of rice to six cups of water, and drain any extra leftover once the grains are tender.
5. Foodshare: surplus food prevented from going to waste and helping those in need
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 amongst those in need. This is fresh food such as fruit, veg and bread, NOT the tins and dried food that are needed by Food Banks.
Foodshare collects 40 – 60 kilos of food each day with a value of approx £250. This is £78,000 worth in a 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.
6. May Seasonal Eating
Eating food in season (local as far as possible) can have substantial positive impact on climate breakdown by reducing high-energy input from artificial heating or lighting needed to produce crops out of the natural growing season.
Fruit and vegetables in season in May – after the hungry gap May brings lots of fresh new vegetables to enjoy such as asparagus, broccoli, carrots, jersey royal new potatoes, lettuce & salad leaves, new potatoes, peas, radishes, rocket, samphire, spinach, spring onions, watercress, wild nettles. Also herbs are coming in to their own – basil, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, oregano, mint, nasturtium, parsley (curly), rosemary, sage, sorrel, tarragon
4. Ideas 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 Rebecca for more information
Signing off
If you have any news or any event / activity you would like promoting on next month’s (June‘s) update please email Kate Gibbonby Friday 30th May.
Kate also helps promote activities via Facebook so let her know if there is anything that you would like shared via our Facebook page and Instagram if you are not a Facebook user.
Hope to see you at the whole group CASaV meeting on Tuesday 20th May 19.30 at the Globe Community Library, Stokesley
Kate Gibbon,
on behalf of the Climate Action Stokesley and Villages Steering Group Steering group:
(photo by Martin Partridge, Butterfly Conservation, Yorkshire Branch Chair)
The group were helped to identify a range of species not only by their appearance but also by their behaviour and typical habitats. Species spotted included the purple hairstreak butterfly, only very recently recorded locally for the first time. Martin also shared a range of resources including identification guides, a recording app and the importance of conserving and protecting these fascinating wildlife 
Tindalls stock a wide range of eco household cleaning products which you can either buy in bulk or refill existing smaller containers to reduce single use plastic waste. Their range includes laundry liquid, washing up liquid, liquid hand soap, toilet cleaner, fabric conditioner, all purpose surface cleaner and dishwasher tablets.
(Artwork for the community garden created by children from Marwood School, Great Ayton)
Tindalls stock a wide range of eco household cleaning products which you can either buy in bulk or refill existing smaller containers to reduce single use plastic waste. Their range includes laundry liquid, washing up liquid, liquid hand soap, toilet cleaner, fabric conditioner, all purpose surface cleaner and dishwasher tablets.
The presence of Mary Creagh highlighted the growing importance of the circular economy in the UK, giving added momentum to Repair Cafes and Restarters, who focus on repair and reuse initiatives. While Repair Cafes are looking at increasing repair generally, Restarters highlight the environmental urgency posed by electronic waste (WEEE) and the associated carbon emissions, alongside the significant economic opportunities that a shift towards repair and refurbishment will create, including job growth and financial benefits. Jeremy Vine had personal experience of the challenges posed by manufacturers who design products that are difficult to mend, leading him to celebrate the vital role of community-led repair cafes and government commitment, symbolised by the Minister for the Circular Economy, in fostering this transition.
Most of us have cupboards, under beds and garages full of household ‘stuff’ – kitchen equipment, bedding & other household textiles, books & magazines, ornaments, DVDs, CDs, toys, hobby equipment – that we never use and / or have duplicates of (just how many saucepans do you really use / need?).
Repairing broken items is important because it saves money, reduces waste and minimises environmental impact. It generally is a more environmentally friendly alternative to recycling, as recycling requires significant energy and infrastructure.
Inspired by Mend It May’s purpose to reduce textile waste, encourage sustainable consumption, and celebrate the art of mending, textile artist and mending tutor Jane and sewing and alterations businesswoman Jo are offering two sessions of free face to face hand mending lessons where you can learn how to sew up seams and hems as well as sew on buttons and patches to make your cherished clothing or textile items last longer.
Climate Action Stokesley and Villages 