Still going green (and red, white and blue!) Summer Newsletter 2012 Derrington - Way Ahead! The solar panels on Derrington Village Hall have become rather an iconic feature of the village. But did you know that the village has become renowned for a range of other green credentials? Though we are just a small community, our practical efforts to promote more sustainable lifestyles and to encourage environmental awareness, have led to some impressive achievements. Since the project began in 2009 an amazing variety of activities have taken place involving so many of you! Here are just a few of the main achievements since we began, just three years ago! You are warmly invited to the Derrington Way Ahead AGM on Tues. 19th June at 7.30 pm at the Village Hall, where there will be a presentation about some of the above projects and achievements, plus refreshments and displays. Tel Karen for further details: 619408/07854 911929. Don’t forget to have a look at the website, which has lots of info about current projects and forthcoming events, http://derringtonvillagehall.com * Energy make-over at the Village Hall! (fitting Solar Panels, re-roofing of flat roof areas and installing zoned heating! ) * Home Energy Visits and Advice for 54 homes * Planted an Orchard at Cooper Perry Primary School and provided free fruit trees to 40 families * Film Shows on climate change and ‘green issues’ * Worked with children’s groups on lots of eco-activities eg tree planting, potting seeds, growing vegetables, bird box building, environmental art workshops * Set up the Village IT Project, introduced broadband and purchased two laptops, and now run weekly IT support sessions * Set up the Derrington Local Food Festival which has become an annual event! * Introduced Recycling Facilities at the Red Lion Pub and support recycling at the Village Hall Social Club * Set up a series of Community Bench Building events and made around 20 new benches! * Designed and installed new cycle parking at 4 sites in the Village * Made around 300 bird boxes and bat boxes with the help of over 150 children and adults! * Joined in with lots of existing initiatives and groups, including our local school * Successfully bid for grants totalling £90,000 for projects in the Village! * Received top awards in SBC Green Awards, national Green Apple Awards, and the Future Friendly Awards! Jubilee theme! Red and White Geraniums and Blue Lobelias in the Best Kept Village Planters!
Transcript
Still going green (and red, white and blue!)
Summer Newsletter 2012
Derrington - Way Ahead!
The solar panels on Derrington Village Hall have become rather an iconic feature of the village. But did you know that the village has become renowned for a range of other green credentials? Though we are just a small community, our practical efforts to promote more sustainable lifestyles and to encourage environmental awareness, have led to some impressive achievements. Since the project began in 2009 an amazing variety of activities have taken place involving so many of you! Here are just a few of the main achievements since we began, just three years ago!
You are warmly invited to the Derrington Way Ahead AGM on Tues. 19th June at 7.30 pm at the Village Hall, where there will be a presentation about some of the above projects and achievements, plus refreshments and displays. Tel Karen for further details: 619408/07854 911929. Don’t forget to have a look at the website, which has lots of info about current projects and forthcoming events, http://derringtonvillagehall.com
* Energy make-over at the Village Hall! (fitting Solar Panels, re-roofing of flat roof areas and installing zoned heating! ) * Home Energy Visits and Advice for 54 homes
* Planted an Orchard at Cooper Perry Primary
School and provided free fruit trees to 40
families
* Film Shows on climate change and ‘green
issues’
* Worked with children’s groups on lots of
eco-activities eg tree planting, potting seeds,
growing vegetables, bird box building,
environmental art workshops
* Set up the Village IT Project, introduced
broadband and purchased two laptops, and
now run weekly IT support sessions
* Set up the Derrington Local Food Festival
which has become an annual event!
* Introduced Recycling Facilities at the Red
Lion Pub and support recycling at the Village
Hall Social Club
* Set up a series of Community Bench Building
events and made around 20 new benches!
* Designed and installed new cycle parking
at 4 sites in the Village
* Made around 300 bird boxes and bat
boxes with the help of over 150 children
and adults!
* Joined in with lots of existing initiatives
and groups, including our local school
* Successfully bid for grants totalling
£90,000 for projects in the Village!
* Received top awards in SBC Green
Awards, national Green Apple Awards,
and the Future Friendly Awards!
Jubilee theme! Red and White Geraniums and Blue Lobelias in the Best Kept Village Planters!
Planting trees as part of BKV, February 2012
Save Your Energy!
Proud of our young eco-kids! Our local youngsters continue to show their concern for the environment and over the last few months many village children have been helping in various ways! Over Winter and through the Spring they have been tree planting, litter picking, making nest boxes and bat boxes, and helping put them up too! Their efforts will really help our village become ‘greener’ and will also help us in our efforts in the Best Kept Village Competition!! Some of our children entered ‘There is No Planet B’ too, an environmental art exhibition held in St Chad’s, Stafford in February Half Term. Georgia Phillips (Gill and Peter Cox’s grand daughter) was awarded a prize for her thought provoking poem ‘Imagine a life with no trees’.
Cooper Perry Eco-News Many of our children go to Cooper Perry Primary School where staff are keen to help children learn about and enjoy our natural environment. Mrs Delaunay tells us what’s been happening recently: “The school is entering the Perkins Eco Award again this year with a project involving Years 3 and 4 who have taken on the challenge to improve the outdoor classrooms. The aim is that all children in the school will benefit from working outside - with beautiful and natural surroundings as an inspiring backdrop. We have all been trying to think up some ideas! We have just received a visit from the Perkins judges, so fingers crossed that we shall hear good news soon! Everyone is very busy in the garden too with Mrs Smith organising the jobs for Years 5 and 6. We are putting the composter to good use, and each class is growing flowers to form a display of the Union Jack. Many classes are also looking at growing plants through their Science work this term. The paper bin at the front of school has made a huge difference to our recycling efforts. We also hope to have another ‘Cash for Clothes’ collection before the end of term. An after school Eco Club will run for the last half term and on July 3rd we are looking forward to the Eco-Action Day at Wolseley organised as part of the Stafford Borough Eco-Schools Network”.
Making nest boxes, Jan. and Feb. 2012
I’ve got some great green ideas!
The composter we bought last year
Our paper recycling bin
Food Festival Date Fixed!
Village Trail Project! (“Understanding, Celebrating and Strengthening our Local Community”) Following a questionnaire survey to seek people’s views and support, then a lot of persistence in applying for grant funding, and lots of work with the community, we are thrilled at last to have:
Designed and installed cycle parking at four sites around the village and held a ‘Led Cycle Ride’ (March 11th) to launch the new facilities. Held two Bat Box/Bird Box Making events (January and February), with over 100 people joining in, making around 300 boxes, some to take home, and some to erect in and around the village – many of which are already in use! Placed Gateway Signs’ at the approaches to the village, with design and artwork from community members. Created a Village Trail with ten themed Interpretation Panels, all with a sustainability message threaded into them. They are amazing and will be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike! This exciting community-led project has involved working with many different groups and individuals. A launch event will be planned soon!
Our fourth Local Food Festival will take place this year on Saturday 8th September from 11 am to 3pm.
The whole idea is to promote locally grown produce and encourage people to have a go at growing their own food too. Any individuals, groups and schools are warmly invited to come along to exhibit what they have grown or made. And if you are completely new to growing food, we’d love to see you there, but you need to start now! If you’re a novice start small. Try planting runner beans, peas or even buy small plants to pot on. It’s just fabulous to watch your plants grow, and then to enjoy your home grown produce!
We will be joined again this year by our local producers, selling their produce and talking to us about food and farming. There will be lots of ‘hands on’ activities, for people of all ages and interests. Everyone is invited, whether to enjoy the activities, or to bring exhibits!
Last year there was a tremendous and very varied display of home-grown produce, from fresh fish to colourful dahlias, from red chilli pepper plants to honey, eggs and all kinds of colourful fruit and vegetables. Our local schools and Derrington Brownies were also in-volved! So put the date in your diary, and if you haven't started growing yet here’s a reminder!
“Better than leaving it in the bank!” commented Mrs Stanton
Stafford Area Community Solar (SACS)
is a solar energy discount scheme run by
Sustainability Matters with MEB Total and supported by Stafford Borough Council.
The Millennium Green and Millennium Wood, our local treasures! Despite the mixed weather, we hope you have continued to enjoy the Millennium Green and Millennium Wood through the changing seasons. On the Green, during May the tadpoles in the pond have entranced children and adults alike. For those with an eye for wildflowers, the Yellow Rattle made quite a sight, quite upstanding amongst the surrounding flowers, herbs and grasses. Now the orchids are splendid! The Millennium Green Trust and supporters have again been very busy. Roy Wood explains: “Two brand new kissing gates are about to be installed, one by the main entrance by the Sewage Works and one at the Middle Pedestrian entrance from the Greenway. The new Gates are all metal, galvanized and then powder coated in a green colour the same as the bike racks. They will give much easier access for Wheelchair or Mobility Scooter users, with entrance being gained with the use of a Radar Key. We are also having a new hard standing path constructed, that will run from the Amphitheatre, through the nuttery, to the bottom of the Dell, and another one from the Amphitheatre to the WI Herb Garden. We are also having some of the other hard standing paths upgraded. This again will give better access for Mobility Scooters and Wheelchair users as well as Walkers and Cyclists. This work should commence on Monday June 11th and take about a week”.
IT Dates for the Diary!
On the Millennium Wood access improvements are imminent too! John Myers explains: “An appeal has just been launched to buy and install a new kissing gate suitable for disabled access onto Duddas Wood. This will allow disabled access to the woodland for the first time, although a trial run (on a dry day just after the grass had been cut!) shows that a disabled scooter can get right around the main field. The new gate will be installed next to the main gate to the wood and will be the same design as the new disabled kissing gates being installed on the Millennium Green. We need to raise £600 and donations will be welcome. Councillor Mark Winnington has already promised £300 to the project from the Staffordshire Local Community Fund so we are well on the way to achieving this. If you would like to donate please contact John Myers on 07711 858986. No matter how small your donation it will be welcome and will help. Thank you!”
These improvements tie in really well with the Village Trail project and all the other related activities, such as nest box making and cycle parking!
IT ‘Drop In’ sessions continue to take place on Wednesdays between 9.30 am and 12.30 and the last Friday morning of the month. You can just ‘drop in’ or you can call Peter on 223962, Charlotte on 07973 410751 or email [email protected] to book a session.
