News and Updates

Tewkesbury Borough Council declares borough-wide climate emergency

2 June 2023 

Tewkesbury Borough Council has taken further action to tackle climate change.

Councillors have votedunanimously to widen the scope of the climate emergency to include the whole borough, to declare an ecological emergency, and to support the Climate and Ecology Bill which is currently before parliament.

Councillors previously declared a climate emergency in 2019, when the council committed to addressing greenhouse gas emissions created by its own activities and to becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2030.

They have now furthered this commitment. At a meeting of full Council on Wednesday, 17 May 2023, they agreed to support a motion to:

  • Declare a borough-wide climate emergency.

  • Declare a nature (ecological) emergency, recognising that climate change and the resultant loss of biodiversity pose a threat to our wellbeing.

  • Commit to doing everything possible to make Tewkesbury Borough carbon neutral by 2030, taking into account both production-based and consumer-based emissions.

  • Declare its support for the Climate and Ecology Bill.

The aim of the Climate and Ecology Bill is to tackle the climate and environmental crises together in line with the most up-to-date science, with the government obliged to develop a strategy for ensuring a comprehensive, joined-up approach to the emergency. If it becomes law, it will require the UK to achieve specific climate and nature targets.

Councillors also agreed further actions, such as writing to the Government and working with partners across Gloucestershire to encourage wider support for tackling climate change.

Councillor Cate Cody, ward member for Tewkesbury South, proposed the motion to widen the scope of the climate emergency. She added: "These declarations show that we acknowledge the need to address the dangers of climate change on a borough-wide basis.

“The Climate and Ecology Bill, to which we offer our full support, recognises that the issues of climate change and environmental degradation are inextricably linked. We need to change course now – provided we translate declaration into action, by working together we can maintain biodiversity, prevent species loss and protect our natural environment."

 

Tewkesbury Tree Walk

25th May 2023 

We had a lovely warm Spring evening and a great turnout for the tree walk. This was an open invitation for tree lovers of Tewkesbury to choose a tree and share a story or fact about that tree. We were treated to stories, folklore, poetry, individual tree history, species, personal stories and fun facts. Some of the glorious trees in the Abbey and cemetery that discovered included the yew, cut leaf lime, mulberry, cherry, Lawson cypress, magnolia, the mighty oak and of course the gem of the Abbey grounds, the majestic copper beech.

If you missed this event, our next walk is on 19 Jul 2023 18:00 - 20:00. Get tickets here.

We welcomed a small donation at the end of the walk.

 

 

We welcome Councillor Ian Yates as Mayor of Tewkesbury Borough

16 May 2023

Helena Sundarajoo, Cate Cody, Mayor of Tewkesbury Borough Councillor Ian Yates, Matt Dimond-Brown and Hillarie Bowman.Councillor Ian Yates was invested as Mayor of Tewkesbury Borough at a ceremony held at Tewkesbury Abbey on Tuesday, 16 May 2023. More than one hundred guests welcomed the new Mayor at the ceremony, which included musical performances by students from Tewkesbury School.

The mayor is the first citizen of the borough. Members of the council, including Cate Cody, Matt Dimond-Brown, Hillarie Bowman and Helena Sundarajoo, nominate a councillor each year to take on this role. Each mayor traditionally elects organisations which are then supported over the course of the year by charity events. During his year in office, Councillor Yates will be supporting the food backs across the Borough.

We are delighted to welcome Councillor Yates as our Mayor of Tewkesbury Borough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Local Election - 4th May 2023

We worked hard to prepare for the local elections on 4th May 2023- you can view information on our candidates here.

This is a critical time for our world and an exciting time for green politics. Together we can make a real difference, and we want to make collective action easier for everyone. We welcome people of all ages, backgrounds, and specialisations. Please consider joining us to help create a better, greener future for us all.

 

 

Here  is the Election of Borough results for Tewkesbury East and Tewkesbury South on Thursday 4 May 2023

 


 A big thank you to our supporters

We've been overwhelmed by the response to our local election success, if you're one of the many members who have taken the time to email, tweet or message us thank you so much. If you've been inspired by the results, then now is the perfect time to get involved in one of our key constituencies.

Tewkesbury Green Group

Browse this website for further information and contact us if you have questions.

 


Tewkesbury Green Party puts community front and centre

We invest in the services you value and makes people and the planet top priorities.

We are a group of individuals working hard to make change happen locally in a way that has a real and meaningful impact for residents in their day-to-day lives.

We are also committed to bringing about change nationally as part of the wider Green movement.

We organise regular events and share information through our news page.

 

Gloucestershire Greens get funding for e-bikes, bike storage, cleaner rivers & footpaths

The four-strong Green Group at Gloucestershire County Council has secured amendments to the County Council’s budget for 2023/24 worth £400,000 this week. 

These amendments build on the Group’s success last year, and include a range of projects that will help the council meet its environmental commitments, support our communities and protect our natural landscape.

Thanks to the Green Party councillors, an electric bike (or “e-bike”) hire scheme is to be rolled out in locations across the county. The £150,000 scheme is expected to allow residents to trial e-bike ownership over a number of months, following a model successfully deployed in other councils around the country, with the option to purchase the bike at a discount after the hire period. Studies have shown that those who trial an e-bike are significantly more likely to want one for the longer term, and to cycle more in the future. E-bikes are particularly suited to more rural and hilly areas, such as Stroud district, or those where there aren’t suitable, safe, separated cycling options, giving confidence and increased pedal power to those who need it and a cheap way to get around at a time when many are struggling with rising costs.

Secure bike storage will also begin to be made available thanks to the Greens, with a £90,000 budget for lockable bike hangars for public use across the county successfully passed. It is well established that people are more likely to travel by bike with the reassurance of having somewhere safe to store their cycling equipment, and these new facilities will further support the commitment recently made by the Gloucestershire councils to increase active travel three-fold by 2030.

The outcomes of a recent County Council Restoring Our Rivers Working Group will now be properly resourced thanks to the Green Group, which has successfully argued that a budget of £100,000 should be assigned to it. Widespread national coverage of the poor state of river water quality and biodiversity led to the establishment of this important project on the state of the county’s water courses, and its recommendations can now be pursued thanks to this new funding.

And finally, the county’s Rights of Way officers will see their budgets significantly increased in the coming year, with an amendment worth £60,000, being topped up by a Labour amendment of £40,000, bringing the total to £100,000 to better support the routine maintenance of our network of footpaths and other rights of way. Walking is a good way to maintain fitness, doesn't cost anything and helps to reduce carbon and traffic.

These latest wins build on Green Party success at the County Council in 2022, when £165,000 of Green amendments were successfully passed. Amounts secured that year included the funding for a recycling ‘tip shop’, which is now in development, and the recruitment of a biodiversity officer for the county, who is now in post and beginning his task to make better use of county land for ecological gain.

Green Group Leader, Cate Cody (Tewkesbury Division) said: “We are really pleased to have gained even further budget wins in our second year. Actively promoting cycling and walking whilst conserving our lovely county are high priorities for Greens and we’re also thrilled to be able to help tackle filthy river pollution which is highly topical and very important to our constituents. We know much of what needs doing, now we have some financial support to help carry out some action.”

i Electrically-assisted bikes: Potential impacts on travel behaviour, September 2017

https://www.sciencedirect.com/.../pii/S0965856415301865

ii Sustrans “Lack of secure cycle storage holds people back”, July 2020: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/.../secure-cycle-parking-is...

iii The Gloucestershire region-wide agreement to collaborate on Net Zero transport, January 2023:https://www.uk100.org/node/326

 


Discover How Electric Cars Can Help "Green" the Grid and ease people's electricity bills:

Monday 23rd January 7 to 8pm ( a Zoom Talk)

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) is an exciting development that can use electric car batteries to power homes, balance the grid and save us all money. Mike Potter, of CrowdCharge, is running an innovative project aiming to make V2G a reality throughout the UK. 100 car owners are already reaping benefits including a local participant who will be in the audience.
Hear Mike speak about its enormous opportunities and also its challenges. The talk will be followed by Q&A
Book your free ticket here
 


Cate's News to Tewkesbury Residents - 30 September 2022

Dear Tewkesbury residents,

Tewkesbury Library

Facilities will be improved for customers at Tewkesbury Library while it is closed for five weeks reopening on Monday 17th October.

The improvements will include:

  • A new community area that can be used for talks, performances, events and hire, to include a projector and speakers.
  • Redecoration of the library space.
  • New furniture for adults’ and children’s areas, including a range of seating and additional shelving.
  • New signage throughout to help with accessibility.
  • A Tewkesbury town feel to the decoration used in the library.

The library team has engaged closely with the local community and school pupils to deliver these improvements.

To ensure the public can still access books during the closure, there will be three collection times a week for reservations at Tewkesbury Library in the Foyer:

Wednesdays 5th and 12th October from 10am to 12pm, Fridays 30th September, 7th and 14th October from 1pm to 3pm, Saturdays 1st and 8th October from 10am to 12pm.

Pop-up libraries will also be held at various locations in the Tewkesbury area during the closure, where members of the public can choose books, join the library and request specific titles or genres for the next pop-up. Information will also be available about online services and the changes under way at the library. You can find details of the times and locations of the pop-ups here https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/libraries/library-locations-and-opening-hours/tewkesbury-library/ or call Tewkesbury Library on 01684 293086.

 

Fostering

There is currently a shortage of foster carers. If you would like to know more, please see: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/fostering/

Strong and Steady in Gloucestershire

Tips and advice on how to prevent falls by staying strong and steady, contact StrongandSteady@ghc.nhs.uk call 0300 421 6241 or see https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/our-teams-and-services/falls/

 

Clothes – rewear, reuse, recycle and wash..

Gloucestershire Recycles is encouraging people to reduce the amount of textiles wasted by reusing and rewearing clothes. Gloucestershire Recycles is a partnership which includes Gloucestershire County Council and the six district councils, it has launched a new textiles campaign called ‘Wear Not Waste’.

The campaign aims to reduce textile waste and tackle the carbon emissions created by the fashion industry. Globally, the industry creates 10% of the world’s carbon emissions and creates 92 million tonnes of waste every year - equivalent to a truck full of clothing waste every second.

Textiles accounted for 5,776 tonnes and 5% of Gloucestershire’s residual waste in 2019.

One way to reduce the amount of waste produced by the industry is to reuse and rewear old clothes. Two-thirds of people in the UK wear second-hand clothing and the vintage market is booming nationally. By 2030 sales in the second-hand clothing market will overtake fast fashion.

Washing and Drying

Did you know that washing and drying a load twice a week using a washing machine and tumble dryer creates around 440kg of CO2 each year?

Help your clothes last longer with these top tips and save some carbon and cash too.

Try spot washing

This is when you wash off marks individually rather than putting it all in the wash. Washing your clothes less will increase their lifespan and keep them looking newer for longer.

Wash on cold

90% of the energy used to wash your clothes is from heating the water, most detergents are made to work on cold washes. This will help your clothes last longer too.

Air dry

Letting your clothes air-dry inside or out on the washing line will reduce damage to your clothes fibres and help them last much longer. It will save you some money along the way too. It costs around £170 a year to run a tumble dryer. How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer after the April price cap rise?

Have a look on the Gloucestershire Recycles website to find more tips & ideas on how best to wash and dry your clothes. 

On a personal note, we happily use a non scented, eco washing powder (which comes in a paper bag) and haven’t used fabric softener for years.

 


Tewkesbury Nature Reserve Award

Well done to Tewkesbury Nature Reserve, who in recognition of all their excellent work have won a Heart of England in Bloom Environmental Award.

There are a few places left on their Hedge Laying workshop on Saturday 8th October, 10am-3pm. The focus will be on learning the practical skills, but a little of the history and wildlife benefits of this ancient craft will also be covered.  Booking is essential. Contact Giles Alder, Volunteer Co-ordinator, www.tewkesburynaturereserve.org.uk


Share Box up and running

The first Share Box has been installed!  It's located on Queens Road on the Chapel wall.  If you have something you no longer need, please put it in the box and if there's anything you can make use of, please take it away.   The project has arisen via the Climate Action working group at Tewkesbury Town Council.  This box was funded by them and expertly made by the Sheds Team at PPNP.  I'm pleased to say that it's already in use.

If your area is interested in having one of these, please get in touch!


Cate's News to Tewkesbury Residents - 19 September 2022

Dear Tewkesbury residents,

Queen Elizabeth II Book of Condolences

For those wishing to, there are several places within the Borough that you can sign a Book of Condolences: Tewkesbury, Twyning, Southam, Churchdown or Bishop’s Cleeve. For further information see: TBC Queen Elizabeth II   You can also send a message online Royal Condolence

Climate Change – Youth Action

Are you 16-25 and wanting to take action on Climate Change in Gloucestershire? How about representing Tewkesbury? For more information see Youth Climate

 

Climate Action Survey for those aged 11-25 Youth Climate Action

 


Prior’s Park Neighbourhood Project (PPNP)

Creative sheds drop in every Tuesday and Friday 10am – 2pm. Just turn up and use existing skills or learn some new ones, all welcome including complete beginners.

 

Computer Monitor

A resident has asked if anyone has a computer monitor 20" or above, preference with a hdmi connection or vga. They need it to work from home.

Autumn Jazz anyone?

Several people have asked when I’m next singing locally, so here is a quick mention: Tuesday 20th September, 8.30pm, The Roses Theatre (Eric’s Bar) Roses Theatre

Best wishes,

Cate

 

 

Domestic Ground-sourced heating - a local example.

A couple of weeks ago I was privileged to visit a property in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham that was undergoing installation of a ground-sourced heating system.  I was hosted by Matt Lee, a Cheltonian working for Thermal Earth Ltd, the install company.  I was there to learn a bit more about domestic ground-sourced heating systems but also how national and local government were encouraging the adoption of this and other renewable energy technologies.

TL;DR:  Ground-sourced heating systems are very much an option for a built-up urban environment (a surprise to me); they work best when the property has been fully insulated; they can cool as well as heat; with grants available to incentivise the installation of a Heat Pump, investment pay-back periods can be greatly reduced and these systems can add value to the property by future proofing the heating system. There is still much more that national and local government needs to do to encourage widespread adoption..

An urban option

The first thing I noticed when approaching the property was the large drill rig at the front (that's a six foot me in front of the drill). This was my first surprise as I had assumed that the ‘ground-source’ pipework would have to be laid horizontally in a huge back garden or field.  Two 150mm wide boreholes were being drilled 100meters deep into the 100m2 front area to cater for a closed-loop brine-filled system capable of providing up to 12kw of heating (and cooling) energy into the house.  Once finished, these boreholes would be invisible but for a small access manhole.

Matt stressed that a full survey, and bespoke modelling had had to be done to assess geology, house efficiency, anticipated energy demand and a bunch of other factors.  An air-sourced heating system had been ruled out due to the building aspect and layout.

In passing he commented that Ground Source Heat Pumps are the cheapest system to run and offer better performance and aesthetics than Air Source Heat Pumps.

He noted the criticality of making the house as efficient as possible to get full benefit from the system (the lowest running costs are achieved with maximum insulation but that’s the same for all heating systems - preventing the heat leaving the building is the cheapest way to heat any property - a fabric-first approach is always best policy)

Ground Source Heat Pumps can also provide passive and active cooling in the hotter summer months, where passive systems use the cool water from the ground to cool the property without running the compressor, and active being the same as an air conditioning system and using the refrigeration side of the heat pump to provide cooling.  Apparently passive cooling is very cheap to run and only uses a circulation pump.

Cost

Installation cost is highly dependent on the individual set of circumstances (geology, anticipated energy demand) but is currently helped by the  UK Government Boiler Upgrade Scheme where a £6,000 grant is available for a Ground Source Heat Pump and £5,000 is available for an Air Source Heat Pump. Running costs are likely to be significantly lower than a gas-based alternative (around 45% less) and lower than other forms of renewables including air-source heat pumps.  Those costs can be lowered by being supported by Battery Storage and a PV solar array.  The whole system is likely to last significantly longer than its gas or oil equivalent.

Government support

It’s true to say that Government support for renewables has been confusing and frankly inadequate.  Whilst a £6,000 grant for ground-sourced heat pumps is welcome, it will do little to encourage those with a little disposable income (the grant is made post-installation direct to the installer) and with less-than-ideal installation circumstances (geology or space for the kit for example).  The Government is also currently doing too little to support making existing UK housing stock more efficient - a key factor in getting true value (in terms of both financial & carbon savings) from heat pumps.

The new Future Homes Standard will stipulate that new homes should produce 70-80% less carbon emissions from 2025 onwards.  This will hopefully encourage more widespread use of super-efficient systems like ground-sourced heat pumps.  However between now and then hundreds and thousands of new houses are being built without encouragement to install these systems. Political will needs to be gained at local and national level to encourage local schemes to install credible systems in advance of 2025.

If we need a significant growth in renewable energy system adoption then we also need a significant growth in suitably qualified engineers.  This isn’t happening fast enough according to Matt.  Again this should be something politicians pay attention to when discussing the education needs and opportunities both nationally and locally.

Lastly, the level of knowledge across the general population about the benefits and costs of renewables is not where it needs to be.  That’s what prompted Matt to invite myself and others to visit the site.  We need to do more to make the information readily accessible beyond a bunch of web pages.  This is something that I will be discussing with TGP colleagues.

My thanks go to Matt Lee and the Thermal Earth team at site.  I’ve come away much better informed and ready to do my bit in encouraging others to think more about ground-sourced heating systems.

Matt Dimond-Brown

Tewkesbury Green Party

 

Cate's News to Tewkesbury Residents - 19 August 2022

Dear Tewkesbury residents,  

Cycling competition

Get your drawing tools out and design a cycling jersey to celebrate the Tour of Britain coming to Tewkesbury, 9th September.  Prizes for adults and children.

 

Summer recycling with Greener Gloucestershire

During the summer months, we tend to spend more time outside, enjoying garden parties, barbeques, picnics and day trips. However, we must not forget to protect the environment and continue to recycle.

  • Recycle glass and plastic. Make sure you recycle your glass bottles, cans and plastic bottles. Glass left outside in the sun can cause fires.
  • Don't bin batteries. When batteries are thrown into the bin, they can be punctured, causing them to ignite. It’s estimated that almost half of fires in waste facilities are started by batteries. To recycle batteries responsibly, take them to a Household Recycling Centre or designated recycling point at a supermarket.
  • Exploring the countryside? Please take your rubbish home with you (and recycle what you can). Sadly, we still see a lot of litter being left in beautiful areas across our county, spoiling it for other people and potentially causing harm to farm animals or wildlife.
  • Recycle gas cylinders correctly. Gas cylinders should not be placed in your waste bin as they may explode if crushed. Take them to your nearest Household Recycling Centre or many retailers and suppliers will allow you to return your gas bottle for a replacement, once used.

Tewkesbury Nature Reserve - Art Events

 

Tewkesbury Repair Café  - Your Repair Café Needs You!

Tewkesbury Repair Café was started in July 2017 by a team of about 15 volunteers. Repair Cafés are free events where people who have items in need of repair are put in touch with people who have the skills and passion to repair items. This can include: clothes, furniture, electrical and electronic items to name a few. Items are repaired free but customers are asked to cover the cost of any parts used and are encouraged to make a donation to cover running costs.

Apart from COVID lock down the café has run pretty much every month. During those times, not only have thousands of items been saved from landfill, but it has also saved the people of Tewkesbury over £40k in replacement costs.

The Repair Café relies on volunteers to operate. People with a wide range of skills from admin / Front of House, to making and serving teas and coffees and of course to undertaking repairs are needed. No previous experience is necessary, as long as you have an interest, existing volunteers will help to support and train new volunteers.

 

Homes for Ukrainians scheme in Gloucestershire 

Under the scheme, there are now 114 arrivals within Tewkesbury's Borough, (the total is just over one thousand within Gloucestershire).

Prior’s Park Neighbourhood Project (PPNP) 

Creative sheds Drop in every Tuesday and Friday 10am – 2pm.  Just turn up and use existing skills or learn some new ones, all welcome including complete beginners.

Sewing skills - 31st August 

 

Tewkesbury Library 

Along with two others, Tewkesbury's new Innovation Lab run by Gloucestershire Libraries is set to be officially launched with open afternoons.  Members of the public are being invited to join in the launch at Tewkesbury, Chipping Campden and Cheltenham libraries in September and October.

Open afternoons will be running from 2pm to 5pm to explore the space, meet the team and get hands on with technology.

The facilities and equipment available to try include a design studio for digital design, 3D modelling and animation, virtual reality, podcast recording equipment, laser cutting and micro-computers.

The events are taking place on the following dates:

  • Tewkesbury Library – Monday 12th September
  • Chipping Campden Library – Tuesday 20th September
  • Cheltenham Library – Tuesday 4th October

Throughout the afternoon, the team of friendly Lab Techs will be on hand to showcase the technology, talk through case studies on how the labs are being used and will be running special activities for children aged 8+ between 4pm and 5pm.

They are among a network of six Innovation Labs around the county, with one in each district, which offer accessible, creative community spaces for people of all ages and abilities to get hands-on with digital technology.

If you would like to work with the Lab team, arrange a visit or find out more about your local Lab, please email info@innovationlabnetwork.com

Improvement work to take place during five week closure

Facilities will be improved at Tewkesbury Library while it is closed for five weeks next month.  Work on an internal refurbishment at the library will be taking place from Monday 12th September until Saturday 15th October, with the library reopening on Monday 17th October.

The new Innovation Lab will remain open while the library is closed.

The improvements will include:

  • A new community area that can be used for talks, performances, events and hire, to include a projector and speakers
  • Redecoration of the library space
  • New furniture for adults’ and children’s areas, including a range of seating and additional shelving
  • New signage throughout to help with accessibility
  • A Tewkesbury town feel to the decoration used in the library

The library team has engaged closely with the local community and school pupils to deliver these improvements.

To ensure the public can still access books during the closure, there will be three collection times a week for reservations at Tewkesbury Library in the Foyer:

  • Wednesdays 14, 21 and 28 September and Wednesdays 5 and 12 October from 10am to 12pm
  • Fridays 16, 23 and 30 September and Fridays 7 and 14 October from 1pm to 3pm
  • Saturdays 17 and 24 September and Saturdays 1 and 8 October from 10am to 12pm

Pop-up libraries will also be held at various locations in the Tewkesbury area during the closure, where members of the public can choose books, join the library and request specific titles or genres for the next pop-up.

Information will also be available about online services and the changes under way at the library. You can find details of the times and locations of the pop-ups here or call Tewkesbury Library on 01684 293086.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS)

GFRS dealt with a phenomenal volume of incidents and emergency calls during the August heatwave.

Firefighters, staff and volunteers pulled together to provide exceptional service to the county in challenging conditions to keep everyone safe.  There were 1,381 emergency calls made to the fire service’s control room between 1st and 15th August, compared with 497 in the same period last year.

GFRS was called to tackle 163 fires during this time, which involved grassland, woodland, crops or agricultural machinery – a massive rise on the 19 callouts for the same time last year.

In addition to the grassland fires, GFRS were also called to a range of other incidents, including river rescues and road traffic collisions.

Reminder - Share your views on long-term future of cycling in Gloucestershire

Views from residents will help form the long-term ambitions for cycling in the county. As well as wanting to hear from cyclists about their experiences, the county council is keen to understand any potential barriers to residents getting on their bikes.

https://haveyoursaygloucestershire.uk.engagementhq.com/cycling-improvement-plan

Best wishes,

Cate

__________________________________________________________________

 

Cate's News to Tewkesbury Residents - 29 July 2022

 

Dear Tewkesbury residents,

Young people in Gloucestershire

For any young person in Gloucestershire involved in making change, (or wanting to be). Age 15+ Sat 30th July 1-8pm, Jolt and the Music works, Kings Square, Gloucester. FREE food, workshops, fun, sharing, art and music. To book free tickets visit Summer-2022

 

New road safety policy out for consultation

An eight-week consultation period inviting people to give their views on the draft policy runs until 11thSeptember 2022. You can take part in the survey here: County Council Road Safety Policy

 

 

Four new Innovation Labs to be opened by Gloucestershire Libraries

Gloucestershire Libraries will be opening the doors to four more Innovation Labs across the county on Tuesday 2nd August.  They are based in Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Stroud and Chipping Campden, (there are also existing Innovation Labs at Gloucester and Coleford).

Libraries and offer accessible, creative community spaces for people of all ages and abilities to get hands-on with digital technology.

Each Lab has its own friendly Lab Technician to help you develop digital skills and support creative projects using a range of technology including 3D scanning, modelling and printing, virtual reality, micro-computing, coding and digital design.

Offering a range of events, workshops and one-to-one sessions, the new Labs will be working with volunteers, business partners and community organisations to offer something to everyone. Taster sessions will be available throughout the summer, showcasing 3D printing, virtual reality and digital design.

The Labs will also be offering Cardboard Engineering workshops for 8 to 12 year olds, to tie in with this year’s science and innovation-themed Summer Reading Challenge where children can meet the Gadgeteers - book here: Meet the gadgeteers

To book a place on the Cardboard Engineers workshop please visit: Cardboard Engineers

If you would like to work with the Lab teams, arrange a visit or find out more about the summer taster sessions, please email info@innovationlabnetwork.com

You can also find out more information on the summer taster sessions by following @ilabnetwork on Facebook.

Tewkesbury Nature Reserve

Looking for something to do this summer? TNR has lots of amazing workshops and fun things to do 🙂  TNR Events 2022

 

Report your spam

Report suspicious emails by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk and suspicious text messages (SMS) by forwarding them to 7726 (it's free of charge)

Best wishes,

Cate

 

 

 

 

Cate's News to Tewkesbury Residents - 01 July 2022

Dear Tewkesbury residents,

Electric vehicle charging points 

The county council has recently appointed Connected Kerb to install and run a network of chargers over the next three years.

The programme aims to prioritise access to charging points for the one third of residents who do not have off-street parking and charging.

The council has started working with district and parish councils to identify suitable locations and is bidding for government funding to accelerate this work and benefit smaller communities. Residents are being asked to give their views on where they think charging points should be located, to help map demand and plan for electric vehicle charging.

You can share your views by registering your interest here. The survey will stay open for the duration of the three-year project.

Connected Kerb’s chargers are made from recycled materials, use renewable energy and will be accessible to people with disabilities. They have also committed to recruiting local workers and apprentices.

Find out more about how you can reduce your travel emissions on our Thinktravel website: https://www.thinktravel.info

Keep up to date with the latest climate change news from the council by subscribing to the Greener Gloucestershire Climate Action newsletter.


Plastic-free July

‘Plastic Free July’ has been launched by the Gloucestershire Resources and Waste Partnership, which is made up of Gloucestershire County Council and the district councils.

The majority of plastic waste does not get reused and experts believe that 50% of plastic is single-use, meaning it’s designed to be used once before being discarded.

This has a huge environmental impact and is a contributor to climate change. Single-use plastics include items such as plastic water bottles, plastic packaging, plastic shopping bags and coffee cups.

The campaign will focus on parts of residents’ lives that use a lot of single-use plastics and suggest alternatives including:

  • Plastic-free kitchen ideas
    • Beeswax wraps and tupperware instead of clingfilm
    • Buying loose instead of pre-packaged
  • Plastic-free bathroom ideas
    • Plastic-free beauty products, eg shampoo bars
    • Plastic-free periods, eg period pants, menstrual cups and reusable tampon applicators
  • On the go plastic-free
    • Reusables such as cups, bottles, straws and pint ‘glasses’ to reduce single-use plastic alternatives
  • Plastic-free gardens
    • Promoting composting at home over buying compost in bags
    • Upcycling (creating new objects from old items) and reusing plastic in the garden

Gloucestershire has lots of plastic-free shopping options, why not try your local market, farm shop or refill shop (B Natural in Barton Street). Plastic-Free July have collated a list of shops in Gloucestershire that sell mostly plastic-free items here http://www.actiononplastic.org/plastic-free-shopping/

You can get involved using #GreenerGloucestershire and #plasticfreejuly on social media to share your plastic-free stories, swaps and your reusable alternatives.

Keep checking the Plastic-free Tewkesbury website, especially our handy local guide to recycling which has up to date information on everything in the area.

With questions I sent to full Council, I'm pleased to have stopped all the single-use plastic bottles being given out at Full Council meetings (County), these have been replaced by water jugs and I have also secured compost / food waste caddies and biodegradable coffee cup recycling there too, although of course our Group bring our own keep cups and water bottles and take our banana skins home 🙂


Pill Packaging

Unfortunately the Doctor's surgery was overwhelmed by pill packaging and will have to find funding to have a collection point as often as it is needed.  In the meantime, Superdrug in Cheltenham and Stroud are still taking them.


Restoring our Rivers Working Group

I have been part of a cross party working group at County, looking at all the issues of river pollution.  Here is the final and very detailed report.  Please share with anyone who may be interested Rivers Final Report.pdf   As you'll see, the work does not end here and much needs to be done.


Stitch Story

If you haven't yet seen it, the Stitch Story is on display in Tewkesbury Abbey until the end of August.  Over 8,000 people added a stitch!

Community Bus - Stratford Bridge / Twyning

If you know anyone in Stratford Bridge or Twyning who would be interested in using the Community Bus, please spread the word - it's use it or lose it!

Upton - Tewkesbury (return) Wednesday’s.  Call Community Action on 01684 892381 for more information.

Best wishes,

Cate


Terrific results for Greens in the recent local elections: for the full list of successes please see here

Thank you to Tewkesbury Greens who joined Cheltenham to help get Tabi Joy elected as Cheltenham's first Green Party councillor.


Tewkesbury Nature Reserve - new volunteer group

'Citizen Scientists' focussing on monitoring species, habitats, and water quality.  Meeting 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, 6.00-7.30pm at the main car park. Future sessions will include:

  • Water quality monitoring using invertebrates
  • Hay meadow condition assessment
  • Bat survey
  • Pond survey

Some sessions will repeat the same techniques as it is important to build up data over time.

No experience is necessary, just a willingness to get involved.

Contact Giles Alder, Volunteer Co-ordinator, Tewkesbury Nature Reserve

Email: volunteers@tewkesburynaturereserve.org.uk

Web: www.tewkesburynaturereserve.org.uk


Recycling

Blister Pack Recycling - in Tewkesbury - at Church Street Medical Surgery

Recycle your Medicine Blister Packs - as part of their Greener Practice Initiative, Church Street Medical Surgery now have a box at reception to allow patients to recycle their empty medicine blister packs:

  • No medicine and medication residue
  • Blister packs must not have originally been destined for disposal as clinical or hazardous waste
  • Blister packs must not have come into contact with biological contaminants
  • No cardboard, paper and any other types of waste other than empty medicine blister packs
  • Any medicine and medication residue including tablets, pills and caplets should be returned to a pharmacy for safe disposal.