Dear TDEG Friends – We would like to wish our members, of all faiths or none, a Happy Christmas and a healthy and peaceful New Year.
It’s been a busy six months since our AGM in the summer, and we’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our members and the local groups we have worked with over that time, for all their assistance. Read more thanks and good news below.
Best Wishes
Sue Barber (Chair, TDEG)
The Repair Cafe goes from strength to strength, and we’d like to thank all the volunteers who make it happen every month. All their repairs of treasured items have also saved 8,907kg of CO2, equivalent to growing 148 tree saplings for 10 years, since its launch in May 2022.
We are also delighted that the litter picking group has re-started with a new co-ordinator, Jane – and two events were held this autumn. Thanks to all those members who came along (not always in the best weather!). Litter picking is one of those activities which prompts lots of positive comments from passers-by in the street.
The butterfly survey team continued throughout the summer months, recording their sightings in Tideswell Dale. Their findings have contributed to statistics gathered by East Midlands Butterfly Conservation, which have sadly highlighted a 40% decline in butterflies across the region during 2024. We need to encourage everyone to take action to address this issue.
Our young people are addressing climate concerns and wildlife issues locally, through the great work of the flourishing Eco Councils now established at both Litton and Bishop Pursglove Schools. We must thank the staff and children at both schools, and particularly Andrea, who has supported their work.
We’re sorry to be losing Andrea and Rob, two of our founding members, from their project group activities and our committee this year. We wish them well in their new endeavours. But a welcome change to our committee has been the addition of Fiona as our new secretary.
Fiona has been thrown straight into a particularly hectic few months, chiefly around the fast evolving issue of water quality in our local brooks and rivers. This hit the local and national headlines in August, when recent research highlighted the amount of pollution entering Tideswell Brook. We are in the process of setting up a new project group to learn more about this issue and develop ideas for taking action to address these problems. Watch this space!
Our Cycling Group continues its monthly maintenance club in partnership with Nev at Peak Tri Store in Tideswell. Recently they held a special session teaching the local Cubs about bicycle maintenance. Great work everyone!
A new year beckons, and we will keep doing our best to address environmental issues locally.
Together we can make a difference!
