Another year, another lockdown – who’d have believed this time last year that we would be where we are today?! The good news is that the days are growing longer, the daffodils are popping up all over the place, the birds are singing louder, and soon we will be able to get out and meet with each other face-to-face instead of Zooming!
As the world battles on with increasing natural disasters such as flooding, drought, fires and loss of wildlife, there is now no doubt that urgent action is needed by us all to do our bit to reduce our carbon footprint and work together to put pressure on big businesses and governments across the world to tackle climate change as a matter of urgency. More locally, it is good to hear how seriously Derbyshire is taking the matter of climate change. We have now joined the Derbyshire Dales Climate Hub and are increasingly engaging with a number of local climate action groups around the county. We are stronger together!
So what have we been up to during the last couple of months, while we’ve been in lockdown? Not sitting on our laurels – that’s for sure! You’ll see when you read this newsletter just how busy many TDEG members have been. Keep reading and click on the links to see what ‘s been going on with the different project groups. Find out about two exciting new projects – the sustainable food initiative and the Tidza Buying for Good Club (Tidza BfG). Both will be of great interest, I’m sure!
Climate Action (CAG) – Sheelagh Handy
It’s been non-stop activity for this group during the last couple of months. From making links with other climate groups in the area to setting up a climate action youth forum; from hosting the recent whole TDEG meeting on the climate and ecological emergency to learning how to build a relationship with our MP – it’s all been happening!
Ethical Consumerism (ECG) – Claire McKenzie
We have been busy revisiting our aims and objectives, and setting up initiatives such as the Tideswell Sustainable Food Network, which has involved setting up a seed swap in the village and an excellent, and developing, ‘sustainable food map‘; and the Tidza Buying for Good Club, which is going to provide a service that will help us all to buy certain foods and household items in a more ethical way. These are exciting projects and, I’m sure, of interest and relevance to our local residents. And it is down to groups of our members working hard, walking the walk and making things happen for the good of everyone – thank you to all involved.
Click here to find out more. Also, see information at the bottom of this page about our whole group TDEG meeting on 21st April, which will be focusing on the subject of Food.
Wildlife – Lynn Crowe
It is a joy to read about what the Wildlife Group have been doing and the ideas they have shared in this report. It’s that time of year again when everything is coming back to life and walking in the countryside is a constant feast for our senses, so it’s no surprise to me that the timely meeting the group had very recently engendered so much enthusiasm and ideas to take forward as the weather warms up and Covid restrictions loosen. This gives us all something to look forward to.
Read on here… to find out more about plans for No Mow May, Tideswell’s roadside verges, a new Tideswell Community Nature Reserve, and wildlife surveying in Tideswell Dale, amongst other ideas.
Recycling – Rob Mitson
Did you know that Tesco is rolling out collection points for soft plastic packaging, such as crisp packets, pet food pouches and bread wrappers across the country? Tesco is aiming to establish a nationwide recycling network for these harder to process plastics. Currently, most soft plastic ends up in landfill. The material that Tesco collects and recycles will be used to package food, household and beauty products. The supermarket said it prioritised reducing the plastic packaging it used, but that the new service would also have “a real impact”. Let’s hope our local Tesco stores (Whaley Bridge, Sheffield, Chesterfield, and maybe even the Tesco Express in Buxton?) are joining this initiative soon.
In any case, we have established a link with Transition Buxton to pass on our collection of crisp packets for recycling via Terracycle, when conditions allow. The collection box in the village Co-op and other shops is not possible at the moment. More information on this as soon as it is available but, in the meantime, keep saving your soft plastic waste and try Tesco!
And don’t forget to look out for Rob’s handy recycling tips in the Village Voice each month.
Litter Picking – Steve Elliott
Due to lockdown, the litter picking group have been unable to get together to clean up our village and the roads leading out of the village. Thankfully, our village caretaker, Adam Serper, has been keeping the village as litter-free as possible but it appears that there has been an increase in litter – we’re talking here, largely, about bottles, coffee cups and fast food cartons thrown into the grass verges, which is a real shame. It is unsightly and hazardous. Steve has offered to loan out litter-picking equipment to anyone who would like to help in clearing up this littler. Please contact Steve directly, or email info@tdeg.org.uk.
However, The Great British Spring Clean is on 28thMay – 13thJune, and we have registered our intention to be involved with this initiative this year. We will be organising a litter picking session for this – probably on a Sunday that fall between these dates. Watch this space!
Energy: The Insulation Bid – Bill Purvis
Unfortunately the recent bid by Derbyshire Dales District Council to BEIS (the Government Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy) for around £845k to deliver domestic insulation improvements has been turned down. The bid included £210k for insulating properties in Tideswell.
BEIS have said that they will provide reasons why the bid failed in due course.
In the meantime, I’m writing to BEIS to ask specifically why the Tideswell component of the bid was rejected, and I will keep TDEG informed of the outcome.
Next Whole Group TDEG Meeting – Wednesday 21st April 2021 at 7:45pm
‘Sustainable food: how to be an ethical consumer’
Find out about ways to buy and eat sustainable food locally.
Guest speaker: Ruth Strange from Ethical Consumer will talk about the magazine’s product rating system and things we can all do to help us make more ethical choices about the food we eat and buy.
Our very own Laura Saunders will talk about her seed swap and food map initiatives, and Julia Fell will give us the latest information on her Tidza Buying for Good (BfG) project.
Sustainable food: good for the planet, our conscience and our health – and maybe our pockets too!
Everyone Welcome!
