Celebrating Sustainable Communities

Action for Sustainable Living’s event to Celebrate Sustainable Communities, which showcased some of our volunteer’s spectacular projects, went with a bang. Over one hundred and twenty people attended the event and AfSL received some glowing testimonials that recognising the great work that people are doing around . Attendees were treated to an array of interactive exhibits from some of the LPM’s projects. They included an apple press, where children and councillors made fresh juice together, a pedal power generator that was showed just how much power it takes to turn on something simple like a fan.

A panel discussion, featuring Paul Ankers (Councillor for Chorlton), Gudrun Cartwright (Business in the Community) and Chris Wright (AfSL), where the future of sustainability in was discussed was also held. Here attendees raised their hopes and concerns for the city, and what they would do themselves. AfSL’s new intiative to promote sustainability in South , which is supported by the Big Lottery Fund, was launched as well.

‘: A Certain Future’ is the climate change action plan for launched by the City Council. A ‘Stakeholder Conference’, run by the steering group, where people could have their input, progress assessed and targets reviewed was held at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Josh Steiner, AfSL' development worker, gave a presentation to attendees of the event, about Action for Sustainable Living. He said “I applaud the City Council for the event. It was a great to see different faces and not just the usual crowd. There were a lot of interactive elements to the day and the discussion was engaging. However there was a lot of focus on what is aiming for, and not how to achieve it”.

For more information about ': A Certain Future' then please visit the council's website about climate change

‘Project Zero’, the competition that saw over 1,500 children compete to cut their schools’ energy consumption, has come to a close with some great efforts all around. The overall winners, in the ‘Best Commitment to Energy Reduction’, were St Wildfrid’s in Newton Heath. The ‘Best Pupil Engagement’ winners were St Catherine’s RC in Didsbury, and Manley Park primary in Whalley Range won in the ‘Biggest Energy Reduction’ with a huge energy reduction of 37%.

Mark Haworth, AfSL’s Schools Programme Coordinator, said “This was a fantastic opportunity for schools, pupils and teachers to help save the environment, cut their bills and learn about sustainability. It’s great to see all of the schools take to the programme so well. I know this phrase is overused, but there are only winners from Project Zero.”

AfSL Volunteer Zoe Rozar has received 450 trees, generously donated by the Woodland Trust, so that she can create multiple community ‘orchards’ around Whalley Range. She received the trees to her house, and is now waiting on the council to agree where she can plant the trees. One of these will be in Alexandra Park and another at the local Sure Start Centre.

Zoe, who is a permaculturist, has also helped run the ‘Eco – Gym’ which saw her and a group of sturdy volunteers clean the streets of Whalley Range of fallen leaves. They turned them into mulch to be used in eco-weed control, a great way to get healthy and make use of something that all too often goes to waste.

For more information about how you can help Zoe, please email: [email protected]

Natural Recovery has been awarded a grant from Ecominds, a £7.5million funding scheme run by Mind on behalf of the BIG Lottery Fund, to create a sensory garden at Syrian House. The garden design includes an organic vegetable plot, colourful and edible flowers, soft plants, aromatic herbs and eco-friendly pieces of art created during regular art workshops.

Syrian House is a registered care home in Sale that provides care, support and accommodation for 17 adults with serious and enduring mental health needs. The event will be held indoors and will be an opportunity to meet the people involved in the project and to find out about volunteering opportunities. There will be an art-based activity, where people can express what they like about the garden, and tea and biscuits will be provided.

The event is at:

8 Dec 2010 - 1:30pm to 3:30pm, Syrian House, Sandiway Road, Sale, M33 5AL

You can get more information about Natural Recovery from www.naturalrecovery.org.uk

Trafford Organic Growers Network (TOG Network) is a new Garden Organic Local group for Trafford. The network aims to exchange ideas, offer practical support to those new to organic growing and promote the organic message to fellow growers (whatever scale, small or large). We hope to develop a community, where members can chare skills and knowledge, post questions and promote events.

So if you currently grow organically or would like to start, please join our network. We would especially like to hear from you if you can offer practical support to others.

We will be working with Organic Gardeners which is another Garden Organic Local group. We look forward to hearing from you and establishing a network which brings together all those who grow organically in the Trafford area.

As this is a new group, it would also be great to have your input into what the group will do - if you'd like to get involved organising with us, please get in touch at [email protected].

Stockport Hydro is having an open evening. For more information clickhere