Newsletter Library - Green Initiatives

Friends of the Earth have teamed up with Girlguiding UK to celebrate 100 years of guiding. We've created a special project to help girls and young women Change the World. More →

Those of you interested in education will be pleased to hear that the Minstead Study Centre in the New Forest, Hampshire has evolved a five-day residential programme which immerses children in the concept of sustainability. The programme is designed to bring to life the eight big ideas: Biodiversity, Energy, Water, Food and Farming, Recycling, Rich World Poor World, Transport & Cooperation. To do this we use a wide range of practical, verbal and visual means. More →

Orchard Barn is a run-down 17th-century barn standing in one and a half acres of derelict traditional orchard. It is about five miles south of Stowmarket in rural Suffolk. Everything about the building and site has educational possibilities! I bought Orchard Barn two years ago with a view to converting it into an 'off-the-grid' Yoga retreat centre, however since then the project has grown significantly (and very organically). More →

The Tree to Timber event was a great success. The hall was crowded with experts and enthusiasts all coming together to learn, discover and network. As people arrived they had the opportunity to view the display boards showing information and photographs of the forthcoming greenwood working courses taking place at OBee (Orchard Barn Environmental Education). There was also a chance to find out more about the OBee project, with opportunities to support or volunteer. One of the most useful displays was left blank, but headed Networking. This gave people the opportunity to display their business cards and contact details, and put forward any requests or ideas. More →

Don't get me wrong, nothing pleases me more than seeing a solar panel or small wind turbine on someone's roof. Getting your own renewable energy generation installed is fantastic if you can, but many people are put off by the cost, planning concerns, opposition from neighbours etc. Or, like me, you might live in a flat with a contract saying you can't alter anything on the outside of your building. But fear not, I want to tell you about a way everyone can now generate some renewable energy, by working together with like-minded individuals. More →

I first became involved with Refurbiz nearly three years ago, when I was approached with the idea of becoming a Trustee. I had heard of Refurbiz and understood them to be a local charity who recycled washing machines but I had not really had any contact with them. More →

I'll start with a confession, I'm not as green as I could be; I do the basics by recycling everything, Freecycling whenever possible, cycling rather than using a vehicle, and growing herbs. A very small effort no doubt compared to some of the ‘Ancient Yews' of The Big Green Idea. However, recently I have become interested in community issues and the idea of uniting as a community to share resources and to save energy/time/money, And here, I hope that I can make a difference! More →

Here at Daisy Green cottages we strive to grow our vegetables. Owning a house with a garden for the very first time was thrilling and the plans to become self sufficient were set in place. Now please understand, previous to this, I had no more than three potted Peace Lilies in my flat so I was heavily reliant on my husband. More →

Ten years ago Pat Bowcock sold up and went and lived in a field... literally. A brave step for anyone. What she has created since is a magical, sustainable haven where she still lives but she now uses it to inspire and educate others. More →

Saturday 28th March marked Earth Hour, where many of us switched off our TV, lights and computers for an hour between 8.30pm and 9.30pm. So did you do it? And if so, how did you find it? Was it a symbol of hope, sending a message to the world or was it a pointless lip-service exercise for those who want to appear green without actually doing anything? We asked people what they did and what they thought. More →