Sustainable Bridgnorth Contact us on Facebook Contact us via Email Sustainable Bridgnorth encourages residents, businesses, and organizations to take steps towards environmental sustainability, including water conservation, waste reduction, and working towards Net Zero. It aims to empower the local community to adapt to the effects of climate change and promote positive attitudes towards the environment. It's current main activities are: Energy Reduction: Volunteers from Sustainable Bridgnorth offer advice, in collaboration with the Marches Energy Agency charity, to local residents and businesses on how they might reduce their energy use, thereby saving money as well as reducing carbon emissions. We hold advisory sessions once a month at Bridgnorth Library (as publicised in their events sheet) and on a couple of Mondays each month at Bridgnorth Food Bank (held at the Baptist church on West Castle Street). It's best to contact us by email at energyadvice@sustainablebridgnorth.org.uk to book an appointment, either at an advisory session or at your home. We give advice on quick steps to reduce energy usage, how to improve insulation and energy efficiency in your home and on available grants. We also have an Infra-Red camera to help identify areas of heat loss. We are looking for more volunteers to be trained as energy advisors. Prevent Pointless Plastic: Running since 2018, this campaign has raised awareness of the issue of single-use plastic in the town, to reduce waste generated and plastic pollution of the River Severn, in addition to inspiring people and businesses to seek out re-usable products, re-use systems and recycling. It has involved local businesses, residents and church and school groups on projects such as Refill Bridgnorth . The town was accredited in 2020 by the marine conservation charity, Surfers Against Sewage, as a Plastic Free Community . Contact us via Facebook . How to join : contact the membership secretary at membership@sustainablebridgnorth.org.uk .

Shropshire Climate Action: Eco anxiety Dealing with eco anxiety What is eco anxiety? E co anxiety (also known as ‘eco distress’ and ‘eco grief’) describes the wide range of negative thoughts and emotions people may expe rience when they hear about the global challenges our planet is facing. It can include an overwhelming sense of hopelesness and doom. The Royal College of Psychiatrists describe a range of emotions such as feeling anxious, worried, upset, scared, sad, angry, distressed, vulnerable, or unsure about the future. Research by Marks et al. 2021 showed the impact of eco anxiety among young people aged 16-25. Watch these short videos by psychotherapist Ro Randall on Coping with the Climate Crisis (2020) to help understand and accept these intense feelings. How to deal with eco anxiety First, it is important to acknowledge that these feelings are rational and show how much you care. Secondly, people should be allowed to express their distress about the climate crisis. It is important to listen to each other. Consider joining a climate café (see below), which offer safe, informal spaces for people to talk about their feelings, fears & uncertainties about the climate and ecological crises. In the words of We Are Possible, “The best remedy to climate despair is to take action, together.” Further actions Explore this website to make a difference in reducing carbon emissions and protecting Nature. You will be joining millions of others across the world.. Sign up to We Are Possible - a UK based organisation who “face our climate dread with a can-do attitude and sense of fun” for practical actions and approaches. The Climate Majority Project is enabling mass citizen-led climate action across the UK, connecting people across social, political and strategic boundaries, and building communities so that the climate majority can find their power and voice. “Most people sense that we’re in deep trouble with climate change, and they want to do something. We help projects to grow, get funding, and connect with as many willing hands as possible… Join us in creating the future you want, wherever you are, however you can, with all that you’ve got." Sign up to The Cool Down newsletter which provides lots of information on how to be green, save money and read good news stories about climate action. "How to live in a chaotic climate" Check out this book “How to Live in a Chaotic Climate: 10 Steps to Reconnect with Ourselves, Our Communities, and Our Planet” (2023) By Laura Schmidt, Aimee Lewis Reau, Chelsie Rivera “Eco-distress is real. How to Live in a Chaotic Climate is here to help you rediscover meaning, joy, and connection as the tumult around us increases. Based on the Good Grief Network’s acclaimed 10 Steps to Resilience and Empowerment in a Chaotic Climate program, this book unpacks the social, political, and spiritual nuances of the climate emergency, step by step" Listen to this 10 mins segment about Eco-grief and anxiety on BBC4 Women's Hour (broadcast 15/6/23) in which climate scientist turned campaigner Jen Newall from the Climate Majority Project talks about: how growing numbers of people are experiencing eco-grief and anxiety explores what exactly is the impact on people and how we can turn the tables and help people to feel more hopeful about the environment. Climate cafés: Joining with others to support one another Online Climate Cafés facilitate talking and listening to people who share your concerns and who want to take action. The Climate Psychology Alliance (of therapeutic practitioners, researchers, artists and others) hold regular climate cafés online each month. Follow this Eventbrite link to find a date that suits you. Consider starting a climate café in your area: Contact Climate Café® who have been running climate cafes across Scotland and in Solihull for seven years. They love to share ideas, support and guidance and can connect you with others to create a safe, welcoming and inclusive venue.

< Back Big Green Week (7-15th June) comes to Shropshire David Matthews 7 Jun 2025 Local library plays host to diverse range of climate activities Stretton Climate Care supported Church Stretton Library during “Big Green Week” (7-15th June). The library hosted our information stall for the week and our Thursday-morning energy advice drop-in centre, while promoting our monthly repair cafe on 15th June. The library also hosted a well-attended Climate Fresk Session organised through the Marches Energy Agency. Community groups and organisations can arrange Climate Fresk sessions at no cost at the moment, with support from the Marches Energy Agency (see poster below and contact: office@mea.org.uk for details). None of this would have been possible without the enthusiastic leadership and support of librarians Daniel and Gail, pictured with our stall. Previous Next

< Back Ludlow Quaker Meeting holds a Climate Fresk John Cherry 6 Nov 2024 Promoting discussion about the climate emergency and actions we can take in our communities In November Ludlow Quaker Meeting House members invited Sue Burnell and Kev Oubridge along to facilitate a half day Climate Fresk workshop using information cards based on data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. This event was approached with some foreboding: could a game with cards be serious? It turned out to be both serious and thought-provoking. We used the cards to link the causes of climate change and its effects, for example the melting of glaciers leading to rising sea levels and flooding. Coming just before the terrible floods in Valencia, our pictures seemed prophetic. There was intense and noisy discussion and it became clear that the card labelled ‘Human Action’ was the root cause. Although there was little time to discuss practical action, it was clear that we should now address how our Meeting House could made more sustainable. If you are a community group or group of friends living in Shropshire or Telford and Wrekin and want to book a half day Climate Fresk workshops, which includes all the materials, find out more via the BizEd Projects website or email climate@bizedprojects.com Previous Next

< Back New sustainable fashion initiative in Oswestry Lizzie Dibble 1 Dec 2024 Borrow clothes from Oswestry Library Based in Oswestry, With Love From ... is on a mission to reduce the environmental and ethical impact of fashion. We are encouraging people to slow down in their shopping habits, repair, re-wear, share and care for the clothing that already exists. Currently, With Love From... is a community project but we are in the process of registering as a CIC. There is enough clothing on the planet to dress the next six generations. We started by creating a shared wardrobe in the town, encouraging people to donate items in exchange for points which can be spent within the shared wardrobe. On average, British women hoard £285 worth of unused clothing - this equates to over £34 million worth of unused purchases in Shropshire alone. Our shared wardrobe already holds more than 600 items. Since November we have started a very exciting collaborative project with Oswestry Library where library card holders will be able to borrow an outfit from our shared wardrobe, in the same way you might borrow a book! You can find out more on our website, or pop in to the library and you can pledge your support on our SpaceHive page . Previous Next

Our local partner groups Sustainable Bridgnorth Exotic Urbanism Misty Mountains

< Back Shropshire residents out in force in London for “The Big One For Biodiversity” March on 22nd April Fiona Morgan 22 Apr 2023 Members of SSCA joined in the March calling on the Government to protect Nature and take action on climate. On Saturday 22 April (Earth Day) people from across Shropshire and the UK attended the “The Big One For Biodiversity” March in Westminster calling on the Government to take meaningful climate action and halt the biodiversity crisis affecting the UK’s wildlife. The event was organised by Extinction Rebellion in partnership with over 200 environmental and social justice groups including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Fair Trade Foundation, Stop Ecocide, Keep Britain Tidy and faith groups. It was estimated that 65,000 people attended the March including children and their families to show their concern about the current crises, many of whom made some amazing creative art works to demonstrate their love and appreciation of nature. Previous Next

< Back Broseley's Climate Action Group launched its first Green Day this April Fiona Morgan 15 Apr 2023 SSCA and Stretton Climate Care were there to trial the new Retrofit Toolkit SSCA’s project coordinator, Fiona Morgan, and Mike Bourke from Stretton Climate Care, attended Broseley Town Council’s Climate Action Group’s very first Green event in April. We used this for another first - to pilot the Retrofit Toolkit, which have been produced by South Shropshire Climate Action (SSCA) and its partner organisations Marches Energy Agency (under their Future Ready Homes project ) and Stretton Climate Care . The 15 information sheets which form the toolkit (which can be taken for a suggested donation of £5) are d esigned to help you plan a Whole House Retrofit to achieve Net Zero Carbon, either in one go or in a long-term series of stages. They: · recommend the order in which to take the necessary steps to fully insulate your home; · enable you to reduce your use of energy for lighting, heating and other resources including water; and · help you to make decisions about renewable energy generation for your home. Each handout gives further information and links to useful on-line resources for each topic. In time the handouts will also be accessed via the QR code on our new website. The toolkit will accompany Marches Energy Agency’s new Electric Van which will be bringing a Retrofit Roadshow to Shropshire communities this year to help householders to understand how to make their homes more energy efficient. The exhibition also includes: · A continuous PowerPoint retrofit slideshow · Samples of insulation and other retrofit materials. · The latest information on grants, and help for struggling households The exhibition will be at the following events this year. Saturday 20th May 11am - 4pm: Next Generation Fair, the Halo Community Centre, Craven Arms Saturday 27th May 10-4pm: StrettFest, Rectory Field, Church Stretton (behind St Laurence's Church) Sunday 9th July 10am -4pm Ludlow Green Festival, Castle Square, Ludlow Saturday 9th September: Bridgnorth Green Festival, Castle Gardens, Bridgnorth Saturday 23rd September: Bishop’s Castle Green Day, SpArC Leisure Centre, Bishop’s Castle So come along to find out more and take away a toolkit to start or continue your retrofit journey. Previous Next

< Back SSCA's first Swap event at the Next Generation Fair, Craven Arms Fiona Morgan 20 May 2023 Reusing and sharing reduces carbon emissions, saves waste and helps us to help each other On Saturday 20th May we attended the Next Generation Fair at the Community Centre in Craven Arms . Along with having information on our stand about SSCA and other organisations in our network we held our first Swap event to encourage people to reuse children’s toys, books and clothes. We had lots of satisfied customers and will be taking the remaining stock to Ludlow Green Festival on Sunday 9th July for our next Swap event. So if you have any items for all ages (adults and children) to donate or swap including toys, games, books, DVD’s CD’s, household items, clothes etc please bring them along. By reusing and sharing we can help each other through the cost of living crisis and help the planet by reducing carbon emissions and waste. We look forward to seeing you there. Previous Next

< Back Announcing the Climate Conference for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin: Saturday May 18th Fiona Morgan 21 Mar 2024 Book your tickets now for this event being held at Shrewsbury Town Football Ground You can now book your tickets to the Climate Conference which will focus on how we can accelerate action to achieve net zero in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and engage local communities to make that happen. The event is being organised by Zero Carbon Shropshire, South Shropshire Climate Action and Save Our Shropshire with support from young people on the Environmental Leadership Programme . The schedule for the day can be viewed on Eventbrite. It includes morning panel discussions and afternoon workshops covering the following themes: land, transport, energy & buildings, circular economy and engagement tools. Organisations are also invited to apply to have a stand at the event. Book your tickets via this Eventbrite link . There are 2 types of ticket: free tickets and a separate ticket option if you wish to make a donation towards the cost of refreshments. Lunch is provided. If your organisation would like to register an interest in having a stand at this event please complete and submit this online form . Charges apply. You can share a stand with other groups. We are looking for volunteers to get involved in helping to organise the event and on the day. If you are interested please contact admin@zerocarbonshropshire.org Previous Next

< Back The New Newsletter: SSCA and ZCS joining forces Jane Cullen (Chair, South Shropshire Climate Action (SSCA) & Chris Deaves (Chair, Zero Carbon Shropshire) 1 Jul 2024 Why is it NEW? SSCA and ZCS have decided to combine forces to create a Shropshire-wide communication on all things Climate. This first edition brings together all of Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin's climate activity in one place: best practice, information and events from more groups will reach deeper and wider in our community. We hope this will inspire you to tell all of us more about your activities so that we can reach beyond the traditional ‘green bubble’. Do you consider yourself ‘inside’ or ‘outside’ the bubble and why? We’ll print the best answers! This new start is timely as it coincides with a change of government. We also need a change of direction and sense of urgency. Our united, louder voice will influence policies and encourage action. We have produced a report on the highly successful ‘Accelerating Change’ conference organised by SSCA, ZCS and SOS. It explored how local groups, charities, businesses, public services and individuals can work together, Best of all, young people helped lead and deliver the day. This short video of the event is well worth a watch (our thanks to the film maker Robin Fellows-Weir). The conference and the NEW newsletter are examples of how working together can develop momentum and bring benefits to all of Shropshire. Please tell us your experiences and ideas for great partnerships and what you are doing or planning. Never underestimate the power of your ideas. Previous Next

< Back Celebrating South Shropshire Climate Action Nick Read 1 Apr 2025 ... and the next steps for Shropshire Climate Action On 10th April at the Discovery Centre, Craven Arms, there will be a celebration of the last three years’ progress towards a net zero Shropshire, and the launch of ambitious new plans in which South Shropshire Climate Action (SSCA) will be re-born as Shropshire Climate Action. SSCA comprises networks and organisations in South Shropshire who work to reduce greenhouse gases and protect the natural environment. Funding from an anonymous donor has supported two Project Co-ordinators for the last three years, Nick Read and Fiona Morgan, to create collaborative partnerships, share best practice and provide advice and support towards achieving the net zero target. 10th April will be a celebration of SSCA’s successes and the launch of ambitious future plans. Shropshire Climate Action is county-wide (including Telford & Wrekin), creating a wider partnership of climate and nature groups; more local hubs will be created to promote climate action, including plans for the Discovery Centre at Craven Arms; and it will strengthen the links with allied networks such as the Marches Nature Partnership and the Shropshire Good Food Partnership, generating greater momentum in the quest to achieve net zero and protect and enhance Nature in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin. Our guest list for the event includes those engaged in practical action, policy makers and opinion formers, contributors to our “Next Steps” report and project, and those who will deliver action in the months and years to come. Come to be inspired, to network, and to discuss your own plans with key stakeholders. Please email contact@shropshireclimateaction.org for more information. Previous Next