< Back Bishop’s Castle receives £238k for local nature projects Bernard Edwards, chair of the Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle Steering Group 27 Feb 2024 Apply for a job opportunity by Monday 11th March Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle is celebrating an award of £238k from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to hire staff as coordinators to support the community to develop and implement local wildlife and nature projects. The group has been working with community groups over the last two years with projects in and around Bishop’s Castle focused on the ecological management of local land, including building and installing swift boxes and establishing meadowlands on local properties. Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle has become known for its winter talks and summer activities series. The ‘Going Wild Kid’s Club’ also provides an extracurricular outdoor education and bushcraft club for young people in the community. The grant, secured with help from Enterprise House, will allow Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle to hire a part-time coordinator and a part-time assistant to support the development, delivery and monitoring of local biodiversity projects. Bernard Edwards, chair of the Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle Steering Group said “This will help us increase wildlife locally and share our activities with a wider audience to showcase the potential of community-level rewilding. Above all, this is about joining the people of Bishop’s Castle to learn together and celebrate our landscape through embracing nature”. Town councillor Grant Perry said “The town council is delighted to have supported and continues to support Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle. This project helps us contribute to the town’s Climate and Nature Recovery Plan.” The Project Co-ordinator role will be based out of Enterprise House. Prospective applicants are invited to review the job description on the website . Application closing date: Monday, 11 th March. Previous Next

< Back Celebration of South Shropshire Climate Action’s Achievements 10 Apr 2025 End of Project event held at the Discovery Centre, Craven Arms on 10th April 2025 Nearly 70 people attended the evening celebration event for South Shropshire Climate Action (SSCA) at Craven Arms Discovery Centre on 10th April. Delegates were asked to answer two questions: What would you celebrate that you have achieved on Climate and Nature action in Shropshire over the past 3 years, and what would your priorities be for Climate and Nature action in Shropshire for the next 3 years? The answers will help inform the future direction of Shropshire Climate Action, which will continue addressing the Climate and Nature emergency. After an excellent meal from the Discovery Centre’s Asia and Toby, there were a series of briefings. Looking back over the last three years. Jane Cullen, the chair of the SSCA Steering Group, outlined how SSCA came about in the summer of 2019 and what we have been doing since - do keep a look out for the next conference later on this year. Jane also paid tribute, on behalf of the steering group, to Nick and Fiona, in-post as our project coordinators since 2021, funded by an anonymous benefactor. Both have worked with dedication, unflagging commitment, tolerance and good humour which is a great achievement amongst a sea of Climate emergency challenges! Next up, Fiona showed delegates the new Shropshire Climate Action website , where you can also find our newsletter archive, along with a wealth of information on taking action to decarbonise. Then came presentations reflecting the breadth of activity taking place across Shropshire: topics ranged from land use and biodiversity, food, water, energy and buildings, transport, community groups and Community Climate Connectors. Our thanks to Phil Holden (Shropshire National Landscapes), Dr Alison Caffyn (Clun Rivers Group), Sascha Robinson (SCA Transport), Dr Daphne du Cros & Emma Cantillion (Shropshire Good Food Partnership), Mike Bourke (SCA Retrofit), Chloe King (MEA Community Climate Connectors) David Matthews (Programme Manager SCA) and Grant Wilson (Manager, Shropshire Hills Community Centre). Finally, the meeting ended by looking ahead now that SSCA and Zero Carbon Shropshire have fully combined to become Shropshire Climate Action, a county-wide group, of course including Telford & Wrekin. There is a plan in place for the Discovery Centre to host a Climate Hub for South Shropshire. The presentations ensured that people left with a positive buzz and appreciation of a strong, county-wide network of committed, purposeful people and actions, moving forward. Our thanks most particularly go to our anonymous benefactor, all our sponsors and supporters! Don’t hesitate to get involved, either through making personal contact or by signing up on the website. Share your ideas and actions! Previous Next

< Back Aims of the Climate Conference for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin: 18th May Sarah Gibson 10 Apr 2024 Why we need to accelerate change and spur on climate action in our communities A conference at Shrewsbury Town Football Club on Saturday 18 May will bring people together to inspire and stimulate them to act within their communities to address the urgent changes required to bring about net zero. “The challenges are immense,” said Colin Preston of Zero Carbon Shropshire, one of the event organisers. “Carbon emissions in the Shropshire Council area are currently 2.5 million tonnes per year, we need to get this down to 1 million tonnes by 2030. In the Telford & Wrekin area emissions are 1 million tonnes per year and this needs to come down to 0.5 million tonnes by 2030.” Young people, who stand to be most affected by the consequences of climate change, will take a leading part in running the conference, including participants from Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s Environmental Leadership Programme for 18 – 25 year-olds. “ Our young leaders are passionate about finding new and different ways to do things and making change that starts in communities. As well as being a great opportunity for them to meet and create connections with organisations working towards the same goals in the county, they will be helping to draw out key actions that will be taken by communities going forward from this day,” said Jen Allerton, Youth Engagement Officer at Shropshire Wildlife Trust. During the morning there will be a series of short talks. First up will be Dr Sam Hampton, a climate behaviour expert from Bath University, who will talk about the power of individuals to influence the political agenda and make lifestyle choices that drive down emissions when action is taken collectively, helping to keep the global temperature rise within safe limits. Other speakers will focus on the particular challenges faced by different sectors including land, nature, food and farming; transport, energy and housing and the circular economy. The afternoon will bring people together into workshops to explore and share skills and knowledge with the aim of encouraging public engagement and collaboration. Tickets available now The conference is open to individuals, groups and businesses. Tickets can be booked at Eventbrite with the option either to make a donation or for free tickets. Lunch is provided. Environmental groups and small businesses are invited to take out a stand at the conference for a small fee. To register an interest in this please complete the online form . The event is being organised by Zero Carbon Shropshire, South Shropshire Climate Action and Save Our Shropshire and sponsored by Shropshire Homes and Kier. “As a company which has implemented its own green initiative, Shropshire Homes is pleased to support the Climate Conference. We believe it is an important event to encourage the county’s organisations to work together to make a real difference to climate change in Shropshire and the wider area,” said Rebecca Hayward. Previous Next

< 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 Launch of the second share offer by Shropshire and Telford Community Energy Dave Green 17 Jul 2025 Investment in Tremlowes Solar Farm in North Shropshire off to a good start! This summer saw the launch of the second share offer by Shropshire and Telford Community Energy. The fantastic news is that they have already raised £140,000 in the new share offer. This is nearly halfway to the minimum target of £300,000 and a third of the way to the main target of £500,000. Thanks to all who've invested so far, including 32 new investors. If you haven't invested yet the offer will be open until Oct 19th. The minimum investment is £250, every little helps, offering a target interest rate of 6%. We expect to be able to repay the share capital within 11 years. We have already paid out the first 6% interest to our initial investors but future payments are not guaranteed. If you know anyone else who might be interested please pass it on. See www.stcenergy.org.uk for full details. The first share offer succeeded in raising the funds necessary to purchase the 10MW solar farm at Prees Heath. This has enabled the delivery of significant community benefits local to the site, but also further afield across Shropshire, including Telford & Wrekin. For example, we financially supported the Festival Drayton Centre in its investment in rooftop solar PV to reduce its energy costs and generate income from exported electricity. We are similarly supporting Wellington Orbit with funds towards their current programme of improvements. This second share offer will help us secure the solar farm and our ability to deliver increasing community benefits to the people of Shropshire. Previous Next

< Back Shrewsbury Moves Festival 23 Mar 2025 A celebration of movement and future travel The Shrewsbury Moves Conference, which took place in March was about making better use of public space and improving access to town centres. The conference coincided with the Shrewsbury Moves Festival: a celebration of movement and future travel – from a showcase of sustainable transport to outdoor yoga sessions, running and walking groups, live music and a kids’ fun-day on Sunday, all aimed at showing the health benefits of active travel, how pedestrian-friendly spaces boost the local economy, and the case for accessible, inclusive public areas. There were panel discussions looking at travel and movement in Shrewsbury town centre, and a session in which local young people were invited to share how they would like the town centre to look in future. Speakers included Rhiannon Evans of Active Travel England, Rachel Lee of Living Streets and Kay Inckle of Wheels for Wellbeing. The first two days focussed on “talking movement”, with an evening event hosted by Peter Walker, deputy political editor of The Guardian, along with drop-in talks and panels during the day. Seb Slater, executive director of Shrewsbury BID, which is part of the Big Town Plan Partnership along with Shropshire Council and Shrewsbury Town Council, said: “We are very grateful to Liza Freudmann, of BLA Sustainability, for her hard work in bringing such an impressive range of people to share their experiences with the local community here in Shrewsbury, and to the team at Shropshire Festivals for creating an amazing feast of active entertainment in The Square.” Previous Next

< Back Another successful year for CPRE Shropshire's Hedgerow Heros project Sarah Jameson 2 Apr 2025 6 kilometres of new hedgerow planted across Shropshire CPRE Shropshire’s Hedgerow Heroes project is coming to the end of its fourth year. This winter we have successfully planted over 6km of new native hedgerow in the Shropshire countryside on a mix of sites from working farms and smallholdings to community Scout camps and primary schools. We would like to thank all the wonderful volunteers – nearly 300 of them! – who have come out to help us in rain and shine to plant – we really could not have done it without their help, support and continued enthusiasm. There are two outlier events to go: on 21 May we have our final art workshop at Wheathill near Ludlow: a cyanotype session (printmaking with plants and the sun), led by Shrewsbury artist Andrew Howe. In September there will be a talk and walk all about the field names of the upper Clun at Newcastle Community Centre. To book on either of these events, email Sarah or keep an eye on our website . Previous Next

< Back Green Shropshire Xchange Chris Deaves 31 Mar 2025 A decade of achievement GSX has now merged with Shropshire Climate Action: we reflect here on the achievements and legacy over more than a decade. A Big Green Gathering was held in Church Stretton in 2012 to launch the new Environmental network, Green Shropshire Xchange (GSX). The main aims were to support actions on Climate change and other issues to protect the environment. GSX joined the board of the Voluntary Community Sector Assembly) as the Environmental Forum and with lottery funds was able to give seed-corn grants to small local projects. Big Green Gatherings were regular events to help campaigners to network GSX contributed to local action on Energy, Transport and Local Food, including setting up an Energy subgroup which worked with the Marches LEP Energy Strategy team, Marches Energy Agency and council climate teams. In 2017 a further lottery fund allowed more grants for projects and also a new website. Big Green Gatherings in the late 20teens resulted in GSX helping to set up Shropshire Against Pointless Plastics. GSX produced a Climate Action Guide to help local people make changes. In 2024 Zero Carbon Shropshire held a Climate Conference and agreed to set up Shropshire Climate Action (SCA) to replace ZCS and SSCA. GSX steering group reviewed their role and agreed to merge with SCA. Thanks to all those who were involved with GSX, especially the chairs over the years: David Currant, Tony Green and Rob Saunders. Previous Next

Shropshire Climate Action: Make a Donation Make a Donation As a registered charity, we greatly rely on our wonderful network of volunteers and supporters who donate their time and resources to help us achieve our goals. If you have a little spare and you’re able to make a donation to us today, we’d be tremendously grateful – every little helps us to spread the word, host events, continue campaigning and build the resources we need to reduce the impact of climate change on our wonderful county. You can make a donation via our fundraising page on Just Giving here Thank you. We really appreciate your support.

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.

Improve efficiency Fabric first Most of us don't live in recent, energy efficient homes. We need to add (or retrofit ) energy-saving measures. Plan a series of steps, which can be implemented over time, saving money and disruption. It's best to start by improving the energy efficiency of our houses, addressing the 'fabric first': Improve insulation, air-tightness and ventilation: Window and door replacement. Loft insulation. Wall insulation - cavity, internal and/or external. Floor insulation. Air tightness. Appropriate ventilation / moisture control, to avoid issues with damp and mould: Trickle vents, extractor fans, heat recovery (MVHR). Take opportunities to insulate You can insulate your loft at any time, although it's more comfortable up there in the spring or autumn. But adding wall, loft or floor insulation is more disruptive. Plan to do it when opportunities arise, possibly a room at a time over a number of years for internal work. Fit internal wall insulation if you are: Installing a new kitchen or bathroom. Replacing or repairing plaster or plasterboard. Or just emptying and decorating a room. Fit external wall insulation if you need scaffolding, which is a significant cost, for any reason: Working on rendering or painting. Fitting replacement windows. First Retrofit priorities Draughts. Drainage - maintain gutters, downpipes and drains. Condensation and damp - a vital topic we'll return to. Asbestos - may be discovered during a retrofit and likely to require specialist removal or treatment. Windows and doors Replacing single-glazed windows, with modern double- or triple-glazing, and old draughty doors makes a home feel far more comfortable and significantly reduces energy losses. It's important to avoid thermal bridging around the frames. The reduction in energy use, at current prices, means that replacement double-glazed windows typical pay for themselves over 15 to 20 years. Loft / roof insulation Adding loft insulation is usually the most cost-effective way of reducing the energy lost from a house. If you have none, adding 300mm of loft insulation will typically pay for itself in one to two years. There are few better investments. Care is required if you have a 'room in the roof', have ceilings immediately under a flat or sloping roof, or have dormers. Insulation needs to be installed to avoid condensation, either by having a moisture-proof membrane on the warm side of the insulation or, in certain older properties, using a fully-breathable structure. Make sure that any air leaks into the loft space are blocked. For example, this could be from behind plaster board in the top-floor rooms or through downlighters. Wall insulation It's almost always worth fitting internal or external cavity wall insulation to houses that have solid walls (without a cavity), as the work has a short payback period, typically of a few years. Returns are also good for adding cavity wall insulation to houses that have cavity walls but no insulation in the cavity. It can be worth adding internal or external wall insulation to houses with cavity wall insulation, built up to about 2002 (to 2006), when the building regulations standards were tightened. Houses built since then should have reasonable wall insulation, and it's currently not likely to be worth improving on this. Floor insulation This is a paragraph. Use this area to add any information you want to share with users. Just click "Edit Text" or double click here to change the text and make it your own. You can also adjust the paragraph's font, size and color so it fits your website’s theme. This is a great place to tell users a story about your website and let them know more about what you offer. You may want to share information about your company's background, your team, or the services you provide. Be sure to keep the tone and voice consistent throughout the site so users become familiar with your brand.

Shropshire Climate Action: Recycle & Refill Recycle & refill According to WRAP 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from plastic packaging – more than the 2.5% contribution from global aviation. The best way to reduc e the need to recycle is to avoid buying overly packaged items in the first place. 76% of the 8,300 million tonnes of plastic produced between the 1920s and 2015 became waste. Back then only 9% was recycled. While recycling rates have increased , we can’t recycle our way out of the plastic problem. For example, despite 60% of people in the UK saying they use a refillable water bottle, 10m single use water bottles are still bought e very day, 700,000 of which are disc arded as litter. Surfers Against Sewage have identified the worst companies for plastic pollution in their Citizen Science Brand Audit . Actions you can take The following websites contains ideas and actions for how you can reduce you plastic use. Get involved in the campaigns and Big Plastic Count surveys of Every Day Plastic Surfers Against Sewage have a Plastic Free Communities campaign you can sign up to, to encourage your community and local businesses to go plastic free and they organise litterpicks and beach cleans Shropshire Against Pointless Plastic shows all of the local Shropshire communities who have already taken this step. Bridgnorth has been awarded Plastic Free Community status by Surfers Against Sewage Sign up to the Plastic Free July® challenge , an initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation. You will be sent weekly emails with tips, stories and news from the global movement Make your lunch box zero waste (poster is designed by Generation Zero Carbon Shropshire). Local Refill opportunities There are refill shops across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (see the list below) where you can refill your food, cleaning and toiletry products to avoid packaging and reduce your plastic consumption. The Refill website also helps you to find places to eat, drink and shop with less waste. Get inspired by Shrewsbury Cup - a reusable cup available in cafes across Shrewsbury. Customers pay £1 deposit, enjoy their drink and then return the Shrewsbury cup to any participating café to get their £1 back. The cups are washed ready to be used again. Harvest Wholefoods Glebe Farm, Lydham, nr Bishops Castle, SY9 5HB. Further information Myriad Organics 22 Corve Street, Ludlow, SY8 1DA. Further information Honeysuckle 53 Church Street, Oswestry, SY11 2SZ. Further information Pomona Grocery 1-2 Castle Gates, Shrewsbury, SY1 2AQ. Further information Refill Your Boots 31 High Street, Whitchurch, SY13 1AZ. Further information Pantry Severn Lasyard House, Underhill Street, Bridgnorth, WV16 4BB. Further information Simple Life Unwrapped 12 High Street, Much Wenlock, TF13 6AA. Further information Green Options Zero Waste Darwin Shopping Centre Pride Hill, Shrewsbury, SY1 1BN. Further information The Green Cove Wellington Market, Wellington, TF1 1DT. Further information Entertaining Elephants 43 High Street, Church Stretton, SY6 6BX. Further information The Little Green Pantry Newport Indoor Market, Stafford Street, Newport, TF10 7LU. Further information Minimise Shrewsbury Market Hall, Claremont Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 1HQ. Further information The Little Green Pantry 2 Crown Street, Wellington, TF1 1LP. Further information Recycling in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Recycling in the UK is c urrently the responsibility of Local Authorities . Find out what you can recycle where you live by clicking on the following Council websites: Shropshire Council's Recycling tips and Recycling and rubbish FAQs Telford and Wrekin Council's Recycling Information and A To Z of Recycling And Rubbish The TerraCycle scheme also helps people to recycle the unrecyclable (including crisp packets, cheese packets, pens, bread bags, coffee pods etc. etc). You can find your nearest collection point and what can be recycled via the website. Material Focus has created a tool to help consumers find recycling points for electronic item s.