The columnist Vic Barlow wrote an opinion piece in last week’s Knutsford Guardian saying people in Cheshire really don’t care much about climate change, and we are much more interested in issues that we may feel affect us more directly such as potholed roads and parking problems. This week a very vocal and engaged group of people met at Unico lounge to discuss Climate Conscious Wilmslow, and had Mr Barlow been with us, he might have had a pleasant surprise! Some very exciting and specific ideas were discussed, with a view to planning some actions that will actually make a difference. You can find out more on the Climate Conscious Wilmslow Facebook group and contribute to the conversation. Another meeting is planned for mid September.

We had a wonderful picnic at the Community Garden last week! Apart from being completely delicious and great fun, we were so pleased to meet a lady who has just moved to the area who was delighted to find us (and the garden) and was happy to go home with a bag full of beans and potatoes. Not only that, but a local resident told us how the park has changed with the coming of the garden. Residents, he reported, used to find the garden rather intimidating but now it is a place people genuinely like to visit. They bring their dogs and their children, have picnics or just sit and enjoy the garden. It has brought something really special to the neighbourhood. Remember, everyone is welcome at our Tuesday 7pm working groups, but do come anytime and see what the fuss is all about. We will let you know the date of our apple harvesting and juicing event in due course.

We have postponed the Community Garden Picnic and Harvest until Monday 12th August at 5pm when the weather will be better. Full details are on our diary page. We hope to see you then!

Transition Wilmslow hosts its firstRepair Café in Handforth!

Have you got a chair with a wobbly leg? A sewing machine that doesn’t work? A toaster that is on the blink?  A bike that’s in trouble?

Bin it? No way!

 Transition Wilmslow is organising their first Repair Café in St Chad’s Hall, Handforth SK9 3ES on Saturday 12^thOctober 2019, 10.30-12.30. Last Repair entry at 12.10

We are all worried about waste and our “throw away” society, but we have lost many of the mending skills that our parents and grandparents had. As a result, we often feel we have no alternative but to chuck broken items away and buy new. Repair Cafes are an international movement that started in Holland in 2009 (www.repaircafe.org/en). There are Repair Cafes all over the UK, with our nearest ones in Chorlton and Levenshulme. Transition Wilmslow is organizing Wilmslow’s first Repair Café in Handforth on October 12^th, and if it is a success we would like to make it a regular event.

Our Repair Cafe will have skilled volunteers who can assess and where possible fix broken items (for example small electrical items (not microwaves), broken table or chair legs, sewing machines that don’t seem to work, knitting that has gone wrong or clothing that needs repair, and bikes needing attention). Bring along your items needing repair (make sure you take them away again even if we can’t repair them!), and work with the volunteers to learn new skills and see how it is done.  We will have tea, coffee, juice and homemade cakes and biscuits available for a donation; and people can work alongside our volunteers to gain new skills. We can’t guarantee that we can mend everything, but our volunteers will have plenty of useful advice. More information from pippatyrrelljones@me.com

Saturday 31st August 9.30 – 4.30 Bollington “Reach Out for Climate Emergency” https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bollington-reach-out-for-climate-emergency-action-planning-tickets-64204320852

Thursday 5th September 7.30-9.30 Wilmslow Parish Hall meet the Leader of CEC and your local MEPs to discuss the response to Climate Emergency. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-emergency-debate-tickets-66866536611?

This is an opportunity to have your say on what the response to Climate Emergency should be…..while declarations and targets are most welcome, it’s action that we really need…and that involves all of us.

We are impressed that CEC have declared that urgent action is needed on the climate emergency: we agree, and this week’s extraordinary temperatures underline the importance of action as well as declarations and targets.  A group from Transition Wilmslow (Andrew, Frances, Ali, Garry and Flo) met with members of Transition Bollington and Macctastic recently to discuss a combined approach to CEC. Sustainability Congleton couldn’t make the meeting but are keen to be involved.

Following this meeting, a joint letter will be sent  to Sam Corcoran, Leader of the Council, offering support and encouragement from our 3000 assoicates to address some of the issues that will arise for the council as it starts its work on climate emergency.
We hope for a meeting with Sam and the Environment Lead to see where we could be most useful – our groups have experts in working out carbon footprints, planning and design including PassivHaus,  and interests too in transport, biodiversity, the role of bogs in CO2 absorption, district heating, climate resilience and working with our communities. This East Cheshire Climate Alliance expect to meet again at the Quaker Meeting House in Wilmslow on the evening of August 22nd. (We are not expecting lots of others to join us, but let me know if you want to come.)

Did you see War on Plastics on TV? Lots of people were really moved by what is happening to our planet from plastics. On the 4th July, about 80 children, young people, and adults met outside the Library in Wilmslow with plastic to return to Sainsburys, as part of Plastic Free Wilmslow’s efforts to demonstrate that we do not need plastic in so much of what is sold to us. We were filmed for a future BBC broadcast, with children from the High School and several local primaries  getting individual interviews about the scourge of plastic pollution.  We were filmed walking across the park (Romany would have been proud!) and over to Sainsbury’s to return our plastic (OurPlasticFeedback). Thank you to everyone who came along, and to Sainsbury’s Wilmslow for politely accepting our plastic and listening to what the students had to say.

Meanwhile, if you shop at Sainsburys, buy your vegetables loose into your basket- they are cheaper and better for the planet, as well as encouraging the management that we do want to use less plastic.