Repair Cafe
Come to our Repair Cafes in Hemyock / Churchinford
We run one of the most successful Repair Cafes in the UK, once every 2 months in Hemyock Village Hall (where we also run a cafe with breakfast rolls, tea/coffee and cake) and once a month as part of the Churchinford Market.
Our dedicated team of volunteers fix many treasured possessions, repair electrical appliances and sharpen a wide variety of tools to extend their lifespan. It's not just about saving money and resources but also reducing waste.
In 2021 and first quarter of 2022 (Covid times) the repairs completed through the Repair Café saved 2.94 tonnes of Carbon emissions, 1.43 tonnes of waste was prevented and 0.81 tonnes of waste was diverted from landfill.
We're always delighted to welcome new repairers!
Blackdown Hills Eco Hub
A partnership between Trimplants, BHTG and a Food Growing Community
We run a number of workshops at the Blackdown Hills Eco Hub located at Trimplants. As from April we've launched our new community food growing group who meet every Wednesday from 14:00 - 16:00 hrs and Saturday from 10:00 - 12:00 hrs. We use 'no dig' organic techniques and are running various trials with our biochar made on site.
More biochar making days will be organised throughout the year.
Keep up to date with our planned events by clicking here
If your group/company would like to organise a team building event or spend volunteer days with us learning about planting food, soil regeneration or making biochar - feel free to contact us, we'd be happy to organise it.
We regularly run workshops with various groups including Bicton College, Colyton Grammar School and in 2024 with Somerset County Councillors who learnt all about biochar, compost teas and it's many uses from potholes to regenerating soil, carbon sequestration in soil and building materials, it may even have potential as a replacement for graphene! Thanks for the write up and video!
More info here
Churchstanton 2030
Building Local Resilience
An initiative to bring people together from across the Blackdown Hills to find local solutions to climate and environmental challenges.
We currently have 3 groups, Wild Spaces, Food Growing Community and Community Energy Group, who are all busy with developing various projects locally.
We'd be delighted to welcome new volunteers to join our groups!
Apple Days
Apple Pressing Equipment
Throughout late Summer, early Autumn we loan our Apple Pressing equipment to communities across the Blackdown Hills and also host our own Apple Day where people can bring their apples to make juice/cider.
Contact Neil if you'd like more information by clicking on the button below.
Jim's Shed
Giving a second life to countless precious possessions and essential appliances.
Jim's Shed is a welcoming workshop that serves as a permanent repair hub, where a fantastic team of skilled volunteers comes together to fix those more intricate and time-consuming items, sparing them from being discarded in landfills. This not only helps items find new life but also fosters a sense of community, as repairers share and learn new skills from one another while enjoying time together combating social isolation and boosting well-being.
They also refurbished planters around the site and grew a variety of vegetables which were shared across the community.
Blackdown Hills Thrive!
Uniting individuals from the Blackdown Hills who are eager to work together, share knowledge and skills to create a flourishing community spanning the hills.
Our first meeting brought together 48 people from across the hills ranging from farmers, teachers, wildlife experts, eco groups, film/sound experts, scientists, green groups, growers, local councillors, foresters, all interested in supporting their local community.
We've created a space on Hylo for everyone who wants to share their amazing projects and events. If you'd like to join our 'Hylo Blackdown Hills Thrive' space and start to build our community and content, please join here:
Interesting Reading
Heart and Soul
by Jenny Ash (https://eastcottbarn.co.uk)
How do we feel when we see films showing the devastating effects possible through climate change? What is our response to the potential challenges we face if oil becomes prohibitively expensive – or runs out? Sometimes it can feel just too awful to comprehend and we just have to put our head in the sand.
However if you are reading this article you probably have raised your head above the parapet and are looking at issues we face, maybe considering practical steps you could take.
The Transition philosophy is that if we work together we can make changes, find innovative ways of dealing with difficulties, enter a period of transition that will enable us to move towards the creation of supportive communities and a sustainable society that cares about our fellow humankind and the natural world on which we depend. And the process could be fulfilling, enjoyable, a time for opportunity!
Climate Cafes
https://www.climate.cafe
Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Focus on Domestic Plastics
by Neil Arnold
What we can do to identify and isolate non recyclable plastic wastes at home.
The Blackdown Hills Transition Group have been considering how the “Ecobrick” initiative could be used to collect plastic waste that either cannot, or is currently unable to be processed by Somerset Waste Partnership.
Inner transformation and outer transition
by Matthew Melliar-Smith, Stockland, Devon.
Recently I learned of the existence of a local Transition Group in the Blackdown Hills where I live and made contact. ‘Transition Towns” are a network of groups, typically based on a local town such as Taunton. Following its start based on Permaculture in Kinsale, Ireland it then spread to Totnes, England where Rob Hopkins and Naresh Giangrande developed the concept during 2005 and 2006. As of 2012, it has spread to 35 countries around the world. In the Blackdown Hills we call ourselves a “Group” rather than a town, as we don’t have a town in our area of 40 parishes.
© Copyright. All rights reserved. Insect photos taken by Andy/Debbie Johnson
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