Sustainable Woodstock

We aim to raise public awareness among the residents of Woodstock and beyond on the issues of climate change, energy conservation, waste reduction, recycling, bio-diversity, sustainable economics and respect for the planet. 
We are working in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council, West Oxfordshire District Council, local schools and churches, Blenheim Palace and the Farmers Market and the Woodstock trade association, Wake Up to Woodstock


Welcome to Sustainable Woodstock's
Home and News Page

To learn more about Sustainable Woodstock go to "About Us" page

To read Hilary's monthly news digest read on:- 
 or for more and older information  go to the Sustainable Woodstock Noticeboard

Fossil fuels subsidised by $10m a minute, says IMF.  UK has biggest fossil fuel subsidies in the EU, finds commission.  Read more here on our Climate Change page

How much waste do we generate worldwide every year?

and how much do we recycle?  5%?, 10%?, 25%?  FIND THE ANSWERS HERE.

Woodstock's Local Plan.  Can we make Woodstock's future development sustainable?  Read Sustainable Woodstock's submission to Community First Oxfordshire here.

Woodstock Safe Routes Project:  Sustainable travel by bike and on foot:  Go to the Sustainable Travel and Transport page

Interested in Sustainable Travel by bike?  Please take part in Oxfordshire County Council's Cycling survey that aims to inform future sustainable infrastructure development in the County.  Closing date is 6th September 2019.  So not much time.  DO IT NOW! Go to https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/help-us-create-a-cycling-network-oxfordshire--can-be-proud-of/
Then go to our Sustainable Transport pages ....

Tom Sinclair, Associate Professor in philosophy at Oxford University, presents devastating forecast for the planet without urgent action on climate change.  Well worth listening to, but not for the faint hearted.  Watch on YouTube at https://www.tinyurl.com/xrscience .    

If schools fail to address the global emergency, students will see education as increasingly irrelevant, says Fiona Carnie of TES, an education business supporting teachers, school staff and schools.  https://www.tes.com/news/8-things-schools-can-do-tackle-climate-crisis  

Sustainable Woodstock News
 September 2019

Sustainable Woodstock is 10 years old    

 Hi All.  Cheers everyone. As it’s our 10th Anniversary and it was Colin Carritt who launched Sustainable Woodstock back in 2009, I thought we'd like to read Colin's words to highlight some of the things we’ve achieved. We’re just as passionate as ever about trying to make a difference, as we were back in 2009, if not more so and hope you can encourage others to join us and take an interest in how we can achieve changes and how we can live to combat climate change. With this in mind, along with others, we were asked to feed our ideas on sustainability into the consultation on Woodstock development that is being managed by Community First.  The next meeting we will be attending is September 9th in the Community Centre at 7:30 pm. 

 So don’t let “them” get you down and don’t leave it to others either …. take an interest and think about what small or big part you think you can play in that change. If you do have ideas you wish to share....then let's do just that....please get in touch.                                                         Hilary Brown

 So here are Colin’s words on the past 10 years. 

Why do we do all this?  It’s all part of the campaign to reduce our carbon footprint, and to encourage communities, governments and nations to avert what is now understood to be a looming major climate emergency. 
It’s an important message, and it’s been undertaken with fun and friendship, and frequently our days have finished with a visit to one of the town’s wonderful (and hopefully sustainable) pubs.
So if you would like to join us on our next ten year journey just email us at sustainablewoodstockuk@gmail.com or ring 01993 811977 or 01993 811975.  
You will be warmly welcomed.
                                                                         
Colin Carritt September 2019

Sustainable Woodstock is Ten Years Old

So what have we done since the group was set up at the end of 2008?  

First off, we established our local profile through our Sustainable Woodstock long life shopping bags. Ditching the plastic bags habit has been a long term project for Sustainable Woodstock and so now we are working to become a “Single Use Plastic Free Town”.

And In 2009 ...............
we acquired a free lease to plant a Community Woodland of 1600 native trees.  It is now maturing and is a haven for wildlife.  In 2017 we extended it with 80 fruit trees of local varieties, so we now have a Community Woodland and Orchard.

And Early in 2012 ................... .....a hardy band of Sus Woo volunteers braved the winter weather to offer a heat loss service to local householders.  We had the loan of a thermal imaging camera and presented them with pictures showing where their homes were leaking energy (and money!).  

Still on the energy conservation theme, we formed a consortium with other sustainability groups and established a “preferred installer” service for residents wanting to generate their own electricity from roof mounted photo-voltaic panels.  Those taking up the offer still enjoy a valuable government incentive payment for the energy they generate.

And For several years........................  .....we held “Swap Shops” at the Community Centre where residents brought items they no longer wanted and others for whom the item was just what they had been looking out for, took them away.  By so doing many kilogrammes of items that would otherwise have ended up at the refuse tip were found a useful second life

Fresh Air Anyone?   It's well established that getting closer to nature is good for your physical and mental wellbeing so if you'd like to come along to some of our events please get in touch. We ask for volunteers very occasionally to help with EASY Community Woodland maintenance ….perhaps an hour at a time. You’ll find the Woodland and Orchard just past Hill Rise on the left of A44, heading northbound.  
Please email us sustainablewoodstockuk@gmail.com  or call 01993 811975.

Safe Routes
  

No-one in the Woodstock can be unaware of the work presently being undertaken by Community First Oxfordshire (CFO) on behalf of the Town Council and Blenheim.  Their task is to determine the future needs of the town, given its imminent expansion.  The feedback from CFO is impressive, but we all know that the “big ticket” costs of providing affordable homes, school buildings and perhaps a new medical centre, may mean that not all the town’s aspirations will be met.

Sustainable Woodstock believes that the town’s expansion provides a once in a generation opportunity to secure the best possible environment for the town and that this should not fail simply through lack of funds from S 106.

So we are setting up a “Woodstock Safe Routes” group within Sustainable Woodstock to provide a platform for all with an interest in encouraging walking and cycling and to think about how we can improve people’s ability to safely move about the town (and beyond) on foot or by bike.  Walking and cycling reduces pressure on town centre parking and improves people’s health and well being.

We would like to involve as many organisations as possible in our “conversation.”  We want to find out what is needed, where and how it might be provided, and, of course, how it can be funded.  It is possible that some grant funding may be available and Sustainable Woodstock is looking further to develop these and other funding streams. 

If you, or a group you represent, would like to support this campaign do please let us know by email.  We don’t want this to just be a “talking shop” and we don’t expect to call multiple meetings.  After an initial meeting, much can be done by email and this would be our preferred way to progress ideas at least until firm decisions need to be taken.  We will have a page on this website on which we will display ideas and plans, and on which comments from group representatives can be aired.  Colin Carritt

Should Woodstock Town Council
Declare A Climate Emergency?
 

Machynlleth in Wales is where the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) have been working for many years on what Zero Carbon would look like in the UK, as set out in their Zero Carbon Britain Reports. The report is worth a read and CAT is well worth a visit.  No surprises that Machynlleth has declared a Climate Emergency despite being one of the smallest town councils in the UK..... yes smaller than Woodstock. As we're all in this together should we be calling for our town council to declare a climate emergency and for everyone to help create a future for Woodstock and the local community by sharing ideas and hopes at the Community First consultations. Why not write to the council and ask to declare an climate emergency and write to our MP too. 

 Thanks to people from all across the UK, climate change has been steadily climbing the political agenda ...at all levels of government. On 29th October 2018, Philip Hammond set out his budget but didn't mention climate change. In Nov 2018 Bristol and Manchester passed motions that declared a climate emergency and set targets to be carbon neutral by 2030 and 2038. Since, similar decisions have been made by councils across the country. On 1st May 2019, the UK Parliament finally followed these local councils, approving a motion to declare a climate emergency and called on the government to increase its ambition. 

In January, Oxford City Council members declared a climate emergency and agreed to create a citizens assembly in Oxford to help consider new carbon targets and additional measures to reduce emissions. The citizens assembly will be a randomly-selected representative sample of Oxford residents and will meet this September. It will be the first citizens assembly in the UK created to consider climate change. WODC declared a climate emergency in June 2019.....they don't seem to be shouting about it  though. 

 Hopefully, climate emergency motions won't just be paying lip service to the radical action that is needed? Continued efforts by campaigners will be crucial in turning abstract targets into reality. So knowing this we should be engaging with the Community First and demanding that newly designed houses have the greenest credentials and our community input has thought of energy networks, safe cycle tracks, tree planting, etc. 

If you're interested in the campaign against climate change and are looking for ideas take a look at this site https://www.campaigncc.org/councils_climate_emergency.  

 
 
Engine's Running - Stop Now

We all have a right to breathe clean air.
 
Recently but not during the recent high temperatures......3 out of 4 cars outside of school were running their engines for air-con. Most seemed young enough and seemingly healthy enough to get out of the car and wait in the shade. How many too in car parks.... keep their engines running for air con or heating. It's polluting even when you can't see the gases and particles. It is really damaging our lungs and health.  Please remind your families. 

"We all have a right to breathe clean air. However, across the UK illegal and here in Oxford harmful levels of air pollution are damaging people’s health and their quality of life and cutting lives short."  It doesn’t have to be this way. 

Allotment Plots Now Available in Woodstock. 

Gardening is good for your health and your wellbeing and can be good for your social life too. And of course can provide you and your family with fresh fruit and vegetables over the year. You can choose to garden organically and avoid ingesting chemicals that are likely to be present on shop bought fruit and vegetables. 

Woodstock Allotment Association

The waiting list for new applications is now open to people living in Woodstock. The rents are reasonable, water is available on site and all plot holders are made members of the National Allotment Society where items such as seeds, etc. can be bought at discounted rates.  If you are interested you can apply to the Town Hall or directly to raykinch@btinternet.com

 

Plastics Free Woodstock? 
Email us for your Plastics Free Community Business Toolkit 
Bags.
Did you know that 50% of us are still asking for bags at the Coop  
 ..... shame on us.
Events in Woodstock
Try to ensure your events are single-use plastic free 

Let's see if we can reward your business with a Plastic Free Champion certificate. We'll soon be visiting or revisiting your businesses, schools, etc to see how many changes have been made .... sharing problems and good news. What changes have you made to reduce your use of single-use plastic?

Extinction Rebellion XR What does it Mean? 
Climate Change - the Facts

The public are waking up to the scale of the climate change crisis and pressure is now growing on politicians to act. Thanks to all those climate change activists who have sent their own time trying to speed up effective change that will make a difference to all our futures. If you think you don't understand climate change, how it affects us all and what we should all do now, then watch the recent David Attenburgh programme Climate Change - the Facts. Set aside, just an hour of your time to watch this programme that shows the result of inaction but what actions we can do to ensure that we and future generations have a future. 

Schools Strike for Action on Climate Change.  Colin Carritt, SusWoo Vice-chair, on why the striking schoolkids are heros

The Time to act is NOW
https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/news/news-archive/2018/how-to-combat-climate-change

 

"Buy a Long Life Fairtrade Bag"

Sustainable Woodstock bags available from Mary & Martin's newsagent, our Post Office, Hampers and mnay other outlets.
AND AT THE FAIRTRADE COFFEE MORNING!
If you'd like some for your business email us at  Sustainable Woodstock.

 

 

Thanks
Oxfordshire Museum, King's Arms & The Woodstock Bookshop
for Offering Water Refills.

Helping us kick the plastic

Join the Refill Revolution!

Refill is an award-winning campaign to prevent plastic pollution at source by making it easier to reuse and refill your bottle instead of buying a new one.

 If you are a Woodstock business and wish to offer refills go online https://refill.org.uk . If you're feeling inspired, download the Refill app and make refilling the new normal!

Producing bottled water creates 500 times more CO2 than tap water. That’s why Refill Oxford has created a network of Refill stations where you can fill up your water bottle for free to reduce plastic pollution. Look out for a business with Refill stickers. There are now over 14 thousand Refill stations all over the UK and if Woodstock restaurants, schools, cafes or pubs would like to sign up to be a Refill station and help reduce plastic pollution just email refill.oxford@gmail.com and they'll do the rest.

 Refill Oxford is part of City to Sea’s national campaign to promote the use of free tap water to reduce plastic waste. In Oxford, there is a network of nearly 150 Refill stations in places such as cafes, bars, pubs, restaurants, bus stations, hospitals, community centres and hairdressers all over the city. So now you can refill your water bottles whenever you need to, rather than buying a new plastic bottle. 

 Save money, stay hydrated and prevent plastic pollution at source by using the free Refill App on the go, OR look for the Refill droplet in shop windows. This will dramatically reduce the use of the billions of single-use plastic water bottles bought in the UK every year. 

Invest in Green Energy?

If you're looking for investments
you may be interested in the Community Energy Fund. 

 Low Carbon Hub wants to strengthen and grow community owned energy in Oxfordshire. Energy that's good for people, and good for the planet. Join almost a thousand like-minded investors and put your money to work tackling climate change.
- Earn up to 5% interest on your investment* - capped at 4% for the first four years of investment
- Help fund more solar panels on schools and organisations across                     Oxfordshire
 - Keep money in the local economy through community ownership
 - Tackle the global issue of climate change on a local level
 - 100% of our surpluses support further local action on climate change
* INVESTMENTS CAN GO UP OR DOWN - TAKE ADVISE
 
                                                 WATCH THE VIDEO 

 

Sponsor a Tree in our Community Orchard? 
Over 50% now sponsored. You can sponsor a tree as a group, with friends, colleagues. You will receive a certificate and can dedicate if you wish. 
How to Pay?
Costs £30 (single payment)
1) BACS payment.  
2) Cheque   
For details contact as below. 
Questions ? Call 01993 811975 or email  sustainablewoodstockuk@gmail.com

 

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Sustainability is often defined as meeting the needs of present generations without risking the ability of futures generations to meet their own needs and should lead to a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come.   Local actions are now influencing changes nationally and internationally and by working with our community, our projects and campaigns have a greater likelihood of success. We are interested in raising awareness on issues such as climate change

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