Community Resilience Forum 1

24 people that took part in the first Wellingborough Community Resilience Forum that was hosted by One Wellingborough Plus and partners, which includes Wellingborough Eco Group.

It started with everyone introducing themselves and was followed by hosts Marion and Jonathan talking about the One Wellingborough Plus project. Marion then introduced the reason for the Community Resilience Forum, explaining why we all introduced each other. We then moved on to what is Community Resilience with everyone giving examples of this.

Delegates then were asked what are the Community Resilient ingredients and shared lots of ideas. The next question answered was what challenges are we facing. We then, after a short break, looked at what we can do. The forum provided lots of really useful feedback and of course networking for all. We recorded it for those who could not join in this time, with a few small edits, here it is from start to finish:

There is also a transcript of the forum available at https://onewellingboroughplus.wordpress.com/2021/02/27/community-resilience-forum-one/

NEW – Wellie Wombles Map

To give you an idea of where Wombles go and what Wombles do, we have created a map to show you! Click on the ‘red stars’ to see Womble litter picks including photos, ‘blue birds’ to see group organised litter picks and ‘green recycling symbols’ to see where you can collect bags and borrow litter pickers from:

To add your litter pick to the map, join our group on Facebook, then post what you have picked including the location, number of bags and a photo. Join in at https://www.facebook.com/groups/welliewombles

If you don’t do Facebook, please do share what you have picked including the location, number of bags and a photo by emailing us.

Repair Club Live 1

Thank you to Simon Turner tonight for taking a laptop apart and diagnosing the issue with the screen and for talking us through what he was doing. It needs a new cable if one can be found and then fixed.

Thank you to the six people who joined us to discuss this and many other things! We will be hosting another Repair Club on Zoom in a fortnight, possibly fixing clocks… Do join us!

NEW – Saturday Swap Shop

Do you have anything you want to swap or are you looking to give something away?

Live on Zoom, Wellingborough’s first ‘Saturday Swap Shop’ will be hosted by the Victoria Centre. We will have a selection of items to swap and we invite you to swap with us and others on Saturday 20th February, between 10:30 and 12:00 midday. It’s going to be fun and it’s free!

Wellingborough Swap Shop is a free and local exchange where members of the public can pass on things they no longer want, in exchange for something they need. You could describe it as a kind of cashless bring-and-buy sale. Participants do not need to bring anything in order to take away goods, and vice versa.

Our Saturday Swap Shop is at the Victoria Centre, but due to lockdown, this is a Zoom only event. We will be using our Facebook Group and our forum to share pictures, start posting today or you can simply just hold up you item(s) during the event.

What you offer is entirely up to you, as long as it’s legal, not hazardous or not a pet. Examples include: books, DVDs and CDs, kitchenware, pictures, tools, gardening items, curtains and other soft furnishings, children’s toys and baby items.

Wellingborough Swap Shop is managed by Wellingborough Eco Group as part of the One Wellingborough Plus project. Saturday Swap Shops will be hosted by the Victoria Centre. To keep you safe on Saturday, and so that you don’t have to share your details with everyone, please register by using the contact form below. Please use Swap Shop as your subject, and we will email you back with the Zoom link:

NEW – Tidy Up Tuesdays

From Tuesday 16th February, Wellingborough Eco Group and Wellie Wombles are to offer individuals or people in the same bubble the loan of litter pickers, hi-vis, gloves and to give away bags at the Victoria Centre. The equipment has been loaned and bags supplied by Wellingborough Norse and all equipment will be sanitised or washed and returned to Wellingborough Norse the following day. 

Due to current restrictions, collection is by arrangement only as the centre is currently closed to the public. When the centre is open to the public, bags will be available at any time without the need to register. If you can’t collect at the times available, Wellingborough Norse can also provide loaned equipment and bags. 

To borrow some litter picking equipment or to obtain bags, people will need to register by filling in the form on the Wellie Wombles page of this website.  Wellingborough Eco Group will email back to give details on how to call and collect bags and equipment, and to return equipment. 

Equipment and bags, or just bags, are to be collected from the ‘GIRLS’ entrance to Victoria Centre (the fire escape door from the hall) equipment is to be returned to the Victoria Centre on the same day; and bags left for Wellingborough Norse by a public bin, preferably by a public highway, for collection.  Click here for a map and directions to the Victoria Centre.

Wellingborough Eco Group will also need to know where individuals or bubbles are litter picking so that they can monitor which areas are being litter picked. Litter pickers need to post where collected litter bags have been left on the Wellie Wombles Facebook group or let Wellingborough Norse know so that they can be collected. 

Strict Covid rules of two metres distancing, hand sanitising and facemasks apply to everyone.  Guidelines will be marked outside the collection point.  No one will be allowed into the Victoria Centre, Jonathan Hornett will be contactable and at the Victoria Centre between 1:30 and 5:30 on Tuesdays, so that people can collect and return anytime in that time period. 

People who have registered will be given Jonathan’s work phone number to let him know when they arrive. He will then bring any equipment requested and bags out to a table and retreat to two metres distance so people can collect.  On returning equipment, people will call Jonathan, and leave on the table, then retreat two metres for Jonathan to take back.   Hand sanitiser, tissue and anti-bac spray will also be on this table for people to sanitise tools and hands. 

For those that want to keep their litter pickers, and to avoid a few return trips to the Victoria Centre, Wellingborough Eco Group will also sell simple pickers for £3 each (also available at B&M and Wilko for the same price). Registered people can let Wellingborough Eco Group know if they want these on their registration form.  Cash on collection. 

Find out more and register on the Wellie Wombles page at https://wellingboroughecogroup.org.uk/eco/litter-picking/wellie-wombles/ 

NEW – Wellie Wombles

We have a new group from Wellingborough Eco Group for you, started on the 8th of February on Facebook by Freddie Harris, inspired by Northants Litter Wombles. Both groups have been set up to encourage people to litter pick, and to get them to share photos with each other of what they have picked.

If you would like to do some litter picking during lockdown, you can individually or with members of your bubble. To help you, we have teamed up with the Victoria Centre and Wellingborough Norse to loan litter pickers, hi-vis, gloves and to give away bags. This starts on Tuesday afternoon 1:30-5:30.

Find out more and join our new litter picking group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/welliewombles

NEW – Repair Club Live

Get your fix on Zoom!

Repair Club comes to you live for the first time on Tuesday 16th February at 7pm. We’ll start with a short introduction, then something being fixed live, and then a question and answer session plus the invitation to get something of yours fixed, perhaps live next time.

Join us on our first night when Simon Turner tries to fix a laptop, which has a broken hinge and loose screen connection. Join us at 7 to find out how he does and ask about your own broken items… Fun and a fix in an hour!

Join in at this event page via this link to our Facebook event or by filling in the form below (please select subject as Repair Cafe/Club):