December 2021 – Page 2 – Wellingborough Eco Group

Barnardos

With today’s Advent Calendar, a window opens for a local charity shop, Barnardo’s Wellingborough, who are offering Christmas gifts with a difference; and while things may still be a little different this year, we think it’s even more important to make it extra special. It’s time to sprinkle some sustainable Christmas dust on things and create all of those festive feels and stepping into an eco-friendlier Christmas.

Shopping pre-loved may not be your first thought when it comes to Christmas shopping, but you can something incredibly unique and extra special. Barnardo’s Wellingborough is a treasure trove full of amazing pre-loved gift ideas. From vintage and one off pieces, unique homeware, and a huge selection of books and toys. There really is something for everyone! Here Alise shows you around the store and tells you a bit more bout Barnardo’s:

It’s Kidsmas!

This year they have lots of festive activities for you to take part in online. You can grab your trainers and take on the virtual challenge to Race Santa around the world, knit a snowman for your loved ones or watch Kidsmas Live. There’s plenty to choose from. Get involved on their website and support them at their Wellingborough shop.

Barnardo’s transforms the lives of the most vulnerable children in Northamptonshire and across the UK through the work of their services, campaigns, and research expertise. The charity believes they can bring out the best in every child, whether the issue is child poverty, sexual exploitation, disability, or domestic violence. They help young people leaving care, children with a parent in prison, and provide early intervention for families struggling to cope. Barnardo’s also finds suitable adoptive homes and foster placements for children in care. Registered charity no. 216250.

Address

106 Gold Street
Wellingborough
NN8 4ES
View on Google Maps

Call

01933 274594

Opening hours

Monday – Saturday – 9:00 – 16:00 (closed for lunch 12:00-1:00)
Sunday – Closed

Wellie Wombles

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens to say thank you to Wellie Wombles, the litter picking group from Wellingborough Eco Group, started on Facebook by Freddie Harris in February 2021, as a Wellingborough and East Northamptonshire group of Northants Litter Wombles. Both groups have been set up to encourage people to litter pick. Here’s Freddie talking about Wellie Wombles:

Wellie Wombles are individual litter pickers who, like the TV Characters, go Wombling free tidying up after the everyday people. We do suggest that Wombles start near where you live but can litter pick whenever they want to, and pretty much wherever they want to. As a group we simply offer help, supplies and guidance, plus give litter pickers the chance to share photos with each other of what has been picked on the Wellie Wombles Facebook group.

Wellie Wombles regularly litter pick 100+ bags a month just in Wellingborough and have filled 60 bags so far this month already! Maybe you have seen a Wellie Womble or two tidying up your local area, or have seen one of those red bags at the side of the road? Wellie Wombles also join in the Wellingborough Eco Group ‘Two Hour Tidy Up’ every month, tidying up local parks and public spaces.

Plus Freddie is busy working behind the scenes and has had some great success stories, including engaging with local schools and young people on the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, by setting up local neighbourhood hubs where people can borrow our litter pickers and hoops; and with local business, to get them to take up litter picking. He is currently engaging with supporters over the festive period to see if they would like to do some picking too.

To help you, we have teamed up with Glamis Hall every Tuesday afternoon for Tuesday Tidy Ups, with Wellingborough Library Monday to Saturday and with Wellingborough Norse Monday to Friday; to loan litter pickers, hi-vis and hoops, and to give away bags. Equipment and bags are to be collected from one of the above locations, equipment is to be returned on the same day; and bags left for Wellingborough Norse by a public highway or at Glamis Hall on Tuesdays for collection. To get bags collected, simply report them on our website. You can also purchase a variety of pickers and hoops from us at our Tuesday Tidy Ups.

Tuesday Tidy Ups started at the Victoria Centre

Come to Tuesday Tidy Ups this afternoon at Glamis Hall’s Community room from 2:00 until 6:00pm to meet Freddie and other Wellie Wombles for a tidy up or just a chat. Find out more about Wellie Wombles on our webpage or join the Wellie Wombles Facebook group.

Made in Northamptonshire

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for Made In Northamptonshire, a county wide networking group designed to bring together like-minded businesses and individuals from the food and drink sector. The ’support local’ philosophy is at the heart of Made In Northamptonshire, who believe that it is a positive and helpful way to support your local community.

In December 2020, Made In Northamptonshire opened their first shop at Rushden Lakes stocking a vast array of delicious local produce including tasty treats from award-winning Friars Farm, The Confectionist, Brooklyn Brownies, Vicky’s Kitchen, Daily Bread, Explore Chocolate, The Good Loaf, Warner’s Distillery, Nakasero Foods and many more; there really is something for everyone!

The Made In Northamptonshire Shop at Rushden Lakes is open 7 days a week: 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm Saturdays and 11am-4pm Sundays! The shop is located in between Starbucks and Heavenly Desserts (see map below). They also have a satellite store at Jeyes of Earls Barton. The Made In Northamptonshire team look forward to you visiting them soon!

Hemmingwell Community and Skills Centre

Today’s Advent Calendar Window opens for a local community centre and charity that is working hard to achieve their goal of being a community centre that is run by the community for the community. Paula Elmore and Marion Lamont have recently taken over the management of the Hemmingwell Community and Skills Centre CIO with two general assistants. Paula and Marion are both trustees who give their time freely and are supported by their wonderful volunteers and other trustees, who all help to keep the centre open and running smoothly.

Kate and Paula tell us about the activities at the Hemmingwell Community and Skills Centre

The centre is recovering from a couple of difficult years (as many others are) and Paula and Marion are hoping to improve the centre, and attract more groups to help enhance peoples’ lives around the area. These groups could be older residents’ groups and coffee mornings, mother and toddler groups, home education groups and more, watch this space as they grow. These and many more exciting things are happening now:

Fit & Fed local children can come and have fun in the school holidays through exercise, with qualified instructors. They also do crafts and get hot meals for themselves and their families.
Nest Youth Club on Mondays 4 to 6pm
The Compound Our Trustee, Kam works his magic all over Northamptonshire! Based in the centre, he works educating and mentoring young people through exercise and music. He also has raised funds for calisthenic bars to be placed outside in Hemmingwell, where he can often be found training and talking to our young people.
Elmore Education has a learning room in the centre, where Paula teaches vulnerable young people who can’t be in school for any reason.
Bingo evenings on Wednesdays, run by the new Hemmingwell Residents’ Association.
Seventh Evangelist Church on Saturday mornings

Shudan Martial Arts run by Jeff Gonsalves are regular users of the centre for young leader and self defence classes
Arts and Culture with Made for Many for young people.
Employment Training with Goodwill Solutions CIC bring courses to the centre to help local residents build their working potential and enhance their lives.
Food Bank (sponsored by Goodwill Solutions CIC) on Tuesdays at 1.30pm to 3.30pm, with extra parcels available to help those in need throughout the week.
Police Local PCSOs have an office at the centre, helping with events such as ‘Safer Streets’ initiative.
NN8 Off the Streets have placed a bleed kit at the centre and are working with their trustee, Kam, in to schools to help educate our children in the fight against knife crime

The centre’s wonderful hall and separate meeting room are available to hire for community events, parties, functions and meetings, both during the week and at weekends. This is at a discounted rate for local residents. The centre also hosts parties for the community, including a Christmas party this Saturday that has completely sold out!

Open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday, visit Hemmingwell Community and Skills Centre CIO at 119 Nest Farm Crescent, Hemmingwell NN8 4TU Wellingborough, there is car parking at the rear of the building, or call 01933 405595.

Christmas Tree Festival

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for the United Reformed Church on the High Street, who are hosting their first ever Christmas Tree Festival. There are 40 trees on show, decorated by schools, businesses, groups and individuals from the town. Here Kay, Cynthia and Claire from the URC, tell us on video all about the festival, and the project it is raising funds for.

The Project

After many years of planning, High Street United Reformed Church are embarking on their largest project since the current Church building was opened in 1875. The aim is to make the Church more welcoming and amenable to all the people of the town and beyond. The project received Planning Approval in April 2017 and is fund-raising to make the dream a reality. The Project, with estimated costs of £600,000 consists of four stages:

New external ramp to the front of the Church to allow for an easier, more dignified and inclusive access to those with disabilities and for coffin bearers at funerals.
New glazed door providing an elegant and secure enclosure to the external lobby.
The foyer, under the balcony, will be enclosed by a glazed partition through which you can enter the worship area of the Church. The foyer, which will become the High Street HUB, will be a multi-functional area, separately heated and encasing a servery and a meeting room.
The existing main worship area of the Church will be redecorated.

The most exciting change is to the foyer, creating The High Street HUB. They already hold Coffee mornings daily in the Church, which attract a number of regulars, some of whom are out of work and some are homeless and in need of a safe place for refreshment and a friendly chat, but this could be better.

Creating The HUB will enable the United Reformed Church to offer better services to the local community. With easily heated and adaptable spaces for use by the whole community that are easily accessible by all and right on the High Street!

The HUB will give the church the opportunity do what they currently do and more, with a purpose built servery, offering quality light refreshments; and a meeting room that’s able to seat 40 persons, for small gatherings, for those seeking counsel and for further outreach work.

The Trees

With 40 trees on display, you would expect variety, but at Wellingborough Christmas Tree Festival, there are some really unusual takes on the traditional festive focal point. Most are pretty, some are large and others make a point. Helping Hands, Wellingborough Library, Glamis Hall, Weavers Academy and Wellingborough Lions are just some of the organisations that have displayed a tree.

Look out for our Wellie Womble Tidy Up Tree, it’s been growing at our allotment for a couple of years after being saved from the bin, and it’s all about litter picking. Plus you have to see the Wellingborough African Caribbean Association tree that has been dressed to impress. Here are pictures of some the trees from a distance:

To get a closer look, you will have to come to the Christmas Tree Festival!

Come to Wellingborough Christmas Tree Festival at the United Reformed Church on the High Street. It’s on from 10am until 4pm today or on Sunday from 1pm until 4pm. Entrance is £2 per adult, accompanied children are free. Refreshments are available, including mince pies, and all proceeds will go toward their High Street HUB project.

Wellingborough Christmas Market

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for Wellingborough Town Council, because they have organised a Christmas Market tomorrow (Saturday 11th) from 8:30am until 3pm on the Market Square. We spoke to Emma, Projects Officer at Wellingborough Town Council, who said “There will be a variety of stalls selling gifts, decorations, food and more at Wellingborough Christmas Market, plus we have lots more exciting festive events in the Town Centre too.” Stalls at Wellingborough Christmas Market include:

Mystical Mosaics
A Touch of Wax
Artlenock Artistry
The Daylight Centre
Izzys bakes
Cashew the Cactus
Grumpy Brands
LDM Leisure
Lulu Belle Loves Paper
Scented Dreams
June Plum
The Food Barn
Sparky’s Snack Box

And many more! Shoppers at Wellingborough Christmas Market will also be visited by some of Santa’s real reindeer between 11am and 3pm, pop along and say hello? Plus whilst your in the Town Centre, so why not have some more festive fun at the other events:

Santa will be in his snowy grotto at the Swansgate Shopping Centre from 10am until 4pm, and what’s even better is that entry is completely free! You will be greeted by Santa’s cheeky elves before you can talk to Santa, have your photo taken as well as receiving a free gift for every child! Pre booking for the grotto is recommended but not essential. There will be two queues on the event days, shoppers in the pre-booked queue will be made a priority. Book your tickets here!

The United Reform Church on the High Street is hosting their first ever Christmas Tree Festival. There will be over 35 trees on show, decorated by schools, businesses and individuals from the town, look out for Wellingborough Eco Group’s Wellie Womble Tree! Visit on Saturday from 10am until 4pm or on Sunday from 1pm until 4pm. Entrance is £2 per adult, accompanied children are free, all proceeds will go toward their Hub project . Refreshments will be available. More about this on tomorrow’s Advent Calendar…

There is a Christmas Craft Market at the Tithe Barn! With cards, candles, pinnies, jewellery, bags; all sorts of unique gifts and accessories; there is something for everyone! Pick up out of the ordinary gifts this year, locally made; something special and different! Join in the tombola fun, in support of Cats Protection. Plus a chance to decorate or dedicate a Christmas Tree bauble, to be hung on the tree in town. Open 10.30am until 4pm, admission is free, refreshments served all day.

And to finish off with, All Hallows Church and the Town Council have teamed up together to provide a Christmas Carol Concert in the grounds of All Hallows Church after the Christmas Market, at 3pm. Everyone is welcome to join the celebrations. Do come along and enjoy a mince pie and non- alcoholic mulled wine.

Wellingborough Town Council was formed following a Community Governance Review in 2018. It consists of 23 councillors who were elected for four years on 6th May 2021. Wellingborough Town Council will aim to provide some local services in tandem with other local authorities within the area. It is a community focused council, striving to make Wellingborough a better place to live, work and play.

Wellingborough Christmas Market has been organised by Wellingborough Town Council with North Northamptonshire Council using the Welcome Back fund. North Northamptonshire Council is also using this fund for their Hi Street campaign to promote our High Streets, and look, even Santa is shopping locally this year:

Did you spot Santa when he visited Wellingborough while doing his Christmas shopping? Perhaps tomorrow is the day you you can join him? Emma, Projects Officer at Wellingborough Town Council, told us “Wellingborough is the festive place to be this Saturday. Come to Wellingborough Christmas Market, shop locally, join in the celebrations and have a great time.”

Glamis Hall Christmas Festival

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for Glamis Hall For All, because it’s their Christmas Festival on Saturday! Entry to the festival is free, the fun starts at 9:30 and finishes at 4:00. You can meet Santa for just £5 and have your face painted for £2.50, plus there’s lots of other stalls, a café, a raffle, a tombola, and Wellingborough Eco Group has a Swap Shop and a pocket money games stall too!

Glamis Hall are requesting that you book Santa in advance via Ticket Source to avoid disappointment. Children visiting Santa receive a Christmas stocking containing Christmas-themed activity sheets, treats and a stationary set. Reindeer food and hot chocolate cones are available to purchase on the day.

Jo, Centre Manager, tells us all about the Christmas Festival at Glamis Hall

A Christmas market for the grown-ups includes food & drink stalls, handmade and specialist gift stalls include candles and crackers, pickles and jams, handmade items, and sweets. Don’t forget to visit the tombola and raffle stalls to try for a prize.

About Glamis Hall

Glamis Hall is a community centre on the Queensway Estate in Wellingborough. Run for the community, by the community, their motto is Glamis Hall for all. Home to a day centre for older people, a youth club, football and GLJ Theatre. Hall & rooms for hire. There plenty of free parking or take the W1 bus from Church Street in the town centre.

Glamis Hall consists of a wellbeing centre for the over 50s, a large sports hall with a kitchen and servery, a community meeting room, and sports changing rooms. After being closed by Wellingborough Borough Council in 2014, Glamis Hall reopened as a charity run by volunteers and relatives of clients in January 2015. The Hall’s many daily visitors, who range in age from 51 to 103, help to decide the programming.

Regular activities include a Monday to Friday lunch club, yoga, raffles, and bingo. They have a shop on site and host visits from hairdressers, optometrists and district nurses– making it easy for their clients to access the services they need with minimal travel. Glamis Hall’s mission is to provide an affordable community hub for the residents of the Borough of Wellingborough and the surrounding areas.

Glamis Hall also host Wellingborough Eco Group’s Repair Cafes, Swap Shops and Tuesday Tidy Ups with Wellie Wombles, plus we are looking at more projects in the New Year! But let’s get Christmas done first, see you on Saturday at Glamis Hall, 9:30-4, for some festive fun for all!

Shoots and Spores

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for Shoots & Spores, a new mushroom shop that has opened at Nene Court and the first shop of its kind in Northamptonshire. They grow many different types of mushrooms including unusual varieties such as Lion’s Mane at the shop, which has a viewing window inside, allowing visitors to see the mushrooms growing and being harvested.

Founded in 2020, Shoots & Spores have been offering a home delivery service to customers and decided to expand into retail premises in October to meet the growing demand for their amazing mushrooms. We popped in on a recommendation from a Wellingborough Eco Group member and met the shop’s owner, Dom, who showed us what they do, so we videoed him for you:

Dom also said: “There has been a huge interest in these amazing ingredients and many studies are ongoing into the possible health benefits. Mushrooms are very delicate and have a short shelf life, so we know our customers appreciate the quality they receive when buying from Shoots & Spores. We have had fantastic feedback; visitors are impressed with the produce and enjoy the experience of seeing the growing room.”

Visit Shoots & Spores today at Units 2-3, Boxpark, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, open every Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm. They also offer a local delivery service across Northamptonshire. For more information find them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or email shootsandspores@gmail.com.

Wellingborough Swap Shop

Today’s Advent Calendar Window opens for Wellingborough Swap Shop because we have two of these this week! Today as every Tuesday there is a Swap Shop in Glamis Hall’s Community Room from 2:00-6:00; and on Saturday there is another Swap Shop at Glamis Hall’s Christmas Festival from 9:30-4:00!

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 ‘Swap Shop’ recognises that things no longer wanted by someone, might be another person’s treasure. By reusing things we cut down on the amount of waste that goes into landfill and reduce the amount of resources that we use in manufacturing of new products. And it saves you money!

Wellingborough Eco Group originally set up Wellingborough Swap Shop last year as a Facebook group (join in!) so items can be swapped or shared with others; and in February we started hosting Saturday Swap Shops at the Victoria Centre on Zoom with the One Wellingborough Plus project. In September we started hosting in person Wellingborough Swap Shops at Animals in Need’s Open day. This proved to be very popular, so we decided to have weekly Swap Shops in Glamis Hall’s Community Room during our Tuesday Tidy Ups with Wellie Wombles.

This Tuesday’s Swap Shop promises to be bigger and better than ever! With food surplus from Glamis Hall and Redeem Funds, plus produce from our Community Allotment there’s lots of stuff for all. In Glamis Hall’s Community Room from 2-6 it’s all for swaps or just take anything you want, it’s all free!

On Saturday we have another Wellingborough Swap Shop at Glamis Hall’s Christmas Festival, where we will have a selection of books and other items to swap or give away. We will also have pocket money games for everyone including a ‘reindeer race’ and a ‘find the seeds’ game, just for fun. Entry to the festival is free. You can meet Santa for just £5 and have your face painted for £2.50, plus there’s lots of other stalls, a café, a raffle and a tombola. Glamis Hall are requesting that you book Santa and face painting in advance to avoid disappointment.

Swap with Wellingborough Swap Shop, see you between 2 and 6 on this afternoon in Glamis Hall’s Community Room and from 9:30 until 4:00 on Saturday at the Christmas Festival in Glamis Hall; we look forward to welcoming you!

Lunar Tree

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for a shop door that will soon be closing. The independent gift and homeware store called Lunar Tree, which specialises in unique, handcrafted and ethical goods will close in Wellingborough for a new life.

The count down is on as Christmas Eve will be the last day trading for the Lunar Tree shop. Owner Amy is closing her shop to concentrate on her hair business which will keep the same name.

Amy said “So much will be missed here but I feel if I don’t follow my heart I run the risk of living with regret. I finally got the narrow boat I’ve been dreaming and working towards, I plan to close the shop to pursue a more simple life on the canals and continue my dreadlock work from there.”

Until then, Lunar Tree is selling its fairly traded, local and ethically sourced goods. Everything they have in stock is 100% Vegan Friendly & Cruelty Free! Here Amy, the shop’s owner, shows you around her shop:

They stock a huge range of incense, candles and other smellies including bath bombs, soaps & brulee’s that smell & look good enough to eat. Other Products include:-

Crystals
Hand Crafted Jewellery
Ethnic Clothing & Tapestries
Wall Hangings, Mirrors & Figurines
Salt/Crystal Lamps & Candle Holders
Oil Burners & Oils- Handmade Cards
Crazy Colours Hair Dye
Boxes & Trinkets

Additionally if you’re thinking about having dreadlocks, this is the place to be. Amy offers customers new dreads, dreadlock maintenance, permanent dreadlock extensions and temporary dread extensions. Amy and Lunar Tree will keep doing the dreads after the shop closes, find them on Facebook to keep up to date.

So pop into Lunar Tree on Cambridge Street and find those special gifts for Christmas. They are open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 – 17:30, but be sure to get there on or before 24th December for all this lovely stuff and a bunch more nice things to make your family and friends feel ZEN!