December 2022 – Page 2 – Wellingborough Eco Group

Co-op

Today we open our Advent Calendar window for the Co-op and for Jonathan, their Member Pioneer in Wellingborough. He is there to connect with the community and help support local causes via Wellingborough’s Co-op stores at Olympic Way and Redhill; and today he is hosting the Co-op Christmas Winter Warmer in our ECO HUB at Glamis Hall!

Join in with the Co-op to celebrate Christmas a week early!

Join us for a hot food swap. Jonathan, invites you to share food with us this Sunday lunchtime, 12:00-3:00. The Co-op will be supplying loads of party food and we will also be cooking up some tasty treats, plus there’s festive fun and games too, all welcome!

The Co-op employs Jonathan and other local Member Pioneers to continue to build stronger and more resilient communities by supporting projects offering: Fair access to food, fair access to mental wellbeing support and fair access to education and employment for young people. New for this year, the Co-op is also supporting sustainability and climate change projects, and we are one of this year’s causes!

Support local good causes with Co-op, choose a local cause today…

When you buy selected Co-op products and services, 2p for every £1 spent goes into your membership account, and they’ll split the same between like-minded organisations and local causes. The three causes in Wellingborough are Iris-May Butterfly Kisses, Teamwork Trust and Wellingborough Eco Group. You can select the local cause you would like to support on the Co-op App or at https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes

Working together to help everyone cope with the cost-of-living crisis…

Jonathan runs the Community Resilience Forum on the last Friday afternoon each month (except December) for local people, including businesses and community organisations, to work together to help everyone cope with the cost-of-living crisis. This forum also contributes and decides with Jonathan what is on the Wellingborough Organisations website and social media outlets, which also includes Wellingborough Forum on Facebook and Nextdoor.

We can all do our bit for our community. Together, we have raised £117m to support local communities across the UK sine 2016. Become a Co-op member and help support causes in your community. Download the app, join today and join in today to celebrate Christmas early or just to enjoy each others and Co-op food at this afternoon’s Co-op Christmas Winter Warmer. You will find us at ECO HUB Glamis Hall, Goldsmith Road, Wellingborough, NN8 3RU. See you there!

Toy Amnesty

We open today’s Advent Calendar for ‘We’re all in. Northants‘ and their Toy Amnesty, a toy and gift event that’s on this weekend. It takes place in the pavilion at Wilby playing fields, start time today is 12 and finishes at 3pm. Sunday start time is 11 and finishes at 2pm.

Not only will there be the gift event but there will be a tombola, refreshments, popcorn, cake, all sorts of items to buy and also an opportunity to pick up a free coat, hat and gloves. In this weather we all need these items and they are letting you choose one of each for free. (If you can afford to donate please do but not essential)

Here is a video tour of the Toy Amnesty uploaded as the event started!

We’re All In. Northants is a limited company and group run by Kat Neale, that promotes the local events going on in Northants and also sources items for members to purchase at cheaper prices than the shops. ALL money raised goes to her other groups Wilby Community Food Group, Wellingborough Baby Bank and their chosen monthly cause.

Kat decided to run a toy amnesty through December and January, so people could have a pre-Christmas clear out and give toys with life left in them to someone new. Any good/new/like new toys will be used for families struggling to afford presents at this time.

Toys in less than this condition but that could still make a child happy are being listed on her ‘Hand Me Downation‘ Facebook group for a small food or monetary donation, proceeds again going back into the food group, the causes and baby bank. Any unadoptable toys will be recycled or upcycled by being offered on a new craft/upcycling group Kat has just launched on Facebook called Procraftination.

Come and join Kat and all at Wilby playing fields pavilion, today 12-3pm or Sunday 11am-2pm, ask questions about We’re all in. Northants and her other groups, ask how you can support these or what projects are on the horizon! Wilby Community Food Group is also open at 124 Main Road, so do visit that too while you’re in the village.

Teamwork Trust

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for Teamwork Trust who are a charity and social enterprise who are celebrating 40 years of supporting autistic adults, people with learning disabilities and individuals with mental health needs in North Northamptonshire.

The disabled community was particularly hard hit by the Covid lockdowns and Teamwork want to find a way to get this community to make new friends, stop people feeling lonely, but also to talk a lot, walk a lot or craft a lot. At Teamwork Trust, they want to learn and share ways to cope and to enjoy being together.

Here Kizzi, Mark and Michael tell you what they do in Wellingborough

Teamwork Trust helps vulnerable adults to achieve their goals. They care and are passionate about ensuring that everyone has access to the same chances, choices and opportunities. They embrace and celebrate individual needs and abilities. Service users help to steer and plan everything they do.

Their three centres, based in Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough, are friendly, safe and supportive places in which service users make new friends, access education and employment experiences, and take part in on and off-site activities and classes. They have a packed programme of living and learning projects, and activities, as well as wellbeing and counselling programmes.

They run ‘factory floor’ facilities from their three centres providing a range of assembling, reworking, finishing, labelling, packing and fulfilment services, to offer reliable commercial outsourcing service offers a cost-effective and efficient option for businesses, while giving adults with mental health needs, learning and physical disabilities valuable vocational experience at the same time.

In Wellingborough they do lots of assembly jobs, including making badges for companies, community groups and events. Customers include Wellie Wombles and events include the Waendel Walk! They are also making blankets for the homeless out of crisp packets, and you can donate your crisp packets either directly or at ECO HUB, Glamis Hall. The Wellingborough centre is based at:

Teamwork Trust
38A Oxford Street
Wellingborough
Northamptonshire
NN8 4JG

Tel 01933 442066

Want to help? Or need to join them? They need volunteers and want to help you if you are feeling lonely. Do join them!

Bee Buffet

We open today’s Advent Calendar window for bees and for North Northamptonshire Council’s ‘Pardon the Weeds’ campaign. They are looking to take the following actions in Wellingborough to improve conditions in their parks, open spaces and highway verges.

North Northamptonshire Council are currently working with internal and external partners to identify further areas of land for pollinator habitat improvement, notably in Wellingborough, with a phased plan for introduction. They are also focussing on Wellingborough to review use of pesticides, and will introduce new mowing regimes and ‘feed the bees’ signage in Wellingborough next spring.

The council’s country parks, woodlands and nature reserves have a long history of managing habitats to improve wildlife. Much of this is achieved through volunteer work programmes supported by the park and woodland Rangers. These parks contain some very valuable wildlife habitats and are the home to nationally scarce species, such as Black Hairstreak and Purple Emperor Butterflies at Fermyn Woods Country Park.

More recently, valuable work on improving pollinator habitats in urban areas has been trialled in the Kettering and Corby areas, including the use of ‘feed the bees’ information signage in verges and parks, to help people understand why their local landscape is changing. This work has been well received and demonstrated the potential for further improvements to our urban greenspaces.

#PardonTheWeeds is a campaign which has been running in parts of the county since 2020. Some high-speed roads and industrial estates are filled with wild-flowers and longer grass to enable bees to feed! Here is North Northamptonshire Council’s recently published plan:

1 – Increase forage resources for pollinator species

Leave more long grass or meadow areas in less formal parts of the parks and open spaces to allow flowers to bloom and seed. Prioritising areas that connect to each other and to existing wildlife habitats and corridors. Where practical they will work to improve the floral diversity of these areas and reduce the dominance of coarser grasses
As part of their ‘Pardon the Weeds’ campaign they will allow suitable verges to flower and become rich in early sources of pollen from March through to June.
Plant at least 1 tree for every one they remove
Plant and encourage a native understorey of flowering plants, such as hawthorn, blackthorn and honeysuckle, particularly in woodland and marginal areas.

2 – Improve habitats for nesting and overwintering pollinators

Keep some areas of long grass throughout the winter as a refuge for insects – cutting on a 3-year rotation to ensure that the areas do not become rank and lose floral diversity.
Acknowledge the importance of bare ground areas for ground-nesting species. Ensure that not all paths and desire lines are hard surfaced or re-turfed, as these are important nesting areas.
Leave patches of nettles and other larval food plants for breeding butterflies and moths.
Avoid planting new specimens of tree species which can be damaging to bumblebee species, such as Tilia petiolaris.
Where practical, support projects that create bee ‘hotels’ to encourage mining and leafcutter bees to nest.
Ensure suitable bio-security measures for new planting if plants are being imported.

3 – Reduce pesticide use

Wherever practicable, aim to reduce the use of pesticides and ensure that where any treatment application is required, that it is minimised by sensitive application techniques, such as spot spraying, using the most up to date technologies and products.

4 – Participate in pollinator projects and action

Engage with stakeholders in areas where significant change is likely, such as through our ‘Pardon the weeds, we are feeding the bees’ signage, etc.
Support or deliver projects aimed at increasing the diversity and abundance of pollinating insects, where practical.
Aim to involve people in improving their environment, such as through volunteering in parks etc.
Include learning about pollinators in their Education Ranger led Outdoor Learning activity programmes with schools and groups.

Our Special 24 – Advent Calendar

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for a family in Irthlingborough, who, this year for the 8th year running, are turning December in to ’24 days of giving’. They call this ‘Our 24 Special Advent Days’ and on each day they go somewhere in Northamptonshire to spread some cheer and show people that they are appreciated.

This year they are visiting many of the new warm spaces that are popping up across the county. In Wellingborough they have chosen to visit St Marks Church and our Winter Warm Space at ECO HUB in Glamis Hall. They donated a lovely hamper of essentials, and lots of games for our warm space, plus lots of toys and fun items for Wellingborough Swap Shop.

They started this tradition in 2015, which has now become as much a part of their build up to Christmas as putting up a tree, eating too much and singing along to Fairytale of New York! What they give depends on who they visit and what they think they will appreciate receiving. They have 2 parts to how they do things…

Firstly they:-

Make up refreshments boxes for counselling services, support groups, voluntary organisations and hospices.
Go shopping to donate to the counties food banks.
Bake cakes and mince pies for the residents and staff in care homes and homeless shelters.
Take animal food, bedding and treats to animal sanctuaries and rescue shelters.
Donate toys, books, games and craft supplies to toddler groups, and after school and youth clubs.
Support The Samaritans, the domestic abuse services and refuge, and the Northamptonshire Health Charity each year.

Secondly they have what they call Heroes for Heroes. This is where they take Cadbury’s heroes to thank people/groups for being real life Heroes. For this Reece and Maddie make a list of who they think should get a thank you for being a Hero. So far they have included all of our emergency services, road sweepers, library staff, refuse collectors, NHS staff and many more.

For each day they take photos of what they are doing and aim to post them on their Facebook page between 7-8pm. They show you where they went in the county, who they visited and what they gave. If it’s a service, charity or an organisation that could be of help or interest to our followers they will include information about what they do and if appropriate their contact details too.

In the beginning they provided everything they gave themselves. They still buy most of what they give, but in the last couple of years they have received some help from local shops and friends, either by donating money to fund some Cadbury’s heroes, food for the food banks or gifts for us to pass on to others.

If you haven’t already, please like their Facebook page and follow them to see where they end up and who they meet. Maybe even share their posts if you think it might make someone smile, or invite others to like their page too. Thank you for our gifts and everything you do for others the Our Special 24 family!

Swap Shop

We open today’s Advent Calendar window for Wellingborough Swap Shop, our local exchange where you can get something you want by swapping things you no longer need or by making a small donation. It takes place this afternoon, 2-6, at ECO HUB, Glamis Hall.

Here, Jonathan shows you around the Swap Shop this afternoon.

You could describe it as a kind of bring-and-buy sale with the option to swap. Participants do not need to bring anything in order to take away goods, a pay as you feel donation to Wellingborough Eco Group works too.

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 money!

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

Join in at ECO HUB, Glamis Hall, this and every Tuesday 2-6pm, this week we have lots of good quality clothes, toys, books, DVDs and household items in stock, all available for swaps or a small donation, plus all this:

Our Food Sharers are there with lots of saved food from supermarkets, including Co-op and from Redeem Funds and Glamis Hall.
Wellie Wombles have ‘Tuesday Tidy Ups’ every week where you can borrow pickers and take bags for litter picking.
The LIVE Team have a ‘free coats for kids’ rail, so don’t let your children go out and get cold.
We are a Winter Warm Space, pop in for a warm up, the kettle’s on if you fancy a coffee or tea.

See you there…

Wellingborough Library

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for Wellingborough Library who are hosting a variety of activities right up until Christmas! There’s always something happening at the Library and the staff were very keen to tell us all about it, so we videoed them for you.

On the video, Dee and Sophie tell us the exciting things they do, and all about their new Warm Safe Space for Wellingborough this winter, that is offering free tea, coffee and soup during their opening hours, for those looking for a warm place to stay during these tough times.

Children can join in too with a huge number of activities including, starting today, a World Cup football challenge that runs until Christmas Eve! They’ll provide some colouring and activity resources for children to complete in the library or take home with them. There’s a variety of designs to create a ‘design your own football kit’. The library will display the entries where there’s space and an overall winner will be announced in the New Year!

Here are some more activities Wellingborough Library are doing during the rest of December:

Under 1’s Fun: Tuesday 13th and 20th 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Manga and Anime Club: Tuesday 13th 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Library Rhymetime: Wednesday 14th and 21st 9:45am – 10:15am
Library Bounce and Rhyme (Under 1s): Wednesday 14th and 21st 11:00am – 11:30am
Craft and Chatter Group: Wednesday 14th and Friday 16th 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Preschool Play: Thursday 15th and 22nd 9:30am – 10:30am and 10:30am – 11:30am
Family Fun Club: Saturday 17th and 24th 10:30am – 11:30am
Christmas Story Time: Every morning from Monday 19th through to Saturday 24th 9:30am – 10:00am

As well as having thousands of books, they have computers to use and meeting rooms for hire. The Library shop sells a selection of greetings cards, gift items, children’s toys and educational material. They are also the place to find out about local tourist information.

Opening hours

	Opens	Closes
Monday	9am	6pm
Tuesday	9am	6pm
Wednesday	9am	6pm
Thursday	9am	6pm
Friday	9am	6pm
Saturday	9am	5pm
Sunday	Closed	Closed

You will find them at Pebble Lane, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 1AS. They also have a busy Facebook page that shares lots of posts about their activities. Visit Wellingborough Library today!

Redeem Funds

Today we open our Advent Calendar window and doors to Redeem Funds. Join in with Redeem Funds for a Winter Warmer hot food swap at ECO HUB today 12:30-3:00. Bring your cooked food and savouries to this food sharing event, meet new people and old friends; it’s Christmas and it’s free to attend. Mary will also be cooking up lots of spicy treats!

Redeem Funds is a foodbank that offers lots of fruits, veggies and bread at two sites in Wellingborough for a small donation. They open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at Cowper Road and Sundays, and on Mondays and Tuesdays at Shakespeare Road. They also have frozen items if you need any. Join their busy Facebook Group for updates.

Watch the video of Mary showing us around her busy Cowper Road on Friday where they were providing Help Bags to those who requested them. Alongside their regular fresh food service, they now have added three new sections at Cowper Road to support families in our community:

Well-being section: For families or ladies struggling to buy sanitary pads are welcome to take one when needed but not every day please.
Pet Section: If you are sometimes struggling to buy pet food you are welcome to take a couple of items from there. But do speak with the members of the staff.
Help bag section: Grab any ten items (one of each item but some items you can have two) for extra £5 separate donation to foodbank. All items in this selves are on date.

Redeem Funds Help Bags and Fresh food available last Friday at Cowper Road.

Redeem Funds are a non profit Christian organisation that helps, supports and provides for destitute people. They are in need of ambient food and personal health items to share with those who need them. They support many families in Wellingborough and share with our Food Sharers every Tuesday, please do support them if you can.

Do join in to celebrate Christmas early or just to enjoy each other food at today’s Redeem Funds Winter Warmer. You will find us 12:30-3:00 at ECO HUB Glamis Hall, Goldsmith Road, Wellingborough, NN8 3RU. See you there!

Christmas Party

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for the Victoria Centre who are ‘Lighting up the Darkness’ with their Christmas Interfaith Children’s Party this afternoon. Join them 2:00-5:00 for lots of traditional festive games from across the world, a bouncy castle and a visit from Father Christmas himself! Wellingborough Town Council will also be there to ask you what you want.

The Victoria Centre has been serving all communities in Wellingborough since 1979. It has welcomed and supported everyone from different countries and continues to be Wellingborough’s multicultural meeting place. They provide services for new arrivals and friendship for all.

Their Warm Room on Tuesdays gives people from the Victoria ward of Wellingborough the opportunity to shelter from the cold and socialise with other residents, play board games, and enjoy a free meal like soup, sandwiches, baked potatoes and beans on toast. It is available on Tuesdays from 10am until 4pm, and will run for 14 consecutive weeks until February 28, and they’ll be having these on Saturdays in January too!

Watch the video to see Kevin, Centre Manager, tell you all about the centre, what’s on and all about today’s Christmas Party. Join them for lots of festive fun this afternoon 2:00-5:00. It’s free, they look forward to welcoming you!

Daily Bread Co-operative

Today’s advent window opening is for the Daily Bread Co-operative, which is a rather special place that’s good for you and the environment. Daily Bread is a wholefood shop in Northampton that is a worker’s co-operative, the store opened in October 1980 and their name comes from the Lord’s Prayer. Here John Clarke, manager and member for 37 years, tells you all about the shop and its products:

They are an ethically based business valuing people over maximizing profit. They stock a huge range of cereals, fried fruit and nuts, granola’s and muesli, as well as a large range of gluten free produce. Many of their products are organic, Fairtrade or both. They stock a huge range of vegan and vegetarian foods, plus have lots of eco-friendly cleaning products and a gift section.

Despite the name, they are not a bakery, though they do stock bread, flapjacks and slices, some of which are cooked on the premises. They also have a successful online shop at dailybread.co.uk.

On the same site, Workbridge have a garden centre, coffee shop, gift shop and studio. They offer a vocational pathway for people with mental illness, autism, learning disabilities or brain injuries, and provide people with opportunities to gain skills and build confidence.

You’ll not only be tempted by their coffee and cakes, unique gift items and high-quality plants, but you’ll also get to see for yourself how they help transform lives and enable their community users to realise their potential.

Join them today and tomorrow at their Christmas Craft Fair. Support the Workbridge charity and have a great time, there are more than 30 stalls and a fantastic raffle, prizes include a 78 Derngate tour and tea for 2.

You can find the Daily Bread Co-operative and Workbridge at: The Old Laundry, Bedford Road, Northampton NN4 7AD. They are just off of the A45 and about 15 minutes by car, or there is a bus from Northampton Town Centre. So, if you are heading that way, pop in and stock up!