Wellingborough Eco Group won the Environment Award at last nights BBC Radio Northampton Make a Difference Awards for their work reducing waste going into landfill – among other projects.
Jonathan Hornett, the director of the group, said: “What we do makes a huge difference to local people and the local environment.
“It’s nice to be that incubator for different projects but also other organisations throughout the county.”
“The award means the group has been recognised on a countywide level for doing good things in our town and the surrounding area,” Jonathan said.
Montage showing highlights from the Make a Difference Awards evening.
The other winners are:
The Volunteer Award: Allison WalkerBray, Wellingborough Gateway Club
The Young Hero Award: Louie Roe, fundraising for Young Epilepsy
The Great Neighbour Award: Sylvia Parkes, free community meals at the Phoenix Pub
The Fundraiser Award: Rust Bucket Rally
The Active Award: Step Forward with Lewis CIC
The Animal Award: Flo the Horse, Horses for Good
The Community Group Award: Northamptonshire Search & Rescue
Nominees included Ilse from the Never Alone Project and Daylight Centre, who were also there as finalists!
Thank you for a great night BBC Radio Northampton, thank you to the who team from the station, including Suki and Sarah-Jane who organised interviews and the nominations. Thank you to the presenters Annabel, Graham and Preacher the Storyteller plus Northampton Rock Choir for a great night.
It’s great to be recognised on a county level and by the BBC. Huge thank you to everyone from Wellingborough Eco Group and everyone that volunteers and uses our services for making what we do possible. Well done all!
Your environmentally friendly group in Wellingborough is seven years old!
Wellingborough Eco Group has been improving our borough’s environment, to reduce, reuse and recycle items that would otherwise end up in landfill, and to help local people reduce their carbon footprints for seven years.
Wellingborough Eco Group is all about you and what we can all do environmentally locally in a friendly and positive way. We have been working with local councillors, businesses and community organisations and hosting various activities including Repair Cafes, Green Drinks, Swap Shops, Wellie Wombles and our monthly Two Hour Tidy Ups to make Wellingborough greener for everyone.
ECO HUB is the home of Wellingborough Eco Group, here Emma with a little help from Jonathan, tells you all about it!
ECO HUB opened on 1st September 2022 in Glamis Hall. It has lots’ of activities for everyone and is busier than ever. It all started with before then with Tuesday Tidy Ups, then Wellingborough Swap Shop and now hosts activities including sewing, sharing food and kids groups.
ECO HUB is now based at Swansgate Centre, in the old Argos unit, for the next.We have taken on the space with The Artist Window, a charity supporting local creative arts for the benefit of local communities, to benefit our local community.
Wellie Wombles and Eco Group litter pick on Tuesdays, and on other days. It is where it all started for the group seven years ago!
Wellie Wombles came into being during the first covid lock down in February 2021. When we walked a great deal more locally by way of exercise and as a result saw a great deal more litter! So much so that we started litter picking as we walked, then inspired by others across the county, Freddie decided to make use of social media to form our own group.
On the last Saturday of every month, Wellingborough Eco Group and Wellie Wombles carry out a two hour tidy up with numerous volunteers. We litter pick an area that is generally chosen by the previous months litter pickers, unless there’s an event to clear up before for.
We don’t just litter pick or save items, at our Community Allotment we grows things, including people, well they grow with us!
Wellingborough Eco Group have taken on a plot at Ladywell allotments in Wellingborough, to give people the chance to share skills and to grow plants. The site was cleared and is now a user-friendly space to grow fruit, vegetables and other plants to benefit the community.
Anyone can volunteer at the Community Allotment, you don’t have to know anything about gardening and tools will be provided. We have working parties at the allotment on Wednesdays, these are advertised on our dedicated Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/communityallotment, meet you at the gates to the allotment at the end of Hillside Road, or call 07311 705705 to get in…
Wellingborough Repair Cafe was the second thing we started, and has been fixing things for people for almost seven years too!
Repair Café is repairing broken items together, getting advice, encounters and inspiration. Repair Cafés are community events that match people who need stuff fixed with people who like fixing things. We moved to a new location in September last year, Repair Cafes are now at the Victoria Centre (46-50 Palk Road Wellingborough NN8 1HR).
They take place on the Second Saturday of each month, 9am – 12 noon (except August). Previously we have asked anyone bringing an item to be fixed at the Repair Café to register it beforehand, but rather than registering, you can just turn up! There are no promises and no guarantees, but if something can be saved the repairers will give it their best efforts.
And of course that is not all we do, for example our Nature Rangers have planted over three thousand trees in Wellingborough over the last two years. Here Jonathan highlights some of the group activities for BBC Radio Northampton.
We have been nominated for the EnvironmentalAward category at this year’s BBC Radio Northampton Make a Difference Awards. You can read more about it here. and we have won Environmental Awards from Wellingborough Town Council and Freddie and Jonathan have been awarded the Rose of Nothamptonshire too. But that’s not the story of the last seven years, you are!
Our amazing volunteers are and many support the group officially by joining us! Membership is free and open to everyone. There are no requirements to join our group, all that we ask members to do is to is to agree to our Terms of Membership and to operate in accordance with the objectives and aims, as set out in the constitution of the group, at the group activities and in our social media groups. Join us today, Happy Birthday everyone!
We have been nominated for the EnvironmentalAward category at this year’s BBC Radio Northampton Make a Difference Awards. Here is Jonathan taliking about the group on BBC Radio Northampton:
The interview was aired on the Annabel Amos Breakfast Show on BBC Radio Northampton on Tuesday 1st September. It was played between 7am-9am.
Join us at the Award Ceremony
Join Annabel Amos and Graham McKechnie as they host this year’s BBC Radio Northampton Make a Difference Awards. The awards are a chance to say, Thank You and celebrate all the people, community groups, and even animals who make life better for others.
Join us on Thu 10 September at Royal & Derngate for a night of entertainment with special guests, Northampton Rock Choir and Preacher the Storyteller. And if that wasn’t enough, tickets are free!
Let’s celebrate Northamptonshire’s Young Hero under the age of 16.
Who’s been volunteering their time in Northamptonshire?
The Community Group that has helped to change the lives of others.
The people using exercise and physical activity to help others.
The Fundraiser that’s gone the extra mile for a good cause.
Those looking after our local environment.
The Great Neighbour helping those in their community.
And how can we forget the animals that are making a difference to our lives.
Come and celebrate Northamptonshire’s unsung heroes and enjoy a night of laughter, music and uplifting stories. Doors will open at 6pm and the ceremony will begin at 7pm – Get your tickets here!
This Month’s Two Hour Tidy Up takes place on Saturday 22nd August because of the Bank Holiday Weekend. We will be setting up our Recycling Station a week and an hour earlier than usual from 8:30 on the field just off the car park, for litter picking between 9 and 11. We will be litter picking the whole park, riverbanks and the nearby streets.
This location has been chosen because North Northamptonshire Council are joining in from 9am! As a group we have tidied up this area before, but not as a group pick since last year, so there’s a lot to do to make the park tidy again. See map below for the location:
To help us and keep us safe at this and future litter picks, Wellingborough Eco Group have purchased some litter pickers, hi-vis vests and safety equipment including road signs, so everything is provided but please bring your own gloves if you can. Free cold drinks plus tea and Coffee will be available, hand sanitiser will also be available, do join us if you can, ALL WELCOME!
This Month’s Two Hour Tidy Up takes place on Saturday 25th July at Glamis Hall and in Queensway Park. We will be setting up our Recycling Station from 9:30 at the back of Glamis Hall, for litter picking between 10 and 12. We will be litter picking the whole park and the nearby streets.
This location has been chosen because Glamis Hall’ Family Festival, also join us on from 10am – 3pm where we will have three stalls for lots of FAMILY FUN! As a group we have tidied up this area before, but not as a group pick since last July, so there’s a lot to do to make the park tidy again. We will also be litter picking throughout the festival. See map below for the location:
To help us and keep us safe at this and future litter picks, Wellingborough Eco Group have purchased some litter pickers, hi-vis vests and safety equipment including road signs, so everything is provided but please bring your own gloves if you can. Free cold drinks plus tea and Coffee will be available, hand sanitiser will also be available, do join us if you can, ALL WELCOME!
This Month’s Two Hour Tidy Up takes place on Saturday 27th May on Newcomen Road Community Garden and in the surrounding area. We will be setting up our Recycling Station from 9:30 at the Community Garden on Newcomen Road, for litter picking between 10 and 12. We will be litter picking the whole road, the communal gardens and the nearby streets.
This location has been chosen by one of our Wellie Wombles. As a group we have tidied up this area as part of other local litter picks, but because we have never focused on this road there’s a lot to do. See map below for the location on header.
To help us and keep us safe at this and future litter picks, Wellingborough Eco Group have purchased some litter pickers, hi-vis vests and safety equipment including road signs, so everything is provided but please bring your own gloves if you can. Free cold drinks plus tea and Coffee will be available, hand sanitiser will also be available, do join us if you can, ALL WELCOME!
Exciting News – We are moving ECO HUB from Swanspool Pavilion and Gardens to Swansgate Shopping Centre to continue to do great activities with you and good things for the environment.
The move starts this Tuesday, 5th May, but we will still be open this week in the Pavilion for Happy Cafe and Food Sharers from 10 until 6 on Tuesday and 10 till 2 on Thursday. There will be people available to help with food and for tea and coffee.
We are moving to 32 Spring Lane in the Swansgate Shopping Centre, which was Argos. The plan is to take Swap Shop, Food Sharers, SUB and Happy Cafe there, and to add a new space for arts and crafts, which will include displays and workshops.
Old Argos Shop – New space for ECO HUB plus arts and crafts!
We have taken on the space with The Artist Window, a charity supporting local creative arts for the benefit of local communities, to benefit our local community. We want local creative people of all ages amd everyone to get involved!
Please do come this Tuesday to help us with the move if you can, Co-op Wincanton Wellingborough are helping us with one of their lorries, there’s lots to move and we need help loading and unloading from 10am. The grand opening of our new home will be next Tuesday!
Our Fortnightly sessions resume on Monday, meeting at Castlefields Park at 10am to look at the plan. This week we are planting trees and tidying up the Tiny Forrest!
These sessions will be lead by Grow Wild Outreach and Wellingborough Eco Group, and they are freely open to everyone. Grow Wild Outreach will also offer the Monday sessions to those who need assistance and will provide a fully supervised service at a cost.
Don’t be nature strangers, be Nature Rangers!
The point of this group is to give plants, trees, birds, insects and animals a chance to thrive by restoring habitats and by caring for our wild creatures. This is also an opportunity to show the we care for wildlife so that ‘the powers that be’ don’t destroy the vital habitats that support local wildlife.
Join us this Monday for a Free Range, tools are provided but you can bring a spade, come to Castlefields Tiny Forrest at 10am and we’ll be out 10:30 till 1:30, let’s see what we can do!
This Month’s Two Hour Tidy Up takes place a week early for Queensway Month of Action this Saturday (18th April) on Queensway Park. We will be setting up our Recycling Station on the grass on the park just off of Shelley Road from 9:30, for litter picking between 10 and 12. We will be tidying up the park and the surrounding area.
Join us for our monthly Two Hour Tidy Up!
This location has been chosen because it’s Queensway Month of Action, an initiative by North Northamptonshire Council’s Stronger and Safer Communities Team; that has various activities running during April.
We have tidied up this area many times before, but unfortunately due to some messy people there’s a lot to do. Free refreshments including tea, coffee and cold bottles of water will be available.
To help us and keep us safe at this and future litter picks, Wellingborough Eco Group have purchased some litter pickers, hi-vis vests and safety equipment including road signs, so everything is provided but please bring your own gloves if you can. Join in, bring your friends and family, all welcome!
