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The Great Big Green Wellingborough Circular Walk and Cycle was great!

Wellingborough Eco Group

Thank you to the 16 people that joined us today for The Great Big Green Wellingborough Walk and Cycle. It was a great event and we will do it again, the walk and the cycle was lovely and then top top it off we had a massive BBQ and buffet!

Whilst ten happy cyclists took off on The Great Big Green Wellingborough Circular Walk and Cycle six mile Red Route, we join Jonathan, Jane, Aleksandra and Stefania walking on three mile Green Route. Here they take you round on today’s three mile Green Route is off road cycle paths all the way.

Watch us walk the Green Route –

From ECO HUB we follow cycle paths through Queensway Park and then take paths through green space next to Hardwick Road. We take Old Hardwick Road up to the Community Garden (which we have a little look around) then through the parkland on Park Farm, into Queensway Park and then back to ECO HUB.

The cyclists took on and very nearly completed the six mile Red Route. Obviously the children need to stop at every playground on the way and were completely worn out, but had certainly worked up an appetite so our BBQ and buffet went down well!

Watch Jonathan and Looby do the Red Route –

The six mile Red Route took them through many of our local parks. From ECO HUB go through the houses to Shelley Road and into Stanwell Park. Across Northampton Road to go past the lake into Croyland Park. Then through houses and Spring Gardens, across Oxford Street, through Bassetts Close Park to Brickhill Road and then through a green space following the cycle path onto Hardwick Road. Then through Glamis Meadow and Wood into Kilborn Park. Up Blaydon Walk onto Waterworks Lane to join Hardwick Road again. Then through the parkland on Park Farm, into Queensway Park and then back to ECO HUB.

Massive thank you to Emma Davies for preparing a cracking buffet, to Judy and Jonathan for being our guides, and most of all to Justyna and Dominic, Celina, Sebastian, Stefania and Aleksandra, Sabina and Inacy, Tim and Rachel, Jane, Beata and Nela for joining our Circular Walk and Cycle for The Great Big Green Week and Better Transport Week.

Here are some photos from today’s event, why not watch the videos too? You can do the routes too every Tuesday and Thursday from ECO HUB, join us at our Happy Cafes 12-2, where we have free refreshments. Find the map and more details at wellingboroughecogroup.org.uk/eco/circular

The Great Big Green Week

The Great Big Green Week is the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. It takes place between 10th and 18th June. Tens of thousands of people in every corner of the country celebrate the heartfelt, brave, everyday actions being taken to stand up for nature and fight climate change.

We have loads on for you during The Great Big Green Week, and it kicks off at Glamis Hall and ECO HUB on Saturday 10th June with an Indoor Car Boot Sale that includes a huge Swap Shop and in the ECO HUB we have our Repair Cafe.

Wellingborough Repair Café

As it’s also Cycling UK Bike Week (Monday 5th to Sunday 11th June) and Better Transport Week next week, and the sun is out, we’re fixing bicycles! If you need help fixing up an underused bike, book it in and come along. Our team of fixers will be looking to get you back on two wheels in no time.

We’ve just got a few time slots left for electrical repairs this Saturday afternoon; but have plenty of capacity for any other items that need fixing! Bring your bikes, clothes and furniture items. Please book your items in at:

Repair Café

Wellingborough Swap Shop

Join us at Glamis Hall’s Indoor Car Boot Sale for our clothes and entertainment Swap Shop. It’s going to be a boutique on a budget, plus there’s hundreds of books and DVDs! Everything is available for swaps or a small donation, and if that wasn’t enough then there are lots of other great stalls, selling a range of reused items and food. Our ECO HUB will be open for even more Wellingborough Swap Shop stuff including household items and toys! Come and see us and all at Glamis Hall to grab a bargain or three!

Join in with The Great Big Green Week

Wellingborough Eco Group is joining in with lots of events with various partners, including all of our weekly activities, Co-op Sustainability LIVE on Tuesday 2-4pm and The Great Big Green Wellingborough Circular Walk and Cycle from ECO HUB on Sunday 18th 10am-2pm. Keep an eye on our social media or look at our calendar at for more details:

Community Allotment Working Party Wednesday 10-2.

Here are photos of our plot 3 years ago. Unfortunately we have a lot of work to do to get it back to this, but with some good weather and many hands this is where we want to be in May.

So this Wednesday we’re going to be working on three fronts:-

1, to carry on with the excellent work Tim, John and Tricia have been doing adjacent to the gazebo.
2, turf turning the herb garden by the wooden greenhouse and plots either side.
3, covering the tree nursery with cardboard boxes and then wood chips.

Maybe this could be done just in time for putting in some of the seeds that I sowed at the weekend. Plenty more to go in directly, plus maybe some more at Saturday’s Seed Swap at ECO HUB 9-12 then at our gazebo 1-5.

Lots to do, but always time for tea, join us at 10 at the gates at the end of Hillside Road or anytime by calling 07311 705705 to get in.

Repair Cafe This Saturday

Wellingborough Eco Group and Glamis Hall are hosting the Repair Café at the Indoor Car Boot Sale, 9 -12 tomorrow Saturday 12th February (on every 2nd Saturday morning of the month)

Repair Cafes are community events that match people who need stuff fixed with people who like fixing things. Repair Cafes are completely non-commercial. There are no promises and no guarantees, but if something can be saved the repairers will give it their best efforts. Repairers are always keen to teach you how to do the repair – or at least have you watch while they do it.

There is no charge for entry or repair but donations are gratefully received and help pay for costs. You can basically bring anything you can carry that will not make a mess in the venue. Whatever it is, it might not even be broken – just dirty, and you don’t know how to clean it without damaging it – or you can’t work out how to use it without the manual – bring it along!

Find out more at https://wellingboroughecogroup.org.uk/eco/repair-cafe/ or join our Repair Club on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/repairclub

Energy Savers

Free Home Energy Advice in Northamptonshire

Energy Savers are local people who want to save energy and money. Wellingborough Eco Group has started this new community energy project with the Centre for Sustainable Energy to help save energy and cut your bills.

Supported by Glamis Hall and other community organisations, we offer free simple home energy advice in Northamptonshire via the Energy Savers website, the Energy Savers Facebook group and at workshops.

The Facebook group is all about sharing tips, your experiences, good and bad, and asking for help. Our workshops and documents will also be shared on here for you.

The website offers tips and information that helps local people spend less on their gas and electricity bills; by saving energy and helping people understand bills, suppliers and meters. Have a look at http://www.energysavers.org.uk/

Be an Energy Saver, save energy and cut your bills

Family Festival at Glamis Hall

Thank you everyone for a great Family Festival at Glamis Hall yesterday. There was lots on our stall, including a giraffe race, and plant swap shop, plus information about Wellingborough Eco Group and Wellie Wombles!

There was lots of fun activities inside the hall and outside for the whole family, and most were FREE! Over 700 people came through the doors between 10 and 3.

Simon’s giraffes were very busy (with a little help from Simon Turner of course!) We gave away 40+ plants, had lots of interest in our display and leaflets and sold a litter picker too.

  • Just set up
  • First few people
  • Simon’s giraffes racing
  • The main hall
  • Womble Bin full
  • Freddie litter picking
Highlights from our stall

Well done Freddie Harris who picked 4 bags of litter (you just can’t keep a good Womble from litter picking!) and we filled up our Womble Bin! Great day had by all 🤩👌

New Repair Club at Glamis Hall!

From Tuesday and then every Tuesday we will host our popular Repair Club from 6 until 8pm to save you money and the planet!

There are no promises and no guarantees, but if something can be saved, our repairers will give it their best efforts. There is no charge for a repair, but donations are gratefully received and help pay for costs. All donations will be split 50/50 with Glamis Hall.

Repair Club has been set up by Wellingborough Eco Group to work alongside our Repair Cafes at Glamis Hall. These usually take place during their Indoor Car Boot Sales, on the second Saturday of month, but have been on hold due to covid.

Repair Cafes are community events that match people who need stuff fixed with people who like fixing things. Repair Cafes are completely non-commercial. There are no promises and no guarantees, but if something can be saved the repairers will give it their best efforts.

Repair Club works the same but depending on the fix, some items may need to be left with us and collected when repaired. Items will need to be brought to Glamis Hall’s Community Room where a repairer will be available to advise (advice also available online)

This service is only available on Tuesdays between 6-8pm at Glamis Hall or at anytime via our website or virtually on our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/repairclub

For more information see https://wellingboroughecogroup.org.uk/eco/repair-cafe/repair-club/
See you (and your broken items) on Tuesday evening!

General Meeting – 4th May 2021

Thank you to the 13 people who joined us for a General Meeting to talk about our activities and associations. Simon, Jonathan, Freddie, Georgina, Judy, Anthony, Becky, Lizz, Tricia, John, Julian, Suzanne and Sophie started off by looking at our Zoom events, and discussed whether in person events would be better; using the Victoria Centre for some of our events and continuing our partnership with Glamis Hall for others.

We looked at hosting a ‘Wellingborough Eco Festival’, possibly at the Victoria Centre, and decided to set up a sub-committee of members to work on it. This will incorporate our Repair Club, Swap Shop, Wellie Wombles and Wellie Acorns groups, plus be open to other organisations to promote their eco-friendly activities.

Watch this month’s meeting on YouTube, the next hopefully will be face to face.

We decided when our litter picking ‘Two Hour Tidy Ups’ will re-start These will start again on Saturday 29th May as part of The Great British Spring Clean, at the usual times from 10am until midday. Freddie Harris talked about the amazing things that Wellie Wombles have been up to, plus we elected Freddie as our Litter Picking Secretary so he can act on behalf of the group in his correspondence with local companies and services, plus lead on our litter picking activities.

We looked at our partnerships with Glamis Hall, Victoria Centre and Wellingborough Library and more new initiatives, with lots of opportunities for more projects coming up, members decided that we need to focus on our current activities and the eco festival. We decided that the next meeting should be a social one in a pub, so we will restart our Green Drinks events in two weeks and that further General Meetings should be in person. We also looked at our membership, the idea of a timebank and our funds. All in all, a lively and positive meeting that gives us a solid platform to build on.

General Meeting

We are inviting registered members of Wellingborough Eco Group and members of our social media groups to a General Meeting on Tuesday 4th May at 7:30pm, we have lots to discuss and we want you to decide what we do next!

We will be looking at our Zoom events, and looking at whether in person events would be better. We will be looking using the Victoria Centre for some of our events and continuing our partnership with Glamis Hall for others. We could host a Wellingborough Eco Festival, if enough members wish to support it. We will look at what activities to do for kids with our new with group, Wellie Acorns.

We will also get a Community Allotment update, decide when our litter picking ‘Two Hour Tidy Ups’ re-start and we will be looking at what the amazing things that Wellie Wombles have been up to, plus we hope to elect Freddie Harris as our Litter Picking Secretary on our committee so he can act on behalf of the group in his correspondence with local companies and services, plus lead on our litter picking activities.

To be able to vote Freddie in, please do register as a member at https://wellingboroughecogroup.org.uk/eco/join-us/ (it’s free and it helps us)

Do join us on Zoom for our General Meeting on Tuesday 4th May at 7:30pm via this link https://zoom.us/j/98819061176

Working Parties Start Up Again After Lockdown

Lovely afternoon at the Community Allotment today, really busy with lovely people! Thank you to Simon Turner and Jamie Brady (Welcome to Wombledon) for your help building our gazebo, roof to do when less windy…

Thank you Michael Young and your son from Allotment Shack for donating and bringing up a selection of onions, garlic and shallots to be planted at the Community Allotment .

Thank you Claire Louise’s and Carl for visiting and giving some of our Welly Trees a home and thank you Kate McKeown for coming and picking up a couple of raspberry bushes.

Plus thank you Marion Turner-Hawes and Karon Turner-Hawes for dropping off Wellingborough Swap Shop items from this morning’s Saturday Swap Shop, and for looking to join in with us in the near future.

Also, on Tuesday we held our first working party which was fun. Thank you Judy Sumner and the kids for your help with the raspberry bushes and of course the Easter Egg Hunt!

Great to see you all, of course everyone is welcome to join in, we will be back again for early mornings next week 😎