 December 2022
Welcome to this month's joint
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Kingston Green Diary, DECEMBER
A selection of upcoming local green activities - see also group sections for regular meetings and other activities.
28 November, TTK energy advice sessions begin at Kingston Hive
29 November, Transition Town Kingston core group meeting (and Christmas dinner)
18 December, Kingston Environment Centre’s Fair Fayre
29 December, Transition Town Kingston core group meeting CANCELLED
31 January, Transition Town Kingston core group meeting + Green Drinks
4 February Transition Town Kingston Repair Cafe (we hope!)
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Regular gardening opportunities
Regular conservation volunteering
What else is happening soon?
The pandemic is not yet over, and we recommend that you continue to look at websites or social media before setting out to confirm that events are happening and to check requirements intended to keep you and others safe. Check the current Covid news and rules for Kingston here.
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Wishing all our readers a happy green Christmas, Solstice, Yuletide, Winterval... Scroll down or use the Contents list below to find something green to do over the festive season.
As always, local news and activities come first in the newsletter and within sections - and most of the local groups below have their own websites, social media and newsletters, so, if you are particularly interested in any of them, follow their links to find out more and join in their activities. If you'd like more news from beyond Kingston, try some of the sources listed here.
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Notes to contributors
Next month's issue and events will probably clash with Christmas and New Year, so may well appear earlier than usual and be reduced in content, with less time for collating, reminding and editing - so please make sure your sections are updated and get your copy in promptly.
If you normally contribute items to this newsletter, or would like to, and haven’t heard from us recently, please (re-)subscribe to our contributors’ list via this sign-up form to get our requests and reminders - and make sure they are not disappearing into your spam folder! Make sure you receive the newsletter too by adding yourself to the subscribers list too - sign up here. You can update your own or your organisation's contact details in these lists or unsubscribe at any time.
We look forward to hearing about more environmental activities, on-line or in the real world of Kingston, as and when possible - we try to give local news and campaigns top billing, so do please keep them coming in. Do use this newsletter to promote new local green groups or enterprises – and also to check what's already happening locally to avoid clashes.
In any case, please send us your environmental news and updates in good time to feature in the next newsletter which will usually go out just before 1st of next month. According to Mailchimp, 58% of our 800+ readers frequently click the links in this newsletter and 23% do so sometimes, a good number of engaged readers worth reaching.
If you have problems viewing this newsletter, please click the link at the very top of this page to see it in your browser.
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News
Community Fridge
KEC’s new initiative, thanks to funding from the Co-op, is open every Friday from 11.00am -1.00pm, helping to keep food out of landfill as well as providing some little extras when household budgets are being squeezed. The most common food items are bread, croissants, pastries, bananas, plus a small supply of fresh organically grown vegetables from our Hong Kong friends Yu Wing and Perle. If we have enough volunteers on a Friday we also bake with some of the excess food - bread pudding has so far been a big hit!
Recycling at KEC
We are delighted that we have been able to employ Janine Martin as our ‘Recycling Queen’ since June, and with extra funding from Kingston Charitable Foundation we have been able to extend her time with us until the end of January. Janine has been a real asset to KEC in helping us become a Terracycle hub and even reaching out to local High Street businesses with ideas on how they could be better recyclers. We now have four containers at our front door where the public can drop off crisp and bread bags, coffee pouches and plastic bottle tops. We will be adding more containers shortly, but meanwhile do look at our lists and information on the different waste streams we are collecting. You can see a list below, or next time you are at KEC pick up one of our joint Sunray Recycle and KEC recycling leaflets.
New Boiler!
Thanks to some very generous donors who contributed to our JustGiving fund we raised the necessary £3,500 to replace our old unreliable boiler so the building is now toasty warm when needed and there is no need to boil kettles for washing up. This is so much better for our events and for our hirers and volunteers.
Future plans
If you have any ideas for talks, workshops or other activities please get in touch. Likewise, if you would like to hire KEC for your own event you can hire the whole building (apart from the office and studio) for £15 per hour for non-members and £8 per hour for members - a real bargain!
Coming up
Fair Fayre
Sunday 18 December, 12.00 - 4.00pm
Featuring craft stalls, Christmas activities, a raffle and food. Anybody who would like a stall please email Pat. Volunteers also needed to set up and run the Fair on the day and to help with publicity.
KEC AGM
Usually at the end of January, tbc.
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Regular events at KEC
Square 1 Café 
Saturdays, 12.00 midday – 4.00pm. KEC
A free and friendly drop-in café for “social recovery from Covid-19 and life generally” started up at KEC in October - a safe, inclusive space, where everyone is welcome, and everything is free. If you have any questions, please contact Tony Williams.
Stitch & Chat
2nd and 4th Wednesday evenings every month
Volunteer gardening at KEC
Thursdays from 9.30 - 12.00, Saturdays from 10.00am - 2.00pm.
Any gardening volunteers, experienced or not, are welcome to join us - the Square1 café will supply any volunteers with a free lunch and drinks. For details of plant sales and ‘Pottering with Pots’ events see our Facebook page. If you see our side gate open (mainly on Thursdays and Saturdays) you are welcome to pop in and pick up something we have grown.
Kingston Cycling Campaign meetings
First Tuesday of the month from 7.30pm
Find out more.
Listen or catch up with previous shows on Mixcloud..
See the KEC website calendar for info and updates on events and activities at Kingston Environment Centre, 1 Kingston Road, New Malden, KT3 3PE.
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News and Events
 
We are working towards opening in Kingston Library's new community space on the first Saturday of February, and monthly after that. We hope to be recruiting more helpers soon, so if you or someone you know would be interested in joining others to share their skills and experience and "do stuff" (to use Transition terminology) to help others in the community and keep usable items out of the waste system, please contact Damon. We hope it will be a sociable space too, with tea/coffee and cake! Watch this space, see occasional updates on our TTK repair cafe here and the international Repair Café website, which TTK has joined, to find out more about the repair cafes movement.
TTK Energy Group news
A win for TTK Energy Group and Tamesis sa iling club: many meetings with Tamesis and much advice and action on energy efficiency reached an important stage in November when the club’s new array of solar panels (pictured on the right) was connected and switched on. This will enable the club to eliminate its use of internal combustion engines and reduce its energy bills and carbon emissions. Other sailing clubs and the RYA are showing an interest in this initiative, so it could be a seed that grows.
Members of the Energy Group are running a series of energy efficiency events at The Kingston Hive in November and December, have been invited to speak at a couple of neighbouring residents' association events, and are still offering t hermal imaging parties, in which a group of neighbours get together one winter evening to have their homes thermally imaged and then adjourn to a host’s home for a sociable debriefing and advice session. If you could be a host for a group of your neighbours, please contact Peter of the Energy Group. (The camera is an expensive and fairly complicated bit of kit which requires understanding of how to use and interpret its images, so we regret that we can’t lend it out unaccompanied by at least one of the Energy Group.)
And see the Energy Group’s energy-saving tips here.
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Regular TTK events and ongoing activities
 TTK core group meetings, followed by Green Drinks
Last Tuesday every month at 6.30pm, with Green Drinks at 7.30pm, Spring Grove pub, Bloomfield Road, KT1 2SF - Tuesday 29 Nov (followed by our Christmas meal, booking required): Tuesday 27 December cancelled, back on Tuesday 31January.
All welcome, but check TTK Facebook page for changes before setting out. We welcome new Transition ideas and projects, so if you have something you'd like to offer under the TTK umbrella please visit our website to see if your idea would fit into TTK's aims and ethos and do let us know. Notes from these meetings are normally published on the website once confirmed as accurate at the following month's meeting.
TTK Energy Group meetings
1st Tuesday morning of every month, some on-line, some IRL
Contact Peter to find out more.
Canbury Community Garden
Weekend gardening sessions - all welcome to come along for healthy outdoor exercise, to plant and get their hands dirty... See Community Gardens section below.
Kingston's green history
One project TTK started recently is to try to compile a history of environmental activism in Kingston. Green activities in our borough go back a long way, and we think it would be interesting and worthwhile to create a timeline to capture stories before they are lost, as well as helpful to current green groups as a source of inspiration and experience. Do please get in touch if you can share dates, photos, memories...
Helping the local community to find outdoor volunteering opportunities
TTK has begun to create a draft web-page of outdoor volunteering opportunities in the borough, so that people can find somewhere near them where they can grow food in a community garden or look after nature in a conservation project, sharing skills while getting healthy exercise and meeting new people. If your project is there, please check that the information and links are accurate and send a logo or picture to include; if your outdoor project is not featured help us to complete the picture by sending the info listed here.
 Looking for, or wanting to publicise, a local green enterprise? Try TTK's Kingston Green e-Directory. Local businesses and consumers are also invited to help us keep the Directory up-to-date and accurate.
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Transition News and Events
 Transition London & SE Hub Online Meet- Ups
Find more Transition activities, discussions and events in London and the S E on Facebook.
Transition Together web-links
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Campaigning together
"If working apart we are a force powerful to destabilise our planet, surely working together we are powerful enough to save it." Sir David Attenborough, COP26.
Please tell us about local and national green campaigns we should highlight in this section. See the Have Your Say and Kingston Council sections and look out for Megaphone Man for more opportunities. Please take action - if not us, who?
Support Restart’s Right to Repair UK campaign
Find out more here and sign the petition here.
The cost of living and climate crises can both be solved -
by investing in renewable energy, insulating homes nationwide, and properly taxing the windfall profits of oil and gas companies. Watch and share the new Greenpeace film.
Support a new energy campaign
Warm This Winter is a new campaign demanding the government acts now to help people struggling with energy bills this winter and to ensure we all have access to affordable [and renewable] energy in the future.
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Useful resources for campaigners
Find contact details for your new councillors, MPs, MEPs, and LA members at WriteToThem.com Rather than repeating our advice on writing every month, we have saved it here on the TTK website.
TheyWorkForYou shows what MPs have been speaking and voting on recently, with a page on the website devoted to recent votes and parliamentary business on the environment),
Info on Citizens’ Assemblies: Participo offers info on the research on and practice of innovative citizen participation – useful and interesting for anyone interested or involved in planning Citizens’ Assemblies.
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News
The Big Move
There has been more progress the negotiations for t he warehouse at 18 Southsea Road and we are looking to be in there by the end of the year. To support us, the groups looking for a new home with us, and all those in need in the community who are supported by us at this crucial time, please see our "Big Move" campaign.
Two winter appeals
The first is for winter clothes; coats, boots, shoes, jumpers, scarves, hats and blankets etc. This will go towards supporting the homeless, rough sleepers, refugees, low-income single mothers and the elderly.
And second, we are collecting 60 hampers for those with little to no food, to provide that little bit of joy for those struggling this winter, and currently looking for donations of tinned and long-life foods, no fresh foods at this time. Food donations can be made to our current warehouse (The Circulatory), Sainsburys Local at 118 Raeburn Avenue, KT5 9EA, or Aldi at 205-217 Kingston Rd, KT3 3SY. If you'd like to fill in the form to volunteer to help pack hampers, or see our open times and directions, click here.
Make sure you don’t miss the latest news from us - follow our Facebook page.
Events
Keep your eyes peeled to our social media or events tab on our website: we are looking to run a pre-loved clothes swap around the first half of December, details still being finalised; and, dependent on available time around the end of the year and our move, there may be a visit from Father Christmas, as in previous years. |
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A little bit extra to STWC -
AmazonSmile customers can support Save The World Club. Simply turn on AmazonSmile whenever you shop with Amazon, select Save The World Club as your chosen charity, and a small percentage of each purchase is then donated automatically to STWC.
The Circulatory, Unit 5, Chiltern Works, Station Way, Surbiton, KT5 8LS. We are at the end of the driveway adjoining Berrylands train station - look for the big blue barn doors..
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News
Exciting times – we're now open!
We're located on the ground floor of the cycle hub next to Kingston Station, and had a fabulous launch event on Friday 11th, with lots of our volunteers, a great crowd of other locals, and food and drinks donated by local businesses, including Park Brewery and Bone Idyll. Our lovely team had worked really hard getting the space ready. And now we begin a full programme of events - see below and our website.
Coming soon
You can see details of our growing and varied programme of events on our website, including Transition Town Kingston Energy Group's three energy advice sessions starting on on 28 November - you can just turn up on the night but, to give us an idea of numbers, RSVP on the Hive website home page,
We'd love to see you at some of our events (calendar view here) and/or at our
Drop-in session
Every Friday, midday to 6.00pm
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Regular events
Kingston Hive meetings
Every Tuesday, 7.00pm, now at The Kingston Hive
Find us at Cyclehub, 47-49 Wood Street, Kingston KT1 IUJ (right by Kingston station).
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Our core values are recycling and sustainability - we upcycle and recycle cycles.
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KBN exists to highlight and promote local conservation work in Kingston.
Click on an icon below for news of conservation activities around Kingston - get involved or set up a project of your own or see Green Volunteering below.
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News
Keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates and new events.
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Habitats & Heritage acts for the natural and historic environment in south and west London. In a time where the health of our environment and each other has never been more important, and never more interlinked, we invite readers to support our work by signing up to our Supporter Scheme today for just £10 a year.
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News
Sign up for H&H newsletters and keep an eye on H&H events for conservation news and volunteering opportunities in and around Kingston and neighbouring boroughs.
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XR Kingston
Join the Rebellion and help to make the politically impossible inevitable. Everyone is invited to rebel for life. Want to get involved? Here’s how!
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Ham United Group (HUG) is a Community Interest Company (CIC) aiming to improve the environment and the quality of life for the people in Ham and Petersham, just next to North Kingston. HUG supports projects and groups that help make our community more sustainable.
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We believe in giving people ‘permission’ to be brilliant because everyone can be brilliant...
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Ongoing activities
Tolworth Station Community Garden
All are welcome to join our upcoming volunteering sessions every Tuesday (10.30am – 1.00pm) and every first Sunday of the month (11.00am – 2.00pm). Please wear weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy footwear. If you would like to attend please email Georgia and check out our Facebook page for updates.
Take a walk - and discover Community Brain’s walking routes highlighting many of our beautiful local nature reserves and parks, including a new South of the Borough walking guide - Chessington South to Malden Rushett.
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| If you’d like to join and campaign with us, please follow our social media or email us. |
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See FoE’s Climate Action campaign for info about how Kingston is doing on climate issues and for resources to support local action. |
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News
Invitation to local green groups
In September 2023 KEF relaunched - if your local green group is not a member of KEF, or your membership has lapsed for some reason, please contact KEF to (re-)join.
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| KEF's website includes a history of KEF and some useful resources, including a list of local environmental groups. KEF's Facebook page is for anyone to share environmental news, queries, discussions and campaigns. |
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Regular events
SunrayRecycle volunteer days
Wednesdays, 10.00am - 2.00pm, KT5 9QP
If you would like to come along and sort some hard to recycle waste please send Janine a message on 07886552574 or find us on Facebook.
Plot 55, Sunray community allotment plot volunteer days
Wednesdays or Thursdays depending on lead volunteers' availability, usually 11.00am - 1.00pm.
Please bring gardening gloves & drinking water. Basic tea making facilities are available. Toilets available on request, but sometimes unavailable. Please email Janine to find out more and follow us on Facebook.
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Kingston Community Gardens
Sowing and growing in Kingston
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Hogsmill Community Garden
Lots of winter clearing, tidying and getting muddy at the garden. Further connections with the university. Providing plants for the Stanley Picker Gallery and sharing their space for kiddies workshops over the winter. Future collaboration with summer school architecture students to design and build a greenhouse for us.
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For usual opening times, see our Facebook page. Combat winter blues and join us any time or c ontact Julie for more information.
Event
Xmas Fair
Saturday 17th December from 11.00am
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On Swan Path, Vineyard Close
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Canbury Community Garden
Flockdown is with us once more. Cases of bird flu in Thames wildfowl near us have been reported, and since 7th November our hens have had to be kept in their run. They have plenty of room and are well looked after but miss their daily exercise in the Community Garden.
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Meanwhile, autumn tidying and planning for next year continue.
Off Canbury Gardens - current access only via our Canbury Gardens gate near the bandstand and Canbury Secret cafe.
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Kingston Edible Forest 2100
is planted for the long term with perennial edible flowers, veg and fruit, details on our website. We are there most Sundays and a weekday evening when there's light. Please contact us to check, as the gates to the allotment site are locked.
Knollmead Allotments, Tolworth
KT5 9QP
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Kingston Environment Centre
We will be working in the yard and on the community space outside Kingston Environment Centre every Thursday from 9.30 until 12.00 and on Saturdays from 10.00 - 2.00pm. Wear comfortable clothes and stout footwear See Kingston Environment Centre for updates.
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Parkfields Community Garden 
Based in a North Kingston allotment site, Parkfields offers a space for people to meet, learn to grow food, create habitats for wildlife, observe nature and play. It is a Permaculture design in progress. As well as an orchard the site has a polytunnel, food growing, skill share and natural play spaces. Volunteer sessions are most Wednesday afternoons and some Saturday mornings. On Saturday 17th December, 10.00am - 12 noon we'll be building a hugelkultur bed. Get in touch if you'd like to join us, and find us on Facebook and Instagram too.
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News
Help TTK to build a complete picture of Kingston's outdoor gardening and conservation projects by visiting the page here.
Good homes for surplus produce
Kingston Crop Drop, the scheme enabling local gardeners, allotments and community gardens, to donate their surplus crops to deserving charities and community groups, is planning to restart soon. The community groups can collect fruit and vegetables, but would also welcome help with collection and delivery. If you can help now or later please contact Kelvin Foote on 07885736836 or email him.
Future Gardener Facilitator - Job Opportunity
Louisa Mansfield, Future Gardeners Programmes Manager at Bankside Open Spaces Trust, is currently recruiting for a Future Gardener Facilitator - find out more here.
Free tree planter packs
TCV is working with the Mayor of London to give away 31,000 trees for London this autumn. Community groups, schools, and others can order a free tree planter pack here.
Britain in Bloom 
Find out more and join in Britain's nationwide gardening competition, The RHS describes it as "a powerful tool for building communities and tackling local issues together. It inspires community groups in towns, cities and villages to make positive changes to their local environment through horticultural, environmental and community action..."
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Regular gardening sessions
Visit Facebook pages to confirm opening times and health and safety advice before turning up - and check the weather forecast!.
Useful resources for gardeners
Rather than letting this list become ever longer, we move older items to Growing Tips on Transition Town Kingston's website.
What do bees like to eat?
10 common herbs are among some of the best plants in providing bees with valuable nectar and pollen throughout the year. They also happen to be some of the best herbs for cooking with and easy to grow. Let FoE guide you on how to grow these bee-friendly plants that will make your food taste delicious. |
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Green volunteering
Help TTK to map Kingston's outdoor volunteering opportunities if you run one by visiting the page here.
Berrylands Nature Reserve volunteer sessions
Find out more and sign up
Nature conservation volunteering with Citizen Zoo
Citizen Zoo - volunteer with us! See also Tolworth Court Farm Field Recorder Days coming up in the next few months in Nature Notes Events.
 Friends of Ham Lands’ volunteer conservation sessions
Come along to help improve the habitat for butterflies. Find out more.
See also -
Volunteering opportunities with Habitats and Heritage and in Kingston's community gardens.
Looking for volunteers?
Volunteering Kingston is here to help! Volunteering Kingston is the volunteer centre for Kingston. If you are looking for more volunteers to support your activities or advice on any aspect of involving volunteers we can help: we have a website where you can advertise volunteering opportunities and a resource bank with advice on a range of different topics; we can provide one-to-one advice on Zoom to support you on various topics such as recruitment, retention, reward and recognition, managing difficult situations, and how to organise volunteers when you are an informal group. Please get in touch any time via enquiry@volunteeringkingston.org.uk or 0300 365 9980.
Get Connected
 Connected Kingston is a site dedicated to helping Kingston residents find local activities and navigate local services [and local groups to find helpers and participants]. It is run by the Royal Borough of Kingston Council and Kingston Voluntary Action in conjunction with local charities and statutory organisations. Special training is available to anyone who regularly comes into contact with people that may be struggling to navigate or find local activities or services. Our goal is to help residents of Kingston stay happy, healthy and connected to each other. Contact us here and/or register an activity or find something to do.
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Nature notes 
News
Join the urgent conversation about protecting nature
Nature loss is one of the greatest challenges facing the planet. Worldwide, over one million species are threatened with extinction. But there is hope! The UN Convention on Biological Diversity is taking place this December, a once in a decade opportunity for world leaders to set positive goals to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, literally a chance to save life on Earth. See what some campaign supporters have to say and find out how you can take action.
Bird and birdsong encounters improve mental health, study finds
The study, led by academics from King’s College London, found that everyday encounters with birds boosted the mood of people with depression, as well as the wider population, and suggested that visits to places with a wealth of birdlife, such as parks and canals, could be prescribed by doctors to treat mental health conditions. They added that their findings also highlighted the need to better protect the environment and improve biodiversity in urban, suburban and rural areas in order to preserve bird habitats. Read a news item in The Guardian.
Grow Wild
The national outreach programme of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is on a mission to bring people together to value and enjoy UK-native wildflowers, plants and fungi. You can read about previous projects or visit the Grow Wild YouTube channel to see projects supported in the past, follow Grow Wild on Facebook, or visit their website or sign up for their newsletter.
James Wong on “Why ivy is here to help gardeners – and homeowners” 
“...Imagine there was a revolutionary building material that could reduce our energy bills, cool overheated city centres, beautify buildings and even improve our health, all at a fraction of the cost of most traditional solutions. Now imagine that this natural material was also self-cleaning and automatically regenerating, and could boost biodiversity, too. It would probably make headline news. Yet climbing plants have been right in front of us all this time...” Read the full article here. Photo shows bees on ivy flowers in October.
Wild UK Mushrooms (Fungi): Guide to Identification & Picking - a useful guide for foragers - it could save your life!
Upcoming events
 People’s Walk for Wildlife
Postponed to 2023 because of rail travel disruption. Find out more and join in.
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Interesting websites and apps for nature-lovers
 London Wildlife Trust protects wildlife across London. 
Surrey Wildlife Trust is a wildlife charity caring for over 6,500ha of land for wildlife in Surrey.
Nature on your doorstep - whatever your outdoor space the RSPB offers expert tips and tricks to make it a happier place for you – and the nature on your doorstep.
The RSPB’s advice on planting for nature
Friends of Ham Lands work with local naturalists to preserve and enhance the natural habitats of Ham Lands, a Local Nature Reserve right next to Kingston. You can read current and previous newsletters on their Newsletter page.
Citizen Zoo - a social enterprise dedicated to rewilding in the UK – sign up for their newsletter highlighting lots of lovely rewilding news and events.
The London Natural History Society Virtual Natural History Talk series brings together naturalists, experts and specialists via Zoom. Talks are recorded and you can catch up with them here.
The Seek app uses your smart phone to identify the plants and animals all around us, and can make the daily walk much more interesting.
BirdNET can identify 984 of the most common bird species of North America and Europe. from song recorded on your phone.
UK Bird Sounds
Backyard Nature.
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Have your say -
See Campaigning Together and Council News, look out for Megaphone Man in other sections and make sure that environmentalists and nature-lovers are represented - if we don’t have our say the others - bike-hating car-lovers, “weed”-and tree- hating tidy gardeners - will...
On weeds (and weed-killer) on Kingston’s streets
Since 2019 the council has been reducing its use of herbicide, specifically Glyphosate, which is used to manage weed growth across the borough. The council has been doing this to help protect biodiversity, protect health, and help our green spaces flourish. Tell the Council what you think about this - survey ends on 15 December 2022.
On how Kingston should look and feel in the future
The draft Local Plan is the important strategic document that will be used to assess all planning applications until 2041, covering everything from new building requirements to the natural environment and how we protect trees (or not!), so there is a lot at stake. The consultation includes workshops on Thursday 8 December or Friday 9 December, 10am-12pm (venue tbc depending on number of attendees) when you’ll be able to input into the developing themes of the vision and the environment you want to see in the town centre. Register your interest here. The public online consultation opens on 28th November.
 Nominate your Green Heart Heroes!
Find out more and nominate here, deadline for submissions Friday 16th December.
The Green Heart Hero Awards will be held in Spring 2023 - watch this space for more information.
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Waste matters
News
Hire, don't buy, your Christmas party frock
John Lewis has joined with the rental specialist Hurr, an online platform that allows users to rent clothes needed only occasionally. John Lewis's executive director, said: "This allows our customers to experiment with fashion they love without it having to cost the earth." Kathleen Mitchell, John Lewis's commercial director, said: "Our platform introduces new and exciting designers to our customers, encouraging them to support a more sustainable way to shop..." Find out more and browse here.
Or browse you local charity shops for bargain occasion wears.
Don't throw it, donate it
Villiers Road Household Reuse and Recycling Centre has a reuse container where you can donate pre-loved items rather than throw them away. Book your slot to visit. And don't forget Freegle, Freecycle and local charity shops.
Recycling in the Bentalls Centre
- Clothing and textile recycling services in H&M and & Other Stories
- Glasses and sunglasses recycling service at Vision Express, which sends all products to the charity Lions Club International, which distributes them across their global network to those in need.
South London Partnership Zero Waste Map 
Find your nearest refill businesses, repair services, second-hand shops, recycling centres and drop-off points, and mending workshops. on the new SLP Zero Waste Map useful. It shows businesses, facilities and workshops within the sub-region that encourage the circular economy by eradicating waste packaging, encouraging reuse, upcycling and repair or offering facilities to recycle goods and materials once they have reached end of life. If you know a business in your neighbourhood that you can’t see in the map, let the SLP know by filling in this form.
Ethical Consumer on Climate action: How to increase repairing, upcycling and buying second-hand
Repairing what we already own and buying pre-loved things is one of the best ways we can cut emissions when it comes to our consumption. Read more here - and look out for TTK’s Repair Café, coming soon.
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Go cold turkey on Christmas presents
Personal finance expert Martin Lewis is urging people to stop buying “unnecessary Christmas presents” for “the ever-growing list of teachers, friends and extended family we buy for” during the festive period. “Sometimes the best gift is releasing people from the obligation of buying for you,” he says. A more relaxed inexpensive Christmas can be a greener Christmas too! Listen to the Martin Lewis Podcast on BBC Sounds. And if you’d like to reduce card sending while supporting a good cause have a look at this website. (Buy Nothing Day was 25th November, but you can join in any time)
Support Restart’s Right to Repair UK campaign
Find out more here and sign the petition here.
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Climate crisis updates
COP27 has focused minds and the media once again on the climate crisis - a few reminders and things you may have missed follow:
News
 Climate Emergency UK scores 2022 council climate action plans
2021 has been a busy year for Climate Emergency UK, reading and marking all UK councils’ Climate Action Plans to create the Council Climate Plan Scorecards - see how Kingston fares. Climate Emergency UK is also seeking donations to enable them to continue this monitoring work - read why and donate here.
Climate Justice March, November
You may have missed this very diverse, but not enormous, march and rally in London on Saturday 12th November as it was barely reported in the media.
Marchers pictured on the right on Waterloo Bridge.
Key UN reports warn urgent and collective action needed
The climate crisis has reached a “really bleak moment”, one of the world’s leading climate scientists has said, after a slew of major reports laid bare how close the planet is to catastrophe. Read more here. See also COP27: What have global leaders done on climate change in 2022?
Some timely explainers from The Guardian
The climate crisis explained in 10 charts, from the seemingly inexorable increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to the rapid growth in green energy. IPCC, methane and carbon offsetting: a Cop27 jargon buster - some commonly used terms and what they mean.
Europe’s climate warming at twice rate of global average, says report
Trend of faster warming over last 30 years likely to cause exceptional heat, wildfires and floods, warn scientists - read more in The Guardian. See also UK climate change data - everything from emissions, impact, use of carbon-based fuels, renewable energy share, woodland planting and much more!
Is there a role for carbon credits in the transition to a fair, net-zero future?
A film from TED Countdown’s Dilemma Series: events designed to look at some of the "knots" in the climate change space, where diverging positions have stalled progress and solidified into an inability to collaborate across differences. Watch the discussion here.
And discover over 120 more talks about climate change impacts and solutions from the TED Countdown library.
The country’s going to the dogs, but at least the police have cleared the M25
David Mitchell defends the protestors in The Observer: “The Met says Just Stop Oil are a tiny minority causing ‘disproportionate’ disruption. Isn’t environmental Armageddon enough justification?” Read more here.
And on a similar theme, read "The art of protest" in The New European: Climate campaigners are blocking roads and defacing artworks. But is anyone listening? “We really hope that society will change its opinion and the authorities will decide they want to survive... What could be more important to us than our children and grandchildren – than that they have a good life?”
Climate Ed, a charity offering free education to children about climate change and carbon literacy -
is looking for volunteers to train as climate change educators for local schools. This role is ideal for members of local environmental groups. Training will be provided, the only things required are enthusiasm and good communication skills with kids. More info here, and/or email Climate Ed.
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Useful resources
What to do? Possible suggests five key areas where we can all take action to tackle the climate crisis.
Recommended by The Climate Coalition: The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, “a non-profit organisation that supports informed debate on energy and climate change issues in the UK.” and Carbon Brief “ UK-based website covering the latest developments in climate science, climate policy and energy policy. We specialise in clear, data-driven articles and graphics to help improve the understanding of climate change...”
CarbonCopy's brilliantly designed map showing us the level of climate ambition from councils across the country - from places that have not yet declared a climate emergency to places targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Fossil Free News
There’s so much happening in the climate movement — it can be hard to keep up. Get highlights from campaigns everywhere working for a #FossilFree world, delivered twice a month.
Off-set your carbon footprint...
 It is estimated that an average UK household emits around four tonnes of CO₂ each year. Even if you’ve pared your carbon footprint down to the minimum, there will still be carbon dioxide emissions associated with your everyday life. The World Land Trust Carbon Balanced calculators enable you to calculate how much – and then offset it with a donation towards tree-planting and conservation projects around the world. If that’s not your thing, there are other ways to offset – tell us your favourites.
What is COP26, How does it work, Why is it important? A short explanatory video on YouTube
Climate Outreach’s How to have a climate change conversation – Talking climate.
Environment Now – the facts
The Earth is changing faster than at any point in human memory as a result of human-caused global heating and The Guardian is tracking the changes via the vital signs, from carbon dioxide levels to Arctic sea ice, taken from data sources including Nasa, the US National Snow and Ice Data Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Want to take action on climate change, but don’t know where to start? Possible has divided their campaigns across five key areas where we can all take action to tackle the climate crisis. Click the buttons on Possible’s website to find out what you can do right now to help.
See also our Reviews section and Campaigning Together.
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Kingston Council news
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See Kingston Council's advice on Energy efficient homes and retrofit, including: How to retrofit; Rented properties; Available funding; Where to go for retrofit advice; Success stories...
Monitoring and improving school streets
Kingston and Sutton Councils have been using ground-breaking technology to monitor school streets to try and improve commutes. The project is part of an #InternetofThings scheme and has now been shortlisted for the #NetZero50 List 2022. Learn more.
See also various Council initiatives, consultations and partnerships elsewhere in this newsletter.
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See the Council's website for the latest news. |
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 Money, money, money...
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New
Kingston and Richmond Climate Change Youth Fund
If you're aged 11-19, you can apply for money from the Youth Council’s Climate Change Youth Fund, which is supported by Achieving for Children, Richmond and Kingston Councils. The fund is for young people to apply for funding to develop project ideas that tackle the issue of climate change.
Applications for the fund are open from 1 November to 12 December - find out more here.
Fundraise for your local good cause
Use the Kingston Community Lottery. In the last 12 months good causes participating raised together over £13,000. To get support, please look at the website or use direct telephone contact at 02081 830105,
Lloyd’s funding
Grants up to £50,000 to registered charities, for activities including climate and community resilience. Deadline 11 December, find out more.
Movement for Good 12 Days of Giving
For 12 days in December, we’ll be drawing 10 charities per working day to receive £1,000. The first draw takes place on December 1st and the last on the 16th so nominate your favourite local charity today!
Groundwork Our Space Awards
The awards aim to help Londoners clean and green the city through active community engagement and participation, increasing a sense of community ownership over shared spaces. It supports Londoners of all ages and backgrounds, communities and schools in greening their neighbourhoods, making them inclusive places for all to enjoy. Awards are up to £20,000, online Application Workshop at 5.30pm on November 30– register here. Find out more and apply by 12/12/2022.
The National Lottery Community Fund
Open to applications for grants of various sizes focusing on climate change and nature. "We’re looking for projects that focus on the link between nature and climate. We want to fund projects that use nature to encourage more community-led climate action. We expect these projects to bring other important social and economic benefits, like the creation of strong, resilient and healthy communities or the development of ‘green’ skills and jobs."
Event
Find out more about investing in the Big Solar Co-op
Thursday 1 December, 12.30 to 13.30pm, on-line
Big Solar describes itself as an “exciting and innovative new model for community rooftop solar - cutting carbon and reducing costs for large energy users across the UK.” Read the share offer document and participate in an on-line session and Q&A on progress so far and how the share offer works (it will be recorded and available afterwards too).
As with all investments: check out the business carefully; remember that share values can go down as well as up (and as a co-op these shares are not generally tradeable); and don’t invest more than you can afford to lose... |
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Regular funding sources
Don’t miss funding opportunities for your green group
Got a good idea for a new green project or for improvements to an existing one? Keep an eye on Kingston Voluntary Action’s Funding page and regular Funding bulletins.
Community grants for local initiatives
Kingston Council's Neighbourhood Community Grants Programme allows community and voluntary sector groups to apply for funding for projects in their neighbourhood or throughout the borough. Applications can be submitted throughout the year, rather than groups needing to apply by a specific deadline. Find out more.
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Food, glorious food...
News
The best diet for you and the planet
Eat mushrooms, cut down on meat and use the microwave, writes scientist Tim Spector in The Guardian, and suggests 18 foods to boost your health – and the planet’s.
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Sustainable energy and transport
(and cleaner air)
See TTK Energy Group's section of the TTK website for energy-saving tips - we think these will be increasingly useful as energy bills soar and the weather gets colder.
News
London Mayor’s Warm Homes Programme
Find out more about funding for retrofitting and insulation of low-income households. Kingston Council has funding for support services to help people with the application process. There is also a volunteering scheme to support people to apply, helping directly those people who need it the most (and the planet too of course!). Find out more here and see also Energy Advice London.
Money Saving Boiler Challenge
Highlighting again this easy climate and money saving action. If 10 million households turned down the flow temperature on their combi boilers to 60°c or below this could wipe £1billion off UK energy bills and save 1.7 million tonnes of carbon emissions – the equivalent of nearly six million transatlantic flights. Find out more.
Insulate, insulate, insulate...
And seal those draughts - but don’t neglect ventilation, as a completely sealed home can suffer from condensation - as every home and everyone is different, you may need to seek specialist advice on this.. And avoid "cowboy" foam insulation firms (Trustpilot is often recommended for finding reliable contractors); the BBC recently reported that people are putting their homes at risk by using rogue companies that offer spray foam insulation - read more here - and/or come along to Transition Town Kingston Energy Group’s energy advice sessions at The Kingston Hive.
Communities tackling the energy crisis
Set up a power station, retrofit a neighbourhood, and lots more ideas from Transition Together.
Energy Saving Trust
“An independent organisation – working to address the climate emergency” with plenty of advice on topics such as energy at home and low carbon travel. Visit the EST website.
BBC advice on how to cut your energy bills
Have a look - there may be something you haven't tried yet.
Dale Vince interviewed
The founder of Ecotricity talks about green energy, warring with Elon Musk – and his vegan football team. He says, “We have all the technology we need to get to zero carbon. We have public opinion with us. It’s more economical to use green energy than not to use it. The only thing holding us back is politicians.” Read the Observer interview.
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Reviews
We read the reviews so you don’t have to... (We haven’t read or listened tp everything in this section, but we think they all sound interesting.)
Watch
Panorama on Road Rage: Cars v Bikes, BBC i-Player
There are more cyclists on our roads than at any time in the last 50 years, and the government is spending billions trying to encourage even more people to get on their bikes. So why are there so many incidents of road rage and injury? Research suggests most people think the UK’s roads are too dangerous to cycle on. Filmed confrontations with motorists are now commonplace. Reporter Richard Bilton hits the road to investigate what’s going on between drivers and cyclists. Catch up here.
Click Green Special, BBC i-Player
To coincide with the UN's climate change summit in Egypt, Click explores some of the latest climate-friendly innovations - from air-cleaning moss filters in Germany to new printing techniques in Sweden that are extending the life of clothes. The programme also gains rare access to a global household products manufacturer to find out how it's becoming more sustainable. And they find out how hydrogen fuel cell technology is set to transform Scotland's transport network. Catch up here.
Documentary film: The Oil Machine
Oil has been an invisible machine at the core of our economy and society. It now faces an uncertain future as activists and investors demand change. Is this the end of oil? The Oil Machine brings together a wide range of voices from oil company executives, economists, young activists, workers, scientists, and pension fund managers, and considers how this machine can be tamed, dismantled, or repurposed... Find out more, find or plan a showing...
Guardian Documentary: Whose job is it to save the-planet?
Environment editor Fiona Harvey reflects on 30 years of COPs and meets the politicians, activists and scientists asking who is responsible for our earth and if global diplomacy is enough to save humanity from the brink of annihilation. Watch the documentary in full here.
Carl Sagan testifying before Congress in 1985 on climate change
We’ve known all this time! (Spot a youthful Al Gore in the audience.) Watch it here.
Read
 Sixty Harvests Left - How to Reach a Nature-Friendly Future by Philip Lymbery
Taking its title from a chilling warning made by the United Nations that the world's soils could be lost within a lifetime, Sixty Harvests Left uncovers how the food industry is threatening the planet. Put simply, without soils there will be no food: game over. And time is running out.
Do you want to know the truth? by Rupert Read
A collection of articles and essays on climate themes, which can bought as a book or downloaded on a pay what you want basis. “Don’t read this book if you want to remain stuck in any kind of denial!” says Chris Packham, BBC broadcaster.
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Regular reading on all things environmental
Most of these will send environmental news direct to your inbox:
EcoWatch - a community of experts publish quality, science-based content on environmental issues, news, causes, and solutions for a healthier planet; also on Facebook.
The Independent environment news
The Guardian environment news and Down to Earth, The Guardian’s free weekly environmental email with the planet’s most important stories – the good, the bad and the essential.
The BBC environment news
The Ecologist, currently celebrating its 50th year; its impressive archive includes the landmark A Blueprint for Survival (1972) outlining the need for a serious economic and environmental overhaul
Fix the Planet - New Scientist’s monthly dose of climate optimism
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More things we like this month 
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Green Futures Network on Positive Tipping Points - a series of workshops to share, explore and test the positive tipping points framework, videos to watch.
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Surviving the Future: The Deeper Dive
9th Jan - 5 Mar 2023
Sterling College's interactive, communal online course is back, led by TTK co-founder Shaun Chamberlin; joined by Rob Hopkins, Vandana Shiva, Mark Boyle and others. Early enrolment recommended. Details here.
Greener living: your guide to climate change and leading a more sustainable life
Online course, as and when suits you
This New Scientist expert-led online course shows you easy changes you can make to your life that will have a big impact on the environment and help tackle climate change. Cost £199, find out more.
Kingston Voluntary Action events and training
Ongoing
For advice or advice or support for your community group, please complete this form, outlining your support needs and KVA will get back to you as soon as we can to set up a free 45 minute appointment with a relevant member of staff. Keep updated on KVA's training opps by getting onto their mailing list. KVA also offer free easy to use websites to community groups. Find out more here.
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