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February 2015
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We've been busy working out schedules for two projects to run through this spring and summer and I can give you a heads up of what we're working on, with full details to follow next month.
- 'The Scale of Sustainability' a series of films and meetings exploring architecture, homes and community. We'll be collaborating with the only earth sheltered village hall in the country at Bardon Mill, Haltwhistle Film Project, Whistle Art Stop and Burnlaw Community and will talk to local eco-architects and people living in unconventional homes.
- Pollinators and Verges. This project will kick off with a joint meeting with the South Tyne Wildlife group on 14th April when Shaun Hackett will talk on 'Helping the Pollinators'. Later in the year there'll be several botanising verge walks with Lesley Silvera and we hope to schedule a meeting with those responsible for maintaining our road verges.
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It was a Green Christmas!
The function room of the Greenhead Hotel was packed with a tremendous array of stunning, handcrafted items for our Green Christmas Fair and many shoppers went away with bulging shopping bags and a few items ticked off on their 'Presents to buy' list. The raffle, with prizes contributed by the stallholders, raised over £150 for our funds. It was also a bumper day for the food producers in the village hall. Definitely a winning STS/Farmers' Market collaboration.
Talking of the Farmers' Market, a treasurer is needed - it's a simple job collecting and banking the stallholder fees, now paid quarterly, and paying the market's bills. Please call Wendy, 016977 47448, if you might be able to help.
The friendly Hadrian's Wall Farmers' Market is not just for Christmas - it's held on the second Sunday of every month and always has a great selection of fine locally produced food. Why not treat yourself and support local farmers and artisan producers?
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Hadrian's Wall Farmers' Market
Sunday 8th Feb 10am-2pm
Greenhead Village Hall
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 Pancake Family Fun-Day
Tuesday 17th February, Slack House Farm, Gilsland.
Make your own pancakes from start to finish
& find out where all your ingredients come from!
9.30 am Milking the Cows.
10.00 am Feeding the Chickens and Collecting the Eggs.
10.30 am Drinks and Biscuits.
11.00 am Growing the grain - Best Grain Grower Competition.
12 noon Make your pancakes and enjoy a pancake lunch.
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 South Tyne Wildlife Group
Feb 10th at 7.30pm, Commrades Club, Haltwhistle
'Rock and Heavy Metal
two of Northumberland's rarest grasslands'
with Naomi Waite of Northumberland Wildlife Trust
£2.00 on the door, all welcome.
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 Campaign to Open Gilsland Station
Support this initiative and catch up with progress to date:
Coffee morning in Gilsland Village Hall
Saturday 28th February.
Bus Services in Gilsland have been drastically reduced in the last couple of years and residents of Gilsland, who need to use public transport to get to a doctor's surgery, now cannot make the round trip to Haltwhistle in under four hours. And they are very restricted in choice of appointment times as there are no early busses. How do the busses serve you, getting from your village to essential facilities? Wendy would like to hear what you think about your bus/train timetable - wendynbond@btinternet.com
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 Get you bike ready for the Spring!
Sustainable Brampton's travel group is running a bicycle maintenance course on 12th & 19th Feb from 6-9pm. This will be the perfect course for building skills and confidence in complete beginners - but also good if you know a bit about bikes.
info@sustainablebrampton.org
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Act for Nature and Wellbeing
A consortium of conservation organizations including The Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB are calling for a 'Nature and Wellbeing Act' (NWA). This proposed piece of legislation would put nature at the heart of how our country is run - our natural environment is important in its own right, but also underpins our economy, health and wellbeing.
The public campaign is asking politicians to 'act for nature' by pledging to include the NWA in their manifestos ahead of the election in May. The Green Party has already made this pledge.
If you would like to support the campaign follow #actfornature on Twitter or use the e-action template on the Wildlife Trusts website to contact your MP.
The photo opposite is from the Northumberland Wildlife Trust's website, you can read more about the Act here:
http://www.nwt.org.uk/lobbyingact
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If it's wrong to wreck the planet, it's wrong to profit from that wreckage.
Global Divestment Day is all about persuading individuals and corporate institutions to take their money out of the fossil fuel industry. The international lobbying group, 350º is co-ordinating actions across the world - from photos stunts and petition hand-ins to colourful orange flashmobs, mass occupations and student sit-ins. The Newcastle's Young Greens have organized a static protest on Feb 14th at Greys Monument in Newcastle. Details are here:
http://act.350.org/event/gdd/10057/signup/?akid=&zip=CA8%207HY%20UK&source=0
But it's not too late to organise something nearer to home. All you need to lead a photo action, as 350º says, is a camera, some homemade signs, and a group of friends. Click here for more creative ideas on how you can add your voice to the call for a fossil free future. Thought of a plan? Let me know and I'll send out a stop-press email, asking people to join, a couple of days before the event. sue@mosspeteral.com
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South Tyne Sustainability aims to reduce the impact of the community of Haltwhistle and surrounding villages on our environment. This will help individuals, families and our community save money and resources and ensure a more sustainable future for us all.
To join STS contact Sue Seymour, sue@mosspeteral.com 016977 47359
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