Councillor Karen Davies launches 10% challenge

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2pm on 2nd March at ECO Action Hub

Come and find out more about our ‘10% Challenge’!

As part of ECO Action’s drive to help people to address our climate crisis, RBWM councillor Karen has agreed to launch and take part in ECO Action’s personal 10% (carbon reduction) challenge.

Karen will commit to:
· Measure her initial CO2 or CO2e footprint
· Commit to reducing it by 10% year on year by changes to her lifestyle
· Measure her improvement step by step

Why? We all realise and experience that the climate is changing. Without us all taking action our young people will experience a very different and challenging life.

This community initiative is to generate enthusiasm throughout RBWM for action, show that our Councillors care and want to make a difference.

We invite you to take our 10% Challenge. 💚

Maidenhead Seed Swap

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Saturday 2nd March 2024

Join us in the ECO Action Hub on Saturday 2nd March anytime between 11:00 to 13:00 for a seed swap! Get inspired to grow your own, see great ideas and get helpful tips if you are a novice or an expert. And you don’t actually need seeds to swap… just come along and join in!

What is a Seed Swap? “A great opportunity for gardeners to organize their seed collections and get rid of the ones they don’t want. They can also use the event to pick up seeds that they do want to grow. In all, it’s a win-win for gardeners and reduces wastage and cost.

THIS WEEK: Repair Cafe – Saturday 10th February

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Back again this year: Maidenhead’s successful Repair Café gives people’s broken or worn-out possessions a new lease of life! See people like yourself rebuilding, repairing and recycling things that might otherwise be thrown away. Open again in our ECO-Action Hub.

Please register here if you wish to bring something for repair to reserve your time-slot: Or feel free to email the Repair Café team on repair.maidenhead@gmail.com.

We open from 10:00 to 15:00. Repair skills available at this next event include:
– small electrical items (excludes microwaves and large items)
– laptops/computers, phone repairs (except screen repairs)
– IT assistance(e.g. anti-virus, software updates)
– glass repairs, book binding, fixing picture frames
– basic woodwork, small furniture items
– sewing and mending, textiles repairs

We aim to fix anything, our volunteers love to solve problems!

Look out for our future dates in 2024!

Repair Cafe – Saturday 10th February

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Back again this year: Maidenhead’s successful Repair Café gives people’s broken or worn-out possessions a new lease of life! See people like yourself rebuilding, repairing and recycling things that might otherwise be thrown away. Open again in our ECO-Action Hub.

Please register here if you wish to bring something for repair to reserve your time-slot: Or feel free to email the Repair Café team on repair.maidenhead@gmail.com.

We open from 10:00 to 15:00. Repair skills available at this next event include:
– small electrical items (excludes microwaves and large items)
– laptops/computers, phone repairs (except screen repairs)
– IT assistance(e.g. anti-virus, software updates)
– glass repairs, book binding, fixing picture frames
– basic woodwork, small furniture items
– sewing and mending, textiles repairs

We aim to fix anything, our volunteers love to solve problems!

Look out for our future dates in 2024!

The Big Garden Birdwatch

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Photo of several birds at Waltham Place Farm

The Big Garden Birdwatch is taking place from Friday 26th – Sunday 28th January. It’s a great opportunity for everyone to get involved in monitoring the health of the nation’s birds, simply by counting the birds that land in their garden or the patch outside their window. No knowledge is required as the RSPB provide a digital guide to identify the species you are likely to see. To sign up visit: https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch

Data from previous surveys shows that we have lost 38 million birds from UK skies in the last 60 years! And, whilst house sparrow numbers are currently going up the overall counts of house sparrows are still down by 57% compared to the first Birdwatch in 1979. Our birds provide huge ecosystem services to us, not least as pest controllers, seed-sowers, and as part of nature’s clean-up crew. Lend an hour of your time in thanks for their efforts and help the RSPB to monitor what’s going on with our garden birds and give them a voice.

With thanks to Niki McCann from Waltham Place for this excellent article, extracted from her monthly newsletter. For more information on Waltham Place and their program of events, visit What’s on (walthamplace.com)

Start your 2024 ECO Action Journey!

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It’s the start of a new year – a good time to think about priorities and plans. Many people want to protect and conserve the natural resources we have and the world we live in, but the problem is they do not know where and how to start being eco-friendly. 

It can be hard to find out what to do next or understand what are the right steps to take. It’s not as difficult as some may think: You don’t have to change the whole world. Just start by making these small changes and make them a part of your lifestyle.

Your 10 Step ECO Action Plan

Here are 10 steps that you can build into a plan. You can take one step, take two, you may already be on your journey and have taken some already: have a look, make a plan and tell us about it. And don’t forget – ECO Action can help with your ECO Action Journey!

  1. USE RENEWABLE ENERGY: Switch to a renewable electricity supplier so all of your electricity is from renewable sources.
  2. LEAVE THE FOSSIL FUEL CAR AT HOME: Walk, cycle, take the bus or train It’s healthier, happier and helps reduce your carbon footprint.
  3. MAKE YOUR HOME MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT: Draft proof and insulate your home to reduce energy bills.
  4. EAT LESS MEAT AND DAIRY: Livestock creates 14% of all greenhouse gases globally according to UN data. Less meat & dairy saves money too.
  5. FLY LESS: Take the train & relax instead! Make getting there part of the holiday & reduce your carbon!
  6. CHOOSE ETHICAL FINANCE: Where possible make a choice for ethical banks, savings, pensions & investments.
  7. SHUN ALL SINGLE-USE PLASTIC: Almost one barrel of oil in every ten extracted now goes to creating new plastic.
  8. BUY LESS, SPEND LESS! Think before you buy. Can you refuse, reduce, refill, repair, or re-purpose? And save money!!
  9. MAKE YOUR SPACE & YOUR COMMUNITY MORE WILDLIFE FRIENDLY: Join a local ‘Wild’ group & enter the Wildlife Gardens Awards
  10. PLAN FOR INVESTMENTS: Plan for investment in more expensive items: electric cars, solar panels, and heat pumps.

What Next?

THIS WEEK: Repair Cafe Saturday 13th January

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Repair Tools

Back again and first time this year: Maidenhead’s successful Repair Café gives people’s broken or worn-out possessions a new lease of life! See people like yourself rebuilding, repairing and recycling things that might otherwise be thrown away. Open again in our ECO-Action Hub.

Please register here if you wish to bring something for repair to reserve your time-slot: Or feel free to email the Repair Café team on repair.maidenhead@gmail.com.

We open from 10:00 to 15:00. Repair skills available at this next event include:
– small electrical items (excludes microwaves and large items)
– laptops/computers, phone repairs (except screen repairs)
– IT assistance(e.g. anti-virus, software updates)
– glass repairs, book binding, fixing picture frames
– basic woodwork, small furniture items
– sewing and mending, textiles repairs

We aim to fix anything, our volunteers love to solve problems!

Look out for our future dates in 2024!

New Year Green Resolutions

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May we help you to be GREENER in 2024? Here are 7 great ideas to help you have a greener cleaner 2024. Reduce your carbon, increase nature, and save money this year!

  1. Travel can be fun: Let the train take the strain and make your journey an enjoyable part of the holiday. Stop enroute and enjoy an interesting city. www.seat61.com has lots of advice about how to reach places quickly or scenically and how to book. www.railbookers.co.uk does it all for you!
  2. A walk in nature walks the soul back home: Spending more time in nature can benefit both your mental and physical well-being. Doing things like growing food or flowers, or exercising outdoors can have lots of positive effects. Join your local wildlife group to get more involved. Wild Maidenhead www.wildmaidenhead.org.uk or Wild Cookham www.wildcookham.org.uk or all the ‘Wilds’ are listed here.
  3. More joyful than ‘dry’ January! Veganuary is also much more worthwhile. www.veganuary.com will send you their celebrity cookbook, meal plans, recipes and lots more – all for free! If not for all January then try 1 more veggie or vegan meal than normal.
  4. Upskill to upcycle? Try something new and celebrate new skills – like upcycling your unwanted furniture? Pop into our ECO Action hub and look at the items on display by our two associates for inspiration! You can buy them too!
  5. Use that windowsill: A salad/ herb pot will give you fresh herbs for months. ECO Action will have seed and seedling swaps in the early Spring. Maidenhead Veg Growers Facebook site offers valuable help.
  6. ‘New’ Clothes are so ‘yesterday’: Pre loved sites like www.vinted.co.uk and local charity shops will make you an individual and save you money. The ECO Action Repair Cafe can help you make fabric repairs.
  7. Save parking costs! Discover your local cycle routes. Cycling makes you fitter and saves money on petrol (no parking costs either). Maidenhead Cycle Hub will service your bike or sell you a reconditioned one www.cyclehub.org.uk/workshop!

Here is a file to download of all of these if you want to have a keepsake: HERE

Choose one, choose two, … or more! Keep a track of them, come into the Hub and let us know how you are doing! And a Happy Green New Year to everyone from the ECO Action Hub WAM!

Repair Cafe – Saturday 13th January

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Back again and first time this year: Maidenhead’s successful Repair Café gives people’s broken or worn-out possessions a new lease of life! See people like yourself rebuilding, repairing and recycling things that might otherwise be thrown away. Open again in our ECO-Action Hub.

Please register here if you wish to bring something for repair to reserve your time-slot: Or feel free to email the Repair Café team on repair.maidenhead@gmail.com.

We open from 10:00 to 15:00. Repair skills available at this next event include:
– small electrical items (excludes microwaves and large items)
– laptops/computers, phone repairs (except screen repairs)
– IT assistance(e.g. anti-virus, software updates)
– glass repairs, book binding, fixing picture frames
– basic woodwork, small furniture items
– sewing and mending, textiles repairs

We aim to fix anything, our volunteers love to solve problems!

Look out for our future dates in 2024!

LAST CALL: Build your own nest box!

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Join us in the ECO Action Hub from 10:00 – 12:00 on 16th December 2023

  • A drop in session to help you build your own nest box and take home for your garden!
  • No prior knowledge of building boxes or of using the right tools is required
  • Bisham Nest Box Group will bring all equipment and tools you need to build nest boxes.
Bird and bird box

From Bisham Nest Box Group: We are a small, not-for-profit volunteer group making nest boxes for garden birds, owls, raptors, swifts, hedgehogs, bats and bees. We just ask for a donation to cover the cost of the materials. Bisham Nest Box Group

In the ECO Action Hub from 10:00 to 12:00 Saturday 16th December. Drop in!