After voting to declare a climate emergency last year, Littlehempston Parish Council decided to set up a working group to seek to tackle environmental issues within the community.
Whilst progress has been slowed somewhat by Covid19, a group has now been formed and two meetings held to discuss objectives. It is important to stress that this is very much a work in progress and that the group is still very interested in hearing ideas from within the parish as well as recruiting more volunteers.
Sustainable Littlehempston
We have chosen the name Sustainable Littlehempston to reflect the broad range of issues that we want to cover. The name also fits with the growing local movement within parishes across the South Hams with four or five groups formed including Sustainable Staverton, Sustainable Dittisham and Sustainable South Brent.
Our Aims
Since it is early days, the group has a wide remit to cover all issues relating to our local environment. These are as follows:
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- Enhance the local environment
- Respect and foster nature and biodiversity
- Improve community cohesion
- Improve energy efficiency in our homes and reduce fuel poverty
- Reduce carbon emissions within the parish
- Work with similar groups in neighbouring parishes
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Some of this work will take the shape of offering advice and information; however we also plan to carry out physical work such as planting trees and sowing wildflowers.
Areas of operation
We have identified and agreed the following key areas to focus our efforts:
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- Biodiversity – Tree planting, sowing wildflowers, cultivating meadows and other ecological restoration activities
- Greener Homes – Assisting parishioners in improving energy efficiency in the home by offering advice on how to make improvements and apply for grants
- Sustainable Food – Looking at areas such as composting, seed & plant swaps, cake baking and how to enable the community to source more local food and reduce waste
- Transport – Seeking ways to reduce community reliance on cars by such means as car sharing, and increasing walking and cycling opportunities
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The volunteers below have been tasked with investigating each of the areas identified. They are also keen to connect with anyone who is interested in getting involved in elements that interest them. New recruits are also very welcome!
Sustainable Littlehempston Volunteers
Chris Smith / Ben Parker – Biodiversity
Nick Oldridge – Greener Homes
Jude Allen / Martin Bjerregaard – Sustainable Food
Stu Dorman / John Morris – Transport
We are also aware that, thanks to some of our enterprising parishioners, some of these activities are already being done – in which case the group will be more than happy to join forces and provide whatever assistance might be required. The excellent and noble project to plant 1,000 trees on land owned by Ben and Susy Parker, is one such example, and just goes to show what we can achieve when we work together. (That’s Ben pictured here with the wheelbarrow.)
Want to get involved or just want to know more – please feel free to click on this link to contact Nick Oldridge or phone him on 07899 818714.