On May 21st a small group organized by the Green Teams visited Tools with a Mission near Ipswich. Tools with a Mission is a Christian charity which sends refurbished tools to vocational training schemes mainly in countries in Africa. When people complete these training schemes, they are given their own tool kits. So old tools which are no longer wanted here enable people to make a living in Africa. As well as tools, TWAM also send out school books – a project started by Carol Lindsay Smith, now merged with TWAM – and sewing and knitting machines and materials. They have a large warehouse where the tools are collected, cleaned, refurbished and made up into kits. It is an impressive place, run by volunteers, and to see the pallets of sewing machines, racks of tools, and piles of yarn and cloth stacked up ready to be shipped out gives an idea of the scale of their work. Last year, they sent out 21 containers of tools. (more…)

The Village Green Teams organised a visit to VIRIDOR RE-CYCLING FACILITY
On Tuesday 10th October 2007

Our aim was to take a group representing different organisations in the community so that they could share information as widely as possible across the three villages. (List of attenders below.)

We were impressed by the amazing sorting process and came away convinced that it is worth the effort to separate out re-cyclable products. We were also horrified by the amount of domestic rubbish that still has to go to landfill.
(more…)

The Village Green Teams would like to thank everyone who has supported our CAMPAIGN TO SAVE LOCAL POST OFFICES. We are glad to say that well over 300 households and businesses have signed the petition and many have written direct to Mr. Alistair Darling and Mr. Crozier - the men at the top who have their hands on the axe. Our local MP Mr. Tim Yeo will be meeting Minister for Employment Jim Fitzpatrick early in June. We are providing him with a summary of your reasons why we need to keep the Post Offices in Polstead and Stoke by Nayland.

It is not too late to sign the petition or write letters to give your views about why the post offices are a life line in villages with few other facillities and minimal public transport.. Petition forms and addresses for your letters are in both post offices. (more…)

Even if we don’t want to think about it, most of us know that climate change is the greatest threat to our world, potentially more dangerous than terrorism, bird flu or economic disaster. If predictions are true, or even half true, how will it affect us in our safe, serene villages? What, if anything, can we do about it?

In May 2005 at a workshop in Bury St. Edmunds Cathedral, the Conservation Association raised just these questions. Members of parishes and organisations from across the diocese were asked if sustainability is a priority for the church and, if it IS, how can individual churches be motivated to use their networks and good will in their communities to take the lead in encouraging greener lifestyles? (more…)