Great Big Green Week begins!

The Great Big Green Week is a national campaign, running from 8 June to 16 June, that aims to raise awareness and encourage communities to take action against climate change. From reducing household waste to planting trees, everyone can get involved in the weeklong campaign by making sustainable changes for a positive impact.

For this year’s campaign the District Council is taking the week to bring awareness to how we as a district can play our part, from the sustainable changes residents can make to the work the Council is doing to reduce its own carbon footprint. Some of the events being hosted alongside this includes:

Street Scene Focus Week in Southwell - Over the course of the week the Council’s Street Scene Team will be hard at work on a deep cleaning of Southwell, from litter picking and debris removal to graffiti cleaning and road sweeping. The team will also be tidying up the green spaces, including weed removal using herbicide-free treatments. The Council have committed to not use glyphosate on all open spaces and housing communal land in Southwell as part of its work to boost and support biodiversity within the district and allow wildflowers, insects, birds and mammals to thrive!

999 Safety Event at Sconce and Devon Park – The District Council are teaming up with their safety partners from across the district, including the Police and Fire and Rescue Service to host a five-day safety event, during which they will deliver sessions targeting a variety of safety advice and issues. The sessions will also celebrate the park and the wildlife and nature it is home to. There will also be planting sessions, with attendees heading home with seed packets to plant in their own garden!

Thoresby Public Event – The weeklong programme of activities is culminating in an event that all residents are invited to join! On Saturday 15 June Sherwood Forest Trust Woodland Forest are hosting a Climate Action event at Thoresby Hall to support its woodland and wildlife, whilst promoting environmental sustainability to protect its future. You’ll get to hear from experts about what we can do to tackle climate change and support our environment. Council officers will be there to chat to visitors about all things sustainable and green, empowering residents with the knowledge to make eco-friendly choices; from its Motion for the Ocean commitment to top tips for recycling and reducing waste.

Matthew Finch, Director of Communities and Environment at Newark and Sherwood District Council said: “We are very excited to get involved with Great Big Green Week this year, and even more so to be doing it alongside local partners, residents, and community groups.

“The campaign is all about learning about the changes we can make to create a sustainable future and support our environment, both as individuals and as a community and I’m looking forward to seeing what we achieve during our planned activities. I encourage everyone to get involved where they can, even the smallest actions can make a big impact.”

If any residents would like to get involved in Great Big Green Week there are plenty of ways to do so! From buying loose fruit and veg instead of plastic packaged, shopping second hand for clothes or hosting your own community litter pick, there are countless ways to join the campaign! You can find out more on the Great Big Green Week website: https://greatbiggreenweek.com/

If you would like to organise a voluntary litter pick please let the District Council know, and it can help by providing equipment including black bags and high vis vests for the group, collecting any of the litter picked, and promoting the pick locally to encourage involvement.

For more information on community litter picks visit our website: https://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/communitylitterpicking/