June has been a very exciting month for us. For the first time since last summer, we were able to clean the river as a community.
In the beginning of June, more than forty of us managed to pull out twenty large bin bags worth of rubbish from the River Medway. In partnership with the South East Rivers Trust’s Preventing Plastic pollution (PPP) team, we discovered that the most common pieces of rubbish were crisp packets and carrier bags, both of which we will try and change in the next coming months. We will be running clean ups every month during the summer, so please check out for our events here.
A couple of weeks later, fifteen dedicated volunteers headed to one of the Medway’s tributaries to remove the invasive species American Skunk Cabbage. Our small but vibrant team managed to pull out 28 bin bags of the plant, all of which were burnt to prevent further spreading. It was a wonderful day, fuelled by optimism, homemade flapjacks and cake, and an important step towards making sure the River remains biodiverse.
Photo by Artificial Photography on Unsplash
On the 10th July, we will be running a car boot sale to raise funds for our work and future campaigns. It will take place outside the VENue, next to the Skate Park. Please contact hello@formeday.org if you would like to donate any items or volunteer to pick up donations.
We will also be hosting another clean up of the River Medway, but this time there won’t be any restrictions on entering the river! Please meet at the Skate Park at 10am.
We have postponed our art competition to ensure that people have enough time to make something they are happy with. Submissions are now for the 14th and 15th August!
Clare Parker is running a charity plant sale to raise money for some worthy local causes. Start propagating so you can join the fun.
Photo by Mathilde Langevin on Unsplash
July is fast approaching and with it the wonderful initiative ‘Plastic Free July’. The UK’s position on plastics is currently pretty dire: we are the second biggest producer of plastic per person in the world, thousands of tonnes of our household plastic packaging ends up in incinerators, and more than half of the household plastic packaging that is ‘recycled’ is actually just sent abroad to be dumped or burned illegally (Greenpeace, 2021). According to a recent report by Greenpeace, less than 10% of everyday plastic actually gets recycled in the UK.
But, all is not lost: we can (and must) change our consumption habits on both a personal and societal level. Here are a few things you can do in the lead up to July:
As pioneered by Surfers Against Sewage, we would also like to work towards becoming a “Plastic Free Community”. It is unrealistic to suggest that we can be totally plastic free, yet we can certainly make choices that significantly reduce the use of single-use plastics. Read more about what you can do to help Forest Row become a Plastic Free Community here.
Photo by Tools For Motivation on Unsplash
The submission date for our art competition has been postponed! We wanted to make sure that everyone in the community (including children) had more time to create something that they were happy with. So, the submission dates are now the 14th and 15th August. Please email hello@formedway.org to register and obtain the drop-off location details.
The Forest Row community has come together and offered some wonderful prizes, from a food hamper worth £120 to ice creams to food vouchers to ceramic workshops. Click the button below for more information.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
There is a Charity Plant Sale taking place in September to raise funds for local causes, including Friends of the River Medway. The idea is for people to donate well-rooted and established plants, which will then be sold on for £1 per pot. All of the proceeds will go to the nominated charities. The event will take place on Saturday 18th September (09.00-11.30) at the Swan Garden, Forest Row. RH18 5ER. Get busy planting!
Please email clrprk@aol.com to let her know that you are taking place.
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