Sustainable Crediton Newsletter 163, January 2025

Photograph of a stream, banked by snow-covered trees

Welcome to our first newsletter of 2025.

This will be a year of renewal for Sustainable Crediton as Terry Hadley and Caroline Romijn are standing down at the AGM (date in next newsletter) from their positions as Core Group Convenor and Secretary respectively. They have done an amazing job during a period in which we have both significantly widened the scope of our activities and achieved charitable status. We are looking for volunteers to fill both positions, so here's the chance to bring your enthusiasm and organisational talents to the fore! For further details see under News Highlights.

January marks the return of... the Sustainable Crediton clothes swap on 18th of January! Full details under Dates for your Diary. A chance to refresh your wardrobe at little cost either to your pocket or the planet.

We spend a lot of time thinking about how we can reach out to young people. We now have a great opportunity to do just that by taking part in Hayward's School's Super Heroes Day on 12th February. We would love to have your presence there: further information under News Highlights.

Best wishes,

John Craythorne and Lesley Thomas, joint newsletter editors

Dates for your Diary
18th January	Trees for Life, Joy and Biodiversity
18th January	Clothes Swap
19th January	Tree Team: tree care session
22nd January	Woodland Management Group working party
25th January	Repair Cafe
27th January	Tree Team: tree care session
3rd February	Woodland Management Group working party
19th February	Woodland Management Group working party
22nd February	Annual Seed Share
3rd March	Woodland Management Group working party
19th March	Woodland Management Group working party
31st March	Woodland Management Group working party
8th May	Swifts and Urban Diversity Following from a successful talk in 2024 by Edward Jackson, Edward Mayer, founder of Swift Conservation, will be speaking on 'Swifts and Urban Diversity'. Come along and find out more about these amazing birds; so few of which appeared in the sky above Crediton in 2024. ...

Regular Events

News Highlights

New opportunities to get involved in our leadership

Terry Hadley has provided excellent leadership as 'Convenor' of Sustainable Crediton's Core Group (previously call Chair) since taking on the role "on a temporary basis" in June 2023. Terry will continue with the role only until our AGM in the spring. After that a new Convenor will be needed. Now ...

Volunteers wanted, Come be a Super Hero!

Each year Hayward's Primary School has a themed Hero Day throughout the school. This year the theme is sustainability, and Sustainable Crediton has been invited to be part of their Sustainability Hero Day on Wednesday, 12th February. It will be large groups (about 80 children from 5-11 years old wh ...

Could you be a local Tree Warden?

Sustainable Crediton is working with the Town Council and Mid Devon District Council to assist in the development of a Tree Warden network in the local area. This could include: - appreciation of trees and their value for the environment; - recording of trees of interest in the locality; - encou ...

VEGANUARY: Be vegan for January?

So what is a vegan diet? Vegans eat nothing that is derived in any way from animals which includes any meat, fish, eggs, dairy - and wearing leather! So what is a vegan diet good for? Your Health Eating meat and fish provides good sources of protein, vitamins and minerals - but too much especia ...

Ask our MP to support the Climate and Nature Bill

The Climate and Nature Bill, a Private Members' Bill, is currently before Parliament and is due to have its second reading on 24 January. In the words of the Bill itself, its purpose is 'to require the United Kingdom to achieve climate and nature targets; to give the Secretary of State a duty to i ...

Good home for unwanted internet gadgets

Sustainable Crediton has been made aware of the following, which may be of interest if you are wanting to unload unused gadgets to a good cause. 'We are Ukraine Aid CIC (a Community Interest Company) based in Exeter and Taunton, and we're reaching out for your support. While we don't need monetar ...

Sustainable Crediton's Christmas Tree

Once again Sustainable Crediton took part in the Christmas Tree Festival at Holy Cross. We showed how it is possible to make something beautiful out of materials that may otherwise go to waste: in this case, mainly surplus pieces of fabric and unwanted jewellery. With big thanks to Esther Mann, L ...

Recipe: vegetable casserole

A warming, simple dish after all thoese Christmas goodies... Ingredients 1 400g tin Butter beans 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes 4 oz(100g) celery 8 oz (200g) carrots 8oz (200g) celeriac 4oz (100g) mushrooms 8oz (200g) swede 2 red onions garlic, paprika, a tablespoonful tomato puree, a bay le ...

“So what do we do? Anything - something. So long as we don't just sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we've satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.”

Lee Iacocca