November 2024
We are back with a rundown of what we got up to last month! From building the first prototypes of sponge city planters to getting plans in place for the first meeting of the new Meadows DIY Club, Autumn has had many exciting beginnings.
Keep reading to find out what we’ve been up to, and how you can get involved.
Making prototypes of Sponge City Planters!
In collaboration with FROMTHEGROUNDUP, Green Meadows has joined forces with CP Riverside to work with a group of students in creating prototypes of water-retaining, spongy planters. The aim is to integrate the planters into the Meadows community to catch rainwater and reduce flooding, whilst boosting biodiversity and allowing food to be grown locally!
The first session kicked-off at the NEP Climate Hub with the creation of a bail arm tray planter. Next, the groups started working on apple tree planters, using recycled barrels. Tulips, allums with big purple flower heads, and hyacinths were planted in the trays and around the tree, which is a Lord Lambourne Apple tree. Compost was used from our Community Composting group!
We are excited to see how they get on with growing, and will be monitoring how the water retention system performs!
Check out the journey to completion below..
Toolshare update!
Since the launch of Toolshare at the beginning of 2024, it has continued to grow, with an increasing number of residents borrowing tools each month.
Since January ‘24, the Toolshare has loaned 158 tools (as of 26/11/24)!
The top ten most borrowed tools are:
Cordless Duo (drill)
Angle Grinder
Workbench
Digital Wall Scanner
Wet/Dry Dust Extractor
Cordless Hedge Trimmer
Wood Saw
Pressure Washer
Heavy Duty Staple Gun
Compound Mitre Saw
CO2 Savings from borrowed tools!
CO2e saved by borrowing, rather than buying tools, is 3763kg (as of 26/11/24), the equivalent to…
75% of average energy emissions from a Victorian home in the Meadows
Average miles of CO2 emissions based on a new petrol car = 42,103 miles — the equivalent to driving from Nottingham to London and back 164 times in a new petrol car.
Let us know your thoughts - DIY Club Survey!
We are running a survey to find out how people are finding the experience of using the Toolshare, and to get feedback on how we could make any improvements, including feedback from those who may not have used the Toolshare yet. To take part, click here.
Launch of the Meadows DIY Club!
We ran a survey to gather your ideas for a Meadows DIY Club. The aim was to find out what you would want out of a DIY club, so that Green Meadows can help facilitate and make your ideas a reality.
From the survey, we found that there was a strong interest in cooperating with others to develop DIY skills, with respondents wanting to learn new skills and teach others what they already know. The main interests were to meet new people, learn basic skills and have fun making things!
The DIY Club’s first meeting is set to happen this Thursday 5th December, 6pm - 7:30pm, at the NEP Climate Hub, 32 Turney St, NG2 2LG. We'll discuss the DIY skills and projects that you'd like to work towards and put our heads together to set out a plan going forwards!
Everybody is welcome, and we will finish the meeting with a tasty vegan meal. Sign up here!
To keep in touch with us, you can sign up to our monthly newsletter here for the latest news and events.