 As the first council in the UK to launch a climate change bond, we’re excited to sign a pledge to run a second one to help fund brilliant environmental projects and tackle climate change. This means that local people will be able to invest directly in these projects which will move us towards decarbonisation and net zero!
Back in October 2020, we reached £1 million of investment for our first climate bond. This was used to install solar PV on council facilities as well as other environmental schemes across the district.
West Berkshire Liftshare
 We have partnered with Liftshare to promote car-sharing in East Garston, Chaddleworth, Great Shefford and Hungerford during our pilot scheme.
We have developed a West Berkshire community group by partnering with the national organisation Liftshare. Liftshare is an online platform which links up drivers and passengers going to the same destination. You can find out more on the Liftshare website.
Residents will be able to use this to find local people within the district to share journeys with. The aim is to encourage people to share journeys to reduce costs and emissions. We hope by 'localising' the platform, it will enable users to feel safer and more confident making use of it.
Interested in finding out more? Please take a look at our frequently asked questions.
 Friday 28 April to Monday 1 May
Come and celebrate eco projects along the Lambourn Valley and explore ways we can reduce our carbon footprint and protect our wonderful biodiversity. The weekend includes a repair cafe, bat walk, organic and 'pasture for life' farm visits, eco church talks, bus safari along the valley, Mediterranean supper, scything demonstration, wildlife gardening advice, plant swaps, sustainable cookery demonstration, EV and home energy advice and screening of a powerful David Attenborough documentary. Visitors are encouraged to use public transport (the Number 4 bus) or Liftshare. There will also be a small amount of free parking available.
Wednesday 22 March was World Water Day which highlighted the importance of fresh water and advocated for the sustainable management of freshwater resources around the world.
Watch Action for River Kennet's Charlotte Hinchmough speaking at GreenFest about ‘Saving our Rivers’, highlighting the threats faced in West Berkshire by our chalk streams and what we can all do to return these precious ecosystems back to health; measures ranging from the brand of pet flea treatment we use on our dogs, good loo practices, litter pollution and getting hands-on with habitat restoration on the River Pang, Kennet and Lambourn.
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 Being connected with others in our community can make a real difference in all sorts of ways.
The aDoddle environment map is a growing community resource and offers access to local community groups working to improve our environment. Find out what is going on in your local area, connect with your community, and find volunteering opportunities. Groups can also support each other and find ways to work together by connecting through the map.
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Thank you to the 500 residents who came to our soil conditioner give-away event on 11 and 12 March.
We saw a whopping 47 tonnes of soil conditioner, which is made from the food and garden waste we collect from your homes, given away over the 2 days!
We hope this is useful to our residents in getting their gardens and allotments ready for spring planting.
We are extremely grateful to our partners Veolia UK for working with us to make this happen.
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Did you know around 80 million Easter eggs are bought each year in the UK! However research has shown around 25% of the weight of an Easter Egg can be packaging alone.
If you are buying Easter Eggs this year have a look out for eggs that are in less packaging and ones where the packaging can be recycled.
Cardboard boxes can be placed in your green box at the kerbside and plastic inserts can be taken to any of our seven plastic banks across the district. Click here to see their locations.
Rubbish and recycling collections will continue as normal over the Easter period including collections on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Please place your bins and/or containers out for collection by 6am on your scheduled collection day.
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We’ve teamed up with the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) to launch an innovative pilot project to teach children that being healthy can also help the natural world. Wild West Berkshire (WWB) talks about eating healthier food, taking more exercise and how that helps wildlife and tackling climate change.
From befriending seasonal veg to playing wildlife bingo, the children are learning about the links between a healthy body and a healthy planet, all while getting active and spending time outdoors. Scuttling sideways like a crab, swooping like an owl and leaping like a frog are fun ways to learn about nature, but are also a fun way to get valuable exercise which the children learn is good for their physical and mental health.
WWB is the brainchild of Elisabeth Gowens, our Programme Officer for Wider Determinants of Health. She says, “This is a really great piece of partnership working between the Council’s Public Health, Environment and Education teams, alongside BBOWT. Our focus with this pilot was to change the way we get kids thinking about keeping themselves healthy through nutrition and exercise – instead of sticking to the traditional ‘5 a day’ messaging we wanted to try something new by highlighting the links between our health and the health of the planet. So far, the children seem really engaged with this hands on and nature-focused way of learning and we’re excited to see where the pilot goes.”
BBOWT officer Emma Hine is a trained teacher working with 218 children at the Willows and Lambourn CofE Primary schools on the WWB pilot. She says, "In the autumn we talked about kale, purple-sprouting broccoli and parsnips. I expected them to say I don't want to eat vegetables - but they were saying I really want to try this when I get home.”
As this project is currently a pilot, the Council’s Public Health team will be undertaking a full outcome evaluation in the coming months in order to determine the future of Wild West Berkshire.
University Centre Newbury (UCN) students on the Higher Nationals in Graphic Design programme are on a mission to help fight climate change in their local community by sponsoring a beehive.
The sponsorship has been inspired by their recent coursework theme, Art, Design and Media's response to Climate Crisis, along with a visit from Adrain Doyle, local beekeeper at Hill House Honey in Great Shefford and Chairman of the Newbury Bee Keeping Society. The talented graphic design students decided to host a series of sales selling their artwork, crafts, printed t-shirt designs and homemade baked goods. All proceeds from the sales will go directly towards sponsoring a beehive, contributing to the maintenance and care of the bees, and supporting locally produced honey.
Victoria Burden, Programme Leader Higher Nationals in Graphic Design, said: "The students found Adrian's presentation fascinating and have been inspired to help fight climate change locally in whatever way they can. As a group, we discussed our thoughts on climate change and how we all felt powerless to help as individuals. With the students' ideas, this was a great opportunity to showcase their creative abilities and help contribute to a cause that affects us all."
The first sale was hosted at Newbury College on 7 March 2023, and the students raised £333.09. They only have a small amount left to reach their target and hope this will be achieved at their next sale at the Festival of Arts and Crafts at the Base on Saturday, 1 April.
 You can now watch our Sustainable Hospitality Webinar on Youtube!
As the energy costs amongst businesses continue to rise, we want to share the best practices for businesses to be more sustainable, but also save on their essential costs in the long run.
This webinar brings together experiences from other businesses already on their journey to become more sustainable, so that you can learn directly from them and pick up some hints and tips.
Andy Kershaw, Director of Property at Marstons and Colline, from Colline’s Kitchen, talks about their experiences in the hospitality field. Topics includes energy, transport, supply chain, funding, and the lessons learnt from navigating these areas.
 We’re delighted to have visited one of the local shops featured in our Shop Local Shop Green magazine last Christmas to find out more about them.
Cheese Etc is a cheese mongers in Pangbourne that focuses on sustainability and provides award winning cheeses! Watch the video to understand how they and their sister shop The Loose Larder keep green!
If your business cares about the environment and values sustainability, then you can appear on our business website.
After a 3 year break The Newbury & District Agricultural Society is thrilled to announce that Newbury Show is making a return in 2023, with local business Ramsbury Brewing & Distilling Co. supporting as the headline sponsor.
The show remains true to its roots showcasing all aspects of farming & rural life in the area. Crops, agricultural technology, animals, artisan products, rural education, country pastimes, local produce and many other aspects of country life will all be on display.
New for 2023, local producers will be able to take advantage of a dedicated space at the show aimed at showcasing local businesses and will also be able to pay a discounted rate for their plot. We hope this will encourage West Berkshire residents to shop locally and more sustainably going forward.
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British Cycling GoRide coaching is for 3-12 year olds taking place every Tuesday during term time 6-7.30pm at Henwick Worthy Playing Fields. There was a induction session held on 28 March but all are welcome to join the coaching sessions starting 18 April.
Sessions are £3 for non-members and £2 for Newbury Velo members.
These sessions are great for all skill sets, from beginners (including balance bikes) all the way to advanced. Bring a bike and helmet and join for some fun whilst learning skills with their qualified British Cycling coaches.
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 The British Horse Society’s upcoming 'Rider Down!' free training courses are an excellent opportunity for the recreational equestrian to learn what to do in the event of an emergency.
None of us like to think of ourselves in these situations, but it's always best to be prepared. If you were to find yourself at the scene of an accident, would you be confident in what to do? This course will teach you how to manage the scene of an accident, how to care for a casualty until emergency services arrive and actions you can take to avoid common road incidents.
The course is delivered by Keith Wheeler, Road Safety Officer for Milton Keynes Council. Keith developed the award-winning 'Biker Down!' course and delivered it to hundreds of motorcyclists, and has now adapted it for horse riders.
This is not a recognised qualification and does not replace formal first aid courses, but what you learn will be of great help and practical use if you ever find yourself at the scene of an accident.
 Buses are a convenient and relatively cheap way to travel, so why not use the bus to get to work, go shopping, attend an appointment, go for a bite to eat in the local eateries, take in some of the outstanding scenery, or meet friends and family over the Easter period.
The national £2 Fare Cap scheme has been extended for three months until end of June 2023. A single journey is capped at £2, a return journey at £4, the list of those taking part in West Berkshire can be found here. If you are travelling with family or friends why not take advantage of the Connect Group Day Ticket (available for up to 4 people), the ticket can be bought on the bus or in advance on Newbury & District's app.
An “early bird” concessionary fare ticket has proven to be very popular, it can be purchased for a reasonable rate before 9.30am on weekdays for anyone boarding with a valid bus pass.
There will continue to be announcements about your local buses in coming months so do look out for them.
Go Wild for Rainforest Foods this Easter
The Living Rainforest has loads of family activities planned throughout the Easter holidays (31 March – 16 April), including:
- Animal feed sessions (watch our keepers feeding the animals)
- Rainforest food taste testing
- Learn about sustainable rainforest foods
- Kids’ Rainforest Food activity trail
- Rainforest interpreters in our tropical glasshouses
- Sustainable Craft Fayre
- Quizzes
The Living Rainforest is open daily, seven days a week.
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