In this Issue:
- InFuZe
- Last Chance for a CAL Grant
- 2 grants programmes
- Save Carbon – Shop Local with Headingley Greengrocer
- Street FUN in June
- Coming Up – Climate Ambassadors talk
- ZCH – organisation
INFUZE: “INspiring FUtures for ZEro Carbon Mobility”
The University of Leeds will be asking communities across the city to try out alternatives to individual car ownership. It will be led by the Institute for Transport Studies using a multimillion-pound research grant over five years.
INFUZE: What would a world where people did not need to own their own cars look like? We urgently need to tackle car-related issues such as congestion, air pollution, safety and inclusivity – and a shift to electric vehicles is only part of the answer. What about, for example, approaches such as car clubs, responsive taxi-style bus services and shared bicycle and scooter schemes? But of course such ideas will only work well if communities are involved in their design.
ZCH will be organising a public meeting in September or October where you can find out how to get involved. More details to follow ….
LAST Chance for a CAL Grant
www.climateactionleeds.org.uk/grants
Save Carbon and Shop Local with Headingley Greengrocer
The Headingley Greengrocer is a Community owned business offering a wide range of fruit, vegetables, plants, flowers, milk and eggs. It is run by the Headingley Development Trust, to enhance Headingley facilities, build the community, and put a green investment back into the area.
The following is a Q and A with Kathy Beels, the manager of The Headingley Greengrocer on North Lane in Headingley.
Sourcing “ Where do you buy your veg and other products from ?”
We use two wholesalers, GT (Leeds) and Organic North, for our organic produce.
We ask GT to send loose produce that is not pre packed, and can order the day before we need it. For Organic North, I have to pre-order one week ahead, as this avoids any wastage at their end, but it does mean I have to plan ahead and make good guesses about what we need for the following week.
We also like to buy as local as possible, and have produce from Kirkstall Valley Farm, (Kirkstall) , Whitely in Pudsey, Back Garden Blooms for flowers (Headingley) Fruit Works Coop , apples and juice, (Leeds) Mushroom Emporium (Leeds) Meanwood microgreens. Dales Dairy organic milk (Yorkshire) Taylors free range eggs (Yorkshire)
Packaging : “ what kind of packaging do you use, and is this important to customers? “
We use paper bags and biodegradable plastic small carriers. Many people will come and shop here because we do not pre pack produce. I think it is fresher as well, when not stored in plastic, plus customers can buy the quantities they want, which can reduce wastage.
Energy Use: “do you know what contributes most to your energy bill ?”
The Cooler, a massive walk in fridge. We do have plans to put solar panels up on the roof, and this will be a massive help, as when it is sunny the solar panels will provide electricity for when the cooler is working at its hardest.
This will also help reduce electric bills for the butcher next door, as they rent space in this building.
Waste; “What sort of waste do you have and how do you deal with it ?”
We find the shelf life of produce can shorten when it is coming to the end of it’s season, so I have to keep a careful eye on what we offer and will always have seasonal produce that is top quality, and this reduces waste. For any seconds we are part of the ‘2Good2Go’ scheme, which works by an App. You can register on the App then pay £3 to come and collect a box of veg (normally worth £9) that is useable but not saleable.
Any fruit, or veg left over that needs disposal, is collected by the composting business PLATE2PLATE (we have a contract with them). We also have a lot of cardboard that goes for recycling in our commercial bin.
Transportation : what if any transportation do you use ? How do your customers get to you ?
The produce is mainly delivered by our suppliers. A while back we did consider having an e-van or e-cargo bike for home deliveries, but this was not considered viable at the time.
Customers come from all over Leeds, and reach us by a variety of means, including driving, cycling, walking, bus, taxi.
Community Resilience : what are your thoughts on how your business helps to contribute to building a sense a community ?
We support three different local charities, ‘Bramley Care Bears’ who purchase some veg from us for food boxes and we give a free top up to these boxes, which are distributed to those in need. For ‘Meeting Point Leeds’ (that offers practical and emotional support for asylum seekers and refugees), we provide £50 worth of produce each week. We also have a box available for customers to donate food into, which goes towards the lunch club run by SEVA in Woodhouse and Hyde Park.
Customer Feedback : what kind of feedback have you had ?
Customers like the quality and range of produce, and like being able to buy the quantities they want. Being plastic free is also important to customers. People come because we source organic produce, and local produce.
Local Shops: In your view what are the main benefits for shopping locally, and what are the main challenges ?
Main challenges are competing with supermarket deliveries. We had a surge of custom during covid, but now that has fallen off as more people are using supermarket deliveries again. The new tariffs for import and export of produce is also going to make things more expensive, which will be a challenge.
The benefits though are a reduced carbon footprint, ( fewer air miles for locally sourced produce), less plastic, healthier food, seasonal produce in variety.
Big thank-you to Kathy and all the hardworking team in the Greengrocers. Headingley would not be the same without you.
From: Jenny Lawrence ( Zero Carbon Headingley) – jelawrence62@gmail.com
Street FUN in June
Zero Carbon Headingley had stalls at Far Headingley Village Society (on Moor Road) and also at Friends of Beckett Park events in June. Both were well attended, relaxed and enjoyable community events. We had many good conversations with people about responses to the climate crisis, air travel and road traffic, and green environments.
Moor Road closed for the day!…..
As well as having fun, and telling people about ZCH, we led a consultation exercise (alongside the Far Headingley Village Society) to get local views about problems with traffic congestion on Moor Road.
30 people voted for Option 1 where Cottage Road and both section of Moor Road become no through roads with only bikes and people allowed through the barriers:
With 16 preferring Option 2 with a 1 way system going ‘up’ Cottage Road and then turning right or left onto Moor Road. The section between Moor Road and Shaw Lane remaining 2-way.
In addition 12 people filled in more detailed consultation forms with 7 preferring Option 1. It was noticeable that those living on or close to Moor Road clearly preferred Option 1. Comments focused on reducing traffic flows on Moor Road, increasing pedestrian safety.
5 people preferred option 2. Comments focused more on the wider impact of schemes on surrounding areas as traffic would be displaced onto other roads and that Option 2 is ‘sensible’. Proposed speed bumps on Moor Road and Shaw Lane.
We had a good number of messages hung on the wish tree which have been forwarded to Alex Sobel who will ‘ . . use them to inform his priorities in Parliament’.
We had another sunny day for the Beckett Park picnic (a noteworthy remark this summer) and gathered more messages for our new Government and laid out a game of ‘environment hoopla’, which Jenny made. It was much harder than it looked but it was great fun and made people think a bit about their environmental choices.
Thanks to Bill Walton for the photos
Coming Up – hear about Climate Ambassadors
Headingley Cafe Scientifique is organising a talk by Zoe Gilbank and Amanda Maycock on the regional Yorkshire and Humberside hub for the Climate Ambassador programme at Leeds University. Climate Ambassadors are a network of trained volunteers from across the private, public and charity sectors who support nurseries, schools and colleges with free, tailored guidance to progress their climate action plans, wherever they are on their sustainability journey.
Hear more at the New Headingley Club, 56 St Michaels Road, on 9th September at 7.30pm.
More details here: http://cafesci.hdtleeds.org.uk/
Zero Carbon Headingley – organisation
ZCH is run by a small steering group of members who meet monthly to discuss projects, ideas and actions.
We have projects working on ‘Greening up Headingley, Housing issues, Transport/travel issues and one-off projects such as street closures. We also have regular open meetings for members, often with a speaker and discussion and we send out newsletters by email to all members.
If you would like to get more involved: have ideas for projects, comments on how we organise and especially if you would like to volunteer to join the Steering group – please let us know. (We are particularly keen on members who can help with improving our publicity and promotion through social media.)
Reply to: zerocarbonheadingley@gmail.com