Sustainable Thornbury

Our aim is to promote the well-being of everyone living and working in the area, by promoting greater local self-reliance and a more cooperative and inclusive community. For more information phone the secretary on 01454 416778.

Meetings are held regularly (approximately monthly) depending on current activities.

Local Food for Local People

A Thornbury group is starting up a new local food scheme, growing vegetables for about 200 people.

Planting Squashes

They call themselves Thornbury CSA, where CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.

Spokesman Alan Pinder said “We have lots of good land round Thornbury, but we don’t grow much for local people. Schemes like this are springing up all round the country. We are really excited by this venture, and we hope lots more Thornbury people will want to be in at the beginning. Apart from being locally grown, the food will be biodynamically grown, which is organic plus a bit more.”

Around 50 households will be able to join Thornbury CSA which has been set up by Sustainable Thornbury and the Sheiling School in Thornbury to promote local food growing.

Local people will be able to ensure that their food is grown using fewer chemicals, less imported animal feed, less packaging and virtually no food miles. The farmer will get a guaranteed market for the crop and there will be strong links between those growing the food and their customers.

Adrian Hoeing

The scheme is starting with vegetables, but there is the possibility in the future to grow fruit and even meat and dairy products. Management of the scheme will be done co-operatively by customers and growers.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the scheme is invited to look at the website www.sustainablethornbury.org/CSA or email or telephone 01454 416778.

Food For Thought

What do you do with your leftovers? That is when you have any, of course. We are dying to know what the good people of Thornbury do to use up any leftovers from Sunday lunch or any other day of the week for that matter. I've even heard of cooks who cook extra in order to have a leftover feast the following day!

Please let us have any ideas you may have on the subject and we are willing to collate and perhaps produce a leftover cookery book of some kind!

Please email

Here's a classic to get you started:
Bubble and Squeak
Leftover potatoes and vegetables can be mashed together and browned off in a frying pan. You can even shape into small rounds and fry, if you are feeling artistic. Delicious with cold meat or veggie sausages.

Plastic Bags follow up

We undertook a survey to try to establish the success of our campaign to reduce plastic bags in Thornbury last year. We were heartened to find that of 200 people surveyed, 83% were carrying reusable shopping bags and 93% of traders reported to us that they had had to buy fewer bags since the campaign started.

Many of the traders have changed their behaviour too (charging for bags, not offering bags, only using biodegradable or compostable bags).

Visit the Plastic Bag campaign page for more information.

Did you Make a Difference by saving energy?

Sustainable Thornbury has given those of us living in and around Thornbury help and information to reduce the amount of energy we use in our homes, businesses, churches and schools.

Since 2003 gas prices have increased by 63% and electricity prices by 44%. At the same time more evidence has emerged about the damaging effects on the environment caused by burning fossil fuels.

Sustainable Thornbury ran events and competitions to encourage everyone in Thornbury and surrounding villages to improve the energy efficiency of our homes - both by changing the way things are done and by improving the way houses are insulated.

MyThornbury followed the project and published regular tips on how to reduce your bills by making changes.

Sustainable Thornbury Supper and Conversation

26 local people including church representatives, councillors and small businesses met and explored ideas over a meal. The idea was to talk about the future of Thornbury, given the threat of climate change and oil running out.

Visitors enjoyed a delicious vegetarian first course made mainly from local produce and explored the question: “How might it be possible for the citizens of Thornbury and surrounding villages to have an improved quality of life as fuel becomes more scarce?”

Then everyone changed tables ready for apple puddings and cream, met new people and discussed the second question, which looked at our resilience when facing change.

Our aim was to bring together people from different walks of life to share their various views and experiences. See below for comments from the tables. Why not add your own views by clicking here? - we'll pass on your comments to Sustainable Thornbury.

We would also like to thank the Hatch for their kind hospitality. Working in such a warm and welcoming environment added a very special something to the evening.

Summary Answers

Click here to see the full answers.

The questions were:

1. How might it be possible for the citizens of Thornbury and its surrounding villages to have an improved quality of life as oil supplies run out?
2. How can Thornbury and the surrounding area become more resilient to change?

The answers were:

General: Our quality of life could improve. We don’t know whether the climate will get hotter, colder or wetter. We need to be less dependent on world systems, such as banks, fossil fuels and supermarkets. We will need to get and keep fitter. There may be difficulties for elderly people. People will need to be empowered, developing local initiatives and responding to the challenge to adapt.

Transport: Cycling is good for short journeys, and makes you fitter. Walking to school is good. We need more frequent buses on more convenient routes. Cars are convenient but expensive. Fewer cars would mean less pollution and less space used for roads and parking. A car-free High Street would improve the town centre. Charging for car parking would deter drivers. We will have to fly less. Commuting reduces the soul of community. Less travel means we could get to know our neighbours better. We could do more home-working with better e-communication and local serviced offices.

Food: Food needs to be more local and seasonal, and we need more allotments. We will need to use the High Street and other local facilities more.

Energy: We need much better insulation and solar panels. In old buildings, efficiency may conflict with conservation. New buildings should be built to very high standards. We need more affordable housing.