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.
New Re-use and Recycle Directory
If you are wondering where you can take your unused things so that other people can make good use of them, rather than just putting them in landfill, then you will be pleased at the new Re-use and Re-cycle Directory just published by Sustainable Thornbury.
As well as an A-Z of where you can take items such as tools and spectacles, there are also tips on how to re-use things and information about some useful local shops and websites.
Click here to download the Waste Directory. [.pdf 139kB]
The directory can also be found on line at www.sustainablethornbury.org, or paper copies are available to consult at Thornbury Town Hall, Thornbury Library, Thornbury Volunteer Centre and the Pensioners’ Drop-in Centre.
Transition Network Project
Sustainable Thornbury has been chosen as one of 10 Transition Initiatives to participate in a Transition Network project (funded by the Roddick Foundation) to help transition communities grow social enterprises and influence existing local businesses such that they contribute to the wellbeing of that community, and society overall (including the most disadvantaged and marginalised).
The term 'business' includes all types of private, public and third-sector organisations.
Basically, we want to grow and develop successful, sustainable, profitable local businesses that:
- Recognise resource and energy limits, and explore steady state or even de-growth scenarios;
- Move to re-localisation, where appropriate;
- Consider a new type of business-social contract, where the marketplace and businesses are fair, and serve the public good;
- Move towards shared equity and a wide range ownership models, including community ownership.
- The Transition Network is to help Sustainable Thornbury:
a) acquire/strengthen the skills they need to engage the existing local businesses and organisations in discussions about the issues, the implications and the potential solutions; and
b) as it starts up new enterprises that can take advantage of the low carbon and re-localised markets, and shape an entirely new more sustainable and equitable economy.
Thornbury Harvest Coop
Thornbury Harvest Coop (formerly known as Thornbury CSA) provides locally grown food for people in and around Thornbury.
Members buy a share of vegetables each week, meet the grower, volunteer, and have a say in how the scheme is run.
The scheme was set up by Sustainable Thornbury, working with Thornbury Sheiling School. The vegetables are biodynamically grown. Biodynamic roughly means organic plus a bit more, and uses no artificial pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers.
Anyone interested in finding out more about the scheme is invited to look at the website www.thornburycsa.org.uk/new/ or email or telephone 01454 416778.
Grow Your Own Food
This group meets on the second Thursday of each month at 7.30pm in members' living rooms and gardens.Join the list for receiving locations by sending a blank e-mail to: or check the MyThornbury calendar.
For more information call Heather on 01454 853560.
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.
