plant swap

Plant, Seed and Garden Tool Swap

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In May, St Bees Green Future ran a plant, seed and tool swap. This was in response to interest in garden-themed swaps from the suggestion box for St Bees Swap Together events. We also ran an activity to make little pots out of newspaper, which proved popular, allowing attendees to sow their seeds at the event. A volunteer from Cumbria Master Composters supported the event, providing information and advice about home composting.

Lots of plants and seeds were swapped and some of the tools were donated to the Community Garden. There were some surplus tomato, leek and onion plants leftover from the event, which were placed on the Community Garden’s stall at the entrance to the Priory drive.

The plan is to run a further plant and seed swap in the future, so look out for details.

Image of people in a hall looking at a plant stall, making newspaper pots and talking to a volunteer about composting.

St Bees Swap Together

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St Bees Green Future was successful in applying for one of Zero Carbon Cumbria’s Community Climate Grants. The grant will fund St Bees Swap Together, a series of free swap events in 2025.

As well as continuing with quarterly clothes swaps, there will be a swap event in May for plants, seeds and garden tools, and the committee is liasing with Cumbria Master Composters for a volunteer to attend this event. During Great Big Green Week in June, there will be a swap for hobby items, including sports and outdoor wear and equipment, as well as craft items. For Second Hand September, there will be a swap (theme to be confirmed) alongside a community meal to use up surplus produce. If you have any suggestions for future swap events, please let St Bees Green Future know: stbeesgreenfuture@gmail.com 

St Bees Swap Together is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and is part of the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership’s ambitious emission reduction programme to make Cumbria carbon neutral by 2037.

Swap Event for Great Big Green Week 2024

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This year’s theme for Great Big Green Week was “Let’s swap together for good”. By swapping items, we reuse what is already in circulation, which helps reduce the production of new items, saving raw materials and energy, and reducing waste.

St Bees Green Future already runs a quarterly clothes swap, but took part in Great Big Green Week with a Book, Game, Jigsaw and Plant Swap at Adams Recreation Ground. 

Although it was a wet day, various swaps took place over the afternoon, with jigsaws proving particularly popular! Free refreshments were served, with time to catch up with friends over a cuppa.

Some of the leftover board games were donated to St Bees Village Primary School and some of the jigsaws to Cumberland Libraries. The remaining items were distributed between Barnardo’s and Far Place charity shops in Whitehaven.

Look out for details of the next swap event in St Bees.