Chair's report for 2025-26

Eco Whittlesford membership is now 135, and if you haven't joined us to keep up to date with events you can easily do so through the website. We're really grateful to Hugh Frostick who set up and manages the website, and keeps it up to date. 

A walk through the events of the past year:

July 2025: Nature walk in the Millennium wood and field. Thanks to Ashley.

Autumn 2025: 'We need to talk about Climate and Nature Action' with Elisabeth Goodman-Spain

February 2026:  Eco Whittlesford's first SWISH (clothes swap) - thanks to Lucy Folan. We indend to do more!

March 2026: 4th Village Litter Pick - around 30 bags! Thanks again to Alan and Judy Oswald, and the support of Whittlesford PC.

We enjoyed a fascinating illustrated talk "Climate Change Gardening"  presented by Sue and Clive Boase, full of usuful information and ideas.

April 2026: Repair Café - More people and the busiest yet!

May and June:

Two bird walks by Ann Beeby. Joining with the British Trust for Ornithology to identify and count the birds in our designated public Green Spaces: The Lawn and the churchyard -29 species in May, including a family of Mistle thrushes and long tailed tits, and the first swifts. 22 species in the recent June walk. Thanks to Ann who is keen to do this again next year.

Sawston Library stand for the Great Big Green Week. 

Ongoing ...

Our Nature Trails are there for everyone to enjoy and use. More are planned. With thanks to Ashley Arbon, Eleanor Norman, Terry Bareham.

Reminder that we have had a thermal imaging camera in the village available to borrow through Cambridge Carbon Footprint. Lucy Folan has been hosting this through the winter months so that people can see where their homes are losing heat. 

Neil Barber continues to provide a computer recycling collection - do contact Neil about your old tech which can no longer be put to any use. 

A huge thanks to everyone who has helped plan and organise all these things and those who have given their support over the last year. 

Middlemoor meadow project

Work continues to improve this land for nature and the community. It was lovely to have the Cubs involved in making a dead hedge, a large bug hotel and putting up bird boxes.

AGM Business:

Eco Whittlesford Hub Group
Chris Gaston, Sue Ginsberg, Lucy Folan, Mike Story, Eleanor Norman, Hugh Frostick, Ellie Standen, Carmel Walker, Fiona Wood, Kathryn Wearing, Arthur Greaves, Alex Coles  

Eco Whittlesford Accounts Presented by Carmel Walker
Agreed

Election of Secretary, Treasurer and Chair
Carmel Walker voted in as treasurer, Chris Gaston as secretary, Sue Ginsberg as chair.  

The business meeting was followed by a presentation by Jon Crisp, Waste Education Officer for Cambridgeshire District Council: LOVE FOOD, HATE WASTE

Looking ahead

We are always really pleased to hear from anyone who would like to raise awareness, encourage and inspire us as a community to show better care for the world and for one another. We would love to hear more for instance, about ethical banking, transport, water. 

We have a beautiful village environment. Let us celebrate it and share the beauty. If you enjoy taking photos of what you see here in Whittlesford, do pass them on to us and we can share them here on our website.

Sue Ginsberg