Design & Reuse
Upcycling
Why spend your hard earned cash on new products, when for a fraction of the cost you can get what you need at a local auction, car boot, charity shop or the community. All that’s required is a bit of reworking and you have a bespoke item that’s just right for you.
Our Upcycling project aims to transform readily available objects into reasonably price, hand-made items in the home. We encourage those with creative talent to get involved and provide training for others who need the necessary skills.
Practical Conservation
How to get your hands dirty!
Riversmeet run practical activities to help keep our environment healthy and safe. These activities tend to be throughout the spring through to the autumn when plants are growing and the river is safer to venture into. No experience is needed, all you need is sensible footwear and clothing. Session tend to last 2 hours and have a group leader to explain what is needed and provide a supportive environment. These activities are a great way to get involvement in a quick and easy way that really makes a difference to where we live. Everybody can do something.
Community Energy
Household Energy
From our community engagement exercise we realised that "energy" or more accuratly "household energy" was a topic that the community wanted to take action on. Again the motivations are complex ranging from the need to address climate change to saving money on heating our homes.
Riversmeet developed a three phase strategy to take action in this area.Firstly to put a toe in the water with an Eco Team project to gauge the level of community interest. This proved to be high and 35 people followed the six month Eco Team programme.
The second approach was to have a practical demonstration of what can be done to insulate existing buildings.This is being done at n.2, Market Place in Partnership with Groundwork NE and will be completed in April. Ian Headford is project managing this on our behalf.
The third leg of the strategy is to do a full blown community project. We are starting to secure funds to complete a feasibility for Cockermouth and develop this approach.
Local Food
Locally there is much that we can do both personally and collectively to support the development of low input sustainable food systems, by paying more attention to what we eat and where it comes from. At a community level we can grow and eat more local produce and develop our local food economy.
We hope that you will want to join us in growing, eating and celebrating your local food.
High energy inputs into farming, food processing and retailing systems and the widespread use of pesticides, contribute to the food industries heavy carbon footprint and is responsible for much environmental damage. Globally these practices are a significant contributor to climate change and the degradation of soils and ecosystems. The need to adapt to low input systems is being driven both by rising fuel costs, national food security, the reduction of C02 emissions, as well as the conservation of global ecosystems.
If you need advice about local food, or have a food project you want help with please get in touch. Email us at food@riversmeet.org
