Saturday 25 November 2023

Congratulations to our Energy group for being shortlisted for a Community Energy Award!

Sustainable Hayfield was recently advised that the work of its Energy sub group had been shortlisted for a national award by Community Energy England.

It was for work we did to set up and progress our 'Home Energy MOT' project earlier this year. That saw over 100 parish households provided with free energy advice and supply and installation of low level insulation aides, attracting universally positive feedback. The category we were entered in to was 'Collaboration in the Community', which was a feature of the project.

We knew the project had been a great success, with many households involved subsequently taking forward their own, further, improvements, assisted by advice given. But we were still stunned by this nomination, getting through to the final four in this category..The awards were handed out at an awards ceremony at The Lowry Theatre, Salford Quays, last Friday. Unfortunately, we didn't win our category.


We were represented at the ceremony by team members Graham Hirst, Richard Noakes and Peter Burgess-Allen, from MEA, our partner agency in the project. A fourth team member, Laurie James, couldn't attend due to ill-health.

Well done us, in little old Hayfield!

Team Sustainable Hayfield

Friday 17 November 2023

Recycling Directory

Reducing, re-using and finally recycling has always been an important part of Sustainable Hayfield’s mission. Reducing our consumption of unnecessary ‘stuff’ and re-using, repairing or upcycling what we already have should get our greatest attention. However there will always be items that we no longer need or want and can’t pass on or upcycle. 

It is important that we keep as much out of landfill as possible. When we throw something away we need to remember there is no such place as ‘away’ - everything has to go somewhere. The world of recycling is complex and can be confusing. In an attempt to help make sense of this and reduce landfill Sustainable Hayfield recyclers have been working with others to produce a Recycling Directory. In particular St John’s have taken on a key role as a collection point for specific items as part of their journey towards becoming an Eco church. Our thanks for the work they have done to help with this directory. 

Click above.

This directory is a start and we hope that people will have ideas and information to add to it. It can be amended as we learn more about how people are successfully keeping stuff out of landfill by selling, donating or re-using unwanted items. Please let us have comments, success stories, additions or other information by email to iampennieroberts@gmail.com. 

Please use the header SH Recycling Directory, and find it useful. 
A QR code will be used to publicise the availability of the directory and laminated posters going up around the village. 

Please, click here or on the image to the left to open the directory, or access via the QR code. 

We hope you find this useful.

Friday 15 September 2023

 


Dear Sustainable Hayfield  Member/Supporter

We all know the days of domestic  gas boilers are numbered, due to the greenhouse gas emissions involved in their use. The UK government has already announced that, in a few years’ time, it will be illegal to sell, buy or install new boilers of this kind..

But what comes next in what will be a major revolution in domestic energy supply?  The government  is curently backing widespread introduction of air source heat pumps, for which substantial grants are available. And they’re the focus of our illustrated talk in Hayfield next Thursday, 21st September.    

Local resident Richard Lowe wanted the best for his home, so set out to research what was available and suitable for his property. He then contacted and evaluated installers and has since overseen installation of his chosen air source heat pump model and is actively monitoring its performance, through collection of detailed records, and learning to manage it most effectively.

Richard will be sharing his learning on many  aspects of such pumps (size, noise, energy efficiency, access to funding support, value for money, need for any complementary heating and the like). His talk will interest all those who may be thinking about starting the same journey but who want ‘best value’ and independent advice and experience to call upon.

The talk is free, and open to all. It starts at about 8.15p.m., immediately after Sustainable Hayfield’s  brief AGM, to which, again, all are invited, starting at 7.30p.m..  It's all at St John’s Church.  Can you be there? 

Regards  

Laurie James
for Sustainable Hayfield
 
 



 
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Wednesday 6 September 2023

Dear Members,

We hereby give notice that our AGM of members will be held at St John's Church at 7.30pm on Thursday 21st September, and will comprise a short business section until 8.15pm followed by a presentation on domestic heat pumps from a local resident who has recently installed one.

All members and non members are invited, and encouraged to attend, though please note only members can vote on meeting resolutions.

Please see below for a copy of the agenda, and associated papers to review prior to the meeting. 

We look forward to seeing you there.  

Agenda

Minutes of previous meeting

Annual Report

Accounts

We look forward to seeing you there,


Thanks

Sustainable Hayfield Trustees


Tuesday 18 July 2023

Summer Newsletter 2023

 

View this email in your browser
Dear Sustainable Hayfield  Member/SupporterYour Sustainable Hayfield Summer 2023 newsletter is attached. You can access it here.We hope you find it of interest, and that it helps secure your continuing support for what we try to do. Do let us know what you would like to see featured in future issues, or anything else you think we should be doing..Thank you  Laurie Jamesfor Sustainable Hayfield

Home Energy MOT Evaluation Report

Dear Sustainable Hayfield  Member/Supporter

As promised in our recent newsletter to you, we're delighted to attach the evaluation report for our Home Energy MOT project, launched today. The report is here

The project offered free advice and low level insulation/energy efficiency aides to every willing home in the parish, aiming to reduce bills and cut carbon emissions. Over 100 households took up the offer. Customer reaction was very positive and many participating households are taking forward their own further improvements, informed by the advice they received. Customer quotes feature prominently in the report. Might you recognise your own comments?

The project has demonstrated 'proof of concept', that a wide range of households will commit to home energy improvements, and reduce their carbon emissions, if schemes offering this are simple to access, easily delivered - and free!  We are circulating this report widely, to encourage other localities to consider doing something similar - and initial reaction from major public bodies has been very positive!..

We hope you might enjoy reading the report. Thank you  

Team Sustainable Hayfield
 
 



 


Saturday 24 June 2023

Plastic Free July



With June coming to end, we are hoping that all of our supporters will join us for the plasticfreejuly challenge!

Whether you are well on the way to a plastic free lifestyle, or only just starting, this is the challenge for you. Just sign up at the level that suits you - I am signing up to "avoid using single use plastic" - and then have fun redesigning parts of your life that you need to to avoid it! That is all there is to it!

Click here to find out more and sign up! https://www.plasticfreejuly.org 

or watch the video here https://youtu.be/ByayHG5CscE

Have fun, and don't forget to tell us how you get on!







Sunday 23 April 2023

It's Election Time - Here's a brief look at the candidates standing to help our members make an informed choice.....

 Dear Sustainable Hayfield Member/Supporter


Elections for High Peak Borough and Hayfield Parish Council are coming up fast. Postal voters will probably already have had their ballot pepers.

But who to vote for amongst the names? We asked all candidates for the Hayfield ward of High Peak Borough Council and all those standing for Hayfield Town ward at the Parish Council to supply us with some words, setting out their priorities. The replies we received - from one borough council candidate and seven parish council candidates - are in the attached document, together with other basic information about voting process.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1py4_IOfYjewZXuQ3HQd7ArCRALdxbsZ71ieXoz8ragA/edit?usp=sharing
Two candidates were nominated for the two seats to represent Sett Ward on Hayfield Parish Council, so no election is being held there. We are seeking equivalent statements from the candidates standing for the Sett Ward on High Peak Council.

We hope this assists you in making your choices. And we thank those candidates who responded to our request for their views.

Sincerely

The Sustainable Hayfield team

Sunday 16 April 2023

Spring 2023 Newsletter

Dear Sustainable Hayfield  Member/Supporter

Your spring 2023 issue of our Sustainable Hayfield newsletter is here.  We hope you find its contents of interest and even, maybe, enjoyable!

Because of a small delay in its publication, I'd want to highlight mention of imminent events which may be of interest to you, viz:
* the talk on biodiverse woodland management tonight, Tuesday, at Glossop (page 4);
* the invitation to a Zoom meeting on Thursday for those interested in  participating in the 'Big One' march in London (page 2), and;
* the work session at the Library garden this coming Saturday (page 4).

Hopefully, these prompts will prompt you to open the newsletter - promptly!  

Thanks for your continuing support.

Laurie James
for Sustainable Hayfield
 
 



 


Wednesday 29 March 2023

 PARISH COUNCIL ELECTIONS - WHY NOT TRY YOUR HAND?

Have you ever thought of contributing your skills and passion to being a Parish Councillor? And changing the way we can support our community by advancing practical ideas to make it a more sustainable, greener and valued place?

You'll know that elections are coming up soon, including for Hayfield Parish Council. Currently, there's several vacancies on the Parish Council and it would be good to have a 'slate' of candidates from whom to choose. As the lowest tier of public democracy, party politics has little role to play in Parish Councils, but ideas are always welcome!

The Parish Council meets monthly, and is serviced by a Clerk. Parish Councils are a good way in which to propose, and get adopted, policies and initiatives you feel strongly about..Andy Barker, our Parish Clerk, can give you a run down on what's involved in being a Parish Councillor. He can be contacted at clerk@hayfield-pc.gov.uk.

If you are interested, details about the nomination process are on the High Peak Council website. It looks complicated, but is pretty straightforward. The thing some people find confusing is getting details of the two sponsors you need (their polling district and voter number), but Andy can help with that, since he's got the information you'll need.

Why not give it a go? Existing Parish Councillors probably felt as you do, if you've never done anything like this before, but they've managed it successfully. There's no reason why you shouldn't!. Nominations need to be in by 4.00p.m. Tuesday, 4th April.

And, if you decide to try your hand, good luck!

Regards

The Sustainable Hayfield team

Friday 3 March 2023

 FINAL CALL HOME ENERGY MOT!!

Thanks to all who stopped by at Sustainable Hayfield's Home Energy MOT stall last weekend. On a cold morning, we had a good deal of interest and 15 more households signed up for a Home Energy Visit, assessment of energy efficiency and prospective installation of low level insulation aides. And we gave away 70 soft draught excluders to those who wanted them!
We've now had requests for visits and possible installations from over 125 Hayfield households, which is excellent. But we can manage more. People we met who'd had a visit already all said how much they appreciated the help given, and how valuable the visit turned out to be.
Why not join them in this unique scheme, which provides essential checks on your boiler and radiator controls, assesses levels of loft insulation, and provides free fitting, where requested, of draught proofing, radiator reflector foils, LED lights, letter box covers and more, all designed to reduce fuels bills and keep you warm? To sign up:
* simply email your contact details and address to shayfieldenergygroup@gmail.com, or
* pick up, complete, and return a visit request slip at the library, Hayfield News or The Post Office/Village Store.
We'll then contact you and arrange a visit at a conveneint time for you. It's that simple!
Thank you.
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Saturday 11 February 2023

 

Dear Sustainable Hayfield Member/Supporter

JOIN YOUR NEIGHBOURS - KEEP WARM & USE LESS ENERGY - FOR FREE!
Want to keep warm but save on your bills? Want to keep out draughts and be more energy-efficient? Want to do all this for free?
You can, just like more than 90 of your neighbours who’ve already signed up to our Home Energy MOT scheme! We’ve now got some extra funding, meaning we can extend the scheme and respond to requests from even more parish households. Feedback to date is very positive. Here’s some examples; 
“The visit was an eye-opener in the sense that small adjustments can make a difference. The LED lights were great as they’ve brightened the rooms – and are considerably cheaper to run”
“I live alone and was very impressed by the help given. The fitting of a letter box cover made an immediate difference. The advice re keeping warm and saving energy was superb”
“Many thanks, an invaluable service”
“….the house feels warmer, draughts have been reduced and my landlord has agreed to have loft insulation fitted this week! Thank you!”
“Graham’s thorough checks were reassuring, particularly the loft insulation as I can no longer get up there. Helpful adjustment of boiler temperature. A very good service.”
“ Friendly face, good advice, very helpful.”
The scheme offers a free service, involving a visit from a local, qualified, experienced staff member from Marches Energy Agency who can
- install draught-proofing tape and strips for draughty windows and doors;
- fit draught excluders to the bottom of doors to stop seepage of heat;
- install letter box covers to ensure warm air doesn’t escape;
- fit LED long life, energy-efficient bulbs to replace older, short-life types;
- fit electric socket timers, to ensure power’s only used when needed;
- fit radiator reflector foil, ensuring all radiator heat warms your rooms;
- check boiler controls and radiator valves, to ensure they’re set correctly;
- advise on the adequacy of your loft insulation levels, and;
- discuss more targetted help, if needed, but only if you agree. .
All of this happens – or as much or little of it as you want – in one visit! And it’s all entirely free to you.
If you’d like a visit, do one of the following:

  • contact Sustainable Hayfield’s Energy Group at shayfieldenergygroup@gmail.com, with your contact details;
  • pick up and complete the very simple request slip which is at Hayfield News, The Village Store or Hayfield library, and place in the secure boxes located there.

Once you’ve requested a visit, we’ll get in contact and make arrangements.   This is a unique, free  scheme, just for the parish, so don’t miss out! 

Regards
The Sustainable Hayfield team 
 

Sunday 29 January 2023

Winter 23 Newsletter

Welcome to your winter 2023 Sustainable Hayfield newsletter, packed full of material, and with a focus on positive experiences and actions. Click here to see it. 

As you read, we'd ask you to do three things, if you'll be so kind:
1. look out for the events/discussions signalled on pages 2 and 3 and consider joining in (January 5th, 12th and 20th);
2. consider signing up for our very successful Home Energy MOT scheme, as over 90 of your neighbours have. Cut your energy use, bills and emissions, all for free!. It makes so much practical sense (contact details are on page 4)
 3. consider, if you have not done so already, becoming a member of Sustainable Hayfield. It gives you some rights supporters do not have, and absolutely no obligations. And it's free! Contact Pennie Roberts at iampennieroberts@gmail.com and she'll confirm your membership - simple!.  

We hope you enjoy this issue of the newsletter. As ever, we're happy to receive any ideas or suggestions for future content. Let us know at sustainablehayfielduk@gmail.com. Thanks!.  .

Laurie James
for the Sustainable Hayfield team

Show the Love this February!

Why not  #ShowTheLove for our planet this February / Valentines Day? People across the UK will be painting, drawing, stitching, printing or otherwise designing green hearts for window displays to demonstrate their public commitment to work for a greener, cleaner, safer world, which values biodiversity, fairness and sustainability. Might you join them? And, if you wish, why not write a letter to our MP, enclosing a grreen heart and ask him to do what he can to promote government actions which help secure that reality and make more progress on the huge tasks facing us to achieve net zero within a decent period. He couln't help but notice a cluster of green hearts arriving in his mailbox/bag.! Details of the wider campaign are at https://www.theclimatecoalition.org/show-the-love


Thank you!

The Sustainable Hayfield Team 

We are pleased to announce that our Apple Day will be going ahead on 12th October at Hayfield Primary School again this from 1 - 4.30pm. It ...