Dress a Girl Around the World!

Is any one of the following true for you:

• you support efforts to promote the position of girls/women in poorer countries;
• you've surplus dress material (not sheer or flimsy) or thread/bias bindings you could donate;
• you've a surplus dress or two (again, not flimsy or sheer) you'd be willing to donate;
• you can sew or press sewn items?

If so, read on!
Sustainable Hayfield's newly-formed Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle sub group is joining forces with The Threadmill (based at what was Slack's Mill on Swallow House Lane) and Handmade Hayfield to make/supply some dresses for the charity Dress A Girl Around the World (see www.dressagirlaroundtheworld.co.uk) via a sewing evening to be held at The Threadmill on Wednesday September 7th 7-9.00p.m. The aim is to make 25 dresses in the evening. A flier is attached.
Could you supply materials in advance? Or make a modest donation, to help buy material or assist with postage? Or come along to sew (if you've a sewing machine, even better!) or cut materials, or press finished dresses? If so, please let Pennie Roberts know, at pennieroberts@yahoo.co.uk.
The charity advises that having a dress increases school attendance, lowers the risk of abuse and gives girls a sense of dignity- all absolutely vital.
Thanks for your support. And I hope that you're able to enjoy these summer days......wherever you may be.

AGM & Small Electricals Recycling

Thanks to the nearly 30 people who turned up for our AGM and some brainstorming afterwards: ideas aired there will go forward to help shape what we do. And particular thanks to those attending who 'stepped forward' by indicating interest in discrete areas of our activity. 'Food' and 'recycling' were the two most commonly-expressed areas of interest and, in the wake of that evening, our food and recycling sub groups have both arranged imminent get-togethers to consider 'next steps'. If you want to know more, let me know.

If your interest is biodiversity, you may wish to know our colleagues at Transition New Mills are holding another 'balsam bashing session at The Picker, on Monday 1 August 18:30 – 20:30, The Picker, New Mills. Meet at bridge between Dye House Lane and Hyde Bank Rd. In truth, you don't need to 'bash', you pull up easily. It's a good cause and it making a difference in reducing the spread of this invasive weed, which smothers almost every other plant once it's established. Wear sensible footwear and gloves.

On the recycling front, do you know about the positive new service run by High Peak Council's contractors? You can now leave surplus small electrical items for collection, by placing them alongside your black or green bin on the appropriate collection day, saving you a trip to 'the tip'. Items which can be left out are listed below (leave plus/cables intact but remove batteries, which can be recycled at the library):

• Kettles, toasters, irons and other small kitchen appliances, hairdryers, hair straighteners and clippers, clocks, watches, calculators and torches, remote controls, mobile phones, cameras and chargers, radios, CD and MP3 players, small electronic toys e.g. remote control cars, small power tools, smoke detectors and thermostats

The council's contractors won't collect: anything larger than 30cm x 40cm, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, televisions, computer monitors and laptops, fridges and freezers, washing machines, cookers and microwave ovens, glass or ceramic items e.g. slow cookers or glass kettles. If you leave them out, you'll just have to take them back in again and dispose of them via other means.

AGM Tuesday 19th July

Upcoming Activities

Two upcoming activities which may whet your appetite and which you might think about supporting...

First, if you're interested in the work we do at the library garden or - more generally - in food and food-related matters, there's an informal meeting of like-minded folk tomorrow (Wednesday) evening, 8.00p.m., at The Royal to consider future activities of our 'food group'. Everyone's welcome, even if you've not been involved before. Ask for Ellen Bennett on arrival, and join the chat.

If you can't make it but are interested please let Ellen know (ellenkbennett@yahoo.co.uk or on 07742 968436) know and she'll keep you in the loop.

Second, a reminder about our open evening next Tuesday, 19th July (from 7.30p.m., again at The Royal) when, after our very brief AGM, we'll be considering what we can and should do to help make Hayfield a more sustainable community. We'll be looking ahead, with the involvement of everyone present, at some possible priorities for Sustainable Hayfield activity in the near- and medium-term future.

We're really keen to hear ideas you may have about what we can do and, from discussion, identify a few areas we can and should focus on. There'll be a short film clip to show and some drinks and nibbles to help things along. Everyone's welcome, so - if you've some thoughts about what we should be doing, or just want to get a bit involved with what we do - come along. We hope to see you there!

Summer Newsletter

Please find attached our summer newsletter, packed with the usual goodies, information and ideas. We hope you enjoy it.

Contents:

• AGM/EVENT POSTER
• WHAT’S 19TH JULY ALL ABOUT?
• BREXIT – WHAT NOW?
• WE’RE WARMING UP...
• CUTTING YOUR CO2 – GARDENING
• CUTTING YOUR CO2 - KEEPING COOL
• CUTTING YOUR CO2 - WATER USE
• SAVE NEW MILLS SCHOOL 6TH FORM
• TRIP TO FAMOUS ECO CENTRE
• FOOD/LIBRARY GARDEN UPDATE
• SHARING SKILLS
• A JUICER – FOR FREE!
• COMMITTEE CONTACT DETAILS
• UPCOMING EVENTS

Can we draw your attention to the front cover and brief note on page 2 concerning our forthcoming event, Tuesday 19th July at The Royal, starting at 7.30p.m.?

We'll have our AGM (takes about 15 minutes) and then we'll move on to an exercise in getting folks' ideas about what a sustainable Hayfield might look like (what we want to see, what we need to do etc.). It's a real opportunity for interested supporters to bring ideas, share them, respond to others', to help guide our future actions. We'll provide some drinks and nibbles to keep things well-oiled. There should also be a short film. We do hope you'll join us, and join in. See you there?

Up for a Bash?

This grand weather is for being outdoors - if so, are you up for a bash?

Our friends at Transition New Mills are in their third year of 'bashing the balsam' (Himalayan Balsam, that is, a hugely invasive plant which smothers virtually all else once it gets a foothold, often along ditches/streamsides). it's recognised nationally as an unwelcome invasive plant and much effort goes into its eradication: Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, amongst others, is active in providing advice on how to deal with it.

If you'd like to help out the following sessions have been organised in coming weeks:

• Monday 6th June 6.30 - 8.00pm The Picker
  Meet at junction of High St, Dye House Lane and Hyde Bank Rd Leader : David Blowers
• Monday 13th June 6.30 - 8.00pm The Torrs
  Meet at Torrs Hydro Leader : Jill Hulme Saturday 25th June 10.30-12.30 Mousley Bottom Meet at DCC Rangers Hut Leader: Julian Ashworth

If you're moved to help out, you're advised to wear stout footwear. Gloves and long sleeves are more comfortable, given the balsam can be several feet high. Transition New Mills has some gloves for loan if you don't have any yourself.

Upcoming and of Interest?

Here's a few very current events/activities in the village which may be of interest to you (in date order):

1. You may have already seen the current exhibition in the library, commemorating the Civic Trust's 45 years of volunteer effort on Hayfield's behalf. If you haven't, it's an attractive introduction to the range of the Trust's work and - if it encourages a few additional new members - so much the better! The exhibition is there until the end of June;
2. Sustainable Hayfield is organising an activity session at the library garden this Saturday, 21st May at 3pm, for an hour or two. At this, the focus will be on: Weeding all the beds and around the fruit bushes Hopefully planting - courgettes, peas, beans... Everyone's welcome - and if you've any surplus plants you're happy to see planted or swap with someone else, so much the better. There'll be some tools, but please bring your own. And - if you need an incentive - there'll be home-made cakes and biscuits for the workers!
3. On Wednesday 25th May at 7.30p.m., there's a talk at the Village Hall, again organised by the Civic Trust, on 'Samuel Oldknow, His Life, Times and Legacy'. Oldknow was one of the prime innovators in the Industrial Revolution and had very strong local roots, notably at Marple and Mellor. The lecturer, Bob Humphrey-Taylor, organises and supervises the volunteer excavations which - underway for some time - at Mellor Mill and is a trustee of the Mellor Archaeological Trust.