10 eastleigh.gov.uk
GREENER BOROUGH
Georgie’s green scheme helps Young Carers Eastleigh schoolgirl Georgie and her grandad Keith are helping local people become greener and raising money for Eastleigh Young Carers in the process. Georgie and Keith have so far raised more than £700 for the charity through the scheme they set up to recycle old mobile phones, small ink cartridges, ipads and tablets. You can drop your items at various locations around the Borough:
• Cherbourg Campus, Crestwood Community College
Local resident makes litter picking cool It’s not rubbish to pick up litter Eastleigh resident Rachel O’Brien wanted to clean up her local area; she began by picking up rubbish that she found whilst walking her dogs and now has a website encouraging others to join her. In her commitment to the zero-waste/plastic free community Rachel reduced her personal waste and plastic consumption by using refill stores, finding plastic free veg, limiting purchases and reusing items. She said: “Being a conscious consumer is a huge part of helping our planet and if we have the privilege of choice we should use that to make more eco-friendly choices.” In her blog, Rachel shares her journey of helping the environment and encourages others to get involved with litter picking bingo. Once participants mark off all the items during the month, the winner receives an eco-friendly prize.
Rachel is pleased with what the Council is doing to motivate people to be more environmentally aware; from food waste collection bins to litter and fly-tipping reporting. There are areas that Rachel would like to see improved; like increasing cycle paths and introducing electric bike hire schemes to encourage people less able to cycle which could help ease traffic problems around the Borough.
Read Rachel’s full story: eastleigh.gov.uk/MLPC Picture above: (Left to right) Rachel Sadd, Farihah Choudhury and Rachel O’Brien
Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund Local organisations can apply for up to £5,000 to help kick start or expand projects, products and services which prevent household waste and encourage reuse. Last year, Hampshire County Council awarded grant funding to 17 projects as part of the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund. The projects included setting up a repair café, a waste prevention children’s book and bespoke cooking classes focused on budgeting and waste prevention.
Do you know any groups that would be interested in applying? If so, get them to email waste. prevention@hants.gov.uk to arrange an informal discussion. There is no set date to apply by as the fund is open to Hampshire residents all year round for as long as the funding lasts.
Find out more: hants.gov.uk/waste-prevention-community
• The Crescent School • Eastleigh Library, Swan Centre • Eastleigh Baptist Church coffee shop, Wells Place • One Community Office, 75 Leigh Road • Shop Mobility, Wells Place (next to McDonald’s) • Tesco Extra, Hamble Lane Bursledon SO318GN at the customers information desk
• Good Luck Chinese Take Away, Twyford Road, Eastleigh • Shakespeare Campus, Crestwood Community College Eastleigh Young Carers support young people aged 8-18 years old whose life is significantly affected by caring for a family member who has an illness, disability, mental health issue or other problem.
If you have an old phone or some ink cartridges to be recycled - or if your business could host a recycling box – please contact partnumber@virginmedia.com for more information. Picture below: Georgie with some of the donated phones and ink cartridges.