December 2024 Newsletter
Welcome to the December Edition of the Charnwood Eco Hub Newsletter!
The holiday season is upon us, and we’re wrapping up (sorry) the year with exciting updates and events to share with you. December is a busy time for us at the Eco Hub, and we’re thrilled to invite you to join us in spreading some sustainable holiday cheer!
This month, we’re involved in some wonderful events, including an Eco Craft Workshop at Waitrose’s Christmas Shopping Evening on the 12th December, we’ll be offering an Eco Gift Wrapping service at Fearon Hall’s Vegan Cafe on 7th December, and also at the Gardener’s Fair on 8th December.
This newsletter is packed with updates on our progress, recent events, and how you can get involved. Thank you for being part of our community as we work together to create a greener, more sustainable Charnwood.
Wishing you a joyful and eco-friendly holiday season!
From top left: The dividers going up at SOFA, our eco elf workshop, our tree at All Saints Christmas Tree Festival, Our last Eco Hub Social, paint donation from B & Q.
Exciting Progress at Charnwood Eco Hub!
The Eco Hub is taking shape, and we’re excited to share some updates on our progress!
Over the past few weeks, our team has been hard at work constructing walls to define our spaces and make the hub more functional for community activities. We’ve also started installing racking, which will help us organise materials and resources effectively as we prepare to open our doors.
And the most exciting news? We now have a launch date! We’ll be unveiling the Eco Hub to the community early in the New Year - date to be revealed in our next newsletter!
This project has been a labour of love, powered by generous donations, grants, and the unwavering support of our volunteers and partners. The hub will be a space for creativity, innovation, education, collaboration, and action, helping Charnwood embrace a greener, more sustainable future.
Stay tuned for more updates as we count down to the big day. We can’t wait to welcome you to your new Eco Hub!
A Festive Success: Last Month’s Christmas Eco Market
Last month’s Christmas Eco Market was a resounding success, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the outcome! With over 30 fantastic stalls showcasing sustainable, handmade, and eco-friendly goods, the event offered something for everyone, from unique gifts to delicious treats.
The community came out in full force, with over 2,400 people attending throughout the day. The bustling atmosphere was filled with holiday cheer, and it was inspiring to see so many people supporting local businesses and embracing sustainable shopping.
Highlights included live music from Sing It Happy choir and The Folk Folk, an eco-friendly gift wrapping service, and fresh hot food from our friends at Turnip Point.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this event possible—our volunteers, stallholders, and attendees. Your enthusiasm and support make all the difference. Together, we’ve shown how sustainability and festive spirit can go hand in hand!
We’re already looking forward to next year’s event - if you’re a stallholder and you’d like to book, click here. Stay tuned for more updates and initiatives to keep the eco-friendly momentum going!
Support us while you shop!
Looking for an easy way to make a difference this holiday season? With Easyfundraising, you can support Charnwood Eco Hub while doing your Christmas shopping online—at no extra cost to you!
Easyfundraising partners with thousands of retailers, from Amazon to John Lewis, so every time you make a purchase, a small donation is sent to our cause. It’s a simple and effective way to help fund our projects while ticking off your holiday gift list.
Signing up is quick and free. Just visit Easyfundraising, select Charnwood Eco Hub as your cause, and shop as usual. Let’s make this season of giving truly impactful! If you’d rather just donate, you can do so by donating to our Justgiving page here.
As the festive season approaches, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and excesses of Christmas. However, with a little thought and creativity, you can enjoy the holidays while reducing waste, cutting emissions, and protecting our beautiful planet. Here are some simple yet impactful ways to make your Christmas sustainable, brought to you by Charnwood Eco Hub.
1. Rethink Your Decorations
Instead of buying new decorations each year, consider using natural, recyclable, or homemade alternatives. Pinecones, dried oranges, cinnamon sticks, and sprigs of holly or evergreen branches make beautiful, biodegradable ornaments. Visit our tree at All Saints’ Christmas Tree Festival for inspiration! If you have existing decorations, treasure them—they’re often more meaningful and sustainable than mass-produced alternatives.
2. Choose Eco-Friendly Wrapping
The UK generates a staggering amount of waste during Christmas, much of it from wrapping paper. Opt for recyclable kraft paper, reusable fabric wraps, or even old maps and newspapers to wrap your gifts. Skip the glitter—it’s non-recyclable—and finish with natural twine or a reusable ribbon. Or come along to one of our eco gift wrapping sessions (see what’s on below) and let us wrap them for you!
3. Give Thoughtful, Sustainable Gifts
Support local artisans, ethical brands, or give experiences instead of physical gifts. Think workshop vouchers, concert tickets, or a donation to a charity in the recipient’s name. Homemade gifts like jams, baked goods, or knitted scarves can also add a personal and eco-conscious touch.
4. Feast Sustainably
A Christmas feast can be both delicious and eco-friendly. Plan portions carefully to avoid food waste, source ingredients locally, and consider a plant-based menu or dishes. If you have leftovers, get creative with recipes or share them with neighbors and friends.
5. Reduce Energy Usage
Lighting adds a magical touch to Christmas, but it can also use significant energy. Switch to LED fairy lights, and put them on a timer to reduce consumption. Turn off unnecessary lights and appliances to conserve energy while enjoying the holiday glow.
6. Rent, Don’t Buy
If you’re hosting and need extra furniture, crockery, or even outfits, consider renting instead of purchasing new items that might only be used once. Many local rental services offer beautiful and functional items for a fraction of the cost—and environmental impact—of buying new.
7. Opt for a Sustainable Tree
Real trees, when responsibly sourced from local growers, are generally more eco-friendly than artificial ones. Look for FSC-certified trees, or consider renting a living tree that can be replanted after the holidays. If you already have an artificial tree, the best thing you can do is keep using it for as many years as possible.
8. Recycle and Repurpose
Once the festivities are over, recycle what you can and repurpose decorations for next year. Compost your natural tree or check if your council offers a tree recycling scheme. By properly sorting waste, you ensure that materials are reused and kept out of landfills.
9. Spread Awareness (and joy!)
Encourage friends and family to adopt sustainable practices. Share tips, exchange ideas, and make eco-conscious decisions part of your festive traditions. Together, small changes can lead to a big impact.
Thank You to Our Generous Donors!
We’re thrilled to share our gratitude with B&Q and Loughborough University for their incredible support of Charnwood Eco Hub!
Thanks to B&Q’s generous donation of paint, we’ve been able to refresh and brighten up our space, creating a more welcoming environment for our community projects.
A heartfelt thank you also goes to Loughborough University for their invaluable contributions of chairs and an extractor unit. These donations will make our hub even more functional and comfortable for everyone who visits.
If your organisation may be able to donate something we can use, please get in touch.
Coming up
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Christmas Tree Festival Sundays and Thursdays through December All Saints Loughborough |
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Fruit routes walk Friday 6th December, 2PM Barefoot Orchard, Loughborough University Campus |
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Eco-friendly gift wrapping Saturday 7th December, 10AM-2PM Fearon Hall Vegan Cafe |
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Eco-friendly gift wrapping Sunday 8th December, 10AM-3PM Loughborough Gardener’s Fair |
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Fix It Group 23 Repair Cafe Sunday 8th December, 10AM-1PM Mountsorrel Memorial Centre |
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Eco Craft Workshop Thursday 12th December, 5PM-7PM Waitrose Christmas Shopping Evening |
Don’t forget to let us know about your upcoming events so that we can feature them!
Volunteer with us!
We’re looking for volunteers to join us at the Eco Hub in a wide variety of roles, including customer service, admin, social media & marketing, and tech support, and we’d love to welcome you to the team! For more information on how you can get involved email us for a volunteer application pack!