The group was set up in 2007 to explore ways of working towards sustainability in various aspects of the life of the community: energy-saving and energy-generation, local food production, sustainable transport, waste and recycling. Income for its activities was generated for several years largely by processing and selling firewood from trees, which have had to be felled in the village or the Park.
We organise events from time to time, such as our apple-juicing morning to coincide with the Allotment Surplus Sale on the first Saturday of October, or visits to the Ardley Energy Recovery Facility.
Our main activities are illustrated in the photograph above of the SK stall at the Village Fete, 2019: a presentation of our Clean Energy Project at the Village Hall; suggestions for personal undertakings to tackle the climate emergency; photographs of both the school strikes and Extinction Rebellion actions; local produce for sale; planters for sale, made from recycled offcuts from a local door-making company; samples of plastic-free products from www.theplasticfreeshop.co.uk and a children’s recycling activity.
We work regularly with the Eco Council at Kirtlington School and with KWACS on their conservation projects.
We hold roughly monthly meetings in the Hazel Room at the Village Hall, with speakers and films on various topics. Our meetings are normally on the third Thursday of the month.
Details of activities and meetings may be found on this post: https://kirtlingtonvillage.co.uk/sustainable-kirtlington-events
Achievements:
2009 SK organised a Great Green Footprint Fair, awarded a prize for initiative by the Oxford-based organisation, ClimateXchange. The fair led eventually to restitution of the Kirtlington Village Fete.
2009 We organised an energy-efficiency survey and thermal imaging for village households interested in reducing their energy use.
2010-2013 We worked on the Flights Mill Hydro scheme, put on hold when the Mill changed hands.
2010 With the Eco Reps at the school and the film-maker Andy Russell, we made a film ‘The Waste Case’, which won first prize at the ‘OSCAs’ (Oxfordshire Sustainability and Conservation Awards).
2011 We organised, with Sustainable Woodstock, Kidlington vs Climate Change and Low Carbon North Oxford, a group-buying scheme for solar pv, leading to the installation of pv panels on 10 properties in Kirtlington.
2012 We arranged for a film to be made of the ‘Green Cred Scheme’ that we had run at the school since 2008.
2013 We set up a working group to apply (successfully) for Eco Centre status for the Village Hall.
2015 We started the wild flower patch beside the Village Hall.
2016 We were awarded a grant by the Low Carbon Hub to install energy-efficient water heaters in the toilets and kitchen at the Village Hall.
2018 We organised a group visit to the Ardley Energy Recovery Facility.
2018-2019 The Clean Energy Project at the Village Hall: installation of 32 solar pv panels on the roof, a battery to store excess energy and 2 electric vehicle charging points.
Membership
SK has a steering group of 9, a close membership of 9 and a wider mailing list of 25. At present there is no membership fee, but at meetings we ask for donations to cover the costs of room hire, refreshments and other expenses.
Contact
Comments or questions are welcome.