Suggestions please - what makes an Environment event worth attending for you?

londonsurrey

I volunteer at a local group, to do with all things green and energy conservation. There are talks and shows every month, lasting a couple of hours, in the evening.

I was wondering, as this board is full of people with households to run, needs to be met, etc, if you would attend such an event in a local village hall, if there were also something else going on in the same place, and if so, what would interest you?

A couple of things that occur to me are:
- free herbs
- a local allotment group sell off excess seedlings, eg tomato plants at 10-20p each
- a seed swap
- a local handicraft/jewellery maker with wares to sell?

Hermia

Definitely freebies for me! If I am going to make an effort to go somewhere I'd want a bit more than information as I can get that on the internet. I notice your list of suggestions is quite garden-related. I went to an energy-saving event a couple of years ago and all the giveaways were all garden related and a lot of the people visiting were flat-dwellers (it was held in a city centre location)! I think if there were things to buy I'd probably prefer it to be energy-saving things related to the home or even homemade jam rather than jewellery.

kingfisherblue

Could you invite local Guiding or Scouting groups and maybe do some planting with them? They might bring their parents as well

Or contact your local council and see if they have any schemes where local residents can get free compost or reduced price composters.

Maybe think about a demonstration or two.

Have home made cakes and some decent coffee at reasonable prices to encourage people to sit and stay for a while.

Have a raffle - maybe a local gardener can give half a day of his time to improve someone's garden, or a local or specialist company could donate equipment as prizes.

There are some charities that encourage gardening for the disabled - if there is one not too far away, could they have a stall?

Have a book stall to encourage recycling reading matter

mgdavid

if you are that concerned about the environment maybe you should encourage peeps to stay at home of an evening?

MX5huggy

mgdavid wrote: »

if you are that concerned about the environment maybe you should encourage peeps to stay at home of an evening?

If everyone leaves the house turns off their heating and huddles in the village hall the planet will be saved.

busiscoming2

I like the idea of the cheap plants and definitely subsidised compost bins and water butts.

I love the idea of free herbs!

I'd also prefer home made jams, chutneys etc to jewellery. In fact any home made food is good, as is fresh fruit and veg.

MandM90

Vegan/veggie edible treats :beer:

londonsurrey

Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions.

We've got a couple of vegan bakers, so it's nice to hear that their offerings will be appreciated.

About the herbs, would you find it handy if it were a little bundle of bay leaves, rosemary, chives, mint? Just enough for a couple of meals with each herb.

FatVonD

How about seed sharing, I never need the whole pack? A swapping vegetables scheme for if you have a glut of one thing?

Garden plants/seedlings would always draw me in.

tea_lover

Some great ideas there. I have to admit the first thing that sprang to mind for me was biscuits - but then it usually is!

I really like the idea of seed/produce swapping. Not that I grow anything yet but I'd love to get started.

I bet you're nowhere near the Midlands though are you?

londonsurrey

tea_lover wrote: »

Some great ideas there. I have to admit the first thing that sprang to mind for me was biscuits - but then it usually is!

I really like the idea of seed/produce swapping. Not that I grow anything yet but I'd love to get started.

I bet you're nowhere near the Midlands though are you?

No, but there might be groups near you, and if not, you could start one?