Greenwood

Transforming Meanwood into Greenwood!

Can you help us turn Meanwood into Greenwood?

We are an enthusiastic group of local people who want to help transform Meanwood into a green, sustainable, healthy place to live. It’s time we addressed our contribution to the climate crisis - and we need your help. Thinking Global: As part of the 2030 Vision for Meanwood, our BIG aim is for Meanwood to become an environmentally sustainable neighbourhood with people-friendly streets and clean air, low energy homes, and eco-friendly businesses, so that everyone can enjoy a healthy life.

Acting Local:

We believe everyone can help in SMALL ways to protect our beautiful planet (see tips for individuals below).

Equally, we believe Meanwood’s businesses and organizations have a key role to play, both making their own operations environmentally friendly, and enabling individuals to lead more sustainable lives. That’s why we’ve launched a Greenwood pledge for businesses, please see the pledge on the website.

Business Engagement

We have been really fortunate to have support from Leeds University, who have provided us with two PhD students and a Masters student over the course of the past two years to really push this project on. This has also been tied to some great support from Leeds City Council, which we are hoping will really focus the next stage of project development, and offer businesses a tangible goal. We are hoping to support businesses to engage with LEP funding!

We have already had some notable successes. Local businesses Tandem, Flavour Like Fancy, Alfreds and Lightspace have all recieved their Green entry-level awards, and Tandem have started delivering their cardboard to Meanwood Valley Farm, reducing their recycling waste.

The project continues to go from strength to strength. If you are a local business and want to get involved, then please come to one of our open sessions at LightSpace. The next three are at 7 pm on Tuesday 10th January, Tuesday 7th February, Tuesday 7th March.

You can also read about the work we have already done in this brilliant report from the first phase of the project!

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Small changes individuals can make to help Greenwood become a reality:

Transport

Make fewer journeys by car and drive slower. Try not to use a car for journeys of less than a mile (20-minute walk).
Change your car less frequently and consider electric or hybrid cars. Consider car-free days
Walk more, use the bus and train, try cycling
Reduce the number of flights you take in a year, ideally to zero

Buildings /Homes

Reduce electricity and gas usage – turn down your thermostat by 1 degree
Insulate your loft, floors, walls, doors, and windows
Sign up with a renewable energy supplier
Consider solar panels
Conserve water - take shorter showers, install a half flush on your loo
Wash clothes less, on a shorter cycle, and at 30 degrees C

Garden

Rewild your garden, wildflower seeds for pollinating insects
Install rainwater butts
Build a wildlife pond
Grow your own fruit and vegetables, and share produce with neighbours
Compost all garden and organic waste

Food consumption

Consume at least 50% less meat and dairy
Consider going vegetarian or vegan
Grow some of your own food
Reduce food waste, use up leftovers

General consumption

Buy fewer clothes or buy second hand, and repurpose older ones
Buy fewer new things – refuse, repair, recycle, renew
Ditch single-use plastic. Repurpose plastic
Look for Eco-friendly alternatives - bamboo, shampoo bars.
Join or start a shared Library of Things
Donate to and use charity shops

DOWNLOAD FULL FLYER HERE

Every month we are going to set the people of Meanwood a green challenge- for example:

Meat Free Monday, Walk-in Wednesday, Freeze-it Friday, Share-it Saturday and we’ll encourage you to tell us how you get on.

Greenwood business pledge

Organisations and businesses have a crucial role to play transforming Meanwood into Greenwood. Sign the pledge and we’ll send you a Greenwood Mark to display in your window, and you could even become Greenwood’s business of the month!

Upcoming events

Meanwood Valley Partnership AGM Tuesday 27th July, join us to find out more about Greenwood and much more click here for more info
August Event – come and join us with an outdoors child-focused, everyone can get involved, super-fun set of activities for you, your friends and family - watch this space to find out more!

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There are some local people already doing amazing things to help the planet:

http://www.zerowasteleeds.org.uk – offer all sorts of recycling advice

http://www.tandemleeds.com – offer cleaning product refills

http://www.mvuf.org.uk – fixing and selling second-hand bikes

http://www.leedsuniformexchange.org.uk – re-using second-hand school uniforms.

https://www.lemonbalm.org.uk

https://www.facebook.com/BuynowtLS6

www.trashnothing.com

https://www.lemonbalm.org.uk/ - ready steady grow and gardening for wellbeing

https://interact.uk.net/ylpmeanwood/ - your local pantry in Meanwood

https://www.facebook.com/groups/725275438229627 - local Meanwood plant swap group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/858567591150989 - campaign for plastic-free takeaways in Meanwood

https://www.facebook.com/groups/131861078705515 - litter-free Meanwood

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2007182396093415 - C.R.A.P LS6

Facebook

Litter Free Meanwood

Meanwood Plastic-free takeaways

Let us know any more Local Heroes doing great green things in Meanwood and we can add a link here to find out more.

Get involved!

To find out about how to get involved in transforming Meanwood into Greenwood email meanwoodvp@hotmail.com or visit www.lovemeanwood.org.uk to read the full vision.

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Find out more / Get in touch / Take part.

Social media @lovemeanwood

Festival @meanwoodfestival

Post your photos of Meanwood on Instagram with the hashtag #lovemeanwood or #meanwoodfestival

Love Meanwood is grateful to the following for their generous funding of our project:

the website of Meanwood Valley Partnership

email us