Newark and Sherwood District Council hails success of national ‘Great Big Green Week’ environmental campaign

A national environmental campaign has been hailed as a success following a week of events and initiatives across the district.

Great Big Green Week, which ran from June 8 to June 16, aims to raise awareness and celebrate community action to tackle climate change.

This year Newark and Sherwood District Council got involved to support and promote work being done to tackle climate change and protect the planet.

Andrew Kirk, business manager for environmental services, said: “What a fantastic week we have had celebrating the sustainable work being done in our communities.

“We all want a sustainable future for Newark and Sherwood and getting to chat to so many residents, community groups, and local partners about how we can achieve that has been inspiring.

“As always, it has been a pleasure to work alongside so many of our local partners and I’d like to say thank you to everyone that got involved in the week, from our officers and partners to the volunteers and event visitors, it’s fantastic to see our community come together to make a change.”

Over the week, the council's activities included:

Street Scene Focus Week in Southwell – The council’s Street Scene Team spent time during the week tidying green spaces in Southwell, using sustainable methods of maintenance.

In 2020 the council stopped using glyphosate in the town’s parks and cemeteries, and then in 2023 partnered up with Nottinghamshire County Council on a herbicide-free maintenance trial, committing to not using glyphosate on all open spaces and housing communal land in the area.

Limiting pesticide use has been found to not only provide health and safety benefits, it also helps support and protect biodiversity by allowing wildflowers, insects, birds and mammals to thrive.

Green Champions Scheme – A brand-new initiative was launched for residents who are keen to help clean their area.

Residents can now sign up to become a Green Champion and will receive all the litter picking essentials they need including litter bags, litter pickers, a high-vis vest, and easy access to log their litter picking activities.

Bags of waste collected by the council’s Waste Crew. To sign up today visit: https://ow.ly/xlHj50SfBgJ

999 Safety Event at Sconce and Devon Park – The council teamed up with safety partners from across the district, including the Police and Fire and Rescue Service, to host a five-day safety event at Sconce and Devon Park.

Over the week they ran educational sessions targeting a variety of safety advice and issues, including wildlife crime and the impact littering has on our waterways and oceans.

Sessions also focused on water safety, fire hazards, first aid training and more!

Thoresby Public Event – Over the weekend, officers joined the Sherwood Forest Trust at Thoresby Hall to take part in their Woodland Festival, a weekend event full of fun activities to celebrate the woodland and its wildlife and promote environmental sustainability to protect its future.

Council officers spoke with visitors about recycling, including the new kerbside glass recycling service, handing out free dog owner essentials and offering responsible dog ownership advice.

Primary Schools Birdbox Giveaway – At the beginning of the year the council donated over 20 birdboxes to local primary schools and, as part of Great Big Green Week, the council asked schools to send an update on how they’re getting on with their box.

Feedback from school has been positive, with pupils logging what birds have been spotted so far, and the boxes have been incorporated into their learn from observing the wildlife.

Projects such as this are aimed at engaging younger generations in protecting and enhancing biodiversity and, following the positive feedback, the council will look to explore similar giveaways in the future.