GREAT Community Environmental Action Group

As the world locked down in 2020, I started a small environmental action team in my local community. We called ourselves GREAT; a name that lends itself to some...er...great headlines, in our local parish newsletter. Fast forward two years and GREAT is still going strong.

Neighbours who barely knew each other now work together to improve the biodiversity and environmental awareness of our group of villages. GREAT members have written over 20 parish newsletter articles on a range of subjects including how to use Freecycle, make compost, encourage bees and butterflies into the garden, get out into nature and start a waste workout ahead of the 123+ waste contract.

GREAT have planted over 500 native tree and hedge saplings provided by The Woodland Trust, as part of The Queen's Green Canopy. We may be small but it's GREAT to know that we're making a difference, together. I think it helps that we're self-organising - so no committee meetings and no one 'runs' it. We all have projects that interest us and we just make things happen between us. It's creative and effective. And very refreshing!

- From Tass Smith, founding member of GREAT