Sheffield has a proud reputation as the ‘greenest city in England’ and on this page we’ve brought together some Burngreave local, citywide, and global resources on how to reduce the damage we do to the environment.
Local projects in Burngreave(click on the title to visit the site)
Projects for gardening and more…
Green City Action – Runs a range of projects from their Grimesthorpe Allotment site and office at Abbeyfield Park House. Current project include the School for Vegetables and the Toolbank. Check out their video…
SAGE are an amazing horticultural therapy group using nature’s resources to help people with mental illness, whether through gardening (again at Grimesthorpe allotment) or through singing and creativity. Here is a stop motion film made by their members…
Hope Allotments We share a few volunteers with the Hope allotments. Again this project is to teach people to ‘grow their own’ in a supportive environment. Hope is based at the Windmill Allotments.
Recycling & reuse projects in Burngreave…
Scrapdragon is an amazing ‘creative reuse’ charity. They collect materials and make them available for crafting and community use.
Sheffield Donations for Refugees is a group collecting clothes and camping equipment to ship out to volunteers. You will find collection centres in Meersbrook and Burngreave – the Messenger is happy to take in donations too (just give us a ring to check we’re in first).
We don’t have any charity shops here anymore but there are plenty in Firth Park and some bigger charities accepting furniture will collect.
BitFIXit not so much recycling as mending. Gareth and his volunteers run a free computer mending cafe.
Cycling and transport support…
Pedal Ready run supportive sessions to help ladies learn to ride bikes. The local classes take place at Abbeyfield Park on Friday mornings with Dave. You can borrow a bike if you don’t have your own.
For up to date listings of all the environmental groups in Sheffield visit the Alt-Sheff directory
And going further afield, here are some interesting websites gathered by our resident permaculture expert, Saleema:
Labour behind the label – Fairly produced clothes
Freely downloadable book about climate change and global warming
10 great permaculture websites
- Permies.com
This site is a favorite of mine for specific questions, and to browse discussions for ideas. Topics range from big-picture questions to all types of practical advice.
2 & 3. Permaculture Worldwide Network and Permaculture Research Institute A compendium of permaculture projects and research from all over the world.
- The Permaculture Podcast
This website offers a mostly-audio experience, and it’s easy to date-reference the podcasts as they are numbered in increasing order, by the date of issue. There is a wide variety of permaculture topics, from gardens, food, and building to ethics, the vision of the permaculture movement and education. So when you are ready for a break from your computer screen, just pick a podcast that sparks your interest, and begin! - Permaculture
This website is really well-organized, both visually and in terms of content. The articles capture a wide range of topics, and are geographically diverse. Inclusion of an image and short preview with article titles really helps with navigation. My favorite highlights here include Readers’ Solutions (blog-style articles under Features tab, but also found on the main page), book reviews, and the video section. - Permaculture Project
Wayne Weiseman is a permaculture designer, and a few unique features make his website worth a visit. Unlike the preceding, much larger sites, it offers insight into a permaculture designer’s world, both creatively and practically inspiring. Of interest are the Design Portfolio, Student Projects, and the blog section. Notably, in Resources, you’ll find access to Bill Mollison’s Permaculture Pamphlets. - Deep Green Permaculture
Another smaller website, this one is by an Australian permaculture gardener and educator Angelo Eliades. The DIY Instructions section is my personal favorite, providing the basic building blocks in a clear, straightforward fashion, priceless in bringing more abstract concepts down-to-earth when feeling overwhelmed by a project. The navigation is easy, content well-labeled, and there are frequent updates. - Permaculture Principles
Permaculture Principles is another site worth a visit. It’s centered around David Holmgren’s take on the primary concepts in permaculture, as one of the system’s original co-founders. The top navigation bar displays an icon for each principle of permaculture, making it easy to explore or refresh the knowledge of these basic concepts, followed by corresponding examples. The blog and resources sections also present useful content, including free PDFs and posters in several languages. - https://www.youtube.com/
Tons of content on permaculture! - Finally, the Permaculture Association’s Permaculture Digest is a fantastic source for the latest research on permaculture, with frequent updates and some video content.
Compiled by Claire Marie Luchkina, December 2016
