GREG Summer Update '25
Green Supper, Sheffield Energy Hub and Plans
Bees and Birds Green Supper, May ‘25
Thanks to everyone who came along to the Green Supper on May 16th, and to all those who helped organise, and donate cakes, plants and raffle prizes. It was a relaxed and very enjoyable evening: a great opportunity for the local community to meet; share great conversation; good food (courtesy of Firas and the team at Open Kitchen Social Club) and enjoy the raffle and highly entertaiing bird song quiz.
Huge credit and thanks are due to Sara Romanowski, chair of the Sheffield Beekeepers’ Association, for her enthralling talk about beekeeping. It was a fascinating introduction to the complex social structure of honeybees and an insight into how the queen bee and her workers cooperate and communicate to keep their hive functioning.
At the end of her talk Sara reminded us to be on the lookout for yellow-legged (Asian) hornets which can have a devastating effect on populations of honeybee and other pollinators. If you come across a yellow legged hornet please report the sighting as soon as possible using this link.
The proceeds from the supper will be used to support future activities and events, and to fund more planting for pollinators in the neighbourhood.
Trio, Holy Trinity, Grove Road
We are fortunate to have Holy Trinity Church on Grove Road, and have based many of our community events in and around the church hall, so it seems fitting that the theme of this Summer/Whitsuntide's edition of the parish magazine (Trio) - is “Sacred Earth”. The magazine includes a feature on Grove Road Enviromental Group, introducing the group, exploring the ways that churches are engaging with environmental issues through the Eco Church movement, and considering how the local community and schools might be able to work with the church on projects that respect and value the environment.
Just Opened: Sheffield Energy Hub
The Sheffield Energy Hub, located on Cambridge Street, opened its doors on 24 June. The Hub is a collaboration between many organisations working to deliver sustainable energy and warm homes for Sheffield. It serves as a ‘one-stop shop’ for information and support on energy efficiency measures, retrofit grants, renewable technologies, green skills, etc.
The Hub operates 5 days a week from 10am to 4pm and will remain open until 27th September, when it is expected to move to a different building in the city centre.
For more information see: https://sheffieldenergyhub.org/
What’s Next for GREG?
As we look forward to the rest of 2025 and into 2026, we are hoping to develop partnerships with the council, local businesses, schools, churches, and community groups on themes such as:
Recycling
Reducing use of harmful herbicides & pesticides
Low traffic neighbourhoods and reducing pollution
Encouraging wildlife - for example through hedgehog corridors, swift and boxes, and making our gardens more fit for dry spells/ droughts as the climate continues to change
Community energy projects
A repair cafe
If you would like to get involved in any of these please contact us through Substack, or email us at: groveroadenvironmentalgroup@gmail.com
Best wishes
GREG