Community Action

Discover what the people of the Trent Valley are doing to make their community a better, healthier place to live and work.

 

Introducing Staffordshire Green Network

As we move towards the end of the Transforming the Trent Valley scheme, a Staffordshire Green Network is proposed as a way to continue engagement with groups and volunteers in the Trent Valley area and across Staffordshire.

An initial Community Conversation (see below), and subsequent Green Conversations have been held across the county to bring community and voluntary groups together to hear what they would like to see from a Green Network. You can read and download reports from each of these events on this page.

The main themes emerging from the Green Conversations have been:

  • To provide a networking and meeting space for community and voluntary groups who are interested in green issues and the co-benefits of taking action for climate and nature.
  • To improve communication about action being taken already in Staffordshire, sharing events and resources, and sharing information between sectors (parish, district and county council, private sector, public sector, VCSE sector)
  • Training and skills – to facilitate workshops and information sessions to increase knowledge and skills around climate and nature, and how to take action.

There is a Green Network steering group made up of Support Staffordshire, VAST, SCVYS, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Globe Group CIC, Keele University, Together Active and Staffordshire County Council. All members of the steering group have supported the Green Conversations, hosting and organising events in different locations.

The feedback from the Green Conversations will be summarised and used to structure the Green Network, which will be launched in 2024.

If you have any questions about the Green Network, please contact Nicola Lynes: nicola.lynes@supportstaffordshire.org.uk / 07837 127165

Read and download the Green Conversation Reports

Rugeley Green Conversation, Wednesday 26th July 2023 (hosted by Support Staffordshire)

Stoke and North Staffordshire Green Conversation, Wednesday 1st November (hosted by VAST)

Lichfield Green Conversation, Wednesday 29th November (hosted by Support Staffordshire, supported by Lichfield Re:Cycle)

South Staffordshire Green Conversation (hosted by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust)

Online Green Conversation Wednesday 13th December

 

A group of people sitting around tables in a large room, having conversations

Community Conversations - Wednesday 25th January 2023

 

On Wednesday 25th January 2023, we hosted a ‘Community Conversation’ at Uttoxeter Heath Community Centre for community groups who have been engaged with the TTTV scheme, or who are interested in ‘green’ issues.

The aims of this networking event were twofold:

  • Provide a space for community groups in the area to network with each other, make contacts and create partnerships
  • Learn from these groups as to what they think is needed in the area to provide support in the future

We had a great turnout of 35 people from 23 different groups/organisations, and the 2 hour event had a fantastic buzz to it – lots of introductions were made, and contacts created for further collaboration in the area!

The event was structured around 4 focus tables:

  • Funding/development
  • Networking (x2)
  • Engagement with TTTV

Participants could choose which tables they attended, and how long they stayed at each table, giving them the freedom to get what they needed from the event.

TTTV are committed to sharing our learning for the benefit of all, so the notes and ideas shared at this event have been collated and included below. All comments/post its/notes from the event have been included here, in the format they were collected in, but transferred to digital boards for ease of reading.

From the feedback collected, generally participants felt as though the networking was the most valuable part of the day, and many people came away inspired to know there are so many residents and groups tackling green issues. Suggestions to improve the event were to make it longer, and provide a list of groups in attendance.

Following this feedback, we are planning another Community Conversations event in Rugeley in late July, and the groups in attendance are listed on this page, with links to websites/social media where appropriate.

Attendees to the Green Conversations

Useful links

Support Staffordshire:

Funding, development support, membership, training, community directory

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust:

Campaigns, community activism (contact Liam Geary Baulch – l.gearybaulch@staffs-wildlife.org.uk)

Staffordshire Ecological Record:

Biological Recording, wildlife data and information

VAST (Voluntary Action Stoke on Trent):

Funding, development support, membership, training, community directory for VCSE groups in Stoke on Trent.