Our aim is to encourage and help people to live more sustainably and to strengthen community bonds. We’ve divided our work up into five action areas. Each of these areas has a team working within it.
1. Biodiversity & Nature
Our main initiative in this area is around wilding our roadside verges and public spaces to encourage the natural growth of flora, which in turn will support a multitude of endemic species. We have worked with WSCC on a Community Road Verge project and promote No Mow May each year.
Our second initiative in this area is encouraging greener gardening. We urge people to question the use of pesticides and other chemicals and to think of wildlife when gardening or out in nature.
Underpinning this work, we encourage families and community groups to spend as much time as they can in nature and to nurture a love of the natural world.
Our latest project in Spring / Summer 2023 has been to create a Swift Group to monitor and encourage swift populations in Hurstpierpoint. We put up 10 nest boxes in Weald Close this year and will continue this work next spring.
2. Green Energy & Homes
Our main initiative in this area is still being researched but we want to encourage the take up and visibility of renewable energy across our villages, whether that be solar panels on public buildings or helping homeowners and renters to install renewable energy sources on their properties.
As part of this work, we will also help people with education – how they can access grants to pay for changes to their home, how they can save energy and water and encouraging people to consider where they buy their energy.
3. Green Consumer
Our main aim in this area is to increase recycling rates in our villages with the introduction of soft plastic recycling bins. We work in partnership with our local Co-op to collect and recycle soft plastic food packaging. You can put your soft plastics in the brown wheelie bins outside the Community Charity Shop.
Our second aim is to encourage people to shop locally & seasonally, supporting local businesses and making healthier choices. Research has shown that when people shop locally, money stays in the local economy, benefitting not just the business but the community as a whole. We launched and now manage the monthly Hurst Village Market which takes place on the first Saturday of each month in the New Inn on the High Street. The market has stalls exclusively featuring local small businesses.
We also encourage people to look at ways of reducing packaging and rejecting fast fashion. If you have any thoughts in this area, we love to hear from you.
4. Green Transport
We want to help create sustainable transport solutions for Hurstpierpoint such as cycle lanes, better school transport and encouraging electric car take up.
Our team is working with the relevant authorities on pushing for a cycle route between Hurstpierpoint and Hassocks to enable easier commuting to school and work by bike.
We hold regular bike swarms to highlight the need for a safer cycle route and to help people realise how quick it is to cycle around our area.
We are also pushing the Parish Council to introduce 20MPH speed limits across the village.
5. Community
Our Community Team exists to create events that strengthen our community bonds. Stronger communities are more resilient communities. Events include our annual Hurst Jumble Trail and Advent Calendar.
If you’d like to find out more about any of our plans, have a suggestion or want to help, please email us at hurstrethink@gmail.com