Amberol UK - Making a Visible Difference

"Gardening brings people together and enriches lives. Community groups are trailblazers, trialling innovative ways to engage their wider communities in the most pressing challenges." This wonderful article in Saga Magazine features some outstanding work by Bloom Groups in the UK, as the competition celebrates its 60th year. https://lnkd.in/evzFNkw2 

A stunning railway station, beautifully maintained, and how wonderful to see Amberol planters playing their part in welcoming people!

A local government pilot scheme to watch here, and maybe replicate in your area. Dudley Council is asking residents with unwanted items to gift them to a community sharing pilot. The local authority held its ‘Too Good to Throw Away’ event at Kingswinford Methodist Church on Tuesday 8th October. More than three tonnes of unwanted household items were collected including curtains, bedding, cushions, kitchenware, small electrical items, clothes, food and unused toiletries. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/eGKb8AS3 Tim Troman Rachael Ashfield Philip Maddox #LocalGov #Reuse

Fancy a bit of SpoGomi? For those that don’t know, SpoGomi is a sport involving litter-picking by teams of three. Contestants are given an area of roughly 1.5 sq km (0.6 sq miles) and have to collect as much litter as possible within an hour, with some items awarded more points than others. In this feature in The Guardian, the UK winners talk about the recent UK competition, which took place in London’s Hackney marshes. “At the early stages of our training, we were so bad at finding litter. Then, just after the London competition, on the way home, we saw so much. We were just much more aware of it. Once you’re drawn into SpoGomi, your attitude towards litter and how you contribute completely changes – it certainly has for us.” What do you think about adding a competitive element to a litter pick? https://lnkd.in/eMNh_8jF Tim Troman Melanie Murphy Rachael Ashfield

A seasonal reminder that Amberol offer a range of grit bins, plus some advice to help you get gritting right! As we head into the darker winter months, local authorities and organisations across a range of sectors from hospitality to healthcare, are preparing for the challenges that the colder weather brings. One of these challenges is the increase in the number of icy roads and paths as temperatures drop. These highways and walkways often require gritting during cold spells to ensure health and safety standards are met. However, with the unpredictability of the British weather, this can be a tricky task for councils and other public facing organisations. CHOOSING THE RIGHT GRIT BIN The Amberol range includes three grit bins. The original Grit Bin is rounded in design and double skinned with a weighted lid to ensure it doesn’t blow open even in blustery weather. Standing one metre high, the bin has a capacity of 250 litres and is ideal for roadside use. Then two stackable and easy to store 1200mm wide Grit Bins available in 200 or 400 litre capacities offering extra strong lids with double wall edges, moulded-in grit salt sign, fork-lift space for simple manoeuvrability, optional hasp and staples and personalisation label recess. And of course, in keeping with our environmentally friendly credentials, all Amberol grit bins are made from recycled polyethylene and are available in a range of colours. GETTING READY FOR WINTRY WEATHER Many councils have been stocking up on salt reserves to ensure that they have enough for the winter. For example, Amberol’s home county of Derbyshire has 30 gritting lorries in its fleet as well as 25,000 tonnes of grit in storage, with staff already on standby in preparation for a sudden cold snap as the weather worsens. Derbyshire also has 2,000 grit bins located across the county. Unpredictable weather does make the process of gritting difficult to manage as it’s crucial to spread salt before the surface freezes. However, advances in technology have also made the process of gritting easier with weather forecasting and ice production software now available to highways departments. Call: 01773 830 930 or e-mail: sales@amberol.co.uk to find out more.

From 31st March 2025, DEFRA’s ‘Simpler Recycling’ legislation will come into force, standardising the collection of dry recyclable waste across councils in England (excluding garden waste and plastic film). Smaller businesses with less than 10 full time employees will have until 31st March 2027 to make these changes. Here’s how your business can prepare: https://lnkd.in/ei377-G6 Tim Troman Rachael Ashfield Melanie Murphy

A community garden has received a grant towards a vital project helping to reduce loneliness and social isolation. The funding from Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) will go towards new facilities, including a polytunnel, log seating and a wheelchair-accessible picnic table, providing a space for residents to take shelter in all weathers and socialise during gardening sessions. RBC councillor Abby Brennan said: “The undercover area, seating and wheelchair-friendly picnic table will allow Xanthea and the team to host even more volunteer sessions, workshops and events, whilst also providing an indoor growing environment for year-round food production. The gardening sessions are open to all ages and abilities so I encourage you to take part, meet new people and learn some new skills!” Be inspired with the full story (with lots of photos) here: https://lnkd.in/evpPvTEw #CommunityGardens #Loneliness #SocialIsolation Tim Troman Rachael Ashfield

Know your winter nuts and berries with this guide for children form The Wildlife trusts. https://lnkd.in/eVRfa6gZ 

Know someone at university? The RHS have rounded up the top five plants for students! The perfect gift as they come home for Christmas. https://lnkd.in/eDAdSvSX Tim Troman Rachael Ashfield

Seven autumn activities for younger children, to help them appreciate nature and the changing seasons. Includes a free printable autumn activity schedule for the fridge at home or classroom! https://lnkd.in/dAFix2Y7 #Education #Classroom #Autumn Tim Troman Rachael Ashfield