Delighted to announce, Compost Collective Leeds (CCL) won the best community composting award at the Feed Leeds Food Growing Awards. Congratulations to Annie Whitehead, for all of her hard work and achieving so much.
Compost Collective Armley is coming soon to Charlie Cake Park (officially called Whingate Park). This will be the tenth Compost Collective scheme across Leeds. This means we have achieved one of our big milestones, as Food Transition Partner for Climate Action Leeds. Now that’s something to shout about! Want to get involved? Get in touch with Armley Common Rights Trust or Climate Action Armley.
Inspiration Nursery have almost filled their second compost bin and are really excited about how much food waste they have diverted from landfill and the future free soil they are producing for their raised beds in the school gardens. And there’s more! Horsforth Community Compost Collective got the go ahead from Leeds City Council to build more composting bins on public land.
And the numbers are in for 2024: Didn’t we do well!
1,963 kgs of material was diverted from landfill.
We set up 7 new schemes, worked with 11 new organisations and built 19 compost bins.
We trained 110 volunteers (and 96 are still active!)
If you find Black Friday and it’s no-holds barred, fight to the finish for the cheapest deal a drag – then Giving Tuesday might be the refreshing antidote you are looking for.
This year, over 4,400 UK charities, including Zest, the charity that host FoodWise Leeds, are participating in this meaningful event. We want to say thank you and express our gratitude to all supporters who help us create a fair community for everyone in Leeds. Zest empowers those facing disadvantages through people-led projects focused on hope and happiness.
You can support Zest projects by donating to our Just Giving.
Giving Tuesday is a global movement that promotes generosity and encourages acts of kindness. It highlights various ways to give, from volunteering time and donating money to raising awareness and opting out of spending. Here are some ideas for how people can enhance giving and promote equity in our communities in Leeds. You can find out more about the Giving Tuesday UK Campaign in this link.
In this picture:Images 1 & 2 slogans courtesy of free images from GivingTuesdayUK. Image 3 courtesy of Zest Leeds website of Leeds Cookery School and Men’s Pie Club at Leeds Markets.
1. Support Local Community Initiatives ✨
There are loads of initiatives encouraging positive support of a range of communities. One excellent example, Mahogony Market. Founded in September 2020, Mahogany Market orchestrates events that showcase and create platforms for African and Caribbean culture. They connect the community with local independent businesses and there is a wide array of products and services. You can support local black-owned businesses by buying gifts at their next festive Mahogony Market on Dec 1at Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Also consider supporting Give-a-Gift a local grassroots organisation supporting the most vulnerable across Leeds. With support from volunteers and donations, they have supported over 2000 people with toys and emergency supplies. Other food aid across the city can be located on this brilliant new map.
2. Start a Community Garden and Cultivate Generosity 🕒
Compost Collective Leeds is a city–wide community composting scheme revolutionising the reduction of food waste. Did you know 200 kilos of food waste is produced by the average Leeds household each year? And the good news is that 40% of this can be transformed into valuable free soil by being composted. Yet many homes aren’t suitable for home composting compost. Well. Compost Collective Leeds have the perfect solution.
What can you do to help build the compost revolution? Join, start or donate towards a new community composting scheme. Compost Collective is a city–wide community composting scheme that began as a pilot in 2022. Read more about our journey here.
Fancy watching something about Compost Collective? Click here
In this picture:close up images of the new compost bin build at Horsforth Community Composting Scheme (1) logo on side of bin (2)volunteers before it is built (3) tools and the bin lid being created (4) a person having a moment of rest with tools inn hand (5) wood parts being assembled.
4. Invest in your local community.🌍
Community Share offers are one example of ways you can support your local community by investing in them. Community Ownership allows local people to have control over spaces that are important to them and to use them in ways that meet the community’s needs. One current local example is Bramley Baths Share Offer Raise the Roof, where people in Bramley, Leeds and beyond can invest in a piece of local heritage, and the only remaining operational Edwardian pool in Leeds. More information here. Another national example is the Black Farmers Uk, who are a grassroots black-led food justice inititative in Croydon. You can donate in this link or sign their petition here. Another fun and festive themed scheme you can support is Rainbow Junktion‘s reverse Advent Calendar. For each day of december they have suggested items you can donate to build a donation package of 24 items to give to local people who need it, and for those looking for a cause to support more reguarly you can become a friend of Rainbow Junktion here.
In this picture: Reverse advent Calendar 2024 from Rainbow Junktion with 24 items you can donate.
5. Buy an Experience ✨
Another alternative to Black Friday deals and a way to take part in #GivingTuesday is buying an experience to share with loved ones – local foodie and cultural experiences include – Leeds Cookery SchoolVouchers or why not go see a theatre production such as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Leeds Playhouse and Leeds Food Tours run delicious tasting foodie tours which often includes a taste of the amazing chillis at the Chilli Shop right here in the heart of Leeds.
In this picture:Courtesy of Leeds Playhouse – a poster of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
6. Buy Nothing 🌿
What might be a refreshing change or flip of the coin, is to buy absolutely nothing. The Buy Nothing Project is a global network of community groups that encourage people to give, lend, and share items instead of buying new ones. The Buy Nothing Project was founded in 2013 by Rebecca Rockefeller and Liesl Clark in Bainbridge Island, Washington. It started as a Facebook campaign, but now also has a website and standalone app. The project has over 128,000 communities around the world. Features of the scheme include:
Giving: Members freely give or request items without obligations.
Sustainability: Rehoming items is eco-friendly compared to disposal.
Community: The project fosters trust and empathy among members.
Awareness: Highlights the negative effects of overconsumption and benefits of buying nothing to your mental health, bank balance and more.
To find out more or join up for FREE click this link.
7. Support Local 💚
When you buy local, you’re not just purchasing a product; you’re investing in a story. Each item at a local market has a history and a heart. The artisan who crafted that beautiful ceramic mug, the farmer who grew that squash in the field down the road. It helps build stronger communities, is more sustainable, and is often unique and high-quality products. Here is a listof some of the local artisan, Christmas and Farmers’ Markets coming up. You can also check out our mapfor some of the #goodfood initiatives happening across Leeds. From Little Veg Librariesto community gardensand farmers markets, find out what is happening locally.
It’s truly heartwarming to see the variety of ways we can connect with our local community and support one another. From organic veggie boxes, which include more affordable solidarity options to ensure everyone has access to fresh produce, to incredible dining experiences that celebrate locally sourced ingredients, there’s a genuine sense of care and community spirit in Leeds. And let’s not forget about the joy of fresh locally sourced organic meat, or the delight of picking out a locally grown Christmas tree. Each of these options not only brings quality into our lives but also supports our local farmers and artisans. It’s definitely worth exploring and supporting these wonderful local initiatives. Take a look at a few we have listed ( titles are click throughs): Eat Your Greens including their new greengrocers in the CITU: Climate Innovation District, Leeds Veg BoxPassion 4 PlantsMeanwood Valley FarmKirkstall Valley FarmSwillington Farm and last, but not least The Swine That Dines. This is just a hint of the flavour of the #GoodFoodMovement in Leeds. You can find out more on our website here and we will be sharing more about the amazing work happening in Leeds soon!
In this picture: Courtesy of Eat Your Greens website.
Compost Collective Leeds is at it again, spinning straw into gold— or rather, food scraps into fertile soil!
Compost Collective Leeds, set up with communities, is a city-wide community composting project that is transforming the way communities work together to put food waste to good use. With the support of FoodWise Leeds, there are now 8 thriving community composting schemes city-wide and a few more sprouting up soon! Here’s more about the latest successes.
Compost Collective Hunslet & Riverside is a community composting scheme have filled their first compost bin, and are thrilled to be starting their second. You can join the scheme if you live locally by contacting Friends of Hunslet Moor on their facebook group. Meanwhile, Compost Collective Gipton, based at the Old Fire Station in Gipton, are enjoying their very first batch of soil. This is really exciting as their is a community garden and lots of use for free good quality soil.
The two newest sites are at Feel Good Factor in Chapeltown and and Drury Fields in Horsforth and both are remarkable.
You can read more about the successes of community composting in Horsforth by clicking this link or check out this little film about Horsforth Compost Collective building a compost bin by clicking this link. Or watch this film about Feel Good Factor’s Compost Collective Chapeltown in this link.
If you would like support to set up a community composting scheme, or are interested in joining one of the already thriving schemes, we can fit you in!
If you’d like to dig deep and donate towards the costs of future compost schemes, you can support us by donating to our Just Giving / Pay-It-Forward Campaign, or get in touch with Annie Whitehead for more details: annie.whitehead@zestleeds.org.uk/
Or why not speak to us in person?
Join us Sunday 24 November 1-4 pm at Killingbeck Community Orchard on Collin Road LS13 6AQ or pop along to Feel Good Factor LS7 4BP on Louis Street in Chapeltown Wednesday 27 November 11.30am.
🌱 Thanks for reading! We’ll leave you with a picture of the newest compost collective member and their rather fabulous canine friends.
As FoodWise Leeds, we work with people from across the city to deliver the Leeds Food Strategy. In 2019, Leeds was awarded a Bronze Award from Sustainable Food Places (SFP). More about these awards here. Our aim is for Leeds to achieve the Silver Award and eventually the Gold.
But we can’t do it without you.
The next step in achieving these aims, is to reach our target of 500 Individual Good Food Actions.
Will you help us do that?
By telling us about the good food actions you are taking, we can know the impact we are making collectively as a city. Whether you are reducing food waste, eating healthier food or learning how to grow your own veg, every action matters.
And we want to know about your actions.
Every Action Counts and gets us one step closer to our goal.
As an example of how simple it is to get started, I thought I’d share my own food story.
I stumbled upon FoodWise Leeds about a year back during an event at Leftbank Leeds. At the time, I was intrigued and perhaps a little daunted by the idea of growing my own veggies, and so I decided to attend a workshop organized by Feed Leeds. At that point, I had just about been able to keep all my indoor plants alive for a whole year (and I was pretty excited about that!)
The workshop turned out to be a game-changer for me. I was really inspired by Feed Leeds. It was such a large network of growers across the city and they introduced to us some brilliant ideas: like ‘Little Veg Libraries’ and #SowaRowXtra – simple schemes that I thought had the potential to really help new growers like me get growing. I left that session with two free tomato plants and enough growing ‘know how’ to get me started. And that was just the beginning of my food journey.
Now I grow my own salad veg, and herbs, as well as climbing roses that the bees absolutely adore. This all grows in pots and old tyres in what was an ugly unused area in a communal concrete yard. A real transformation with very little effort – now the space is peaceful, pretty and a nice place to sit and watch nature.
I‘ve taken many more actions since that first tomato plant: like eating more fresh and locally sourced veg, wasting less food by using it up in home-made soups; and switching to locally made compost. I’m now beginning my own bokashi composting system and am considering community composting to turn my food waste into nutrient-rich soil for the local area. I could never have predicted a year ago where one free workshop would lead.
You can help us reach our target of 500 by telling us about the actions you are taking and encouraging others to take action. We’d also love for any organisations or food businesses to join us in taking action too! For more examples of what we’re looking for, take a look at our Take Action pages for individuals, organisations and food businesses.
Together we can create a healthy, sustainable and fairer food system for everyone in Leeds.
We are offering FREE training 11 July at 7pm at St Margarets Church in Horsforth for community composters at Drury Field, the latest Compost Collective being set up in Horsforth.
DATE: THURS 11 JULY 2024
TIME: 7pm – 8.30pm
Why Join?
Did you know 200 kilos of food waste is produced by the average Leeds household each year and that about 40% of that is suitable for composting?
If you join our community compost collective you will:
Learn new skills, get a free caddy, receive free compost
Learn composting basics, share knowledge, get support.
Divert your food waste from RERF (Leeds Recycling & Energy Recovery Facility)and be taking positive climate action.
WANT MORE INFO?
Find out about Inspirations Nursery who have set up a ‘Community Composting’ site already in Horsforth to inspire children about the importance of composting. Read more: here
Not in Horsforth but want to get involved in composting? We have 6 other collectives across the city. Find out more about Compost Collective Leeds: here
Drury Field is part of Horsforth Compost Collective and Horsforth Climate Action Hub. Find out more about your local climate action hub: here
GET IN TOUCH
Email: Annie.Whitehead@zestleeds.org.uk or if you prefer give Annie a call on 07713 647770
Facebook
Twitter
