en-form Press Releases 2005
Colchester Christmas Farmers’ Market – Press Release – 8th December 2006
Following huge public demand, en-form, who organise the monthly Farmers’ Market at Colchester’s Art Centre, have decided to hold a special market just before Christmas, on Friday 22nd December.
Julia King of en-form said, “Colchester Farmers’ Market has gone from strength to strength over the last year and is very well supported; some people even pop back several times throughout the morning. As well as most of our normal stallholders, we shall also have a few choice craft stalls for last minute gifts, including natural handmade soaps, wicker baskets and walking sticks, made from local apple wood; 25 stalls to date!”
“ We have been asked for a real ‘Christmassy atmosphere’ so there will be live carol singers throughout the morning and customers who want to enter into the Christmas Spirit will be welcome to join in. Festive refreshments will be available, so you can sit and have a well-deserved rest.”
So, avoid that massive supermarket queue and come along and buy something local, fresh and a little bit different for your Christmas table.
This special Christmas market will be open from 9.30 – 1.00 at Colchester Arts Centre on 22nd December. For further information call Julia King on 01206 367776.
Something Fishy at the Farmers Market – Press Release – 1st November 2006
This Friday’s Farmers’ Market at the Colchester Arts Centre includes a local Fish Stall for the very first time.
Julia King of en-form said ” Ever since the last fishmonger closed in Colchester almost 3 years ago it has been difficult to buy fresh fish in Colchester. What makes it even better is the fish is caught off the Essex Coast and you won’t get more local than that. We expect this stall to be very popular with our customers”.
The market also includes a local brewer selling organic beer and wine and following a bumper crop this year local walnuts.
Colchester Farmers’ Market is on Friday 3rd November at the Arts Centre from 9.30am to 2pm. Full details can be obtained from en-form on 012206 367776.
Chance to Paint the Town Red – Press Release – 23rd August 2006
Jaywick residents will get to the chance to paint their Town red, or any other colour for that matter.
Community RePaint Tendring in association with Surestart will be running a Free Paint Day in Jaywick on the 31st August. The paint is available free of charge to local groups, charities, schools and individuals on benefits.
Mark Penn of Tendring Reuse and Employment Enterprise (TREE) who runs the scheme in Tendring said ”the RePaint scheme has been running in Tendring for over a year now with very good quality paint, much of it brand new being donated. The paint is available from TREE’s premises in Little Clacton or from the Bright Ideas Scrapstore in Colchester but we want to make the paint more accessible for local groups and individuals on benefits. This is why we will be taking the paint to the Local Community in Jaywick.”
If you are on benefits and want some free paint just turn up with proof that you are on benefits at Sydney House, Langham Drive Clacton between 10am to 11.45 or Hemmington House, Broadway, Jaywick between 12 noon and 2pm on Thursday 31st August.
Enquiries about the scheme and local groups should telephone Andrew Wilkinson on 01206 367776.
En-form the local environment centre will also be giving away 2 free energy efficient lightbulbs while stocks last to residents turning up for paint on the day.
Colchester Schools Go Green – Press Release – 7th July 2006
The green revolution is coming to Colchester schools on Monday 10th July 2006.
St Benedict’s College will be holding an Eco School Seminar, organised by Colchester Borough Council and environment charity en-form, for schools in Colchester.
The Education Secretary Alan Johnson recently announced that schools in England must become more ‘carbon neutral’ by 2020. The scheme improves pupil behaviour, saves money and links into many curriculum subjects and raises the profile of the school in the local community.
Alan Wheeler of St Benedict’s College said ‘’Eco-Schools is an international programme co-ordinated by ENCAMS in the UK designed to improve all aspects of the school environment. St Benedict’s are proud to have been chosen to host the event to launch the scheme in Colchester.’’
Andrew Wilkinson of en-form said ‘’the scheme is run by the pupils, who set up a committee to make their school more environmentally friendly within the themes of Litter, Waste Minimisation, Energy, Water, Healthy Living, School Grounds, Biodiversity and Global Perspectives’’.
Any schools that want to attend can turn up on the day. The seminar starts at 1pm until 4pm.
Please contact Andrew Wilkinson on 01206 367776
Colchester Farmers’ Market celebrates its third year – Press Release – 30th June 2006
On 7 July Colchester Farmers’ Market will be celebrating its 3rd anniversary.
From an inauspicious start we now regularly attract over 600 customers each month. Julia King of en-form said ”by listening to what our customers want we have greatly increased the diversity of products. We now have at least 25 stalls each month – the products of which vary according to the season. Our latest additions are Jimmy the Farmer and Butterfly Lodge Ice Cream”.
As a special offer this month we will be giving 2 energy efficient light bulbs to every customer who completes a simple enquiry form.
Pig out at Colchester Farmers’ Market with Jimmy’s Farm – Press Release – 26th May 2006
With this weeks’ Colchester Farmers’ Market being the first one of the summer, you have a chance to taste some truly local and special treats.
Asparagus is in season, so make the most of it before it disappears next month, and the first of the local strawberries have arrived. You must also come and try the delicious Caprilatte ice cream from Monach Farm. Made using only goats’ milk and natural ingredients with flavours as varied as Mexican Vanilla to Honeymoon Pie, flavoured with real Essex honey.
We are also pleased to welcome the well known Jimmy’s Farm, home to the Essex Pig Company of Ipswich who will be selling their wide selection of handmade, quality sausages, traditionally dry cured bacon and rare breed pork joints. Before your leave, why not treat yourself to one of their burgers.
With over 25 varied stalls, selling everything from your everyday fruit and veg to your more unique items, there is something for everyone.
The next Colchester Farmers Market will be held at the Colchester Arts Centre from 9.30am to 2pm on Friday the 2nd June.
Better Way to get rid off your Unwanted Items – Press Release – 8th May 2006
It may not seem like it, but Spring is well and truly here and the spring cleaning can’t be put off for much longer.
Just in time a new service has been launched by environment group, en-form, in partnership with Essex County Council, Essex Community Reuse and Recycling Network (ECORRN) and Chelmsford Environment Partnership.
A new website, www.giveortake.org, lets you put details of all your unwanted items on the internet and hopefully someone will take them off your hands for you. Of course, if there are things you want or need, you will be able to post your requests on the site a well.
Gemma Sortwell of ECORRN said “It’s like e-bay but free. Every year thousands of useable items are dumped in Essex that still have plenty of life left in them. On the other hand, there are lots of people that could really use some of the items that are thrown away everyday”.
The site covers the whole of Essex and lets you post and search for items by category or postcode. In addition, it has a directory of just about every community group or Charity Shop in Essex that collects items for resale or reuse.
The website was funded by a grant from the National Lottery Awards for All scheme and ECORRN’S seedcorn fund.
Andrew Wilkinson of en-form said “If like me you need to do a bit of spring cleaning but can’t bear the thought of a day out trying to get things to the dump – this is ideal. I can just give away items on an individual basis and at the same time clear my clutter at a leisurely pace. As I’m a hoarder, this is a big bonus.”
If you could do with a bit of a de-clutter, why not go through your cupboards, shed or the loft this weekend and get rid of all those items you are never going to use but are just too good to be thrown away.
New Council Charges for Recycling Newspaper/Cardboard – Letter to the Evening Gazette – 22nd March 2006
We read with interest your article on the proposed Council charges for collecting paper and card from Businesses.
As an Environment Centre we are particularly concerned that while Colchester Borough Council proclaim to be amongst the best recycling boroughs in the country they are adopting a policy which is likely to not only reduce their recycling rates but also increase their costs through increased landfill charges. This is not the way one of the “cleanest and greenest “ boroughs should operate. We feel that many businesses, particularly small ones, will opt out of the scheme and dispose of their paper and card as general trade waste.
Recent evidence indicates that, far from increasing, the dry recycling rate has at best stagnated and at worst gone down in recent years. It is only the garden waste collection that has lifted the overall rate.
We accept that the Council has to cover the cost of collecting trade waste and the burden for this shouldn’t fall on the domestic council tax payer. However we do not feel it is fair or sensible to charge a flat rate regardless of the amount of waste. After all we should be ensuring that those who produce most waste pay more for disposing of it. A fairer, and more acceptable, solution for example would be to provide a different colour bag for card/paper waste which could be sold at the same rate as the green trade waste bags. This would mean that businesses would only pay for what they put out. This system would compensate the Council and hopefully have no adverse effect on the recycling rate.
Rowland Castiglione
Chairman of Trustees
en-form
Join the Dedham Vale EcoTeam! – issued by SERENE Ipswich Environment Centre – 14th February 2006
Help the environment and save money
What is an EcoTeam?
A group of people who get together to learn how to reduce their environmental impact and save money. EcoTeams of six to eight people meet once a month for 4 months. At each meeting EcoTeam members share experiences, ideas and achievements on the environmental actions that they have taken.
An EcoTeam is not just another meeting – it’s a place to translate ideas into action!
Why should I sign up?
Many of us want to live a little greener but have never found the time, or don’t quite know how to begin. EcoTeams show you how small easy changes can make a difference to your household, your community and the environment – with the help of your team members. It will only take about two hours of your time each month…and it works! Past teams have achieved great environmental savings:
Waste – 43%
Gas – 15.2%
Electricity – 8.9%
Water – 21.2%
How do I find out more?
Contact John on 01473 611453 or john.ej.welsh@btinternet.com
Or Andrew on 01206 367776 or info@en-form.org.uk