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Dear Community Composting Scheme Member We hope that you are enjoying the blooming and flowering of the spring and summer months ans also that you have started work on your gardens and contilue to fil your green waste collection bins, leaving them on the given days for collcetion! We are wring to update you on our plans for the future of the Tinsley Community Composting Scheme and to give the collection dates up to the end of October 2005. As detailed in our last newsletter, we have approached Sheffield City Council and Onyx with regard to agreeing a long term strategy that enable TTP to provide green waste disposal in Tinsley, as our existing scheme is currently not funded. The key aims are to develop a sustainable green waste recycling service that aims to provide a complete cycle for the recycling of green waste, including collection, processing and retailling of the end product (i.e. saleable compost). Negotiations with regards to the scheme have, to date, been complex and lengthy and are ongoing. As a result of this, iti is unlikely that we will attract further funding to support the schemein the immediate future though we are still hopeful of a favourable outcome, in the form of a successful application to CRED programme for funds with which to expand the scheme. For the time being we have, with the agreement of our Management Committee, chosen to continue the kerbside collections but with a reduced frequency. Future Collections will take place on the following dates.
Since 1999 the project has planted over 120,000 trees and now offers city wide school and community interpretation combined with a contract tree planting and landscaping service. Examples of tree planting sites locally this year include: Sheffield Business Park, Sheffield Parkway, Osgathorpe Park, Whiteways School, Athelstan School and Tinsley Junior School. The project aims to prove that sustainable techniques and natural landscaping schemes using native plants can be undertaken with comparable aesthetic and practical results to the conventional methods often used today. TTP envisages this approach to be a step towards developing an increased number of garden and municipal environmental habitats whilst improving public perception of natural cycles, the wildlife on our doorsteps and creating opportunities for jobs and training. The project is currently addressing a £25,000 a year funding deficit over the next 3 years that is spawn out to the future development of the organisation. The profit margin in the environmental field is traditionally low and some aspects of the projects work, for example the composting scheme produces no commercial return at all. This highlights the dilemma of many small community grant funded projects that are combining an attempt to meet strict sponsorship output targets with accessing additional funding streams for unprofitable but intrinsic operations, whilst developing commercial contracts with a view to realizing long term sustainable community enterprise status. As a result of the deficit TTP is currently seeking short term sponsorship from the private sector in order to continue its regeneration work and its development as a community enterprise. The project is keen to develop an ethos of active local regeneration that positively promotes and publicizes relationships between all contributory sectors engaging these issues. Current Project Description Building on the good practice Tinsley Tree Project (TTP) has developed over the past year the ongoing 2003-2006 scheme includes: To work in line with the Tinsley Community Action Plan and engage the stated need for environmental:l initiatives and community based projects that provide access to training and employment for members of the coll1-,"unity. To promote sustainable living. Community recycling and composting (including the collection of garden waste). Development of a community tree nursery . |
Tinsley Community Composting Scheme Following a Tinsley wide questionnaire Tinsley Tree Project implemented a community composting scheme. The scheme aims to turn the community's garden waste into compost to be used in local planting schemes. A kerbside collection scheme was initiated in January 2003 and incorporated all of the households in Tinsley that expressed a willingness to participate. Each participating household is supplied with a half sized, lettered wheelie bin that is collected by the tree project at fortnightly intervals in summer and monthly in winter. The composting system is situated at the community allotment mentioned below and comprises of bays constructed from railway sleepers and scaffolding planks. The garden waste is sorted through to separate the softer green waste from the woody material that is shredded to produce mulch. The remaining green waste is mixed with horse manure from local stables and turned regularly over a period of 12 weeks to maintain a temperature high enough to kill all dangerous bacteria etc. Finally the heaps are turned into maturing bays for a period of 6 months where much of the decomposition work is completed by worms and other soil organisms. The scheme has been a great success and the project now collects garden waste from over 150 households in the community of Tinsley. The quality of the compost produced is excellent and thanks to a riddling machine commissioned by the project, is of a very fine grade. Tinsley Community Allotment Tinsley Tree Project has cleared the derelict allotment to the rear of the Tinsley One Stop Shop and is developing a community allotment including four designated areas:
The project has strong local volunteer support and holds regular volunteer work days and community open events. Local school children are invited to use the site as a practical aid to environmental studies. It is envisaged that the children will be able to experience the natural composting process, the growing and cultivation of plants and trees from seed along with a controlled environment for the study of wildlife to include a dipping pond. The allotment is being developed to include facilities for all members of the community to experience and learn more about the natural environment and sustainable, organic growing techniques. |
Sustainable Building and Energy The project is currently considering the feasibility of constructing a straw bale building adjacent to the community allotment to provide an on site base for staff and volunteers. The building will provide opportunity for residents to be involved in the construction process and demonstrate a sustainable building technique that will utilize sources of sustainable energy. Plans are being drawn up at present and TTP hopes to move forward with this asPect ofthe project's commitment to promoting sustainable living once the current funding I deficit 18 resolved. i Employment and TrainingTinsley Tree Project employs five permanent members of staff, three of whom are part time. Each year the project employs a full time trainee development worker drawn from the local community who is trained with the project to NVQ 2 standard. TTP has close links with Sheffield Environmental Training and the trainee is released for two days a week to extend their learning opportunities and achieve the NVQ 2 qualification. The project works with Tinsley Job Netto provide career advice to residents interested in working in the environmental field and has recently arranged for an unemployed local volunteer to undertake the NVQ 2 course in Practical Conservation whilst training with the project. As the community allotment becomes fully operational in spring 2004 the project will provide training on the full range of the projects work and will encourage additional learning opportunities with local training providers. Education and Interpretation TTP operates an active approach to interpretation and education with regular volunteer. events on the community allotment and a continuing relationship with local schools. Raised beds, a pergola, a woodland shelter belt and an organic food growing area have been established at Tinsley Junior School along with an educational strategy including the promotion of wildlife habitats in the school grounds. The project is currently undertaking a planting scheme that includes all the children at Tinsley Junior School and will in future weeks incorporate other schools. Tree Planting A number of tree planting schemes are proposed for this planting season. The project hopes to exceed the 35,000 trees planted last season and is developing two new school sites with a view to encouraging pupils to participate. |
About the compost collection bins The composting collection bins are half sized wheelie bins (a little larger than dust bin size) and have a capacity of 80 litres. A laminated instruction sheet will accompany your bin outlining what can be composted and the collection dates list. The project will pick up and empty your bin on the collection days, please do not mark the bins with your address as it is possible you will not have the same one returned. Once your full bin has been collected please take the empty one back in as soon as possible to avoid it being blown away or stolen. |
Bringing yourGarden waste to the Proiect If you would prefer to bring your garden waste to the project a bay has been built from fencing panels behind and to the right hand side of the Tinsley One Stop Shop just outside the allotment. You are welcome to leave bags of garden waste in the bay at any time. |
What can be composted ? Any green garden waste for example: Grass cuttings, dead heads and weeds. Leaves. |
What to do next. If you would like to order a free compost collection bin please fill in and return the order form enclosed to Tinsley One Stop Shop. If you are concerned that you have not got enough space for a compost collection bin or will not create enough garden waste but would like to contribute please contact the project as it may be possible to arrange sharing a bin with a neighbour or to make alternative arrangements. For more details call 0777 585 2667 or drop a note addressed to Tinsley Tree Project at the Tinsley One Stop Shop. You will be notified of any changes to the details above and of future developments regarding the allotment and the composting scheme. Many thanks for your participation |
Tinsley Tree Project