Communities at work
Plastic Free Communities
Plastic Free Communities are popping up all over Lincolnshire. Currently there is a Plastic Free group in Caistor, Lincoln, Horncastle, Mablethorpe, Sutton on Sea, Grantham, Barrowby, Sleaford, Boston, Spalding and Stamford.
This is part of a campaign organised by Surfers Against Sewage that aims to eliminate single-use plastic from our communities and stop the tap of plastic ending up in rivers and seas.
The campaign works with businesses, community groups and householders to educate and offer more sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic locally. The groups are run by local leaders who are proud to volunteer in their communities to make a positive difference.
If every community can act in a similar way, then globally we can make a huge impact.
Repair Cafés
Repair Cafés are a great way to keep household items in use for longer. Volunteers organise community events and members share their fixing skills to repair a whole range of items.
Common repairs include jewellery, soft toys, small furniture, bicycles and electric appliances.
Current Lincolnshire repair cafés are held at locations in Louth, Lincoln, Sleaford, Stamford and Thurlby. There are also other groups in Brigg, Grimsby, Peterborough, Wisbech and Nottinghamshire.
The Community Repair Network have a map with all the groups in the UK.
Community Groceries
There are a number of community groceries across Lincolnshire, including Lincoln, Bourne, Coningsby, Bardney, Sleaford and Gainsborough.
They all make surplus food stock available at very affordable prices in their local areas.
Search on Connect to Support for opening times of your most local shop.
Mint Lane Cafe
Mint Lane Café is a community kitchen that supports Lincoln residents with affordable hot lunches that have been made from supermarket surplus stock.
They offer friendship through food and encourage customers to sit and chat with new people while they enjoy a home cooked lunch.
This community run project supports food waste by preventing edible food from becoming discarded and community wellbeing by providing a safe and friendly environment to have an affordable hot lunch four days a week.
They also have a small, but growing, shop selling dry, fresh and frozen products that customers can use at home. The University of Lincoln's agriculture campus supplies their fresh produce, and much of what is for sale in the shop is organic and plastic-free.
To find out more, visit the Mint Lane Cafe Facebook page and www.involvelincoln.org.uk.
Tree planting
In February 2020, a number of community groups planted over 2,000 trees at a former land fill site near Lincoln creating a new woodland for future generations.
If you are interested in getting involved or would like to find out more about grants available in your area visit: Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership, and Woodland Trust.
