The amazing Shrewsbury Green Guide - well worth a look20 June 2013
In my latest tale from the Friends of the Earth groups network, I've learnt about the impressive story of the Shrewsbury Green Guide. It's just gone online for the first time and it's well worth a look, whether you live in Shrewsbury or not.
There's everying from shopping to health to money to learning, leisure, food, farming, building better and more. It's an extraordinary tool to help people in and around Shrewsbury find sources of low impact, ethical products and services.
Perhaps even more impressive is Judy, from Shrewsbury Friends of the Earth. Supported by Mike and Sue from the group, she's led the work on the guide for over a quarter of a century (much to her astonishment when I put it like that).
What we see today started its life as a printed recycling guide, back in 1987. Its birth was part of a nationwide Friends of the Earth project with groups to develop local and regional guides across the country. When that project finished, the Shrewsbury group decided to keep the guide alive. And it soon became obvious that it was growing well beyond recycling.
"We started to include issues and information around heating, energy, toys, light bulbs, health cycling, gardening and so on. So it evolved in to a Green Guide."
Judy, Shrewsbury Friends of the Earth
Nine years later, in 1996, it was 56 pages long. Grants from Friends of the Earth and the council have helped to pay for a print run of 5000 a year, sent all over Shrewsbury.
But a recent Lottery grant has allowed them to take it online for the first time. That means that the groups can now keep it up to date all the time and reach many more people.
Take a look and you'll realise just what a huge project it is. That's one reason it won a Friends of the Earth national Earthmovers Award in 2010.
So, after 26 years, does Judy still enjoy it?
"In Shropshire we live in this amazing and beautiful place and I want to do something to safeguard that. We're helping to find all the people, places and ideas that exist to help protect the area and the planet. I do enjoy it a lot and I'm pleased we're helping people to find ways to live a greener life."
Judy, Shrewsbury Friends of the Earth.
The guide has been an ever-evolving beast from day one and now it's just started it life on the web, who knows where it will go next? Certainly there's no let up from Judy, Mike and Sue, who seem to be constantly thinking about how to improve it.
If you want to kick off a green guide in your area, Judy would recommend it. "People are hungry for this information" she told me. Here are a few of Judy's tips:
- Have a small group - 3 or 4 people - as an editorial group. They can lead the work and encourage people to take on areas they're passionate about.
- Use Shrewsbury's guide as a template for yours (they did the same, with Brighton and Hove's)
- Make it as simple and user-friendly as you can
- Promote it far and wide but also get those that are featured in the guide to promote it too - it's often in their interests to.
- Don't expect to get it all done at once. It's an evolving thing and will improve for as long as you want it to.
- Enjoy it - it can be lots of fun and you will build up an amazing local knowledge of your area's green credentials.
The Shrewsbury Friends of the Earth group runs campaigns and projects on top of the guide, including a recent Incinerator campaign, and if you're in Shrewsbury why not get in touch with them to get involved? They'd also love to hear from anyone anywhere that spots any gaps in their guide.
Wherever you live, chances are there's a group nearby (or you can always start your own).
Neil Kingsnorth
Head of Activism
