Community enjoys Ashford's first Great Big Green Week

This year, for the first time, Ashford Borough Council took part in the nation campaign – The Great big Green Week 24 September – 2 October.

The council worked with local organisations to produce a weeks’ worth of events. Bringing together and raising awareness of local green initiatives to the community and helping residents learn how they can play a part by contributing through everyday actions and choices.

Our main event – The Great Big Green Week Roadshow, was vibrant atmosphere in Ashford town centre. Many residents engaged with the local stalls, learning tips on recycling, saving energy, how to get a more biodiverse garden to shopping local products at the market. Families got to enjoy the free activities available, which included making your own draft excluder and for the more competitive the smoothie bike challenge proved a big hit!

Feedback on the event includes

“It was a great opportunity for us to gauge public response and potential business opportunity”

“The event was really good well done. Our kids really engaged with the stalls we went to, it was informative and fun.”

“We had some good conversations about brand awareness and the future of EV vehicles, we loved it!”

Residents volunteered to be a part of the legacy of Victoria Park by taking on The Great Big Plant. Which was the mammoth task of planting a total of 2,600 plants in the new sensory garden - in all weather conditions. Will the help of the number of volunteers they completed it a day earlier than was expected!

Many decided to get stuck in and volunteered to help the Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership (KSCP) with cleaning our River Stour. Though their hard work, 12 bags worth of rubbish was collected and many more items not meant for the river! If you want to volunteer keep an eye out on KSCP’s Facebook page.

Repton Connect Big Green Week picnic saw a great attendance from the local community, who learnt about sustainable choices, grow your own and healthy living with a free healthy recipe bag to takeaway, all whilst enjoying a live performance from Junk Yard orchestra.

Cllr Matthew Forest, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Property and Recreation for Ashford Borough Council said “The Great Big Green Week was an opportunity to understand our residents and businesses concerns and ideas for the future. The connections and relationships formed will help us bring our community along with us in this vital work and support.

“We want to thank all the volunteers and businesses who took part for making this a triumphant first year. Plans are already underway to make next year even bigger and better.”

You can watch a video round up of the week on our Youtube Channel linked here.