local matters

A collection of 47 posts

local matters

From watching to acting: why local conversations matter

Since June, CA-WN has been taking The People’s Emergency Briefing into communities and arranging screenings across West Northamptonshire. Research from audience surveys now published by CAST, the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations, provides powerful evidence that this approach can make a difference. CAST evaluated thousands of

local matters

Making Community Energy a Reality in West Northamptonshire

An invitation to get involved from Andrew Stevens, Chair of West Northamptonshire Climate and Nature Partnership (WNCAN). WNCAN are taking the first steps towards setting up a community energy group in West Northamptonshire and are keen to contact other local groups and individuals interested in Community Energy. Community Energy can

local matters

Hackleton WEB Group Prairie-style planting **updated**

We are grateful to Roy Hawkesford of Hackleton Wildlife, Environment & Biodiversity (WEB) for allowing us to reproduce this article, originally published in the parish magazine. This project is a great example of communities working together to improve their neighbourhood for both people and nature. **Update ** This article was first

water

Wanted: volunteer Water Wardens

CA-WN needs to establish how many volunteers might be prepared to routinely check the quality of the local freshwater that flows into our rivers and canals. This map below illustrates in blue our main watercourses, but it doesn’t show the many smaller streams we might come across when

food & farming

CA-WN field trip to Courteenhall

CA-WN was lucky enough to be invited on a tour of Courteenhall farm, which sits between Roade and the southern border of Northampton. We are very grateful to Dr Johnny Wake and his colleague Jack for sharing their time and expertise. There was so much to see and learn

opinion

Crisis, what crisis ...

… the crisis that our politicians and the populist media prefers not to mention. CA-WN doesn’t do capital P Politics but it would be socially irresponsible if we didn’t couple the climate crisis to the elephant in the room. And call for action. First, the expert briefings on

local matters

Seedy Saturday 2026

Sienna Mahoney, journalism student at the University of Northampton, attended the annual Seedy Saturday event and sent us this report. Seedy Saturday hosted their twelfth annual seed swap at the Doddridge Centre on 21st February 2026. The event aims to promote community between local gardeners based in Northamptonshire. Shena Cooper,

food & farming

50 Families project

CA-WN is proud to be a member of the West Northamptonshire Sustainable Food Network. We recently received this update from the Network about the 50 Families project, a great example of agencies working together. Building a sustainable future for our communities is about connecting and building better public health,

housing

Report: Braunston Retrofit

At an 21 March event organised by Braunston Climate Action Network, talks were given by householders who have made, or are making, the move to lower carbon homes. The highly informative presentations covered heat pumps, planning, funding, the Passivhaus Standard and EnerPHit, the Passivhaus refurbishment standard (for details see the

local matters

Green Spaces Semilong

By Sienna Mahoney, Journalism student, University of Northampton. “It’s worth it in the end because it makes people happy,” said Lou Troy. Lou, one of the volunteers at Green Spaces Semilong, helped to rebuild the children’s park and some of the patches around Semilong. One place in particular

individual impact

You can watch the Briefings too

On 27 November 2025 hundreds of MPs, Peers, and leaders from business, faith, sport, and culture gathered in Westminster for a National Emergency Briefing - briefings that described the rapidly escalating climate and nature crises that are set to make the UK increasingly unrecognisable and dangerous, with extreme weather events, the

nature

It's Your Neighbourhood

Although I'm writing in November, no one will have forgotten the colourful displays of summer flowers we all enjoy so much each year around Northampton town. The flowers are for Northampton Town Council’s entry to the annual, national Britain in Bloom competition, supported by the Royal Horticultural

local matters

Climate & Nature (CAN) Champions Launch Event

On the evening of 19 November 2025 I was lucky enough to attend a Zoom call along with over 70 other people from across Northamptonshire, all enthusiastic about working for the climate and nature in their local areas. These people are CAN Champions, part of a scheme created by NCALC

local matters

Happy Birthday CA-WN

As we celebrate CA-WN’s birthday these are highlights from our first four years. ROOTS: South Northamptonshire Action on Climate [SNAC] Before CA-WN there was SNAC, formed in 2019 when residents from across the area came together to talk about the climate emergency. Convinced of the urgency to

council

Muck spreading season

The ground is being prepared for what is to come, on our fields and in our Council Chambers, and in all our lives. Here’s what was sprayed in a discussion on abandoning the Council’s Net Zero pledges: Extremists Communists Anti-capitalists Lunatics Brown rice and sandals brigade Those

local matters

Trees for Welford

CA-WN recently received this email from Hilary Hunt of Trees for Welford (TfW), and it's such a great good news story we wanted to share it. I am pleased to say that we have completed our Feasibility Study project and finalised our Report on the challenge of

council Featured

Things Can Only Get Better

Wouldn’t it be great if things could only get better. But they won’t if we carry on with ‘Business as usual’. Our headline image is taken from a recent peer-reviewed publication relating air quality (AQ) to public health outcomes1. The left image represents 2019 estimates of PM2.

food & farming

Transforming Food, Transforming Lives: Join West Northamptonshire’s Sustainable Food Network

This introduction to the work of WNSFN comes from the network's Project Manager, Matt Passchier. Matt has a varied background including working in catering, and currently at the Hope Centre in Northampton. Addressing the climate impacts of our food systems is a key component of climate action - to

local matters

Buddies of Beckets Park

This article is by Sienna Mahoney, a Journalism student at the University of Northampton. Buddies of Beckets Park (BOB) was started in 2016, since when it’s organised Northampton’s first Mela (Indian festival), mindfulness events, and more. BOB was started by Nick Stephens and Joy Ormond, two people who

nature

West Northants Council: Local Nature Recovery Strategy

Roy Hawkesford from Hackleton reports on a Webinar for parish councillors, organised by Ruth Rolls, WNC's Nature Recovery Strategy Officer (Environment, Countryside & Parks, Assets & Environment. The purpose of the meeting was to outline the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) which will go out for consultation soon1.

local matters

West Northamptonshire Area Climate Summit 2024

On Wednesday 9 October 2024 representatives from West Northamptonshire town and village councils met at Delapré Abbey for the area’s first ever Climate Summit. Over 50 delegates took this first step in a five-year programme intended to develop and support local projects aimed at dealing with, and lessening

food & farming

Syan Farm visit

What is a Vertical Farm? As the vertical farmers at Syan Farm themselves say: "With space and time running out for open field farming, we’re looking up. We grow beautifully nutritious crops on multiple levels – vertical farming. It saves on space, reduces carbon and gives us total control

council

Think Global. Act Local.

by Danny Moody, Chief Executive of the Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils (Northants CALC), a membership organisation representing all the parish and town councils and parish meetings in Northamptonshire. Climate change is a pressing global issue that requires action at all levels, from international agreements to local initiatives. One

local matters

Cobblers Tackle Food Waste

Damon Fox, Business Development Manager and sustainability lead at the Northampton Town Community Trust, shares the club's latest green initiative. He was also guest speaker at our May public meeting (https://exchange.ca-wn.org/ca-wn-30-may-2024-meeting-report). We are very excited to be

local matters

Maidwell-being

Fiona Howes, resident of Maidwell and member of Maidwell-being, tells us about the group and their activities. Maidwell-being is about finding ways to help each other within our community, share skills, improve our environment, save money and build friendships. Although started by a small group, we are hoping