Blog:
Library of Things – Gardening tool catalogue
Looking for a gardening tool to borrow? Browse our catalogue of gardening tools currently available through the Library of Things
|Library of Things – Gardening tool catalogue
Library of Things – Gardening tool catalogue
Library of Things – DIY tool catalogue
Blog:
Library of Things – DIY tool catalogue
Looking for DIY tools to borrow? Browse our catalogue of DIY tools currently available through the Library of Things.
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The Library of Things – why should I borrow and not buy?
Blog:
The Library of Things – why should I borrow and not buy?
Ahead of the launch of our Library of Things next week, new Media Volunteer, Jane tells us why we should borrow instead of buying in her first GK blog.
Coming soon to Greener Kirkcaldy is ‘The Library of Things’ – A library of tools and equipment for DIY and gardening projects, that can be borrowed for free from the High Street Hub.
So, aside from the obvious money saving incentive of borrowing rather than buying tools and equipment, why should you bother? It will save you space. Do you really want all those tools you have spent five minutes using sitting around collecting dust? Probably not. Let someone else do the dusting and utilise that space for something you really do want, or simply enjoy the health benefits of an uncluttered living environment.
More importantly, borrowing and so reusing normally underutilised tools that would otherwise be sitting in a shed or attic will reduce environmental impact. Making use of tool libraries, like The Library of Things, increases demand for existing products and consequently has potential to reduce demand for new ones. The majority of tools are made out of finite materials, such as steels and plastics, and often require mining and heavy industrial processes to produce. Yet, many useable items end up in the bin long before they need to. Increasing the usage duration and using products more efficiently will therefore help to relieve pressure on our environment by reducing our requirement for landfill.
Got a DIY project coming up or getting your garden ready for spring? Browse the DIY tools and gardening tools catalogues now to see what you can borrow and pop along from the 11th March 2017. Find out more about the ‘Library of Things‘ or come along to the Launch Event on Saturday 11th March to find out what’s on offer and become a member.
|What we do
Blog:
What we do
We have been working in Kirkcaldy since 2009, helping householders reduce their energy bills, working with other community groups, and running Wild Walks in the town’s parks and beaches. We were established as a Company Limited by Guarantee in January 2010 and a Charity in April 2010. We currently employ 15 staff, have over 50 volunteers, around 300 members and run various projects with the help of a number of partners and funders.
We run two community garden sites in Kirkcaldy at Ravenscraig Walled Garden and Dunnikier Country Park where we host regular volunteer sessions, training and events, and work with local schools and youth groups. We also have a High Street Hub drop-in centre which is open 4 days per week and engages people on our projects, hosts events and provides volunteering opportunities. The Hub won a Greener Together Award in 2015.
We lead the Cosy Kingdom partnership providing a home energy advice service across Fife. So far the partnership has helped over 3,000 homes in Fife keep warm and save money.
We are currently working on a number of projects surrounding Food, Growing, Waste Reduction, Climate Change, Energy and Transport. We are independent but work closely with Fife Council and Home Energy Scotland, as well as local partners like Fife Community Food Project and Kirkcaldy Community Gardens & Allotments.
|A Community Food Hub for Kirkcaldy – how the idea came about
Blog:
Food & GrowingArchives
A Community Food Hub for Kirkcaldy – how the idea came about
The idea for the Food Hub came about in 2014. We were inspired by the great interest in food and growing locally, and felt there was an opportunity to build on this and improve the well-being and sustainability of our community. So we carried out a survey of 450 people, asking what community food projects they would like to see happen in Kirkcaldy. We also spoke to lots of stakeholders including Fife Council, NHS Fife, Fife Community Food Project, Kirkcaldy Food Bank and Kirkcaldy Community Gardens & Allotments. These consultations showed high levels of support for our ideas and we used the feedback to develop our plans for the Food Hub. We then carried out a feasibility study and developed a business plan for the project. Our community consultation told us that a town centre site would be preferable for many of the Food Hub activities, to make them easily accessible by public transport.
Pilot projects
To test out some of our ideas, we developed two pilot projects.
One of these, “Living Well on a Budget”, is working with families on low incomes who want to learn skills to help make the most of their money. It’s a six-week course, with hands-on cookery sessions to help you plan and prepare healthy low-cost meals and avoid wasting food. Another session covers household money management – budgeting, credit and dealing with debt. We’re working with Fife Community Food Project and Citizen’s Advice & Rights Fife on this, and we’re really pleased by its impact – one of the participants said “The course was eye opening – I have learned to make meals from scratch on a budget and spread food more across the week”. 30 people took part in Living Well on a Budget courses last year and we have funding to deliver even more this year.
The other pilot project is called “Food Works” and has so far given employability support to more than 40 volunteers. At our two community garden sites, within Ravenscraig Walled Garden and Dunnikier Park, volunteers have learned to plant and look after trees, grow fruit and veg, and carry out a range of landscaping tasks. They have taken part in accredited training including SVQs in horticulture. Another group, our Community Cook volunteers, have taken food hygiene courses and gained experience of cooking for events.
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Trees Wild Walk
Trees Wild Walk
Saturday 8th April, 10.30am – 12.30pm, Ravenscraig Park
Join us for our first ‘Wild Walk’ of 2017. Discover trees, what grows under or around them, their habitats and the impacts climate change has on them in our family friendly walk with local expert Tony Wilson at Ravenscraig Park.
Trees are plants too and they are some of the biggest ones we have. We’ll be finding out about their many uses, and looking particularly at species native to Scotland. Please wear suitable clothing/shoes and dress with the Scottish weather in mind.
Places are limited so booking is required. To book your place, call us on 01592 858458, email info@greenerkirkcaldy.org.uk or drop into our High Street Hub, 254a High Street, Kirkcaldy, Wednesday to Saturday, 10am – 4pm.
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