Welcome to Nailsworth Climate Action Network
We are a community group dedicated to action on climate change for people who want to make positive choices for our planet. We’d like to get to know more of you in our community, share our upcoming projects and ideas with you and learn all about yours too. We know Nailsworth CAN make a difference and we hope you’ll join us. Take a look around to see what we are doing and how you can join in!
Up-coming events (details below)
Small grants are available from Stroud District Council, open for applications until 25th May
6th to 30th May - Introducing the Many Hands Pop-Up !
1st June - People's Emergency Briefing Film Screening
Introducing the Many Hands Pop-Up !
The Many Hands Reading Room pop-up is now open at This House gallery on Market Street in Nailsworth until May 30th.
The pop-up is a space full of art and design books gathered from the local community for people to browse, and there are plenty of free or pay-as-you-feel creative sessions and after-school art drop-in sessions from Wednesday to Friday. It's an amazing collection - well worth grabbing a coffee and taking time out for a gentle browse.
NailsworthCAN is looking forward to collaborating with this exciting new venture with a creative session on 30th May where people can reuse and recycle various papers and fabrics, stitching them together into slim notebooks or sketchbooks. We can't wait to get creative with reuse and recycling - come and join us!
See below for details of what's on and when.
People's Emergency Briefing Film Screening
Date: 1st June
Time: 19:30
Place: Sawyer Hall, Christ Church, Newmarket Road
The Nailsworth Society, with support from NailsworthCAN, will be hosting a screening of the National Emergency Briefing film.
The UK faces a growing climate and nature emergency. Yet most people have never been fully briefed on what it means for our lives, our economy and our future.
Last year, leading experts set out the evidence on the climate and nature crisis in a formal briefing to national decision-makers. A version of this has been made into a film, designed for screenings in communities. This new film from the National Emergency Briefing sets out the risks facing the nation - and the credible, positive responses available.
Come along to find out what is also happening locally, with time to reflect and mingle.
Read more about the Briefing here: https://www.nebriefing.org/the-film
Please book tickets for the event here: https://buytickets.at/ncan/2212576
Stroud District Council's Climate and Nature Grant now open for applications
Small grants are available from Stroud District Council, open for applications until 25th May. The grants are designed to support community projects that help local people adapt to climate change, encourage behaviour change among individuals with high carbon footprints, or contribute to nature recovery within Stroud district.
We have previously supported projects that have successfully applied for these grants, and would be happy to do so again. Please get in touch if you have an idea or want to collaborate on a project.
Read more here: https://www.stroud.gov.uk/news/new-round-of-community-climate-and-nature-grants-now-open/
NailsworthCAN Eco Quiz & Crossword
A successful Quiz Night at the Britannia Inn (thanks Su!) on Monday 30th March, with many participants saying how much they'd learned about environmental issues and are looking forward to the next one. We also had a crossword as an extra activity between rounds, and it is included here so you can have a go too (answers can be found in a link below).
Compiler: Joshua Roach
Answers and references here.
Good seeing you at the Town Meeting
A great turnout of community groups at the Town Meeting on 18th April. At the Nailsworth Climate Action Network stall there was plenty of discussion about clean energy and overwhelming support for speeding up the transition and getting more renewables on public buildings.
Altogether, lots of inspiring conversations and enthusiasm for community action.
Maggie Dutton (Chair of NailsworthCAN), Richard Erskine (Education lead), Matt Partridge (Treasurer), Sally Thorpe (Steering Group member).
There was overwhelming support for the Clean Energy transition at the stall, including a call for more Community Energy on public buildings.
Repair Cafe
The Nailsworth Repair Cafe is held at The Nailsworth Community Workshop usually between 10am and 1 pm designated Sundays.
It covers electrical, mechanical, woodwork repairs and tool sharpening. To find dates and make a booking (which is essential) go to bookwhen.com/nrc
Climate Corner - Nailsworth Library
Nailsworth CAN’s Climate Corner is on the first Friday of every month, from 1030 to 1230am, at Nailsworth Library. The next one being Friday 5th June 2026.
The Climate Cart supports Nailsworth Library in its Greener Together initiative and was commissioned to be a centre piece for the monthly Climate Corner run by Dr Richard Erskine at the Library. It was built by Auspicious based in Nailsworth under the creative direction of Jenny Bowers, and funded in part by an award from the David Vaisey Trust. The plywood used to build it is wood that is a few decades old at most, but the dark lettering is made of bog oak that is 5,000 years old, set in a orange plastic background that represents fossil carbon that is a few hundred million years old - the cart itself is thereby telling its own carbon story.
Activities & Other News …
The Arkell Centre Grow It Project
It great to see the project come to fruition, literally.
Our Let's Grow It project at the Arkell Centre, Forest Green, Nailsworth is now officially open!
We held an informal event last week during the Community Cafe and invited Trustees, Town Councillors and visitors to the cafe to help us do the final planting of herbs and seeds. It was really great to see the little ones digging in.
As part of the project we've installed galvanised planters and trellis, permanent planting of fan-trained and dwarf fruit trees, blackberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, rhubarb, strawberries and herbs as well as lettuce, radish, beans and beetroot seeds. We've used local suppliers for almost everything and the NailsworthCAN Grow It group supplied the volunteers.
The aim is to show how you can grow fruit and veg even in a small space and to give users of the Centre the chance to see how food arrives from plant to plate. The garden is in the secure outdoor area which users of the Arkell Centre can access.
Many thanks to all the local residents, businesses and Stroud District Council for their kind donations of money and help. Another great community project for Nailsworth and the Climate.
#ClimateAction #StroudFunding #communitygarden #forestgreencommunity
If you would like to get involved with this project alongside our NailsworthCAN Grow It group, please contact us on nailsworthcan@gmail.com
If you missed the talk on Heat Pumps, catch up here
If you missed the talk ‘Everything you wanted to know about heat pumps but were afraid to ask’ by our education lead Dr Richard Erskine, you can catch up with this recording:
A video of the talk first given on 7th November 2025 (filmed and edited by Christina Wheeler) is available via the WottonAreaCAN website, and direct YouTube link here (Talk approx 40 mins, Q&A approx 30 mins). A second outing of the talk was held in Nailsworth on 1st December, hosted by NailsworthCAN
Community Energy
Today (10th Feb 2026) the Government has published a Local Power Plan, that puts £1bn into community energy. This is the biggest investment in community energy in history, putting communities at the heart of everything this government does. The Stroud Area Community Energy Network (SACEN), which NailsworthCAN is active in, promotes community energy projects.
Community Energy is a major theme for NailsworthCAN, and we should celebrate the work that has has already been done. Treasurer, Matt Partridge, introduces this great film by Limestone Media celebrating the success of a solar energy project at Minchinhamption Primary school:
Read more in our blog on the New Community Energy Initiatives.
Demystifying Heat Pumps
There has been a lot of chatter recently about heat pumps being new and untried technology, or not suitable for old buildings, or being much more expensive to run than a gas boiler. None of these is true.
Our new page Demystifying Heat Pumps should help to dispel these myths, but please send us any questions you may have. Also note that Nesta are running a scheme to connect those curious about getting a heat pump with householders who already have one.
Go to Nesta’s Visit a Heat Pump page to learn more and book a visit (or if you have a heat pump, to offer your services, at dates/ times of your choosing).
Learn about the Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme here.
Nailsworth CAN Grow It
Is a support network, coordinated by Bill Roberts, for anyone growing anything to eat. We meet monthly and have a WhatsApp group, to join message ‘Grow It’ to 07932 623672.
Project ideas welcome
We are interested in proposals for projects / events that further the aims of NailsworthCAN from any supporter in the locality who is willing to take on a leading role. We have created a simple form to allow such ideas to be captured, so they can be reviewed by our Steering Group. The aim is to support each other and engage in local, positive action on climate and nature. You can register / offer up a project idea here.
Ongoing projects
Community Energy
We have formed a Community Energy (CE) project group within NailsworthCAN and are working with SACEN (Stroud Area Community Energy Network) to promote CE, identify opportunities, and further projects in Nailsworth and its neighbourhood. Read more here.
All About Retrofit
The word ‘retrofit’ applies to anything done to your existing property to: reduce heat loss, improve air quality, eliminate damp issues, move off gas. Not all houses are the same and older houses may require specialist help and advice. From draught proofing to solar panels, find out how you could make your home healthier and more energy efficient.
Nailsworth Green Directory
This is currently undergoing a refresh, and a new version will be posted in late August/ early September 2025.
Find out about all of the businesses in Nailsworth that are making a conscious effort to be more sustainable. From the chef who switched to compostable take-away boxes to the computer shop that fixes and recycles, there are lots of people in Nailsworth trying to change the way we live, work and shop.
Nailsworth CAN Repair It
We throw away vast amounts of stuff - clothes, tools, appliances - often things that need s simple repair. If you have anything you want to fix, then bring it along to the next one which we will advertise in due course(based at the Subscription Rooms on Bath Road, Nailsworth, Glos. GL6 0HH). We'll try to help you fix it - mainly electrical, mechanical, woodwork, sewing and textile repairs. To book a slot, go to www.bookwhen. com/nrc or call 07977 228973 or email paulkhofman@me.com.
Family Carbon Challenge
For those of you that are keen to make this year a little bit greener, we have some simple ideas to help you reduce your carbon footprint. We hope you’ll join in and please do let us know how you get on with the challenge.
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