July/August 2025 SENS newsletter - SENS - Sustainability and Energy Network in Staveley

Welcome to the July/August 2025 edition of the SENS newsletter!

As we flow through summer, we’re delighted by the vibrancy of longer days and flourishing landscapes. This year, the UK experienced its sunniest spring since records began in 1910, with 630 hours of sunshine recorded between March 1 and May 27, surpassing the previous record set in 2020.

While these conditions have provided ample opportunities for outdoor activities and community engagement, they also highlight the importance of sustainable practices and environmental awareness.

In this issue, we bring you more from our projects and local news:

1. Upcoming Activities & Events
2. Latest News from SENS

3. CRKC Highlights & Updates

Local Engagement
Campaigning

4. Staveley Ebikes

If you have something interesting to share or would like to get more involved with our work, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to us at senstaveley@gmail.com

Warm regards,
The SENS Team

Support SENS

We’re a volunteer-led organisation that relies on grants and contributions. Here’s how to support our work.

Please consider making a donation to our SENS Good Hub donation page – Sustainable Staveley (SENS)

Know someone who’d like to receive the SENS newsletter? Contact us at senstaveley@gmail.com

Thanks for reading!

1. Upcoming events

Visit our ‘Events’ page

We now have the addition of an ‘Events’ page to our website.

Come along to an event to learn, take positive action, meet new people and make Staveley a better place!

To view & get involved Click here

Upcoming Cumbria Wildlife Trust Conservation Day Staveley Woodlands.

Join Cumbria Wildlife Trust (CWT) for one of their conservation days in Staveley Woodlands Nature Reserve. Craggy Wood, Staveley LA8 9QT.

For more information and upcoming dates- Click here

DR Bike Session, Kendal. The Big Bike Revival. Next Session 22nd July, 12pm-2pm

Bring your bike along to Highgate, Kendal (LA9 4HE), where Samson, a qualified bike mechanic, will be on hand with a cheerful team of cycling volunteers to carry out safety checks and basic repairs. Whether it’s brakes, gears, or tyres, they’ll help get your bike back into shape.

This free session is made possible thanks to Active Travel England, supported by Cycling UK. No booking needed, just turn up. It’s first come, first served. All that’s asked is a quick email contact so Cycling UK can send a short feedback survey.

For details and updates of future sessions, view their Facebook page

YPOS (Young People of Staveley)

YPOS will taking a break over the summer holidays from 18th July and will be returning to the Pavilion on Friday the 5th September.

A summer programme has been put together of YPOS activities during the summer holidays. Click here for provisional plans.

On behalf of all the volunteers and the YPOS team, we’d like to wish all our primary school leavers the very best of luck as you begin this exciting new chapter. We can’t wait to hear all about your first week of secondary school when we return.

Staveley Youth Project is happening every Friday for school years 6-11 during term time only.

For more information on YPOS (Young people of Staveley)- Click here. For updates view Staveley & Ings Hub Facebook page.

2. Latest News from SENS

Bees, Bakes & Brilliant People at SENS Coffee Morning.

We Raised £320, Thanks to You!

As part of Great Big Green Week, SENS hosted a vibrant Coffee Morning to showcase all our ongoing projects including CRKC, the Staveley Pop-Up Repair Café, and the Staveley E-Bike Share Scheme. (Click here to read more about all our projects!)

We were thrilled by the amazing turnout and want to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped make the morning so special.

To read more about our SENS Coffee Morning – Click Here

Staveley’s Driest Spring Since 1985

It goes without saying that the spring of 2025 was very dry, we had no rain from the 22nd April until 23rd May this year (31 days). This is the longest continuous dry spell we have had since our record begin in 1985. The previous record was 19 days and dry spells over 2 weeks are few and far between.

To read more about our weather report – Click Here

An Inspiring Evening with Kate Rawles Adventure in the Andes: The Life Cycle

On Saturday 5th July, the Staveley Pavilion was well attended with an engaged and curious audience for an unforgettable evening with environmental adventurer Kate Rawles.

Kate captivated us with tales from her remarkable cycling journey the length of South America on Woody, a bike she built herself from bamboo. The talk was beautifully balanced between personal reflections, extraordinary landscapes, and deeply compelling stories of the people and environmental challenges she encountered along the way.

One attendee commented that Kate is “an excellent speaker” who “balanced her personal journey and stories along the way whilst laying out very clearly the challenges associated with biodiversity loss.”
A huge thank you to everyone who made the evening possible, and to Kate for leaving us not only informed, but inspired to reflect on our relationship with the natural world and what we can each do to protect it.

To find out more about Kate Rawles: Click here

Alec Row Blossoms with Colour and Communication

Alec Row is looking brighter and more welcoming than ever thanks to the wonderful efforts of our community, with beautiful blooms now adding colour and life to the area.

In addition to the floral flourish, we’re excited to unveil the new community notice board funded by a grant sourced by SENS.

Wheels Turning, Confidence Growing, Thank You, Smile Cycling!

Thank you Jenny founder of Smile Cycling.

We had a lovely, inspiring evening with Jenny, who shared a wealth of cycling tips, safety advice, and confidence-boosting encouragement.

From age 7 to 80, our audience brought a fantastic mix of experiences, and it was wonderful to hear everyone’s personal cycling stories. The quizzes kept us all on our toes and sparked great conversations, fun, informative, and full of smiles!

A huge thank you to Jenny for her passion and energy. We’re already looking forward to the next time, to inspire even more riders, new and seasoned alike!

To find out more about Smile Cycling: Click here

From Seedlings to Soil: Staveley Primary School Green Fingers.

Staveley Primary School hosted their annual plant stall at Jack’s Corner, displaying a wonderful array of plants grown in the School Garden.

From cosmos to aloe vera, eggplants to mystery seedlings, every penny raised goes straight back into supporting the school gardening club. Thank you to everyone who’s already donated.

The Hotbin has been on a bit of a journey recently, quite literally as it’s been moved around a few times to find its ideal spot. Despite the shuffling, we’re becoming pros at emptying and restarting it.

Staveley Pop-up Repair Café – June Recap

Our June Staveley Pop-up Repair Café went ahead as planned, and we’re so grateful to our dedicated fixers and volunteers who gave their time, skills, and knowledge to help keep items out of landfill.

Of course, no Repair Café is complete without good food and our much-loved homemade dhal was a firm favourite once again.

We’ll now be taking a short break to recharge our tools (and ourselves!) over the summer, and will be back in September 2025. If you’ve got something in need of fixing, don’t toss it, bring it along to one of our monthly sessions, held on the second Wednesday of each month.

For updates, reminders, follow us on Facebook: Sustainable Staveley

If you’d like to share your skills, we’d love to hear from you. Email us at senstaveley@gmail.com

2. CRKC Highlights & Updates

– Local Engagement –

CRKC Launches Brand New Website!

Thanks to a grant from Westmorland and Furness Council, CRKC now has our very own, brand-new website and dedicated email address, proudly developed by our team and amazing supporters.

We hope that by launching this new website, we can better connect with our community, provide easier access to our resources, and keep you informed about our programmes and initiatives.

View the new website Click here

Here is our email address cleanriverkentcampaign@gmail.com

CRKC would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Jumpy James Photography and Nicola Fearnley Photography for providing the stunning imagery.

Our River, Our Responsibility: Take Action to Protect the Kent

CRKC is excited to launch a new campaign to inspire individuals and businesses to take action for the River Kent, starting right at home.

From pet owners and septic tank users to everyday households, we can all make small changes that help reduce harmful chemicals and bacteria reaching our river. To make this easier, we’ve created three clear, practical leaflets, each offering simple steps tailored to your lifestyle:

Pet Owners – Find out about the responsible use of Flea and Worming treatment. View/download here
Householders – Discover how everyday products like detergents and cleaning sprays can impact the river and easy swaps to make a difference. View/download here
Septic Tank and Off Mains Sewage users- Get the basics on how to care for your system and avoid pollution risks without costly upgrades. View /download here

Together, these small changes can make a big impact in helping the River Kent stay clean, healthy, and safe for wildlife and people alike.

You can also help promote the campaign, by printing out and displaying our Household campaign poster – View/download here

To read more about our Household Campaign and published research- Click Here

New Digital Walking Trail Celebrates the River Kent’s Nature, History, and Future

Congratulations to the National Trust on their digital walking trail celebrating the natural beauty, wildlife, and history of the River Kent, helping to shine a light on the environmental challenges it faces.

This digital trail makes it easy to explore the river at your own pace, just grab your phone and start walking!

Despite the rain, National Trust staff and local partners including CRKC took to the trail to officially launch it walking the full route during Great Big Green Week. 💚

For more information and route guidance – Click here

– Campaigning –

Exploring River Rights: A Talk with Josh Levene of Love Our Ouse

CRKC hosted a free talk with guest speaker Josh Levene – Director of Love Our Ouse.

Josh delivered and engaging, interactive session to guide attendees through a growing movement in the UK to recognise nature as part of our legal, moral, and political community through a Rights of Nature lens.
Members explored what this means for other rivers, including the River Kent, and how a river rights charter can support regeneration and protection.

Thank you to Josh, everyone who came along and our amazing CRKC volunteers for supporting putting this event together at Abbott Hall Social Club.

CRKC position statements/submissions on the status of the water industry

CRKC has recently published the following 2 documents: CRKC Position Statement – Future of the Water Industry – April 2025

To read our responses & Statements – Click here

The People’s Commission calls for Cleaner, Cheaper and Fairer Water.

The People’s Commission (which has been running in parallel to the Cunliffe Commission, set up by the Government) has produced recommendations that include a call for the transition to public ownership of water.

CRKC will be discussing the People’s Commissions’ recommendations and those of the Cunliffe Commission (due to report at the end of summer) in August/September.

You can read the Executive Summary : Click here

To read the press release from the People’s Commission : Click Here

4. Staveley Ebikes

Rolling into Summer: New Luggage Trailer Joins Staveley E-Bike Share!

A warm welcome to all the new users who have signed up for the Staveley Ebike Share Scheme this year.

Summer 2025 is in full swing and there’s no better time to explore Staveley and beyond with a little help from the Staveley E-Bike Share Scheme. We’re excited to launch our brand-new luggage trailer, making it easier than ever to swap the car for two wheels, without sacrificing what you need to carry!

Whether you’re stocking up on groceries, collecting garden or home improvement supplies, going for a picnic or heading off with camping gear, the luggage trailer offers flexible, low-carbon transport for all your summer plans.

We also continue to offer our child-friendly trailer, for all the family to enjoy a great day out exploring.

Eco-friendly, practical, and affordable right here in Staveley. It’s never been easier (or greener) to pack up and go.

Get in touch to book, or reach out if you have questions, we’d love to help you make the most of the season!

To join Staveley Community Ebikes visit the website: Click here

Keep up to date and follow our Staveley Ebikes: Facebook page