2012 has been an exceptional year with street party celebrations of the Diamond Jubliee and the success of the Olympics and Paralympics.

Join us here for some of the highlights of the year 2012 at One Planet Sutton:

13 Jan        Food Inc. Film showing tonight
Food Inc. is an enlightening expose of the corporate mechanisation of the food industry.  The film will be shown at BedZED Pavilion, 24A Sandmartin Way, Wallington SM6 7DF and is free of charge (donations welcome).  Refreshments and home made cakes will be available.  This event is organised by Sutton in Transition, part of the global transition network dedicated to building local solutions to climate change and peak oil.  The Sutton group meets on the 13th of every month.  Click here for full report.

7 Feb        Conflict Resolution with The U
Have you ever found yourself faced with a conflict but weren’t sure if or how to respond?  Would you like to be able to keep your cool and prevent difficult situations from escalating into something more serious?  Learn how to adopt a defusing mindset and pick up other useful tips for dealing with conflict situations in a safe and amicable way.  Citizen’s University The U are offering a series of free, hands-on learning sessions through February and March, with the first one at Wandle Valley Community Centre, 2 Budge Lane, Hackbridge, CR4 4AZ from 2-3.30pm on Saturday 18 February. Click here for full report.

27 March    Green Business Awards
On Wednesday 14th March, the environmental achievements of 13 Hackbridge businesses were celebrated in an award ceremony held at the Rose and Crown pub in Wallington.
The winners range from The Grange restaurant for its exemplary water efficiency which has seen its water use reduced by 80 per cent, to Little Oak Tree Care tree surgeons for their all round dedication to sustainability. The winners received certificates and green prizes such as solar-powered chargers for mobile phones and vegetable bags from nearby Sutton Community Farm.
The awards are part of the Hackbridge Green Business Network project run by BioRegional with funding from Sutton Council and The European Regional Development Find.  Click here for full report.

9 May    Solar Powered Community Centre
Last year the roof of the All Saints Community Centre in Hackbridge was fitted with 16 photovoltaic solar panels as part of Sutton Council’s Low Carbon Zone initiative.  The centre is now reaping the benefits with 1000kWh of electricity being produced in the first 6 months and it is hoped that this solar electricity production will help to offset the centre’s large energy bills.
All Saints is one of six community buildings in the Hackbridge Low Carbon Zone (LCZ) that received free energy-saving measures and advice under the LCZ programme.  This has included cavity wall insulation, replacement boilers, energy-efficient lighting, smart meters and solar panels and the measures are expected to save around 20 tonnes of CO2 per year.  Click here for full report.

24 May    Energy and Transport Fair – Saturday 26th May
The Energy and Transport Fair takes place this Saturday from 12-4pm at the Sutton Life Centre, 24 Alcorn Close, Sutton.  It is the first of 3 events over the summer that aims to promote BioRegional’s Community Visions programme.
Jointly organised by BioRegional and Sutton in Transition, this free community event will help visitors reduce their carbon footprints in fun and rewarding ways. There will be exhibitions, stalls, live demonstrations, fun activities and practical advice from experts on a range of issues including how to install solar power, making your home more energy efficient or travelling more sustainably. There will also be a display on BioRegional’s One Planet Experience exhibition at BedZED that tells the sustainability story of the London 2012 Games.
This event is supported by Smarter Travel Sutton, Solar Homes Work and EcoLocal.  Click here for full report.

21 June    BedZED Global Games – a festival of Fizzical Fun
BedZED, the pioneering ecovillage in Hackbridge, is ten years old this year.  To celebrate this tenth anniversary everyone is invited to a Festival of Fizzical Fun on Sunday 24 June. Come along and take part in wacky games, sports demonstrations and children’s activities. There will also be fair-trade and organic stalls and look out for the medals, raffles and prizes to be given away on the day.  Refreshments will be available with international food and drink and a barbecue.  Click here for full report.

17 Sept    Follow in the tracks of a London 2012 Local Hero
Back In October 2011 local hero David Weir came to BedZED to open BioRegional’s One Planet Experience – an exhibition which tells the London 2012 sustainability story and inspires people to live more sustainably.  Four gold medals later and with over 1600 people having visited the exhibition, people are continuing to be inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic spirit to make positive changes in their lives.
On Thursday 20 September at 2.30pm and 4.00pm, we have a special opportunity for Sutton residents, employees and community leaders to visit One Planet Experience on a guided tour and find out about our sister exhibition – the One Planet Centre.   The One Planet Centre has taken our sustainability message right into the heart of the Olympic Village to engage all the Olympic and Paralympic athletes and encourage them to become inspirational role models, relaying messages of sustainable living back to their own communities.
Come and find out which athletes came to pledge their support to the One Planet Centre and take the challenge to see how many household appliances you can power in the One Planet Experience energy velodrome. Click here for full report.

24 Sept    Carshalton Athletic FC: Sustainability in Action wins top FA community award
Congratulations to Carshalton Athletic FC who were recently named FA Community Club 2012. Playing their part in building a One Planet Sutton by combining health, youth development and community in the name of football!
Since owner Paul Dipre bought the club 4 years ago and helped steer The Robins away from relegation, Carshalton Atheltic have invested in their stars of the future by establishing over 40 youth teams, bringing over 500 young people together to develop their skills and confidence, keep active and healthy, and form a strong community.  One Planet Living in action: well done Carshalton Atheltic FC.  Click here for full report.

9 Oct        Sutton Mums turn streets into playgrounds
Sutton Council hosted a special ‘Thank You’ event last night for all of Sutton’s inspiring volunteers across summer 2012.
Amongst the inpsiring stories we heard, Kathy McGuinness (behind Local Mum’s Online) told us about ‘Playing Out‘ – closing your street to make it safe and fun for kids to play in.
Playing Out regains our streets from the car and gets kids and communities active, tackling childhood obesity and building key social skills. Kathy went on to express the added benefit of getting to know neighbours, amongst others – for neighbourly favours when many Sutton parents have no family locally to help out.
One Planet Sutton loves this idea as it strengthens communities and promotes healthy and happy kids – well done Local Mums Online. The next gathering will be Westcroft Road on October 24th. To throw your own – check out how on the Playing Out website here.  Click here for full report.

23 Oct         Innovative Renewable Energy scheme comes to the River Wandle
An innovative micro hydroelectric turbine recently installed in the River Wandle began generating electricity last month at the National Trust’s Morden Hall Park.  Acting like a modern waterwheel, the Archimedes Screw harnesses the power of the river, turning the turbine which makes the electricity through a generator.  It is believed to be the first one of its kind in London.
The Archimedes Screw is expected to produce around 59,000 kWh of electricity per year which is about 12 times more electricity than an average household uses.  The electricity will be used to power the renovated 19th-century stable yard.  Click here for full report.

20 Nov        Cheam Fields Primary School runners up in National Green Awards
Local Primary School Cheam Fields recently won second place in a national green awards scheme at the National Association of School Business Management Awards.  The School have introduced a whole range of initiatives and have reduced their energy consumption by 20 per cent.
School’s Business Manager Nicky Gillhespy has attributed this to the hard work of the staff and students. The school’s Pupil Eco Action Team meet weekly to come up with new ideas and then implement the plans once agreed by the Staff Eco Team.
Well done Cheam Fields Primary School, you are proving to be sustainability champions extraordinaire!  We look forward to hearing about more of your future environmental improvements.  Click here for full report.

11 Dec        Christmas comes to Hackbridge
This Saturday Hackbridge became a Christmas Wonderland as Father Christmas and his reindeer came to town. Activities and attractions for all were on offer throughout Hackbridge with a Rudolf treasure hunt, gift stalls, badge and craft making stalls, art competitions, a Christmas lantern procession and carols around the Christmas tree.
As darkness started to fall, the children of Hackbridge processed with their Christmas lanterns from All Saint’s Church to Hackbridge Primary School where children from both Hackbridge Primary School and Culvers House Primary School sang Christmas songs in front of the 15ft Christmas tree before the Christmas lights were switched on by the Mayor.
We would like to thank all who were involved in making it a success, in particular the Mayor of Sutton Councillor Sean Brennan OBE, Sally Williams from Retail Revival, the local businesses and also the local schools. We hope you enjoyed it just as much as we did!  Click here for full report.

See you in 2013 with more One Planet Sutton initiatives!