National Emergency Briefing held in Westminster 

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On 27 November 2025, Central Hall Westminster, London, was buzzing with an invite-only audience of around 1,250 politicians, scientists and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media. Also in attendance were familiar faces like Chris Packham, Deborah Meaden, Jennifer Saunders, Mark Rylance, Brian Eno,  Roger Harrabin and four of the Sussex Green Living team.

They learnt about the latest implications for health, food, national security and the economy. They weren’t there for show. They came because the National Emergency Briefing, convened by brothers Simon and Nick Oldridge, brought together some of the UK’s most respected scientific voices to share the latest evidence on nature and climate risks — with the solutions already proving effective.

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New art hub at the Sussex Green Hub

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We are excited to announce thanks to a National Lottery Community Fund grant we have launched a new activity at the Sussex Green Hub led by ‘Em Makes’ read on….

As the weather turns colder, with the first signs of snow, December is fast approaching.  Shops are filled with bright baubles and tinsel and everywhere we go, there are signs that Christmas is coming.  At each shop we are encouraged to buy this, buy that, spend more!!!

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Swap, don’t shop: Find fun ways to refresh your festive wardrobe the sustainable way

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Christmas is a time of joy but also a time of overspending and overconsumption. But this year could be different, starting with your wardrobe. What if this festive season, you bought nothing new to wear?

Before you panic about party season, hear me out. The fashion industry produces 100 billion garments annually, yet we wear items an average of just seven times before discarding them according to The Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Meanwhile, recycling that glittery party dress isn’t the solution we imagine – mixed fabrics are virtually impossible to separate and recycle effectively.

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Stress Awareness Week: finding balance through everyday choices 

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As Stress Awareness Week (3 to 7 November) begins, Sussex Green Living says concern about the environment is becoming part of the pressure many people feel in daily life. 

Many worry about our changing weather, plastic pollution, air quality and the loss of biodiversity. These concerns have become part of the background to modern living, adding to the usual stresses of work, family and finances. For some, it can feel as though the problems are too big to change. 

Sussex Green Living (SGL), a registered UK charity working with schools, community groups and businesses across West Sussex, believes that practical, positive action can make a difference. The organisation helps people find balance through small steps that connect personal wellbeing with care for the planet, from spending more time in nature and noticing wildlife in local green spaces to reducing waste or making conscious choices about what and where we buy our food. 

 

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Filtering Out Microfibre Pollution

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Did you know your daily diet might include a helping of plastic? Microplastics have been found in honey, sea salt, bottled water, and even human blood and lungs. While they may be “micro” in size, their impact on health and the environment is anything but small. We can’t see them, but they’re everywhere. Every time we wash synthetic clothes, thousands of microscopic fibres are released into the water system. Many of these microplastics end up in rivers and seas and the soil where they can harm wildlife and enter the food chain.  

Our washing machines are a major source of this pollution. A University of Plymouth study (Napper & Thompson, 2016) fund that an average 6kg load of laundry can release more than 700,000 plastic microfibres into wastewater. Most of these fibres come from synthetic fabrics such as polyester, which now make up over 60 per cent of the world’s textiles.   Read more

National Lottery grant helps local project look to a sharing future

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Sussex Green Living has received a National Lottery Community Fund award to expand its work with young people and families, while exploring the creation of a “Library of Things” for Sussex. 

SGL is best known for running the monthly Repair Café and Green Hub in Horsham. Since the Horsham Repair Cafe launched in October 2017, volunteers have repaired hundreds of household items and garments, saved residents thousands of replacement costs and prevented waste from going to landfill or incineration.  

The new funding will help the group target 17–25-year-olds and families with young children, with extra activities at the Repair Café, family friendly events and skills sharing opportunities. Champions will be recruited to take pop up repair cafés and skill swaps into colleges and community venues.   
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Repair Starts Here

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Across Sussex, people are proving that repair is not a thing of the past but part of the future we need to build. From Storrington to Horsham, Lewes to Brighton, Repair Cafés show what a circular economy looks like in everyday life: people coming together to fix broken things, share knowledge and stop waste before it starts.

Last weekend marked International Repair Day, but for the volunteers and visitors at Repair Cafés across Sussex, repair is not just a day, it is a habit that keeps growing. These monthly meet-ups are practical and sociable. A kettle, a radio or a pair of trousers comes in broken and often goes home working again. What stays behind is something less tangible but just as valuable: connection, confidence and community.

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Batting for Change: Repair and Reuse Take Root in Local Cricket

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In a small workshop in Haywards Heath, cricket bats are being restored to life. Barney Morris, better known as Barney Bats, repairs around 50 damaged bats each week. After a busy weekend of matches, his workbench can resemble a triage unit as bats arrive in need of care and attention.

Morris, who runs the cricket department at Wisdom Sports in town, is on a mission to prove that a cracked bat need not be discarded. His passion began when he started fixing senior bats for junior players, driven by the high cost of new kit. “The price of cricket bat willow means getting a good bat is really expensive,” he explained. “Now I get donated adult bats which I can repair and resize for children and I can sell them at a fraction of the cost of a new bat.” Read more

From Repair to Refill: Local Projects Rethink Waste and Rebuild Community

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Across West Sussex, more and more communities are finding simple ways to cut waste and make the most of what they already have. Whether it’s fixing broken items, passing on unwanted goods or switching to refillable options, people are discovering that small changes can make a big difference.

At Sussex Green Living, we’re working to promote practical solutions like these through our support for repair cafés, new refill initiatives and by sharing inspiring stories from across the county. One group that really caught our attention is based just outside Worthing, where bicycles are getting a new lease of life, along with the people who ride them.

New life for recycled bikes

What do you do with an unwanted bicycle? Down here on the coast, we contacted Durrington Community Cycle Project (DCCP), who are tired of seeing bikes end up in landfill. Instead, they show customers how to repair their bikes and keep them cycling safely. What’s more, they’ve integrated the whole repair and reuse ethos into the heart of their local community.

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New refill service coming to Storrington this July

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Sussex Green Living is excited to announce that a new dry-food refill service will be coming to Storrington this summer. The service will launch on Wednesday 23 July at Chanctonbury Leisure Centre and will run every fourth Wednesday from 9am to midday alongside the UK Harvest food hub. Local residents can bring their own containers to stock up on household staples such as oats, pasta, rice and nuts. The aim is simple: buy only what you need, cut down on plastic packaging and reduce food waste at home. 

Two weeks ago Sussex Green Living joined other successful community projects at a launch event hosted by West Sussex County Council, highlighting the creative ways groups across the county are helping people rethink what they throw away. This new refill project in Storrington is one of the initiatives made possible by the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund, delivered by West Sussex County Council in partnership with Biffa. Read more