Green Futures Newton Abbot

18/09/2026

Some exciting news for one of our local producers Fresh Flour (https://www.freshflour.co.uk) , based in Buckfastleigh. They are one of the 3 Food Category finalists in this years BBC Food and Farming Awards 👏👏🎉🎉

You can listen to today's programme here and a really inspiring interview with Andrew Gilhespy, their founder and chief miller:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0031jw7

Fingers crossed for the Fresh Flour crew and a brilliant example of how we can move away from using pesticides in our production of food.

🌿🌞💚

30/08/2026

Hi everyone,

We're hoping that you've managed to navigate the extreme heat this summer and had some nourishing times with family and friends. The heat has often been exhausting, but as many of us are now aware it has been a real challenge for our farmers and food producers.

Here's the story of a farmer from Wiltshire:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyvlrq487y2o

Even though there is still some debate about whether the extreme heat this summer has been caused by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, one fact is certain - creating and conserving greater levels of biodiversity will help us to better manage extreme weather events in the future :

https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiv.ersity

If we look at the most recent results of UK monitoring of pollinators, the results still show a general decline, but there are signs of hope that we can turn these declines around:

https://jncc.gov.uk/our-work/ukbi-pollinating-insects/

Earlier this summer Green Futures Newton Abbot was successful in a funding bid to the National Lottery for a new pilot initiative called Neighbours With Nature 👏

We're currently still in the process of designing the project logo and other elements, so we'll be looking to launch later in the year, but the plan is to offer a programme of citizen science activities such as Bug Hunts, Moth Meets and Pollinator Picnics next Spring and Summer in accessible locations for people of all ages, to help Newton Abbot become even more of a haven for pollinators and for people who value their connection with Nature🐞🦋🌸🐝🌺

We'll keep you updated on events and activities here, but if you'd like to go on our mailing list for future events and workshops linked to Neighbours With Nature, please
email us at "info - at - greenfutures-newtonabbot.co.uk" (please replace the - at - with @ in your email)

Lets work together to make Newton Abbot as Resilient as possible for future generations. 👍🌿💚

02/02/2026

Hi folks,

We just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has helped make our Check the Shed Newton Abbot community pesticide collection happen : Newton Abbot Town Council, Devon County Councillor Mick Cockerham, SUEZ Recycling and Reclamation, Devon Environment Foundation and all of our amazing Green Futures volunteers 👏🙏

We're doing amazingly well having so far arranged collections for over 50 home and garden pesticide containers in the first three weeks. Please let as many people know as you can -neighbours, friends, family and work colleagues...the more pesticides we can collect, the healthier our communities will be 🌳🌼🙂

We've found that word of mouth and face to face conversations are the best way to engage people. We're also finding that older residents may have tended to store more pesticides because they've been using them for longer and struggle to take them to the recycling centre, so if you know any older people, please offer to help them Check their Shed and book a Collection at :

Www.pesticidefreenewton.co.uk

23/11/2025

Hi everyone - we're under way now with publicising the Check the Shed initiative 👍

A big thank you to all the shops, cafés and community hubs who've put up the poster so far... below is Check the Shed at :

The Country Table
Orsino Lounge
Coffee #1
and The Express Pasta Company

We've had a really positive response so far, so please ask your friends, neighbours and work colleagues to "Check the Shed" for unwanted pesticides and book their FREE collection with Green Futures.

https://www.greenfutures-newtonabbot.co.uk/pesticide-free-newton

Hopefully you'll see more posters and flyers going up across town between now and Christmas, then in the New Year we'll build on this with roadside banners and street signs.

Let's show how Newton Abbot is leading the way to becoming the first truely Pesticide-Free Town in the UK!

Please spread the word 🐛🦋🐞🌍💚

16/11/2025

Hi everyone,

The nights are definately drawing in now, but we ran a moth meet in someone's back garden recently and had this incredible moth arrive - a Merveille du Jour... Such beautiful colouring, evolved to blend in with the lichen in the broadleaved woodlands that they frequent ... it felt like finding real treasure on an otherwise cold and drizzly late autumn night!

06/10/2025

Hiya, we're launching our " Check the Shed " publicity campaign to encourage as many householders as possible across Newton Abbot to check their garden shed, garage or workshop for pesticide containers they no longer want and book their FREE collection with Green Futures.

Do please spread the message to your family, friends, work colleagues and wider community networks so that we can remove as many of these harmful chemicals from our community as possible.

Go to www.pesticidefreenewton.co.uk to book your FREE collection or scan the QR code on the flyer below.

Thank you 🌿🐞🦋🐝

13/08/2025

Action Climate Teignbridge are organising an inspiring and much needed Local Food Event on Saturday 4th of October at the Courtenay Centre in Newton Abbot.

To book your place click here :

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/local-food-event-tickets-1489349226629?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&_gl=1*13tjga8*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTI0NTkzNDYyMS4xNzU0NjUwODU1*_ga_TQVES5V6SH*czE3NTQ2NTA4NTQkbzEkZzAkdDE3NTQ2NTA4NTQkajYwJGwwJGgw

Or scan the QR code on the poster.

This will be a great opportunity to explore how we can strengthen our local food resilience across Teignbridge 🌞🌿🌱

29/06/2025

Clearing himalyan balsam from the Bradley Manor estate with the help of SUEZ staff from the Brunel Rd Recycling centre.

Balsam is considered to be an invasive species which will very quickly dominate in any environment where it appears, out-competing many other well established plants. It's a particular issue on river banks and is present along the River Lemon below Chercombe bridge.

SUEZ is very committed to helping local community groups with hands-on, practical projects, so if you need help with anything you can get in touch with Brunel site manager Simon Gibson at [email protected] 🌿

12/06/2025

Here's a great opportunity to help nature in Devon and win a supberb dining experience with some of the best chef's in the South West... Please help Devon Environment Foundation help Nature 🌿

Legendary chefs Mitch Tonks, Ben Tonks & Mark Hix MBE host a VIP feast for 12 to raise funds for nature in Devon

20/05/2025

Hiya,

Here's an invitation from Newton Abbot Seed Library and Newton Abbot CIC to what will be a really inspiring talk on Saturday 13th September at the Courtenay Centre.

There are only 30 places left, so book while you still can! 🌱🪲🐞🪱