In 2008, a group of friends in a small Yorkshire town decided to start planting food in unused public spaces.
The town is Todmorden, population about 15,000, tucked into a valley between Burnley and Halifax. The group is Incredible Edible Todmorden. Their motto is "if you eat, you're in."
Today the railway station beds grow herbs. The fire station is surrounded by fruit trees. The canal towpath is lined with edible plantings. The forecourt of the local police station has been transformed into what's now called "possibly the finest and greenest looking police station in the UK," with a small library of crime novels installed for good measure. Everything is free to harvest.
They have no paid staff, no buildings, and no public funding. They've operated this way for almost two decades. Their guiding principles: "believe in the power of small actions," "kindness underpins everything we do," and "it's sometimes better to ask for forgiveness, not permission."
Over the years they've added a Tool Library, a Makery, and little free libraries scattered around town. They host visitors from around the world (they call it "vegetable tourism"). Their gardening Sundays have grown from four or five people to forty or fifty.
The model has been replicated in over 700 projects worldwide and continued to spread.
Rotherham, England replaced 8 miles of mowed grass with wildflowers.
They saved £25,000 in mowing costs a year and bees, butterflies, and birds showed up almost immediately.
You don’t need to wait for your city to act. Start small in your own patch:
🏡 Let your front verge or sidewalk strip go wild this spring
🌻 Toss a few native wildflower seed balls into neglected spots
🌱 Stop mowing one strip and see what shows up
📧 Contact your city government. One email from one person has started initiatives like this before
One person. One small patch. Real habitat.
Your street could be next.
@BurgerKingUK why did I get turned away from the Centre MK branch at 22:40 on a Saturday night when the sign on the door says 23:00? Your employee said we’re only open for delivery drivers, what an absolutely back to front world we live in. Fast food just isn’t anymore.
@BBCNews how are Iran getting on in the war that they didn’t start? Your reporting feels very one sided for an impartial licence payer funded organisation. Oh and @HarryFarley_ layoff Zac will you, dredging up stuff from 2013 because you have nothing new.
Charlotte’s Brain Tumour Journey
18.2.1997 – 24.2.2016
Diagnosis to death: 951 days
Grade 4 Glioblastoma
7.2.2016 I really hope that anyone reading this never has to have conversations like these about their child. Reading this ten years later stirs so many emotions from those final days in hospital. I wished she could have passed at home, in her own room and bed, but it was not to be.
We discussed what would happen after Charlotte’s death. It was explained that her body could be transferred either to the hospice or to the hospital mortuary. We would be able to stay with Charlotte on the ward before the transfer took place.
We decided to stop all medication that was no longer necessary, and her medication list was reviewed.
Charlotte remains stable, with no change in her condition. Her breathing rate remains at three breaths per minute and has become increasingly shallow, with gasps and long pauses. Her heart rate remains high but does not appear to be related to pain. Charlotte remains unresponsive. We stay at her side and request whatever is needed to keep her comfortable. We know how serious this is.
I’m sharing Charlotte’s journey to raise awareness of this cruel disease, and to fight for the research and change that’s so desperately needed.
If you are considering donating to a charity, please consider us. Your support truly makes a difference.
The biggest difference with Charlotte’s BAG is simple: we self-fund everything.
No salaries.
No overheads.
No advertising.
No merchandise.
We even cover PayPal and PO Box fees ourselves.
That means 100% of every donation goes directly to research in Charlotte's LAB, Kings College Hospital. London.
Charlotte was brave, kind, and wise beyond her years. She shared her journey openly on her YouTube channel. Her final video was filmed on 4 February 2016, the day before she went into a coma.
Since then, her channel has been watched more than 27.5 million times around the world. Through this work, her legacy lives on.
https://t.co/qGIjBOlAZY
Please RT with thanks
@RachaelvsWorld I’ve recently found this fact out, have to admit it’s a passion killer. They’re also going for the full house - An Is-real sympathiser too 🤦🏻♂️