SUSTAINABLE Crediton hopes to welcome lots of local people of all ages at its Big Green Fair in the Square on Saturday, September 23 September, when, from 11am to 2pm it will showcase a wide range of green projects and organisations.

The Fair, say the organisers, is now in its third year and promises to be the best yet: a really interesting and enjoyable event.

There will certainly be lots to see and do and talk about!

Live music will be provided by outstanding local musicians under the leadership of Jack Robson.

Food (soup with bread and yummy cake) will be provided by Sustainable Crediton's Larder Group.

The Community Larder is a partnership project between Sustainable Crediton and Crediton Library, providing wholesome food for all comers, preventing unused produce from going to landfill, and, in the process, saving many thousands of tons of CO2 each year.

Information about Sustainable Crediton projects and groups will be available in the "pilot" Hub at the Town Council’s old offices at 8 North Street (on the Square).

It will provide an opportunity to find out all about Sustainable Crediton, to sign up for the Community Allotment, the Wood Group, the Larder, Newsletter or the new #Patchwork Crediton Project.

This project will bring people in Crediton together for enjoyable workshops to learn new skills, upcycling used textiles to produce attractive tote bags -  taking small steps to increase the sustainability of our textiles.

There will also be a chance to help choose the best name for the Hub (Community Hub, Green Hub, Eco Hub??) - go along and vote!

If you are keen to join, or would like to receive a newsletter, or are unable to attend on September 23, please email: [email protected] .

Stalls in the square will include energy advice from ecoe (Exeter Community Electricity), FORE (Friends of the River Exe) focussing on water quality, taster cycle-trailer rides for parents with young children, and a display by the Bike Shed.

There will be a "Mossy carpets" craft activity, and stalls with information about hedgehog houses, bug hotels, herbs, swifts,  hornets and bees (with honey on sale).

Devon Wildlife Trust will be present, as will Crediton Garden Club (selling plants), There’ll be a Help Yourself stall run by the Larder Group, and a stall selling second-hand bikes (done up to raise money for the Devon Air Ambulance).

There will also be information from local councils, information on local renewable energy projects, and critical climate information from the COP26 group.

New this year will be a GREEN TRAIL to follow, out from the Square,  leading to the community allotment (which is flourishing), to an exhibition and (wait for it!) to the re-launched Repair Café.

Maps of the GREEN TRAIL will be available at the Hub before and during the Fair. 

It is hugely exciting for Sustainable Crediton and for the town, that the relaunch of the Crediton Repair Café takes place on Green Fair day.

The Repair Café, running from 10am to 12.30pm will be at Crediton Methodist Church and will offer a "while you wait" service, with users asked to make a voluntary donation to help cover expenses (venue hire etc.)

On Day one, the cafe will be able to offer a general repairing service for household items (gluing and fixing), and for simple computer / mobile phone problems; sewing repairs, knife sharpening (planned: awaiting confirmation).

People are invited to go along with items for repair, taking along any accessories necessary for completing the repair (such as buttons, zips, fabric for patching).

Volunteers to help with the Repair Cafe would be welcomed.  The cafe cannot at this stage offer repairs to electrical items, but hopes to be able to do so in the future.

If you want to take things along, these would be welcomed:

• Contributions of cake or soup for the food stall (please liaise with the larder team in advance if possible)

• surplus produce for the Larder team's "Help Yourself" table

• plants for the Garden Club stall

• pieces of fabric for the #Patchwork Crediton project

• items to be repaired in the Repair café

• comfy footwear if you would like to walk up to the Allotment 

• cash as most stalls will not have a card reader.

If high wind speeds are predicted the Green Fair will still go ahead but on a reduced scale as it will not be possible to erect gazebos.

If the weather forecast appears at all doubtful, please watch the Sustainable Crediton Facebook page for an announcement from around 4pm on September 22.