Following on from last month’s news about Seacombe being selected to receive £20 million for projects to improve the area, we’ve met with more residents who have shared lots of ideas about how they would like to see the Pride in Place funding spent.

If you live or work in Seacombe and have suggestions for environmental improvements, please send them to wen@la21.net

On 4th December we had a meeting with Justine Aldersey-Williams, botanical textile educator, regenerative clothing activist, and founder of The Wild Dyery studio in Hoylake. We talked about her documentary film Woman Grows Jeans, and her desire to bring a Growing Slow Textiles programme to schools. We’ll be introducing Justine to some of our contacts to support her mission to get people to consider the impact that our clothing has on the planet.

If you have an idea for a new project to support sustainable living and would like to chat about how to make it a reality, please email us at wen@la21.net. We have lots of contacts with educational and environmental organisations across Wirral so, if even we can’t help you directly, we probably know someone who can!

We held a Christmas get together on 10th December to thank our volunteers for everything they have done this year. It was lovely to have a chance to chat, while enjoying homemade soup and cake.

Growing plants and looking after the garden, painting the classroom, making craft and woodwork items to sell, helping with admin in the office, organising stalls at events – our volunteers are amazing… And they were able to solve Carol’s festive plant-themed quiz and wordsearch too!

We have plans for volunteer days next year to do more painting in our building and to work in the garden.

We welcome anyone who would like to lend a hand at WEN – whatever your skills and however much time you have available. See below for information about three new volunteer roles we have available.

Food and a quiz, and time to chat, at the Christmas get together

Interest in environmental action on the Wirral is growing! We want to build our team and are looking for people who can help us with any of the following.

Please email wen@la21.net or phone 0151 639 2121 if you would like more information or a chat about any of the roles.

Library of Eco Things Coordinator

We have a range of eco items and tools that are available for Wirral Environmental Network members (individuals, community groups, charities, schools, businesses) to borrow. Pollution monitors, bat detectors, water sampling kits, litter pickers, bokashi composting sets, clothes rails, pallet breakers and more. We need help organising this tool library.

What you’ll do:

• Organise and maintain the collection
• Take photos of the items, creating a leaflet or information for our social media and newsletters
• Promote the library as a fun, ecofriendly way to share resources
• Keep track of items being borrowed and returned

What we’re looking for:
Friendly, organised and approachable, comfortable with talking to or emailing people and with IT.

Time commitment:
Flexible – a few hours a week or as agreed. Much of the work could be done remotely but being on site once a week would be useful.

Impact:
You’ll be at the heart of a project that reduces waste, saves money, and brings people together.

Handy Person / Reclaimers Project Lead

Support the smooth running of the Wirral Environmental Network Centre by carrying out practical maintenance and repair tasks that help keep the site safe, welcoming, and sustainable as well as working on woodworking projects with others.

What you’ll do:

• Perform minor repairs (e.g. fixing doors, painting, replacing fixtures, repairing fences)
• Assist with general upkeep of facilities, tools, and equipment
• Help with small construction projects (e.g. building planters) and repurposing items
• Lead and work alongside other volunteers on practical tasks or projects, sharing skills and ideas
• Ensure work is carried out safely and responsibly, respecting the centre’s environmental values

What we are looking for:

Practical DIY or maintenance skills. Reliability and a willingness to help with varied tasks. Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Time Commitment:
Flexible – a few hours per week or as agreed. Ability to make a regular commitment to begin with to help the Reclaimers Project would be preferred.

Impact:
Your contribution will directly improve the centre’s facilities, helping visitors and the community enjoy a safe and inspiring space to get involved with sustainable life skills and connect with nature.

Volunteer Coordinator

Do you enjoy bringing people together and helping them make a difference? We are looking for a Volunteer Coordinator to support volunteering at our Environmental Centre, on our projects and with community activities.

What you’ll do:

• Welcome and support volunteers, helping them feel part of the team
• Match people’s skills and interests with suitable tasks and projects
• Keep simple records of volunteer involvement and schedules
• Help organise training, inductions, and group activities
• Promote volunteering opportunities and encourage new people to join

What we’re looking for:

Friendly, approachable, and organised. Good communication skills and a knack for motivating others. Passion for sustainability and community projects

Time commitment:
Flexible – a few hours a week or as agreed.

Impact:
You’ll play a key role in growing our volunteer community, making sure everyone feels valued and supported while contributing to environmental projects that benefit people, sustainable lifestyles and nature.

We were asked to provide some bird boxes for a school activity being run by Wirral Council and so the Reclaimers got busy with saws, nails and planks of wood and built 20 beautifully bespoke boxes!

We will be relaunching our Reclaimers woodwork group in the New Year with a drop-in session for information on Tuesday 20th January, 10.30am – 12pm.

Are you interested in joining a free weekly woodwork/ handy person group at WEN? Would you like to share skills or learn new ones? Make items from reclaimed wood and help fix things that need mending around WEN? Have a brew and a chat with friends?

If any of this appeals to you, please come to the drop-in to find out more!

If you are keen to try something new at the start of 2026, or want to come back to WEN for more of what you love, you might be spoilt for choice!

Take a look at details of gardening courses in the spring term and make a note of the next dates for the Crafters group. We have workshops in willow weaving, furniture repair, the history of medicine, and the tombs and treasures of the Pharaohs too.

We are also running a woodwork course to make items for wildlife, such as bird boxes, hedgehog houses, bat boxes and bug houses. This course is now fully booked.

WEN Crafters Group
Tuesdays 6th and 20th January, 10am – 12pm

The Crafters will be back on Tuesday 6th January (and every fortnight after that).

The group uses donated and repurposed materials for their creations and they then sell these items to raise money for WEN. They work on anything that members suggest or on their own pieces. Crafts include sewing, knitting, crochet, jewellery making and card making.

It is a friendly, social group which is free to attend on a drop in basis every other Tuesday. New members are always welcome.

Gardening Courses – Spring Term 2026

You can sign up for just one term or continue for as many terms as you like as each one is different.

For more information, or to book on a course
phone 07932 355742 or
email carol.seery1@btinternet.com

Practical Gardening
Start date: Wednesday 14th January, 9.30 – 11.30am

Discover and practice practical tasks you can do in your garden at this time of year, including how to prepare for spring and summer, what to sow in spring for summer colour, how to make the ingredients to create your own potting compost, general maintenance tasks, looking at YOUR garden for the spring season and much more.

Cost: £65.00 for each 10 week term, 20 hours

Discover the Past, Present and Future of Gardening
Start date: Wednesday 14th January, 12 – 2pm

Discover the history of the plants in our gardens, with outings to local gardens and parks of interest. Plus Question and Answer time to address your gardening problems.

Cost: £65.00 for each 10 week term, 20 hours

How to Grow Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs
Start date: Thursday 15th January, 9.30am – 12pm

This is aimed at people who are already growing their own and want to know subjects in more depth, such as what is actually in the fertilisers you buy and how does it make your plants grow, why are insects so important to ensuring we get a good crop, looking at pests and diseases, why do your seeds sometimes not grow… and much more!
There will be different practical tasks every week in our gardens and poly-tunnels.

Cost: £80.00 for each 10 week term, 25 hours

Gardening Group
Start date: Friday 16th January, 9.30 – 11.30am

This is for people who have an interest in all aspects of gardening. As well as the usual gardening subjects, we also cover the more unusual, e.g. do plants have super powers, what diseases are causing problems in our gardens, new and up to date horticultural information/research, and any topic the group would like to discuss.

Cost: £65.00 for each 10 week term, 20 hours

Willow Weaving Workshop
Friday 30th January, 12 – 2pm

Make a structure for your garden by weaving willow branches together. Use it to provide a frame for climbing plants such as sweet peas or beans, or to give support to flowers like peonies.

Cost: £15, includes tuition and all materials for one structure.

To book a place, please email Carol at carol.seery1@btinternet.com or phone 07932 455742.

Re-furnish: Furniture Workshop
Introduction to Furniture Repair and Basic Upholstery
Saturday 31st January, 12 – 2.30pm

For our next Re-Furnish workshop, Katrina from Urban Vintage and Karen from Re-jiggery will be visiting WEN to provide an introduction to furniture repair and basic upholstery.

They will be giving demonstrations and teaching the skills you need so you can try some hands-on tasks.

You can bring your own furniture to get advice and work on but please email us to check that your item would be appropriate for the workshop.

Learn how to:

• Clamp and glue loose and wobbly parts on dining chairs and nests of tables.
• Repair or remove and replace webbing – what webbing to use and when, alternatives to webbing.
• Choose materials and tools – synthetic v natural materials (wools and cottons v polyesters and nylon), different types of wood and composites (oak, cherry, pine, MDF, laminates and veneers).

Please email wen@la21.net to book a free place.

History of Medicine Workshop – The Medical Revolution and the People Who Made It Possible
Saturday 17th January, 10am – 1pm

Julie Marshall’s third and final History of Medicine workshop takes place in the New Year. Learn about the people who led the medical revolution:

• Louis Pasteur and the discovery of the germ theory.
• The development of Anaesthetics and Antiseptics.
• Florence Nightingale and Hospitals
• Alexander Fleming and the discovery of penicillin and other antibiotics.

There will be a 20-minute break during the session, with refreshments provided.

Cost: £15

You don’t need to have attended the previous History of Medicine workshops to enjoy this one!

To book a place, contact Julie:

Email – Juliemarshall48@aol.com
Phone – 07540 073731

The Tombs and Treasures of the Pharaohs
Saturday 14th February, 10am – 1pm

Julie’s next history workshop heads back to Ancient Egypt after the session in October about pyramid design.

This workshop examines why Ancient Egyptians stopped building the mighty Pyramids and moved the tombs of the kings and queens to the more secretive area known as The Valley of The Kings.

It will include:

• The Valley of the Kings and Queens
• The Spectacular Tomb of Seti I and the man who discovered it -The Great Belzoni.
• The remarkable artwork of Giovanni Belzoni.
• The environmental and cultural impact of the treasure hunters in Egypt in the 19th and 20th Centuries
• Tutankhamun, Howard Carter and the ‘curse’ of the Mummy

Cost: £15

To book a place, contact Julie:

Email – Juliemarshall48@aol.com
Phone – 07540 073731

And finally… We wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Thank you for your support in 2025 – we hope you can join us at one of our courses, workshops, events or projects in 2026. We will continue bringing people together for enjoyable times sharing knowledge and skills to help make Wirral greener. See you there!