New Year, New Term

After the Christmas break, we were delighted by the enthusiasm for fresh learning opportunities, with all spring term courses fully booked.

This month, the Gardening classes have been experimenting with growing different plants from seed. Each course group was asked to choose a type of annual plant to grow from seed and between them decided on Zinnia, Cosmos, Antirrhinum, and tomatoes. Each learner then selected a different variety of their group’s chosen plant. This means at least 12 different varieties of each type of plant will be grown and everyone will get some of each to take home.

Several gardening course members are also having a go at growing the flame flower (Tropaeolum speciosum) from seed, which is notoriously difficult to get to germinate. However, with a bit of research, everyone has managed to successfully germinate the seeds – they just have to keep the plants alive until they are strong enough to go outside!

A new cohort of woodwork students began their course this month too. Over 8 weeks the group will be using the skills they learn to make homes for wildlife. They are part way through making a hedgehog box and the next project will be to build a bird box.

The Crafters had a delay to their new term when the first session of the year was cancelled due to icy conditions on 6th January. They made up for lost time on the 20th January and have changed their seasonal display. It might still be cold out there but the spring chicks are back! However, we still have hats and scarves if you need something to keep out the winter chill.

Our Eco Craft and Gift Shop is open on Tuesdays. Drop by at WEN to buy knitwear, jewellery, bags, toys, home decor, greetings cards, as well as plants and woodwork items.

The Crafters dates for next month will be 10th and 24th February (avoiding the half term holiday). New members are always welcome – if you would like to join the group but haven’t been before, please email wen@la21.net for more information.

The Falkland Road Organic Gardeners also returned, taking time to check out what was happening in the raised beds and then starting to prepare the garden for the new growing season. The leeks are ready for harvest and the broad beans and kale are doing well. The gardeners did some weeding and sieved leaf mould to mix with compost. They will soon be carrying out repair work on the beds thanks to a successful grant application.

FROG is open to anyone who has completed a gardening course at WEN and new members are very welcome. The group is free to attend on a drop-in basis on Wednesdays, 9.30 – 11.30am. After the gardening, there is always time for a cup of tea or coffee and a natter. Please email wen@la21.net for more information about FROG.

Changemaker School Citizen Assembly at Chester Zoo

On 15th January, WEN trustees Claire Shields and Anne Litherland joined pupils from Our Lady of Pity Primary School in Greasby for a powerful day of learning, creativity, and environmental action. The pupils had chosen biodiversity as their focus and arrived ready to lead the conversation, having already shaped the questions they wanted to explore.

Working in small teams, the students refined their ideas and ambitions. They thought carefully about who they might need to work with, how to communicate their messages clearly, and what meaningful next steps could follow. Their confidence, curiosity, and sense of ownership were striking. These were not abstract discussions, but grounded, thoughtful attempts to tackle real environmental issues.

Biodiversity was also the focus for students from St Mary’s College and St John Plessington Catholic College, while other schools explored equally pressing challenges. St Albans, Liscard and St Augustine’s in Runcorn examined recycling, one school focused on reducing single-use plastics, and another looked at protecting rivers and oceans. Together, the schools demonstrated the breadth of concern young people have for their environment, and their willingness to act.

The day was enriched by support from a wide network of organisations, including the Canal and River Trust, Wirral Wildlife, Climate Ambassadors, Eco-communities, the Wirral Eco-School officer and Chester Zoo. Their presence helped students connect classroom learning with real-world expertise and action.

The event formed part of a wider programme led by Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust, with sustainability lead Emily Reid, in partnership with Chester Zoo and Manchester University. It offered a strong example of how education for sustainability can be embedded locally while contributing to national and international climate commitments, including the UK’s Nationally Determined Contributions ahead of COP30.

The day left a clear sense of optimism. Young people were listened to, taken seriously, and supported to turn ideas into action. It was a privilege to be involved, and we are very much looking forward to the follow-up events planned for March and June.

History of Medicine workshop

On 17th January we hosted the third and final History of Medicine workshop – this time on the topic of ‘The Medical Revolution and the People Who Made It Possible‘. Julie was the guide through a timeline that included Louis Pasteur and the discovery of the germ theory, the development of anaesthetics and antiseptics, Florence Nightingale’s impact on healthcare, and Alexander Fleming and the discovery of penicillin and other antibiotics.

Julie will be back on 14th February for a history workshop on ‘The Tombs and Treasures of the Pharaohs‘. 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.

To book a place, please contact Julie:
Email – Juliemarshall48@aol.com
Phone – 07540 073731

WEN Reclaimers

We would like to relaunch the Reclaimers woodwork group and are looking for some new members so we held a drop-in for information on 20th January. Kenny spent time talking to a number of people who popped in to find out what the Reclaimers is all about.

Reclaimers is a free weekly woodwork/ handy person group where people can share their skills or learn new ones. We provide reclaimed wood to be used to make items such as bird boxes, planters and bird tables that can be sold to raise funds for WEN. The group also helps fix things that need mending around our Environment Centre and garden. It’s a social occasion too so it’s important to take a break for a brew and a chat with friends.

If you would be interested in joining the Reclaimers, please email wen@la21.net and we’ll keep you updated on any plans for a relaunch date.

Willow weaving workshop 

On 30th January. Carol led a willow weaving workshop, teaching the method of making plant supports for the garden by twisting willow twigs together. Everyone made their own structure to take home, ranging from twigwams to a small woven trellis. Our willow weaving workshops are always a popular event on the WEN calendar and we had some great feedback:

“I really enjoyed it thanks. Carol made it look so easy! The time flew too”
“Enjoyable and useful, Carol is a great tutor.”

Re-furnish: furniture repair workshop

The month ended with the second of our Re-Furnish workshops, funded by Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority. The session on 31st January was the first in a series of three with Katrina from Urban Vintage and Karen from Re-Jiggery. They gave an introduction to furniture repair and basic upholstery through demonstrations, before supporting people to try some hands-on tasks for themselves.

Katrina showed how to clamp and glue loose and wobbly parts on furniture, using examples including one chair with wobbly back legs, and another with a leg that had dropped off completely! She also emphasised the importance of working safely and choosing the correct materials and tools for the job. Katrina gave further insights into repair techniques by restoring some lifted veneer and fixing a cracked seat back. Meanwhile, Karen explained the difference between traditional and modern upholstery styles and then led a practical session on repairing or replacing webbing on a seat frame, covering which webbing to use and when and alternative options to webbing.

We hope these workshops will encourage those attending to try furniture repair projects at home and reduce waste by ensuring items of furniture are kept in use rather than being thrown away.

The next Re-furnish workshop in February is fully booked but there will be another on Saturday 7th March. To hear about when booking is open for this workshop, sign up to our email newsletters, or follow us on Facebook.