Libraries put the pieces together for the Great Big Green Week

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s libraries will be getting on board with the Great Big Green Week, offering jigsaw swaps, special events, advice sessions and activities for children from 8th to 16th June.

Libraries in Blacon, Great Boughton, Little Sutton, Northwich (Weaver Hall Museum), Storyhouse, Tarporley and Upton are encouraging customers to swap jigsaws throughout June to reduce waste. In addition to the swap, all libraries will be offering a quiz and treasure hunt for children as well as individual events, such as themed rhyme-times and the popular From Bin to Brilliant craft sessions.

The Council’s Cabinet Member for a Fairer Future, Councillor Lisa Denson said:

“There is so much going on during the Great Big Green Week, it’s going to be great.  Come along to one of the twelve “Green Teas” where you can have a cup of tea or coffee and talk to a money-saving, energy or environmental expert. The sessions are in partnership with the Groundwork Green Doctor, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Citizen’s Advice, Energy Projects Plus and the council’s own Climate Emergency Team.”

In addition, Ellesmere Port Library will be hosting “Stitched Up” on Saturday 8 June, from 10am to 12pm. The Pop-Up Patchers will be showing anyone dropping in how to mend and change clothes and they will be joined by the author Joanne O’Connell, author of two books for early teens on fashion.

Finally, Libraries will be having a stall at the Great Big Green Week Festival at Grosvenor Park in Chester on Saturday 15 June from 11am to 4pm.

Libraries have already been doing their bit for the environment. The country’s first modern electric mobile library was launched in the borough in July 2023 and the grounds of several libraries are wildflower seeded each year. Libraries also helped lead the way with a fancy-dress swap scheme for World Book Day in the last two years.

The public can also borrow litter picker kits from all libraries or order them online via 

Community litter picking | Cheshire West and Chester Council.

The Education Library Service is working with Grozone, Northwich to develop their outside space for growing plants and flowers and making it more attractive for schools and staff for wellbeing and activities. 

Grozone has been successful in applying for Shared Prosperity funding and will be using these activities to provide opportunities for people to volunteer. Grozone is also siting raised beds at Weaver Hall Museum in Northwich, where Northwich Library is temporarily located.

A full list of events for Great Big Green Week is available from the Libraries events webpage at: 

Library events | Cheshire West and Chester Council.

All events are free and drop-in. It is free to join Cheshire West and Chester Libraries, with membership giving free access to print books, computers, Wi-Fi, working space and digital eBooks, eAudiobooks, newspapers, and magazines. 

The Great Big Green Week is the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. Every year, people come together to unleash a wave of support for action to protect the planet. Tens of thousands of people in every corner of the country celebrate the heartfelt, brave, everyday actions being taken to stand up for nature and fight climate change. In 2024, Great Big Green Week will take place between 8th and 16th June.

The first Great Big Green Week took place in September 2021, and was the largest event for climate and nature ever seen in the UK. Communities came together once more in September 2022, with over a quarter of a million people getting involved. In 2023, Great Big Green Week took place in June, and we saw more than a quarter of a million people get involved.

The complete list of Green Teas is:

Monday 10 June 11am-2pm Northwich Library (Weaver Hall Museum) – Cheshire Wildlife Trust.

Monday 10 June 10am-12pm Neston Library – Groundwork Green Doctor, Climate Emergency Team, 2-4pm Energy Projects Plus

Tuesday 11 June 10am-12pm Great Boughton Library – Citizen’s Advice

Tuesday 11 June 10am-12pm Helsby Library – Groundwork Green Doctor

Tuesday 11 June 2-4pm Ellesmere Port Library – Citizen’s Advice, Climate Emergency Team

Wednesday 12 June 10am-12pm Frodsham Library – Citizen’s Advice, Energy Projects Plus

Wednesday 12 June 10am-12pm Weaverham Library – Cheshire Wildlife Trust

Thursday 13 June 10am-12pm Little Sutton Library – Groundwork Green Doctor.

Thursday 13 June 10am-12pm Barnton Library – Citizen’s Advice, Climate Emergency Team.

Thursday 13 June 2-4pm Hope Farm Library – Citizen’s Advice

Friday 14 June – 11.30am-1pm Sandiway Library – Cheshire Wildlife Trust

Friday 14 June – 10am-12pm Upton Library – Citizen’s Advice, Climate Emergency Team

The Advisors are:

The Citizen’s Advice Energy Advice Service offers advice to anyone who wants to find out more about how to manage their energy usage. They can advise on the following: Identify and assess eligibility for grants and schemes to help with energy bills, Tips to reduce consumption and cutting energy costs.

The Groundwork Green Doctors offer free, impartial advice to help you take control of your bills, save energy where possible in the home, and access other services and initiatives available. They can provide different kinds of support, whether that’s advice on paying off debt with energy or water companies or spotting other concerns for a referral to other services. 

Cheshire Wildlife Trust is a grassroots movement of people from a wide range of backgrounds and all walks of life, who believe that everyone needs nature and nature needs us. They are pioneers in creating natural carbon solutions to combat the current climate and nature crisis.

Energy Projects plus is a registered environmental charity that has been in operation since 1995. Their aim is to empower members of the community to take action on reducing their own energy bills by providing information and support on how to be energy efficient.

The Council’s Climate Emergency team will be sharing tips and advice to help the borough’s population cut its carbon footprint, save money, and play its part to help the borough be carbon neutral by 2045.