EcoFair – save the date! Saturday 8th November
EcoEnergyFair 2025 Brings Wetherby Together for a Climate Conscious Future
The EcoEnergyFair, held on Saturday 8 November at St James’ Church Centre, Wetherby, with a variety of speakers and displays, drew together an enthusiastic crowd of residents, local businesses, and community groups united by one goal — building a more sustainable, climate-conscious future.
Organised by the Boston Spa, Wetherby & Villages Community Green Group, Wetherby Methodist, u3a and St.James' Church, the event showcased practical ways to reduce energy use, cut waste, and support local initiatives. Stalls, workshops, and expert talks offered inspiration and hands-on advice, from home energy improvements to community-led solar projects.
“It was amazing to share ideas and hear about the variety of local initiatives that are saving people money and helping our community to become more sustainable. There was a real buzz about the event, with a regular stream of people visiting from our community. Thanks to our hosts, collaborators, speakers, exhibitors and supporters" said Adrian Balcombe, Chair of the Boston Spa, Wetherby & Villages Community Green Group.
The fair was timed between Prince William’s Earthshot Prize and COP30, linking local action to global climate ambition.
“It was great to see so much interest in how to save the planet. This fair was staged between Prince William's Earthshot Prize and COP30, when almost 200 countries meet. As he says, ‘Actions or lack of them will shape forever the trajectory of our planet... Progress is possible,’”
commented Robert Haskins from St James’ Parish Church, one of the event’s key collaborators.
Wetherby Methodist went on to say, this was “a great collaborative effort resulting in a really interesting and thought-provoking day. Very encouraging to see and hear about all the initiatives taking place to green the local area.”
Keynote speaker Brenda Ainsley*, from The Climate Reality Project (Europe), inspired attendees with her talk on climate justice and collective action. Brenda went onto say “I was delighted to be invited as keynote speaker at the Eco Energy Fair. This was a perfectly organised and impactful event, with many interested and engaged participants.”
Keith Jackson shared the results of the Boston Spa Energy Efficiency Trial** and attendees were delighted to know that their bills had been reduced by about 3% - without them having to do anything. Keith said “the project has been a resounding success and 15,000 customers in Wetherby and local villages will continue to get the benefits”. Keith is now pressing for widespread adoption across the whole of Northern Powergrid region and across the UK which would deliver annual customer savings of £770m.
Updates from St.James’, Wetherby Methodist and Monk Fryston Community Energy regarding their low carbon journey were also shared during the day, with Ray Newton of Monk Fryston saying “‘the day had something for anyone who is interested in either saving money - and who isn’t - or mitigating climate change without changing their lifestyles. It was a real eye opener. Well done to the organisers”.
The day also featured a craft thrift sale run by Tadcrafters, offering fabrics, yarns, and creative supplies at bargain prices — encouraging reuse and sustainable crafting. They commented, “it was wonderful to see so many people attending the event and encouraging to hear about all the different activities and businesses available in the local area with a focus on sustainability”.
"An excellent event! With a steady stream of people through the door, lots of good engagement and a very warm, buzzy atmosphere,” added Penny Stables, Founder of the Boston Spa, Wetherby & Villages Community Green Group.
With strong attendance and enthusiasm throughout the day, the EcoEnergyFair underscored the power of local action to make a difference to households across our communities.
Further saved resources from this and previous events, can be found under the Energy tab navigation menu above.
Thank you also to our supporters;
Heron Electrical, Yorkshire Green, Residential Energy Services, Clear Skies Energy, Monk Fryston Community Energy & Tadcrafters
For further information, please contact: adrian.balcombe@bostongreengroup.co.uk
Notes:
*Brenda has led numerous Eco and Climate Groups for university, Rotary, Church and WI groups and within the u3a (University of the 3rd Age), for whom she has presented four National Talks, and played a key role in the Climate Matters group for Online u3a.
From COP26 in Glasgow to the London Business School, Brenda has spearheaded workshops on Intergenerational Climate Activism and Climate Justice, engaging audiences from u3a members to students and business leaders alike.
As a Climate Reality Leader trained under Al Gore's Climate Reality Project, Brenda delivers an evidence-based presentation, drawing from reputable sources such as NASA, the UK Met Office, and peer-reviewed research.
Be informed. Be inspired. Take action.
**BEET “Controlling Voltage on the local Electricity System”.
It’s all thanks to a pioneering electrical engineer from Boston Spa who has caused Northern Powergrid to safely suppress the voltage to all of our properties.
Our local energy expert, Keith Jackson, has been pressing the electricity Distribution Network Operator, Northern Powergrid, to moderate the voltage supplied to customers so that their bills are reduced and less carbon is released into the atmosphere.
After 5 years of diligent and impressive innovative work the company has introduced a way of constantly adjusting the voltage so that all customers in the Wetherby area get the benefit.
By using smart meters, the energy used (and bills) have been reduced. They call it the Boston Spa Energy Efficiency Trial (BEET).
We are trying to expand the scheme across the whole of the North East of UK so that everyone can share in the benefits.
The event is being run in collaboration with St James' Church (Wetherby), Wetherby Methodist Church and Wetherby U3a.
Can you give me a few more details please. I am stopping card making this year but have quite a lot of paper, material, wool and equipment that I would like to dispose of.
Can I hire a stall and how much would the stall be
Many thanks