Severn Trent is rolling out thousands of water butts in areas most impacted by surface water drainage issues to help reduce flooding, ease pressure on sewers, and protect the environment. By capturing and storing rainwater, the initiative helps prevent sewer spills and supports healthier rivers. It forms part of Severn Trent’s wider £450 million investment to improve river health. Find out More here: https://www.stwater.co.uk/wonderful-on-tap/save-water/water-butts-checker/ A

sben are offering a free workbook is designed to help small and medium size businesses to understand the potential risks of impactful weather. While you cannot prevent flooding, heatwaves, storms, or droughts, you can reduce their impact through preparedness, targeted investments, and effective planning. Get your free copy here: https://sben.co.uk/funded-support/adapting-your-business-to-impactful-weather/ Help Your Business Adapt to Changing Weatherr

Event Date: Wednesday 1st July 2026, 08:00am - 11:00am Venue: Aston Marina Doors open at 8:00am, with activities beginning at 8:30am and the event concluding at 11:00am. Enjoy a light breakfast on arrival and refreshments throughout the morning as you build valuable new connections. The event includes networking activities, 15 stands showcasing skills, training, apprenticeships and careers. Register Here: https://sben.co.uk/event/sben-annual-networking-event-2026/ sben Annual

On Friday, 29th of May, our editor spotted the new food waste bins being delivered to local residents in Cheadle. So if you've not received yours yet, they are on their way, as Cllr Charlotte Atkins, Cabinet Member for Services, said last month: “To help people prepare, we’ll be issuing food waste caddies to all households from mid-May, which will include full details of what the changes mean and what people need to do. The opt-in garden waste collection subscription scheme w

Last November, ten of the UK’s leading experts briefed an invited audience of over 1,200 politicians and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media. The briefing set out the implications of climate and nature breakdown for health, food systems, national security and the economy. Now a 45-minute film will take the message into communities across the UK from this April. Screenings in village halls, cinemas, faith spaces and workplaces will bring constituents, ci

Cecilly Brook volunteers Anne Beardmore & Adrian Paddocks setting up for Nature in Your Neighbourhood On the 16th of April 2026, the exciting Nature in Your Neighbourhood Project officially began at Cecilly Brook, in Cheadle. This is part of a five-year project funded by The National Lottery Community Fund to monitor habitat health and how much boosted biodiversity benefits local people and the planet. The lottery grant of £752,000 started in 2024 and includes partners such a

A regular reader of COGNEWS commented to me that the Iran war has cost her more to fill up her car this week. She tried to fill up with regular diesel, but there was none. So she had to fill up with premium, costing £1.89 per litre. Because she is on a budget, she was limited to just £20 for the top-up—a mere 10.5 litres, barely enough to get to work and back for a few days. What can be done about the high energy costs we are experiencing now? Our government has put a cap on

Making the Most of our Changing Environment

"You've been Cogged!" is a peek into someone else's world. It's something the team at COG has the opportunity to do on a regular basis, and hearing those stories, appreciating the work and life of the person, celebrating them even, is something we're honoured to be able to do. We've worked together to create a new segment focusing on the role individual people play in their local communities, often unheard but essential for the mechanism to work, just like the humble COG. We

This year, Staffordshire Libraries are focusing on recycling, re-use, food waste, everyday waste management , and sharing simple actions that can make a big difference. All month long, you'll find posts featuring useful resources and collaborations with partners throughout the county to provide practical advice on minimizing waste in daily life. There’s something for everyone, with events and activities ranging from recycled crafts for little ones to relaxed reading cafés

Councils across England now required to collect food waste each week - the district council has announced that preparations are underway to commence this service in the Moorlands at the end of June. Residents will need to present any food waste separately from garden waste. At the same time, the Council and its waste and recycling collection partner Alliance Environmental Services (AES) will be introducing an opt-in subscription scheme for collecting household garden waste. E

Emma Chatwin is a local lady, married, a mum of four, 34 years of age, and standing for the Green Party. COGNEWS caught up with Emma at Cheadle's Summerhouse Coffee Shop. Here's how it went. Emma Chatwin, Green Party Candidate She told us that she wishes to be proactive and loyal to the people of the town and to do her best to help the community, but she does recognise the limitations town councillors have. She works as a quantitative analyst and is very good with numbers. He

On Thursday, 19th March, at the Guild Hall, Cheadle, a small group of residents was treated to a free event provided by The Friends of Cecilly Brook and Hales Hall Pool. It was a talk given by Jody from Baddeley Green Hedgehog Rescue Centre. She described how hedgehogs help to increase biodiversity and are our garden friends. Hedgehog Facts | Hedgehog Babies | 5 Things We Can Do for Garden Hedgehogs | What to do if you spot a hedgehog in daylight | Rhian's Story

Every two weeks, we place our grey bin outside, ideally filled with tins, bottles, and plastic, with the hope that they will be recycled, helping to protect our planet from landfill and climate change. But what if I told you there's a larger issue hiding in our kitchen, and it's the unassuming washing machine? Looks a nice washing machine but... They might be reliable, all the switches and displays work, and the motor runs perfectly, but some manufacturers are hiding a worryi

The UK government has just published its white paper on biodiversity, ecosystem loss and national security. Quite a long title, but what does it mean? And how does it affect us living in Cheadle? This is the first time an issue related to climate change has been cited as affecting national security. The big issue directly affecting the UK is related to possible food shortages for supermarkets that rely on a nationwide road distribution service to deliver to our shops, wherea

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A new gallery, co-funded by NERC, has welcomed more than two million visitors since opening at the Natural History Museum (NHM) in April last year. Fixing Our Broken Planet is now the museum’s second most visited space, after the iconic dinosaur exhibits. With projections of 2.5 to three million visitors in its first year, the gallery is proving to be a major success in engaging the public with environmental science. Professor Louise Heathwaite, Executive Chair of the Natural

Deep Hayes Country Park 10am and 2pm on Tuesday 17 February Moorlands residents are being invited to take part in a county-wide tree planting scheme aimed at enriching their gardens and community spaces. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and Staffordshire County Council will be handing out a mix of hawthorn, rowan, hazel, silver birch, crab apple and whitebeam trees at Deep Hayes Country Park between 10am and 2pm on Tuesday 17 February. It is aimed at encouraging peopl

This article from Innovate Uk shares their extensive work into retrofitting homes. It's a rising tide for our economy, our workforce and our communities. Without a doubt reusing and repurposing what we already have is better for the environment that anything we can create from scratch and housing is no different from any other item in this regard. We believe this information is crucial for reimagining our homes we offer it to inspire and educate anyone involved in this area.

2025 is the third warmest year on record, following 2024 and 2023 according to a Met Office report issued this week. The three-year run of record warmest years saw 2025 conclude at 1.41±0.09°C above the 1850-1900 global average, according to the HadCRUT5 temperature series, collated by the Met Office, the University of East Anglia and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science. 2025 is the third warmest year on record and is the third calendar year exceeding 1.4°C. Met Offic