The Green Fayre organised by Congleton Town Council and Congleton Partnership took place recently in Congleton town centre.

Visitors had the chance to meet over 30 groups, businesses and organisations linked with environmental activities.

Congleton Town Mayor, Cllr Rob Moreton said: "It was fantastic to see the High Street lined with so many local businesses showcasing the good work already going on in Congleton to help people make a difference to reduce their environmental impact.

"The stall holders were so passionate and spent lots of time speaking with visitors sharing experiences and offering lots of practical information, products and services to reduce the effects of climate change.

"The humorous Hedgemen were great on their walkabout, that's a first for me having a hug with a tree!

The two sustainable initiatives inside the town hall – The Congleton Repair Café and the Big Clothes Movement had their biggest fayre yet! There was even a queue to get in at one point! It is clear that many people are keen to adopt changes to their lifestyle to reuse and recycle a bit more to help the environment and their purse."

Ben Casey, from the Congleton Repair Café said: "What a great day, it was fantastic to be part of Congleton Green Fayre again. We met some great people doing great things, drummed up a lot of enthusiasm for repairing and fixed a lot of things too! We even got five new volunteers on board. Thank you so much to all our helpers who, as ever, make our monthly events at the Old Saw Mill possible."

Nicola Van Gelder, founder of the Big Clothes Movement said: "Thankyou to everyone that came and shopped for pre-loved clothes with us. We shifted three fully stuffed car loads worth of stock as well as all the extra donations people kindly brought along to us. Literally hundreds of kilos avoiding landfill. We're delighted to share that we raised a whopping £400 on the day which will help to support some communities in Zambia. Thankyou to Congleton Town Council for having us as part of the Green Fayre again!"

Congleton Climate Action Group had a productive day. Representative Chloe Pugh said: "Our 'Green Survey' got lots of attention and was a good talking point too, we're going to need a bigger board next year!

"We chatted to lots of people, shared information about easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint, and it was great to see so many other local groups and organisations with sustainable aims."

The organiser's would like to thank all the stallholders who took part and the entertainers. A big thank you to the volunteer team in particular the hi-vis gang who marshalled the event. Thank you to all the visitors who turned out despite the afternoon's heavy rain showers.

For further information on green initiatives in Congleton visit: www.congletonpartnership.co.uk and the town council's 'Green Living' pages: www.congleton-tc.gov.uk/green-living/