Henley’s Great Big Green Fair

We’re staging a one-day GREAT BIG GREEN WEEK FAIR between 10.00am and 4.00pm on Saturday 10 June at Henley Town Hall! Packed full of stalls, activities and displays, it kicks off the start of Henley’s Great Big Green Week running from 10 – 18 June. Come along and find out how Henley is taking action to tackle climate change and protect nature!

Following on from the tremendous success of last year, Greener Henley are once again teaming up with Henley Town Council and a host of other local groups to bringing you a variety of green stalls and fun activities where you can come chat about biodiversity, from bats and toads to trees and bees, Thames bathing, changing dirty water into drinking water, the town’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions and lots more! There will be a gallery showing artwork by local schoolchildren plus poems from our Greener Poetry Competition, and kids of all ages can have a go at crochet, weaving, felt-making and crafting insects throughout the day. Jo from Honeys of Henley will be giving a talk on bees 11-12pm, and we’re teaming up with Pavillion Foods for ‘Plant vs Beef Taste Test: Which Burger’s Best?’ – come along and tickle your taste buds!

The stalls so far confirmed for Henley’s Great Big Green Fair on 10 June from 10am – 4pm include:

• Toad patrol, who help migrating toads, frogs and Smooth Newts across the busy A4155 Henley Marlow road, safely to their spawning ground on the other side every year.
• Greener Henley, your local environmental group, will be chatting about how we can support local biodiversity, as well as hosting a family crafting activity for children.
• Greener Henley’s Gallery displaying artwork by local schoolchildren from our annual Environmental Science Challenge and poems from the Greener Poetry Competition.
• Berks & Bucks Bat Group, who promote the conservation of bats and their habitats, raising awareness around this. Watch this space – they may be bringing a couple of educational bats along with them on the day!
• Thames21, who reconnect people to nature by helping them enjoy, protect and enhance their local rivers.  Come and chat about the state of our rivers!
• Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust will have advice on wildlife gardening, volunteering and membership with the Trust, plus information on their Children’s Wildlife Watch Club.
• Climate Action Oxfordshire will be joining us to give carbon reduction tips, answer questions on Carbon emissions and let people know about the Climate Action Oxfordshire website
• Carol Crowdy’s Felt & Wool, who use natural, local fibres and will have a felt making activity for people to try. Stop by to watch the spinners and have a go at felt-making, crochet, knitting and weaving.
• Young climate Warriors, who teach children age 7-14 more about climate change by setting weekly ‘do-able’ challenges.
• Henley Quakers, who are committed to working for peace and equality, will be focusing on what we can do about climate justice.
• Gillotts Eco Committee will be showcasing what our local secondary school students have been up to this year in the pursuit of being greener and protecting biodiversity.
• Henley Car Club is a social initiative bringing low emission, pay-as-you-go motoring to Henley and will be there to provide information on how you can cut your carbon footprint whilst also saving money by joining Henley’s local car sharing scheme.
• Jean Oliver’s Fermented Foods, “All disease begins in the gut” – Jean gives advice on how to raise your microbiome for pennies to combat a myriad of ailments and will have fermented foods for sampling.
• Greener Henley Wildlife Group will be on hand with information about the local green spaces they look after, as well as providing activities for children.
• Rotary Club of Henley-on-Thames, who seek to make a difference in our community, supporting local and international charities and causes – including protecting the environment – will be showing what they’re currently focusing on in this area.
• Henley-on-Thames Reusable Nappy Library who promote and hire out reusable nappy kits and will be there to chat about how this can be better for the environment, your baby and save you money.
• One Week is an initiative begun by local GP Will Hearsey to effect real change through the power of unified action – come and find out all about the next ‘one week’ in September 2023.
• Henley Town Council  will have a stall showing the town’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions.
• Henley Allotments Association, an active association for allotment gardeners in Henley with over 200 members on two sites, will have ‘guess the veg’ and some great things for youngsters to do.
• Honeys of Henley Jo of Honeys will be giving a talk 11-12pm on bees – don’t miss it! The rest of the day Honeys will be outside at the Farmers’ Market.
• E-Bike Barn will be there to answer all your questions on e-bikes and will be booking test rides
• Henley Community Hub, along with local architect Simon Mack, will be revealing e-plans to renovate Trinity Hall on Harpsden Road. Come and take a virtual tour of how this underused community space can be transformed with sustainability at it’s heart!

All stalls this year will have an interactive element, so there is plenty to see and do. We have no traders at the Fair this year as Henley’s wonderful Farmers’ Market is taking place outside at the same time in the Market Place. The ‘Plant vs Beef Taste Test: Which Burger’s Best?’ will be outside Pavilion Foods between 12-2pm.

If you would like to be part of the Fair, or any of the events during Henley’s Great Big Green week, please get in touch.

Throughout the week Henley Library will display artworks by local primary school children from Greener Henley’s Environmental Science Challenge 2023 and poems from our Greener Poetry Competition, and schools will be participating in a variety of activities with a ‘green’ focus. Shop windows will have green displays, and will take part in a family scavenger hunt, ‘spot the bees in ‘23’ – find 15 bees in shop windows and collect tokens to win Wildflower seeds, then enter our prize draw for some super family prizes courtesy of our local retailers – it might be ice-cream from local refill shop The Willow Basket, or something from Asquith’s Teddy Bear Shop, Gail’s Bakery, or Costa Coffee!

Greener Henley are very thankful to Henley Town Council for their support of Henley’s Great Big Green Week in 2023.

Henley’s Great Big Green Fair is just the start of a week-long series of events under the banner ‘Henley’s Great Big Green Week’ – a true community effort! There is something for everyone to enjoy – fashion, film, net zero help for businesses, and much more! Find out more about what the rest of Henley’s Great Big Green Week has to offer.

If you would like to join in with the Fair, or any of the events during Henley’s Great Big Green week, please email [email protected].