Socially Growing open day will give insight into Thurso's net-zero aims
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The Thurso-based social enterprise Socially Growing is hosting an open day this weekend at its town centre base which is on course to start up early in the new year.
Thurso Community Development Trust (TCDT) and its trading organisation Thurso Community Benefit Society have been working on turning the ground floor of 1 Rotterdam Street into a shop space.
The trust moved into the premises – formerly Temptations, or Jessie Allan’s – during the summer, with the aim of being closer and more accessible to the community.
Socially Growing has two elements: a zero-waste, plastic-free refill shop and the town greenhouses which the trust is in the process of securing as an asset transfer from Highland Council.
The shop will sell a variety of food ingredients which customers will be able to weigh and fill using their own containers. All products in the shop will be plastic-free, and produce from the greenhouses and other local growers will eventually be available.
The shop aims to help reduce plastic waste in Thurso and will host events and activities geared towards making the town more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
All profits will be invested back into the community, and it is planned that both the shop and greenhouses will operate as centres for training and employability programmes.
Socially Growing has been funded through the Scottish Government's Adapt and Thrive programme and Highland Coastal Communities Fund.
Members of the public will be able to visit on Saturday, during Thurso's Fun Day, and get an insight into Socially Growing and what will be on offer once it is fully open, hopefully in mid-January.
TCDT development manager Joan Lawrie said: “Since the trust formed three years ago we have been looking for projects where we can really make an impact and also secure a future for the organisation.
"We’re really excited about what the future holds for Socially Growing, both as a business and how we can use it to help with training programmes and supported employment while also carrying on the core thread of how the community can be more environmentally friendly.”
During the open day on Saturday, members of the public will be able to go in and chat to staff about the aims of Socially Growing.
The event also offers a chance for some community engagement and conversation with the trust’s net-zero graduate, who has started work on researching current carbon emissions before working with stakeholders and the community on forming a strategy.
The trust has the ambition of Thurso becoming the first net-zero town in Scotland.
Net Zero Thurso researcher Bruce Donald said: “The Scottish Government has set a target for the country to reach net-zero by 2045. We believe communities need to be behind that drive, creating local solutions.
"COP26 in Glasgow has highlighted the drive of normal folk towards taking local action to tackle climate change and address the issues impacting their communities. Climate change will affect all of us, and it is important that we as a community work together on those solutions to be strong and resilient to its impacts.”
