Category: Opinion Piece
Five implications of energy price rises – it’s time to act!
Human society, let alone life in general, can’t run without energy. In the UK we’ve grown accustomed to the ease of flicking the switch or filling up the tank and having instant access to relatively cheap energy. The rapid rise in wholesale prices, fuelled further by the war in Ukraine, has been a shock to […]
Reflections on COP26
As you may know, world leaders, negotiators, lobbyists, representatives of civil society, as well as concerned individuals, met in Glasgow at the beginning of November for the 26th climate summit, COP26. The event has received a lot more coverage than the previous summits, not just because it was taking place in the UK. While Covid […]
Green spaces, gardening & wellbeing – Peer support
This blog is part of a series based on the infographic by Decorative Aggregates. Read the previous posts here. In this months blog we’ll be looking at how being in a garden or nature can help us connect to others. Gardening is often thought of as a solitary activity which can be very rewarding in […]
What is sustainable living?
We often say that St Nicks’ aim is to promote and enable sustainable living. What we don’t often say is what we mean by that. A recent discussion amongst staff has highlighted the fact that it’s so much easier to agree on what isn’t sustainable, than what is. At the moment, most of us in […]
Green spaces, gardening & wellbeing – Relaxation
This blog is part of a series based on the infographic by Decorative Aggregates. Read the previous posts here. In this month’s blog we’ll be looking at how being in a garden or out in nature can help us to relax. There are many daily stressors in life but one of the best ways to […]
Green spaces, gardening & wellbeing: Exercise
This blog is part of a series based on the infographic by Decorative Aggregates. Read the previous posts here. In this month’s blog we are going to be looking at how being in a garden or out in nature can help us with exercising and keeping fit and healthy. Whilst this is obviously great for […]
Green spaces, gardening & wellbeing: Living in the moment
This blog is part of a series based on the infographic by Decorative Aggregates. Catch up on part one, two. and three here. In this month’s article we are going to be looking at how focusing on the present moment can help to alleviate stress and anxiety caused by worrying or thinking about the past […]
Can £5,000 get you a warmer, better home?
Only around 36% of York homes are classed as well-insulated, according to research by Friends of the Earth. This means that most of us in York (and across the UK) live in houses that are expensive to heat, generate unnecessary carbon emissions and are potentially bad for our health. The recent government’s recent announcement of […]
Connecting with Nature – Nature Art
In times of stress Nature Art can bring us closer to nature with all the associated benefits of feeling more connected and relaxed. Collecting materials from nature such as petals, stones, leaves and seed cones can be a mindfulness practice of its own and we can use these materials to make and create. Here Ecotherapy […]
Keeping connected to nature: even during lockdown
Hard times for us all. So many pressing concerns. Not least of these, for many of us, is the way in which our access to the natural world has suddenly become so constricted. Absence, it is said, makes the heart grow fonder. How true this seems now, regarding not just family and friends, but also […]
