Standing room only as Rugby embraces 'trend to mend' at new community eco hub

Green-minded Rugby residents flocked to a new eco hub last week.

It was standing room only at the launch of Rugby Eco Hub’s open day at Age UK’s Claremont Centre.

The hub, tool-sharing Library of Things and food-growing event was hailed by councillors and business

Three local councillors – Lib Dems Jerry Roodhouse, Neil Sandison and Isabelle McKenzie – plus shop-owners, designers and voluntary sector workers were among guests.

The initiative is a collaboration between eco-groups Transition Town Rugby and Rugby Repair Cafe. It has secured space plus the back garden at the Claremont Centre and funding from the borough council for a year.

The Eco Hub could open as early as May, initially for a couple of days a week.

Cllr Sandison said on the day: “I’m very glad that they’ve got this off the ground.

"The commitment of people who turned up today is a stepping stone to a more sustainable community. Collaboration and cooperation could go a very long way.”

Rugby resident Nicola Phelan said: “We’re here to say yes, this is what we want to see happening in our town.

“People want to support things and find information out. They need to know who to trust and who has had it done before”.

Ceri Line, of natural food store Wild & Free in Bank Street, Rugby, said the Eco Hub’s arrival is ‘about time’.

In a speech, Transition Town Rugby’s Alex Becker talked about his worries about extreme temperature trends, and the benefits of bringing into one place different groups focused on sustainability ‘to start making a bit more noise’.

"The space is all about growing your own food, workshops and demonstrations, second-hand stuff,” Alex said.

“One of the big things we want to do is the Library of Things – we have funding to do that. Let’s not all own our own strimmer - let’s just have a couple of strimmers.”Martin Bryant, who runs repair cafés in Rugby and Coventry said: “What we’d really like is to have more. I would love Rugby to have five or six repair cafes in their own little areas.”

Find at more at Rugby Eco Hub on Facebook.