ßThe Big Green Idea is a new charity set up to show people that sustainable living can be really easy, great fun, healthy and inexpensive. The charity’s founder Brigit Strawbridge, believes that if people had access to hands-on information and an opportunity to talk to real people’ living real but low impact lives’ they may be more likely to give it a go themselves.

With the help of some very dedicated volunteers, The Big Green Idea has raised enough money to purchase an old double decker bus, which is currently being re-fitted as a one-stop-eco-information-shop. It will be run on bio-diesel, made from waste vegetable oil.

Driving into towns, cities and rural communities across the UK, the bus will park up for a few days at a time in each location. Visitors will be able to jump on board and source valuable information about local soil conditions, conservation projects, veg box schemes, beekeepers, allotment groups and local growers.

Downstairs, the bus will be equipped with a huge range of everyday items for people to touch, smell, look at and play with. These will include such things as energy or water saving devices, natural skincare products, eco-friendly insulation and environmental paints, clothing made out of sustainable crops, wormeries or composting systems, to name just a few. There will also be information sheets for people to take away with them, plus a range of supporting magazines or books for visitors to look at.

The top deck will be home to a wind and solar-powered cinema, which will show inspiring films. It will also provide an area for talks, environmental work-shops and demonstrations, introducing people to the issues of peak oil, climate change and greenhouse gas.

Councils planning green fairs’ will be able to hire the bus, which will be ready for bookings this coming Autumn. In the meantime, Brigit hopes to raise enough funds so that The Big Green Idea can eventually give a Big Green Bus to every region of the UK.

Contact: The Big Green Idea,
Raglan House, Westminster Bank,
West Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 2BN
Tel: +44 (0)1684 565640

To watch a DVD of the bus
Website: www​.thebiggreenidea​.org

The Big Green Bus
Photos: © The Big Green Idea