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We hope that you will join us in filling this year with amazing projects, workshops and activities that help the people of Rugby to
Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle and Regenerate!
A Dedication to David Frank Hughes
This month the Mayor and Rugby Eco Hub celebrate a local volunteer, David Frank Hughes, who one winter in his eighties began volunteering daily with his brush at the Claremont Centre until the week before his 90th birthday. Change happens through people being the change in their world. We survive as a species by helping each other and remember those who made it a better place for everybody, not just for themselves.
We now consume far too much, using many things where one will suffice, wasting our money discarding clothes and tools without fixing them. In Rugby, the heartbeat of sustainability is found in volunteers who trade their time to lend a carpet cleaner, fix a broken toaster or tend an edible garden.
The most profound climate action happens in community centres and local parks reducing the impact we have. David helped his son out by sweeping the leaves, which like litter-picking helps to regenerate our environment. At Rugby Eco Hub in the Claremont Centre we encourage sharing. Buying less and borrowing more slashes our community’s carbon footprint and we are re-imagining ownership through sharing as a service.
Volunteering is very rewarding. David used the cafe in Betts Hall once a week, then later helped out with his brush, keeping him active and giving him a purpose each day. Giving your time is lovely and he took great pride in it. David’s brush was always in the car as volunteering gave routine to his day and ‘got him out for an hour’ which was really important to him. Building your community repairs your planet and he always had a word for anyone passing by.
When people give their time locally, they aren't just "saving the planet" in an abstract sense; they are building a more resilient neighbourhood and the greatest reward is the satisfaction of knowing you have served your community.
In honour and memory of David Frank Hughes (01/02/1934 - 22/11/25)
David Frank Hughes, Volunteer, Kindred Hearts, Rugby Eco Hub
Repair Cafe Rugby
Pop ups, Sessions and Celebrations
We have expanded the Repair Cafe so that not only will we have fixers in Betts Hall but we now also have volunteers in the Benson Room. This gives the team more space to work in and we can see even more visitors per session.
On Saturday we had the sewing team in the Benson Room. Did you know that we have a specialist team dedicated to working with all forms of textiles. Restuffing soft toys, fixing clips back onto jackets, taking up trousers, mending holes in quilts and lots of other types of repairs.
If you have a group or organisation that would like to host a pop-up repair cafe then send us an email to repaircaferugby@gmail.com and we can try and organise something for you.
Also, if you would like to come along and volunteer at the repair cafe either as a host or a fixer, then we’d love to have you.
End of Ten Workshop
Thurs 26th March, the Eco Hub 7pm - 9pm
Come along and see how to keep your old laptop secure and effective. Windows 10 will no longer be secure after October 2026 so we can help you replace it with a secure and effective alternative. You can keep all of your photos, music and other stuff and you don't need to know anything special to be able to use the replacement. We will be demonstrating laptops running these alternatives and answering questions. Thursday 26th 7pm at the Eco Hub.
Repair Cafe Rugby have been invited to the Parliamentary Repair Cafe, where Repair Cafes across the UK are asking MP's to recognise the value of repairing rather than throwing away.
We are encouraging individuals and organisations to invite your MP's to support the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration. John Slinger MP for Rugby and Bulkington has been an avid supporter of Repair Cafe Rugby and we ask for local residents to contact him and other MP's in your area to show their support.
Growing🌱Group team at The Pleasance Herb Garden after topping up the planters with compost
The Spring Equinox is nearly here and we're getting ready to sow seeds and prepare herbs for our food growing demonstration planters at the Eco Hub, The Pleasance Herb Garden and Caldecott Park, at least!
From now on, on most Saturday mornings and some afternoons, we'll be working at one of the locations from 10:30am or 2pm and would welcome more helpers - green-fingered or not but always with gardening gloves!! Do join our WhatsApp group or Facebook for updates.
NB We are planning a Plant Swap on Saturday 2nd May at the Eco Hub, so bear that in mind, when sowing your seeds. If you want to bring some spare plants along to swap at that event, please plant extra seeds in good time.
Are you interested in growing our own veg?
We are embarking on a new fun adventure, partnering with Cllr Jerry Roodhouse to create a space for growing our own organic veg!
The veg that we will be growing will go straight back into our kitchen for some delicious healthy sustainable food at affordable prices.
If you are interested in getting involved in growing organic food please contact us at info@rugbyecohub.org
A huge thank you to all of the volunteers that help us with our Library of Things, it has grown significantly and is clocking up Carbon savings!
We are hoping to do a Pop Up Library of Things alongside our Pop Up repair Cafe in Brownsover Community Centre. This will be held on 22nd April at 10am - 12pm.
Let us know if you are interested in helping and supporting our pop up.
Now the Library of Things is more established we are setting up volunteer sessions to focus on different aspects of our Library of Things including; a Planning Group, a Implementation Group, a Maintenance group and a Promotional Group as well as regular volunteers for when the library is open. If you would like to join any of our groups please get in contact with us at info@rugbyecohub.org
Do you have a spare couple of hours? Have you got experience using cloth/ reusable nappies?
We are looking for a volunteer that will lead our Nappy Library, you will make appointments to help parents with nappies, go into outreach events to showcase what our nappy library offers and feed into monthly newsletters and social media.
If this sounds like something you can help with or you want to get involved in please contact us at info@rugbyecohub.org
Partnerships
Gaia Yin Yoga
Sunday 10am - 11am , The Eco Hub
Rachel and Gaia Yin Yoga are staying on at Rugby Eco Hub!
Join us on a Sunday morning to relax the body, strengthen your core and have a good time with "Ease into Sunday" at 10am - 11am.
Rugby Unwrapped is looking for volunteers to help in the shop located by Betts Hall. Volunteers are needed on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, hours to be discussed.
If you have a few hours spare each week and would like to help out please contact Mark:
EMAIL: markthomas090570@gmail.com
PHONE: 07786914786
Hoskyn Centre Spring Fair
Sunday 22nd March, Hoskyn Centre, 11am - 5pm
Come join our friends at the Hoskyn Centre for their Spring Fair!
We of course will be joining so please come find us and learn more about what Rugby Eco Hub is offering and how you can get involved while supporting a fantastic community event at the Hoskyn Centre!
We offer community projects for free to help the residents of Rugby save money whilst being eco friendly and sustainable, but to continue offering these projects we need support. There are many ways you can contribute:
We are always looking for volunteers to help us with our community projects and the behind the scene jobs. So whether you can help cleaning or attend events or be a part of our projects contact us now on info@rugbyecohub.org
As the Library of Things continues to grow, we would love it if more and more people start using this amazing community resource. You can help make this a reality by distributing flyers to the local community. If this is something you feel you could help with, simply come to the Eco Hub to collect some flyers and let us the know the street(s) you are able to do.
