What does your Future Thurso look like?

We’re going to try to do this bold, ambitious and quirky at our Zero Waste Market where you, our community can contribute to a massive art piece that tells us what your Future Thurso looks like in the face of climate change and reaching Net Zero. No idea is off the table, we genuinely want to hear from you whether it is adding a post it to our map or creating some adventurous art!

Sell or buy pre-loved items at Olrig Street Gardens Zero Waste Market. Thurso Community Development Trust are part of the Highland Community Waste Partnership and are delighted to be holding this event aimed at promoting a circular economy locally and encouraging the re-use of pre-loved items. If wishing to book a table please click on the link below to email us. Tables are charged at £5 and you will be in one of our Gazebos similar to the Thurso Town Market.

If you are a charity please contact us via email to book to info@thursocdt.co.uk as tables can be offered FOC.

Thurso Grows are holding an Open Day at the Thurso Community Garden on Saturday 2nd July. There will be guided tours from the volunteers, information on how to get involved in the Garden, plants and children’s activities.

Just pop along to the Garden at the bottom of Falconer Waters Court, Thurso anytime between 12pm - 3pm.

Come along and hear us present the details of our Net Zero Thurso project to date including the sharing of your views and where we are heading to next on the project.

We’ll be joined by Magnus Davidson, Cllr Karl Rosie and Joan Lawrie, our Development Manager for a panel discussion on Net Zero, what it means, what needs to be achieved and what we are looking towards with the Net Zero Thurso project and reaching net zero as a whole as a society, taking everyone with us on that journey.

Spaces are limited and it is the intention to hold this event in the Trust Offices which is upstairs at 1 Rotterdam Street, if you have any accessibility requirements please let us know when booking. Please click the link below to book.

What does a Net Zero Thurso look like? Come along and chat to us and give your views.

What is your carbon footprint? We can run through a check with you and give you some tips on your carbon footprint.

We’ll have energy saving advice and support from Home Energy Scotland and Caithness Citizen’s Advice.

Join us in Socially Growing for a Climate Conversation. This is a more structured approach to talking climate and we will be holding as the first part of the evening a discussion on eco-anxiety followed by a climate conversation.

We are expecting to hold this event upstairs in the Trust offices so please let us know if you have any accessibility requirements please let us know on booking. Spaces are limited so please click on the link below to book.

Join us (weather dependent) either outside or inside Socially Growing for a Climate Cafe. An informal space to grab a cuppa and cake (on us!) and have a chat about climate change and what you can do to combat it. Either generally or by getting advice on waste, making simple changes, understanding your carbon footprint and how you can get involved in climate action locally.

Very simply, drop in for a natter and have some tea and cake!

We are asking you, ladies to get your friends and family involved and look in your wardrobe, do you have an item that you no longer wear? That doesn't fit or you just don't like anymore? Then this event is perfect for you! Swapping is the aim, this event is not for donations; we are asking you to bring something of good enough quality that you’d be proud to claim as your own.

So how does it work?

1. Pick what you want to swap from your wardrobe

   • give your best, if it’s not in a condition you’d wear it then it’s not right for this swap

   • make sure it’s clean, free from stains and with no rips or broken zips

   • for hygiene reasons we can’t accept underwear, swimwear, nightwear or jewellery

   • no shoes please, we just want clothes this time but that might change in the future

2. Drop it off

   • 20th and 21st June, 10am to 5pm at Socially Growing

   • Bring it in a bag so we can keep it together

   • Fill out our form and read our disclaimer - we’ll go over this with you

3. Collect your tokens

   • we’ll be taking a few days to sort through the drop-offs so will assign tokens and give them to you on the night of the swap (29th June)

   • you can buy some additional tokens from us - it’s £5 per token, we’re limiting it to no more than 5 additional tokens to make sure there’s enough clothes for everyone to shop

   • If you don’t have any clothes that you want to swap you can buy up to 5 tokens from us, you can do this by having a browse then if you find something you like you can take it to us and pay the amount of tokens it’s worth.

   • we will only sell additional tokens once you’ve found something you want as we will not be refunding tokens left over at the end of the night

4. Shop!

   • Browse round the selection, we’ll have changing rooms where you can try on and even some people on hand to offer styling advice if you want it

   • once you’ve decided on something, take it to our ‘checkout’ area to exchange tokens

5. After

   • The clothes swap finishes at 9pm

   • we’ll have feedback forms we’d love you to fill in, this is hopefully the first of many swaps we’ll be doing so tell us your ideas and suggestions

   • any clothes un-swapped at the end of the night will be available for the original owner to pick up from Socially Growing on 2nd and 4th July between 10am and 5pm

   • if you don’t want your items back we will be donating them to Give Your Best and to local charity shops

We have a Facebook event you can keep and eye on to see the latest updates and we have a quick form we’d love for you to fill out if you’re planning on coming along. This is just to help give us an idea of numbers.

Join us at Thurso East for a Beach Clean and walk along the beach and path there for a social occasion of a walk alongside picking up any litter to keep our beautiful coastline clean.

We’ll meet at the car park at Caithness Livestock Breeders and then make our way up the coastline. Litter pickers, gloves and all equipment supplied as well as tea and cake to finish and have a chat.

Foraging Walks with Amanda Grieg of Thurso East Honesty Box are back! These walks are incredibly popular so please book your space as soon as possible and places are limited. Amanda will take you on a guided tour of foraging spots in and around Thurso with incredibly helpful advice on the way. Refreshments provided following the walk.

Please note, if you book a place and are then unable to attend please let us know so we can free up the spaces to our waiting list as we will have one.

Free of charge, to book, click on the link below and select the appropriate date for the Foraging Walk, either Saturday 25th or Tuesday 28th June.

Details of the meeting point for the walk will be sent out after booking and prior to the walk taking place. It will be a Thurso location.

Do you have a garment that is in need of repair?

Would you like to learn how to sew a button or repair a hem? Take your garments along to Socially Growing where Zoe, our Development Officer who is working on the Highland Community Waste Partnership due to launch during the Highland Climate Festival will take you through how to do your repair. Please note, this is not a drop your garment off and pick up later session, this is so that you can learn the steps that Zoe takes to repair your item. You can also drop in for any general sewing and upcycling of garments advice on the day. We’ll either be outside Socially Growing or inside the shop (weather dependent)

Join us for a watch-along screening of The True Cost - a film about the impact of fast-fashion. Leading up to our Pop-Up Clothes Swap on Wednesday 29th June.
After the film we'll be hosting an online discussion that we'd love you to join. Book below to receive the links to watch with us!

The True Cost (2015)

This is a story about clothing. It’s about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the industry is having on our world. The price of clothing has been decreasing for decades, while the human and environmental costs have grown dramatically. The True Cost is a ground breaking documentary film that pulls back the curtain on the untold story and asks us to consider, who really pays the price for our clothing?

Filmed in countries all over the world, from the brightest runways to the darkest slums, and featuring interviews with the world’s leading influencers including Stella McCartney, Livia Firth and Vandana Shiva, The True Cost is an unprecedented project that invites us on an eye opening journey around the world and into the lives of the many people and places behind our clothes.

Popular for the Discover Thurso Festival last year, we’ve brought it back! An Active Travel Treasure Hunt for all to be done through either walking or cycling in the town. Collect your sheets from Socially Growing/Trust Offices between 11am - 12pm on Sunday 26th June and off you go to find the critters hidden around the town from a series of clues.

We’ll have prizes on offer of refill/good for the planet goodies from Socially Growing from the winning hunters!

Foraging Walks with Amanda Grieg of Thurso East Honesty Box are back! These walks are incredibly popular so please book your space as soon as possible and places are limited. Amanda will take you on a guided tour of foraging spots in and around Thurso with incredibly helpful advice on the way. Refreshments provided following the walk.

Please note, if you book a place and are then unable to attend please let us know so we can free up the spaces to our waiting list as we will have one.

Free of charge, to book, click on the link below and select the appropriate date for the Foraging Walk, either Saturday 25th or Tuesday 28th June.

Details of the meeting point for the walk will be sent out after booking and prior to the walk taking place. It will be a Thurso location.

Get engaged in climate change and the simple every day actions that you can do to combat it. We’ll have a host of activities on during the day of Saturday 25th June where we will be ‘showing off’ and talking climate with anyone who wants to listen to us! We’ll have (refurbishments allowing, it is an active site) tours of the mythical Greenhouses we keep talking about, activities outside of Socially Growing where you can get waste advice, view our ‘Secret Garden’ (also currently under development) play games and get involved. We also encourage you to go and visit other climate action sites around the town, our Community Garden at Falconer Waters Court, the Sharing Shed and get engaged in what you can do locally to combat the climate crises.