BY SUZANNE O’HARA
In early 2020 a disparate group of individuals met through their shared interest in the environment and sustainable living. The group wanted to take positive action to tackle climate change in Spelthorne initially focussing on actions to minimize waste, reduce consumption, preserve natural open space and raise awareness and understanding of environmental challenges in the borough. Through a series of initial meetings, the volunteers agreed that having a physical space from which to coordinate activities would be a key priority, and so the idea for Talking Tree was born. Tony Woodward, one of the founding volunteers explained, “We were inspired to name the venue the Talking Tree after the Saxon word for Spelthorne which meant ‘speaking tree’ – a place where different groups would meet to discuss important issues. We want our centre to be a hub for the community, a welcoming space where anyone who lives or works nearby can come to share skills, ideas and information that will help us to collectively address the climate and ecological emergency first and foremost, but also to tackle other issues that affect the sustainability of the local community.”
The group registered Talking Tree as a Community Interest Company. This means that all assets are ’locked’ and profits generated will be used for the benefit of the community. Having drawn up an initial business plan, the group approached Spelthorne Council in late May 2020, requesting the council’s help in finding an appropriate building. As it happened, Spelthorne Council were the owners of a vacant retail property in the heart of Staines High Street. Formerly a betting shop, the premises had been empty for an extended period and Spelthorne Council saw the benefit in supporting the Talking Tree project to repurpose the building as a positive community space. The team took possession of the keys to the premises in early November and the ensuing months have been a flurry of activity with a core group of volunteer labour hammering, plumbing, plastering and painting to turn a dark betting shop into a versatile community venue.
Talking Tree is a shared space dedicated to building community and improving the local environment in Spelthorne. The venue, which opens officially on 21st June, centres around an on-site café serving a vegetarian menu ‘with vegan aspirations’, using surplus ingredients whenever possible. The main exhibition and performance space will provide an inspirational programme of arts, film, talks and music performance, while an adjacent meeting room and workshop will host local community groups and classes in practical skills to help participants live more sustainably. There will be a community fridge for residents to access surplus food from local suppliers and there are plans for a ‘library of things’ in the not-too-distant future. The Talking Tree volunteer community has already grown to around 40 individuals of all ages and a variety of backgrounds, sharing a huge variety of skills from cooking, to plumbing and website design. While Covid has delayed the opening of the venue, the team has not waited to start making an impact: Talking Tree Community Kitchen has already created an amazing 959 plates of food from fresh surplus stock which have been given free of charge to the local community; Talking Tree Biodiversity team has begun a planting project that will help increase the species diversity while also encouraging other wildlife at the Rowland Hill Almshouses in Ashford; in late March the volunteers created a swarm of giant handmade fabric bees, highlighting the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill to residents and visitors in Staines; and Talking Tree has also hosted a series of online events including a tree themed art exhibition, a virtual music night, a waste reduction cooking class and book club nights. Pop along to 91 High Street, Staines Upon Thames, visit the website or get in touch via social media.