In Thame the role of the Community Action Group (CAG) is taken by 21st Century Thame's Environment Group, who also carry out a number of other activities. The Group joined the Oxfordshire CAG network in December 2006.
SWAP SHOPS
The first SWAP Shop was held by the Group in Thame in June 2007. This was very successful and led to a series of SWAP Shops which have been held on three occasions every year since, normally in Thame Town Hall. The concept of the SWAP Shop is now well established in Thame and we encourage people to bring along good quality items they might otherwise throw away and give others the chance of taking these away for free. No money changes hands. The idea is to prevent these items going to landfill and at the same time find a use for them on the basis that what one person no longer needs can be just what another person is looking for. To date our SWAP Shops have been very successful in achieving a large reduction in waste as well as providing people with items which they might not be able to find anywhere else and which cost them nothing.
We ask people to bring along books, toys and games, CDs, DVDs and videos, clothes, household items and general bric-a-brac. For large items we ask people to bring a description and photo which can then be displayed. To date we have not been able to accept electrical items, but two of our members have been trained to carry out PAT testing so please bring your small unwanted electrical items to the next swap. Please make sure they have CE marks before bringing.
We also encourage people not to bring along rubbish although unfortunately there is an element of that and we have found that quite a lot of things are left at the end of each SWAP Shop and have to be disposed of, either to charity shops if in good condition, or to the tip.
REUSABLE BAGS
The Group has taken a number of actions to encourage the people of Thame to use reusable bags rather than accepting plastic ones from retailers. To this end a large number of cotton bags were distributed to retailers in the town who were encouraged to give these to their customers rather than plastic ones, in the hope that people would use the cotton bag the next time they went shopping. A number of more substantial jute bags were also sold with the same intention. More recently a Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) text reminder service has been set up and people who register are then automatically texted on their selected shopping day with a reminder to bring their own reusable bag when they go shopping. Many retailers in Thame have actively supported the campaign to get rid of plastic bags and now ask their customers if they need a plastic bag and will only supply one on request.
BIKE EVENTS
We have held a number of bike events, usually once a year in the Spring, to enable people to buy or sell second hand bikes. The object is to bring people together and to prevent perfectly good bikes for which the owner has no further use going to landfill. These events started off very successfully with the police in attendance to advise on bike security and experts on hand to carry out minor repairs, but interest has waned more recently and this activity is in danger of not being continued.
OTHER 21st CENTURY THAME ENVIRONMENT GROUP ACTIVITIES
Walking and Cycling Map
In 2007 the Group produced the free leaflet Walking and Cycling Around Thame which consisted of two back to back maps. The one of the town showed all the little connecting pathways which could be used when walking and/or cycling and was principally aimed at encouraging more children to cycle or walk to school. It also included a list of all the refreshment venues in Thame. The other map was of the area around Thame and showed a number of possible cycling routes as well as the main footpaths and bridleways and the location of all the local pubs. These maps have been so popular that they have now run out and are no longer available, but a revised and updated map is to be produced and should be available soon.
Historic Town Trails
The Group has produced a set of three fully illustrated free leaflets of trails covering the centre, west and east of the historic market town of Thame. Each leaflet contains a map of the walk and descriptions of the various items of historic interest to be found along each trail. The walks vary from one to two and a half hours and from one and a half to two and a half miles and can be combined or taken in stages. The leaflets also contain information about the town - its history, its facilities and how to get there. The first trail sold out and had to be reprinted and the others are also proving very popular.
Eating and Drinking Guide
The Group has also produced an Eating and Drinking guide to Thame with illustrations and descriptions of all the local pubs, a list of all the other eating places in the town and a map showing the location of each one.
