Community action/Swale
| Map | |
|---|---|
| Location | Swale, Kent, England |
| Coordinates | 51° 20' 12.28" N, 0° 48' 4.93" E |
The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across Swale.
News
- Mum's war on plastic waste, Jan 25, 2018...kentonline.co.uk
Hedgerows the 'unsung heroes of the countryside', BBC News (Feb 16, 2026) — A group of Kent volunteers is aiming to provide vital habitat for wildlife by planting about 3,800 yards (3,500m) of hedgerows in the countryside this year.- ‘To live a normal life again, it’s a dream come true’: UK’s first climate evacuees can cast off their homes and trauma, theguardian.com (Feb 09, 2026)
- Behind the scenes as GPs face 'tidal wave of demand', BBC News (Jan 22, 2026)
- One in nine new homes in England built between 2022 and 2024 were constructed in areas that could now be at risk of flooding, according to new data., theguardian.com (Feb 18, 2026) — between 2013 and 2022, one in 13 new homes were in potential flooding zones.
- Hedgerows the 'unsung heroes of the countryside', BBC News (Feb 16, 2026) — A group of Kent volunteers is aiming to provide vital habitat for wildlife by planting about 3,800 yards (3,500m) of hedgerows in the countryside this year.
- 'Serious climate breakdown' warning over filthy rivers and flooding, BBC News (Feb 15, 2026)
- Geothermal could replace almost half of the EU’s fossil fuel power, grist.org (Feb 10, 2026)
- I developed an app that uses drone footage to track plastic litter on beaches, theconversation.com (Jan 21, 2026)
- Europeans overwhelmingly support the social economy, poll finds, thenews.coop (Dec 12, 2025) — 93% of Europeans think businesses should be guided by social economy values, such as focusing on social and environmental goals, redistributing profits, and operating with democratic governance structures
- Introducing Katcha: An African Democratic Innovation Network, demnext.substack.com (Feb 19, 2026)
- The planet’s other forest crisis, latimes.com (Feb 19, 2026)
- ‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics, theguardian.com (Feb 19, 2026)
Video
Networks and sustainability initiatives
- Sheppey is Ours!, a Citizens Action Network (CAN) designed to bring the local community together. added 17:01, 14 December 2020 (UTC), link checked 09:46, 30 January 2022 (UTC)
Communities online
- Sittingbourne.Me, added 16:17, 21 May 2021 (UTC)
Food
Brogdale Farm is home to the National Fruit Collection, one of the largest collections of fruit trees and plants in the world. Spread over 150-acre (61 ha) it hosts the collection since it moved from Wisley in 1952. In the 1980s, the Government cut funding to the site, with closure threatened by March 1990. In response, the Brogdale Horticultural Trust took over co-ownership of the farm with Wye College. It has been the home of Faversham miniature railway since 2001.
The farm runs regular fruit-themed festivals throughout the summer and autumn:
- the Cherry Festival in July
- the Cider Festival in August
- the Apple Festival in October.
During the fairs, visitors can explore the orchards and several experts give talks on the produce.
Community resources
Climate action
- Swale Friends of the Earth
- Faversham Youth Climate Panel, added 21:31, 18 October 2021 (UTC)
Sustainable transport
Maps
- Explore The Isle of Sheppey Walking & Cycling Map, explorekent.org
Cycling
National Cycle Route 1 passes through Faversham, en route from Whitstable to Sittingbourne.
Biodiversity
- Sheppey Wildlife on facebook.com
- elmleynaturereserve.co.uk
Environment quality
- Plastic Free Faversham, community group run by volunteers with the aim of raising awareness about the overuse of single-use plastic and other ecological issues.
Wetlands
The North Kent Marshes have been recognised as one of the most important natural wetlands in northern Europe, and they are monitored by local landowners and wildlife custodians. According to the RSPB, up to 300,000 migrant birds use the mudflats of the Thames marshes as a haven each year in their migratory journeys between the Arctic and Africa. The marshes serve as emergency natural flood protection for London.
Oare Marshes is a 71.4-hectare (176-acre) Local Nature Reserve north of Faversham in Kent. It is owned and managed by Kent Wildlife Trust. It is part of The Swale Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, National Nature Reserve, Ramsar internationally important wetland site, Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds, and Site of Special Scientific Interest.
South Swale is a 410.5-hectare (1,014-acre) Local Nature Reserve (as South Bank of the Swale) north of Faversham in Kent. It is owned by Kent County Council and managed by Kent Wildlife Trust. It is part of The Swale Ramsar site, Special Protection Area and Site of Special Scientific Interest
The Saxon Shore Way public footpath follows the top of the sea wall for the entire length of the reserve, around the village of Graveney, for about 3 miles in total.
Coasts
Medway Swale Estuary Partnership
About Swale
Campaigns
- Scheme for thousands of new houses near Sittingbourne would have devastating impact on countryside (and it's not even in the Local Plan), cprekent.org.uk, added 15:45, 24 September 2021 (UTC)
Swale is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. The council is based in Sittingbourne, the borough's largest town. The borough also contains the towns of Faversham, Queenborough and Sheerness, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. It includes the Isle of Sheppey and is named after The Swale, the narrow channel which separates Sheppey from the mainland part of the borough. Some southern parts of the borough lie within the Kent Downs, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The borough borders the Medway unitary authority area to the west, the Borough of Maidstone to the south-west, the Borough of Ashford to the south-east, and the City of Canterbury to the east. Under proposed reorganisation in either April 2027 or 2028 the borough will face abolition and will join with one or more adjoining councils to form a new Unitary Authority. Details of such proposals are expected in Autumn 2025.
Near you
Ashford - Canterbury - Maidstone - Medway
See also
- Towards a more democratic and climate friendly way of meeting housing need across England
- London and South East England
- Saving water in South East England
| Authors | Phil Green |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Phil Green (2022–2025). "Community action/Swale". Appropedia. Retrieved February 26, 2026. |