Our past events

We have also held a number of Ready, Steady…..meetings and webinars on Setting Up Your Own Environment Group. Please see ‘Our upcoming Events’ for details of the next in the series to be held on Tue 14th April 2026 at De Koffie Pot, Hereford. If you would like the notes from the previous gatherings, please email Rachel at admin@hgnetwork.org.uk.

The HGN AGM and Social event was held on Tuesday 7th October 2025 at De Koffie Pot, Hereford.

Growing Local Summer Celebration 30th July 2025

You can find all our past on-line HGN events, and subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking here. Or you can click on the individual links below.

• HGN Gathering – Thinking of an electric car this year? – Watch here
  January 2026 – Electric cars are becoming increasingly popular but if you have not driven one you may want to find out a bit more before you take the plunge. This online event answers questions such as ‘Can I really do a long journey in an EV?’ and ‘How can I charge an EV if I haven’t got a driveway where I can park my car?’ David Smith from Cleeveley  Electric Vehicles tells us more about EVs in general and answers these and other questions.

• HGN Gathering – Blinded by the light – Watch here
  September 2024: As the nights draw in, are you more aware of light pollution in your community? D0 you want to see more Dark Skies across Herefordshire?
  Yolande Watson, Herefordshire CPRE Executive Team member and lead for Dark Skies Herefordshire, outlines the different types of light pollution, explain why dark skies are important to humans and the natural environment, and offer simple solutions you can put in place to reduce light pollution, enhance biodiversity and save money.
• HGN Gathering – Flight Free UK – Watch here
  May 2024: Anna Hughes from Flight Free UK talks about the behaviour change organisation
• HGN Gathering – Deepening The Roots of Resilience – Watch here
  March 2024:Local trainer and author Alan Heeks’ online session based on his new book, Natural Happiness.Many people find that contact with Nature is a source of wellbeing: what’s different here is going deeper by cultivating ourselves like a natural organism, using parallels from organic gardens. Alan shows how we can cultivate human nature using ‘composting’ for stress, and ‘crop rotation’ to avoid burnout.Along with the talk Alan will offer a couple of short exercises where you can try his approaches for yourself, and ask questions.The exercises explore:
  • how cultivated ecosystems work, and the parallels with human nature
  • ways to nourish yourself by deepening your roots and harnessing natural energy sources
  • the skill of composting to gain insights and positive momentum from stress and negative feelings
  • positive ways to engage with and grow through the climate crisis, e.g. regenerative methods.

  Alan also talks about new research co-funded by his Seeding our Future project to identify resources to help local communities grow their resilience to adapt to climate change, food security and other issues.

• HGN Gathering – One planet living – a framework for sustainable living – Watch here
  February 2024:Using learning from their BedZED eco-village, Bioregional created the One Planet Living sustainability framework – comprising ten simple principles and detailed goals and guidance – and developed it together with WWF.Backed by science and many years of hands-on experience, it’s a highly flexible framework that is helping organisations around the world to achieve their vision of a brighter, better future.Anyone can use the One Planet Living framework, say Bioregional – it’s helped a range of different audiences achieve their sustainability ambitions:
  • individuals
  • developers and housebuilders
  • businesses
  • local authorities
  • tourist resorts and destinations
  • schools and community groups.
• HGN Gathering – How can we recover nature in Herefordshire? – Watch here
  February 2024: Is loss of biodiversity a one-way process? Or can we help nature back to its abundance? Jamie Audsley and colleagues from Herefordshire Wildlife Trust speaks and leads a discussion about positive steps going on within the county – and how you and your community can play a part.
• HGN Gathering – Forging a path to net zero and nature rich Herefordshire – Watch here
  February 2024:Herefordshire Climate and Nature Partnership Board was set up in 2021 as a key part of Herefordshire Council’s mission to deliver a net zero and nature-rich county. What has it been up to?Join us to gather an insight into the achievements, activities and plans of the Board, along with the wider environmental work of Herefordshire Council.The current Chair, James Marsden, and colleagues outlines the work taking place across various sectors – land management, the built environment, transport and more – and how this fits into the national and wider context.The speakers signpost participants to information on action that they as organisations or individuals can take to play their part.Speakers:
  • James Marsden, Chair of the Herefordshire Climate and Nature Partnership Board
  • Cllr Elissa Swinglehurst, Cabinet member for the Environment, Herefordshire Council

  The session is hosted by Jackie Jones, Co-Chair of HGN (and member of the Climate and Nature Partnership Board)

• HGN Gathering – Thinking of an e-bike? – Watch here
  October 2023: Hear from Robin Coates of Transition Malvern Hills and Luke Skinner of Drover’s Cycles in Hay-on-Wye as they discuss the benefits of e-bikes and what to think about before you buy. Robin describes a scheme that allows you to try out an e-bike before you buy. Rex Hickley gives his personal journey from push bike to e-bike and how it enables him to keep cycling in the face of increasing mobility problems.
• HGN Gathering – Ethical finance – Watch here
  September 2023:Who do you bank with – One of the big four?Or do you use a Building Society for day to day banking?What about your pension? You have paid in contributions for years – where are they invested?Knowing what is happening to your money is difficult (after all, your bank isn’t going to broadcast the fact that they are investing in armaments and fossil fuels) and knowing what to do about it is even harder, yet having an ethical pension is TWENTY-ONE times more effective at cutting carbon than stopping flying, going veggie and changing energy provider, combined.Mike Head from Ethical Investors in Cheltenham gives a presentation on The Principles and Practice of Ethical Investing.
• HGN Gathering – Permaculture – Watch here
  April 2023: Permaculture is a holistic approach to growing food regeneratively with minimal input from people and creating maximum habitats for wildlife. Hear Andrew de la Haye’s talk.
• HGN Gathering – One Planet Council – Watch here
  March 2023: Marc Scale talks about this forward-thinking planning policy which provides a genuinely affordable and sustainable way for people to live and work on their own land, bringing social, economic and environmental benefits. It was adopted by the Welsh government in 2011 as part of its One Wales: One Planet scheme. Hear about the progress that has been made over the past twelve years and their hopes and plans for the future.
• HGN Gathering – System change now – Watch here
  January 2023:  A presentation by writer and blogger Richard Priestley on his recently published book ‘System Change Now’ in which he discusses the problems facing the planet and ways to change the future. The subtitle is: One man’s vision of a better future Healing a network of crises: Climate, Ecological, Political, Social and Economic through a Global Green New Deal to achieve Human Liberation & Planetary Rewilding.
• HGN Gathering – The Wasteland: Recycling and Waste management – Watch here
  October 2022: During Recycling Week, join HGN online to hear from Hereford Council’s Waste Transformation Officer about what happens to your rubbish and recycling; about how they are working to improve recycling rates and their plans for the future.
• HGN Gathering – Hidden Herefordshire – Watch here
  September 2022: Alongside Climate Change, and linked to it, the world is facing massive loss of Biodiversity. The pandemic showed how important connecting to nature is, for both physical and mental health. It has never been more important to get out and look at the nature on our doorsteps – in local gardens, parks and wild spaces. The project ‘Hidden Herefordshire: discovering its wildlife and wild places’ aims to connect Herefordshire people of all ages and from all backgrounds to recording wildlife wherever they are. Join Tim to hear about the project, learn about the Herefordshire Biological Records Centre, receive updates on progress so far, see rare species that have been discovered and find out how you can get involved.
• HGN Gathering – The right tree in the right place – Watch here
  February 2021: Tomas Remiarz has 30 years of experience of working with woodland and trees. Over the years he has designed and helped to create commercial and amenity woodlands, wildlife reserves and ecological restoration sites. He has extensively researched innovative approaches to increase productive urban and rural tree cover, some of which is covered in his book Forest Gardening in Practice.
• HGN Gathering – Natural flood management – Watch here
  February 2021: Beth Lewis, Herefordshire Council’s Natural Flood Management (NFM) Project Officer, introduces the Defra funded River Wye and Lugg Natural Flood Management (NFM) Project (www.herefordshire.gov.uk/nfm ), which is working with landowners and communities in Herefordshire. Beth explains how this partnership project is being delivered, achievements so far and how you can get involved. She also discusses how NFM principles can be adopted in more urban settings, including what the average home owner can do to help.
• HGN Gathering – Unleashing the potential for land use in response to climate change – Watch here
  February 2021: Nick Read talks to The Great Collaboration about ‘Unleashing the potential for land use in response to climate change.’ Nick is an Anglican Priest, an Agricultural Chaplain with Borderlands Rural Chaplaincy and Director of the Brightspace Foundation, a sustainable development charity focused on Herefordshire. He chairs Herefordshire’s Local Nature Partnership and Farm Herefordshire, a collaboration between twelve organisations working with the land-based sector to improve soil and water management. He acts a secretary to the County’s Sustainable Food and Tourism Partnership and is Co-Chair of the Herefordshire Green Network. His previous career includes contract research into technology transfer in the biosciences, working for the National Farmers Union in a variety of roles, including the NFU’s national Food Policy and Research Adviser, and establishing a national charity supporting those in rural areas suffering from stress.
• HGN Gathering – Opportunities as we move toward Zero Carbon Herefordshire – Watch here

  July 2020: Richard Priestley, a well known local writer gives talks and classes nationwide and online. His writings and workshops usually focus on how we can have a more ecologically sustainable and socially just future. The Herefordshire Green Network is lucky to be able to offer you an adaption of his ‘Global Problems, Global Solutions’ workshop which has been tailored for The Great Collaboration- leading to a Zero Carbon Herefordshire. Richard will focus on Energy efficiency in buildings, Transport, Energy Generation and Land use, giving councillors an overview of what can be achieved in our local areas.

• HGN Gathering – How can land be used to tackle the Climate and Ecological Crisis? – Watch here
  June 2020: Agriculture and land use is an important contributor to global warming. Agriculture also offers unique opportunities to capture carbon- particularly through effective soil management. Nick Read from Farm Herefordshire and The Herefordshire Green Network delivers this talk about how land use can help to tackle the Climate and Ecological Crisis.