The history of the Thame Green Living Plan
The Thame Green Living Plan’s development started in 2013, led by a group of volunteers under the aegis of the worldwide RSA – the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, founded in 1754. It is a registered charity committed to finding innovative, creative and practical solutions to today’s societal challenges.
Following years of work to create the plan , in 2020 it was adopted unanimously by Thame Town Council, and it was at this point the Thame contingent of the RSA transitioned to the new identity of ‘Thame Green Living’.
At the bottom of this page you will see the full timeline of action that took place to point of adoption of the plan. This was only possible due to the dedication of many volunteers – so of those most active are shown here. It is with huge thanks to them all that Thame can be proud of the progress that has been made and continues to be made.
Charles Boundy
Founded RSA Thame Group in 2014 Lead author of the Thame Green Living Plan 2020Focus Areas:
Walking (Green spaces and routes) and Clean Air and Freedom from Pollution
John Scott
Founding Volunteer since 2014Focus Areas:
Energy efficiency, renewables and electric vehicles
Wendy Duckham
Volunteer since August 2019Focus Areas:
Energy projects, Building Connections and Communications
Harriet Woollard
Volunteer since March 2020Focus Areas:
Communications, Business, and the Love Thame Hate Waste campaign
Colin Bloxham
Founding Volunteer since 2014Focus Areas:
Loss of biodiversity and other environmental issues
Anne Fisher
Volunteer since April 2019Focus Areas:
Administrative support
Rich Henderson
Volunteer since 2018Focus Areas:
Cycling and active travel
Jasmine Gauthier
Volunteer since November 2020Focus Areas:
Communications
Tom Knowles
Focus Areas:
Energy projects volunteer
Anthony Day
Focus Areas:
Energy projects volunteer
Lynne May
Focus Areas:
Green projects volunteer
Cathy Gaulter-Carter
Focus Areas:
Active travel volunteer
Thame Town Council Representatives
Cllr Catherine Jones
Cllr Helena Richards
Becky Reid
Environmental Project OfficerProject Timeline
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2022
In 2022, Thame Town Council approved and recruited a new post in the form of an ‘Environmental Project Officer’ whose primary focus was to support the implementation of the Thame Green Living plan. Included in this work was supporting the administration of this website to showcase achievements against the actions of the plan. Since then all further timeline actions have been reported through the sites posts and pages.
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December 2021
December saw more trees in the ground as the Howland Road verge restoration began, thanks to Thame Green Living, Lucy Electric and Thame Trees.
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November 2021
The regeneration of the Rycote Meadow began in November with volunteers braving the cold to plant 700 trees.
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September 2021
In September, hundreds of local people attended the first Thame Drive Electric event to learn more about electric cars from electric car owners
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August 2021
The waymarked, 20 mile Thame Outer Circuit walking route was published in August.
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July 2021
Thame Green Living were voted Local Carbon Hub’s Community Group of the Month in July.
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May 2021
The second Thame Solar Streets project began in May, hoping to repeat the success of the original promotion, which has so far saved four tonnes of CO2 production.
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February 2021
In February 2021 the first new waymarked Thame Walking Route was published, for the four mile Thame Inner Circuit walk.
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November 2020
The launch of Love Thame Hate Waste, a project that aims to help Thame residents and businesses reduce, re-use and recycle their waste.
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October 2020
Thame Green Living launched Thame Solar Streets, a project that provides discounted solar photovoltaic panels to Thame homeowners.
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14 July 2020
On 14 July 2020 the Thame Green Living Plan was approved unanimously and adopted by Thame Town Council. The plan will be taken forward with the support of a new community organisation, proposed to be called Thame Green Living.
In early days the existence of a plan, where before there was nothing, had significant impacts, including:
- motivating changes within Thame Town Council,
- encouraging other community groups to take new action that would help to achieve actions within the plan,
- engaging local businesses in playing a part,
- raising the profile of the incredible work already happening through other environmental groups that had been operating in the town, some for many years.
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June 2018
In June 2018 an initial version of the Green Living Plan was presented to Thame Town Council, and a two month consultation period was approved to canvas the opinions of Thame residents.
Guided by the responses to the consultation, The RSA Thame Group, supported by a number of individuals and local community groups, then set out to create an updated version of the plan with specific recommendations and actions for Thame.
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2013
Thame Neighbourhood Plan approved by Thame residents. In addition to allocating sites for the housing requirement by government and planning authorities, the Neighbourhood Plan recommended the creation of a Green Living Plan for Thame, to follow up on the issues of quality of life and sustainability raised during its creation.