The Community Composting Group – a route to Health, Wellbeing and Happiness

Health, Wellbeing and Happiness

From the Community Composting project

The Tatsfield community composting scheme opened to the public on Saturday 3 April. Thanks to all of you who dropped in with your green waste and also those who bought our compost. Thanks also to the energetic team who processed all of the materials and built up the new bins.

If you are not sure where we are, the composting project is based within the village allotment site, on the right, if you’re heading out from the green, towards Limpsfield road. 

The site is open to the public every Saturday, weather permitting, from 10 am to 12 midday. In order to continue to produce cheap, quality, local compost, we need your garden waste. Please drop off your hedge trimmings, leaf litter, grass mowings, or any other green matter.

We do not recycle food waste or soil. Also, no materials that have been sprayed with insecticides or weedicides that do not inactivate rapidly.

More importantly, why don’t you join our team of volunteers? We meet on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings, throughout the gardening season. 

And the health, wellbeing and happiness stuff? Yes, totally. 

There is excellent evidence that spending some time outdoors significantly reduces blood pressure, and the related risks of heart attacks, strokes etc. You will spend some of your time on physical activity, walking around, spading and forking, lifting and sifting, all as good as spending time at the gym, and at absolutely no cost. We all know the benefits of exercise. 

There is plenty of good evidence to show that working outdoors, working with a team of happy people (oh, yes, we are a happy group!), and doing stuff that you know is useful and of value to others, all improve wellbeing without a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other happiness guru in sight. 

In many parts of the country, health services have adopted wellbeing gardens to their armoury for helping people cope with anxiety and sadness, and to re-acquire happiness and a zest for life. 

If you are feeling low, especially after years of Covid, or trying to cope with loss, or simply looking for something to brighten up your life, come join us. We don’t ask why you want to join us, and as volunteers, we each do what we can, at our own pace.

If you like to see who we are, or what we do, drop in on a Saturday morning or on a Wednesday between 2-4 pm. 

If you want more information, please text or call me, Dilo, on 07709 357 086 and I will get back to you.

This article was originally published in 2020 in The Parish Magazine.