Our Climate Chat team were in East Lothian with New Beginnings Club (nbc) this week for a chat about climate action and to turn old juice bottles into piggy banks with their Pick & Mix group. 

nbc is a group for adults with a learning and physical disabilities but unlike most other organisations that support people with physical and learning disabilities, nbc is run entirely by disabled people.  

During our climate chat we spoke about some of the small steps nbc take to do ‘their bit’ for the climate. Some of the things that were mentioned included: 

• Using public transport or sharing lifts/taxis wherever possible 
• Growing vegetables in their allotment 
• Upcycling sessions  

The Pick and Mix group is a session where members can come along and do a variety of different activities, some go out for walks (in the better weather), arts and crafts is on offer or sometimes they have someone come in to lead an activity that members can join in with if the wish such as laughing yoga. 

The Climate Chat team went along to lead a piggy bank making session using recycled bottles that the members had collected. 

Using the step-by-step photo instructions the members threw themselves into the fiddly task turning a bottle into a bank.  Every bank was very unique, and each member added a little of their own personality to their bank.  Once they had completed their own banks some of the members made others for those who couldn’t make it along to make their own. 

As they were making the banks the members starting to chat about what else they could turn old bottles into such as bird feeders for the allotment and what other animals they could make their banks into and how they would do it. 

The members will now use their banks to put loose change into and save towards nbc funds for outings and activities.