Down to Zero

Engaging our local communities on climate change challenges, and providing opportunities to learn food growing skills.

About

Engaging our local communities on climate change challenges, and providing opportunities to learn food growing skills.

We're a not-for-profit Community Benefit Society (CBS) and social enterprise. As a subsidiary of Cynon Taf Community Housing Group, we support tenants, staff and our local community in reducing the impacts of climate change.

We operate across two sites, Mwyndy Cross and Mountain Ash. Across the sites, we've set up a series of initiatives to help us capture and sequester carbon, while actively engaging local people on climate change and regional challenges and improve community food security through carbon-friendly food growing.

Our purpose is to support people and communities around Rhondda Cynon Taf to develop a community-based food production project that leads to the creation of a more efficient food supply chain. This is how the Llysh Bocs vegetable box was born!

Llysh Bocs

The aim of setting up the Llysh Bocs is to grow local, in-season produce in the hope of providing fresher food to our community. We work with volunteers, giving them opportunities to sow, grow and harvest fruit and vegetables while developing skills in the green economy.

The Llysh Bocs aims to minimise food miles, reduce our carbon footprint and provide some food security – as of 2020, the UK imported 46% of the food it consumed. It’s vital that we establish a resilient and robust local food strategy, both in Rhondda Cynon Taf and across Wales.

In Mountain Ash we are busy setting up a biochar production site, using a pyrolysis kiln, to produce biochar. Biochar incorporation into soil is an important route for COremoval from the atmosphere. It will be used within our own land, as part of the food growing and agroforestry processes, and will also be available for sale to the community.

How can I help?

Volunteers are the heart and soul of Down to Zero!

We can offer you beautiful views, fresh air, a supportive community and endless learning opportunities! The roles change with the seasons, and can include:

  • Preparing the ground
  • Sowing, planting and harvesting
  • General gardening
  • Woodworking
  • Beekeeping
  • Biochar development

Whether you're able to commit to volunteering an hour each week, month, or just as a one-off, we'd love to hear from you! There is no experience required as you'll learn alongside us, but if you have skills (E.g. land-based skills, handy-person skills, marketing experience), please do let us know.

We love our flourishing Down to Zero community, we’re here to support volunteers, local schools and the wider community in learning how to grow your own food, and the vast benefits of doing so. We hope to see you there soon, so we can all continue being the change we want to see in the world.

We're a not-for-profit Community Benefit Society (CBS) and social enterprise. As a subsidiary of Cynon Taf Community Housing Group, we support tenants, staff and our local community in reducing the impacts of climate change. We operate across two sites, Mwyndy Cross and Mountain Ash. Across the sites, we've set up a series of initiatives to help us capture and sequester carbon, while actively engaging local people on climate change and regional challenges and improve community food security...

Badges

This badge is for members of the RCT Climate Action Network (RCT CAN).


Awarded 04th July 2024

 

Down to Zero's activities

Event
Community Orchard Day 2026
Down to Zero
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Need some volunteering experience for your CV? Yearning for The Great Outdoors? Want to feel like you're making a difference? Join us for our...
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