Page 36 • The HERALD • 19th February 2026 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v Wet clean or Dry clean • Carpets • Rugs • Upholstery • Cushions • Mattresses • Caravans & Motor Homes Contact Chris for a free estimate and advice. We have full liability insurance 023 8104 0185 07770 792361 clean-u-up@hotmail.com We provide one of the best professional Carpet & Fabric cleaning Systems • Re-Skimming • Rendering • Coving • Dry Lining • Tacking • Artex Covered • Floor Screeding www.tbrownplastering.co.uk Call: 07919 183989 Friendly • Reliable • Professional • Free Estimates Waterside Climate Action Network (WaterCAN) News from WaterCAN Our rst open meeting of 2026 is on Monday 23rd February, 7pm at the Soul Café, 1 North Road, Dibden Purlieu, SO45 6PG. Free parking is available in Oak Road car park. Local Active Travel experts Philip omas and John Lawrence from the Waterside Cycling Action Group will be discussing the bene ts of active travel for people and the planet. ere will be time for questions and discussion. £2 entrance, £1 for refreshments. Still on the subject of travel, New Forest Transition has opened a survey canvassing views on sustainable transport across the area. Details are available on their Facebook page. On 30th March, same time and venue, Dr Shaun Russell will be presenting a talk on “ e Environmental Impact of Tourism”, looking at case studies from destinations around the world and drawing on case studies from Shaun’s own experiences as an environmental scientist. Following our December meeting which looked at how New Forest Friends of the Earth (NFFE) had conducted water testing in the West of the Forest, a January follow-up meeting hosted by NFFE at Sway was attended by 30 people from across the Forest, including WaterCAN members, resulting in the setting up of New Forest Water Watch with the aim of citizen scientists undertaking water testing across the whole of the New Forest. e next step will be training on how to use the testing apparatus. If you are interested in acting as a volunteer water tester, please contact us through one of the routes listed below. Still on local events, Lepe Country Park, amongst its many environmentally focussed events, is hosting a “Climate Change Walk”, led by their Rangers, on 4th March 11am – 12noon. ey will be discussing climate change and its e ects on local nature and wildlife, and talking about the changes they’re seeing and what they mean for the future of the coast. e event is free but pre-booking is essential and normal car park charges will apply. Still relevant to our local area, and in our “you heard it here rst” section, there is good news on the balcony solar panel front. You may recall from last year that we mentioned how balcony solar panels, or balkonkra werks as the Germans call them, were becoming popular on the continent. e good news is that the expectation is that they will soon become legal in this country. Indeed, they are already being advertised in some outlets. Given the number of properties with balconies in this area this could be a positive development for the Waterside. Something else for the future maybe? Sweden has just opened its rst shopping mall where nothing sold is new. Given the number of charity shops in Hythe maybe we’re not that far behind? And further good news from our “unintended but very welcome consequences” section with the news that dropping the 100ml limit on liquids in cabin bags means an estimated saving of 16 million plastic bags per annum! Finally, and still on the issue of the ubiquitous problem of plastic, you may recall that a couple of years ago we took part in e Big Plastic Count, organised by Everyday Plastic, which basically looked at the di erent types of plastic produced within our environment. ey are running this exercise again, another opportunity to be a citizen scientist, over one week in March. Further details from their website: thebigplasticcount. com For more information, updates and opportunities to be involved, visit: E-voice.org.uk/WaterCAN, or our Facebook page, or email:watercan2025@ gmail.com Back by popular demand and hotter than ever, Wessex Cancer Support’s Firewalk returns for a third scorching year. e 2025 Firewalk raised more than £12,000 to support people a ected by cancer and the team are hoping to top that in this anniversary year. As the charity marks 45 years of being there for local people during and Are You Fearless Enough to Firewalk for Cancer Support? a er cancer, a new team of fearless rewalkers is being called upon to take on the ultimate challenge: a 20-foot barefoot walk across blazing hot coals, with embers reaching over 1,000˚F. Taking place from 6pm on Thursday 26th March at the Solent Hotel & Spa, Whiteley, the Firewalk is not just about bravery - it’s about mindset, connection and purpose. Under expert guidance, participants learn to control their fear, stay focused and achieve something they may never have thought possible. Challenge yourself, challenge your family, challenge your colleagues…. like the man said, “You have nothing to fear except fear itself”! Past participants describe the experience as empowering and surprisingly emotional. Speaking at the 2025 event, one fearless participant said: “The firewalk was an amazing thing to do tonight… really enthusiastic people, and exhilarating!” e Firewalk is open to individuals, friends, families and workplace teams. Team entries are encouraged, making it the perfect challenge for friendly competition, team bonding and serious bragging rights. All funds raised go directly towards funding essential wellbeing and emotional support for local cancer patients. Each participant is asked to raise a minimum of £150 in sponsorship, directly supporting Wessex Cancer Support’s free counselling, wellbeing services, complementary therapies, support groups and courses for people across Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Places are limited and expected to ll quickly. Your challenge. eir lifeline. Sign up now: www.wessexcancer.org. uk/event/ rewalk-2026 2025 Firewalk for Wessex Cancer Support
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