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Log inMeeting of 24th April 2008
Meeting of 24th April 2008
by Admin on 28th April 2008, 2:45 pm
Sustainable Wellow: Meeting 24 April’08
Present: Richard & Clover Holland, Alex Martin, Janet Plater, James Watts, Alick & Mari Bartholomew, at Janet’s Garden House
Main topics discussed:
1. Failure of e-mail communication
2. Generation of local energy
3. Growing more of our own food
4. Raising awareness in the community of the challenging times ahead
5. Group name change
1. Alick sent e-mails about this meeting to 44 people (the mailing list total is 62). A number did not arrive. He is looking into this and will request confirmation of receipt next time in order to try to solve the problem. E-mails are by far the best way to keep in touch.
2. ENERGY: Wide ranging discussion on options; because village is spread out, initiatives have for now to be on individual installations. When shortages become critical, other opportunities might open up. We shall find an expert to come and talk to us about the various options (in the autumn). Janet, who has invested in several systems already, will explore bulk solar water heater buying for the community; they give the quickest return on capital. Alick is researching contacts through the Transition Network.
3. ALLOTMENTS: James brought us up to date since his mission statement. No land has as yet been found for a community allotment. In the meantime he is working on smaller garden sites. We asked him to see if his brother would come and talk to us in early June; Stephen is involved in a big allotment scheme in Sheffield. Janet will also explore a speaker from an interesting community scheme in Stroud. James would like to do more to encourage wild food harvesting in the summer.
4. RAISING AWARENESS: We agreed to plan a Transition stall at the Wellow Flower Show in September. One idea was to have a demonstration by an alternative energy company. Mari spoke of a friend in Shepton Mallet who has a successful Green Roadshow (evolved from the green circus ‘Croissant Neuf’ and suggested possibly a larger event with other local groups.
Richard wants to encourage people to use the interactive discussion panels he’s setting up on the Wellow website www.wellowparish.info/Content.htm. We can use it for goods exchanges, lifts to Bath etc. Alick is to set up a Transition page. Mari to set up a Directory of Services available in Wellow – to put on the village website. Further discussion next meeting.
We want to ask Jo Everitt to come next time and talk about her ideas for a toys exchange and social gatherings, and for daytime events involving young families.
We all felt that the coming energy and food challenges are still below most people’s radar, and that it will take the failure of government to cope with increasing crises to initiate local initiatives to strengthen self-reliance in communities. In the meantime we must keep up the dialogue and meetings, both like tonight’s informal one (which was very productive) and also larger ones with speakers or films, in the village hall.
5. NAME: We agreed that “Sustainable Wellow” did not really engage. Alex suggested “WELLOW FUTURES”, which was unanimously carried.
NEXT MEETING: Thursday 22nd May, 7.30pm at Janet & Erica’s Garden House.
Present: Richard & Clover Holland, Alex Martin, Janet Plater, James Watts, Alick & Mari Bartholomew, at Janet’s Garden House
Main topics discussed:
1. Failure of e-mail communication
2. Generation of local energy
3. Growing more of our own food
4. Raising awareness in the community of the challenging times ahead
5. Group name change
1. Alick sent e-mails about this meeting to 44 people (the mailing list total is 62). A number did not arrive. He is looking into this and will request confirmation of receipt next time in order to try to solve the problem. E-mails are by far the best way to keep in touch.
2. ENERGY: Wide ranging discussion on options; because village is spread out, initiatives have for now to be on individual installations. When shortages become critical, other opportunities might open up. We shall find an expert to come and talk to us about the various options (in the autumn). Janet, who has invested in several systems already, will explore bulk solar water heater buying for the community; they give the quickest return on capital. Alick is researching contacts through the Transition Network.
3. ALLOTMENTS: James brought us up to date since his mission statement. No land has as yet been found for a community allotment. In the meantime he is working on smaller garden sites. We asked him to see if his brother would come and talk to us in early June; Stephen is involved in a big allotment scheme in Sheffield. Janet will also explore a speaker from an interesting community scheme in Stroud. James would like to do more to encourage wild food harvesting in the summer.
4. RAISING AWARENESS: We agreed to plan a Transition stall at the Wellow Flower Show in September. One idea was to have a demonstration by an alternative energy company. Mari spoke of a friend in Shepton Mallet who has a successful Green Roadshow (evolved from the green circus ‘Croissant Neuf’ and suggested possibly a larger event with other local groups.
Richard wants to encourage people to use the interactive discussion panels he’s setting up on the Wellow website www.wellowparish.info/Content.htm. We can use it for goods exchanges, lifts to Bath etc. Alick is to set up a Transition page. Mari to set up a Directory of Services available in Wellow – to put on the village website. Further discussion next meeting.
We want to ask Jo Everitt to come next time and talk about her ideas for a toys exchange and social gatherings, and for daytime events involving young families.
We all felt that the coming energy and food challenges are still below most people’s radar, and that it will take the failure of government to cope with increasing crises to initiate local initiatives to strengthen self-reliance in communities. In the meantime we must keep up the dialogue and meetings, both like tonight’s informal one (which was very productive) and also larger ones with speakers or films, in the village hall.
5. NAME: We agreed that “Sustainable Wellow” did not really engage. Alex suggested “WELLOW FUTURES”, which was unanimously carried.
NEXT MEETING: Thursday 22nd May, 7.30pm at Janet & Erica’s Garden House.
Alick
