On Sat May 25th Richard will be hosting another of our regular ‘How to ‘ Bike maintenance days. Dig out your bike, learn how to maintain and mend it – and enjoy riding it all summer! Free event.
Venue : West End Methodist Hall, Hexahm
Time 10am – 1pm
For more information contact Richard on ; info@transitiontynedale.org
On Thursday a key committee of European MEPs adopted ECF’s Vision for
doubling cycling in the EU by 2020 and the target is on course to be adopted as full EU policy later this year.
This is the first time that the ECF target has been formally adopted in an EU action plan and is a major milestone in ECF’s campaign to release billions of euros for cycling in the next EU budget.
A trip is planned for the 18th May to Todmorden. This is an all day trip including a talk by the one of the organisers and tour of the town. Departs Hexham 8am., transport is free.
Todmorden is now famous for its innovative approach to town landscaping – ie fruit and veg, not flowers and shrubs , combined with some licensed ‘guerrilla gardening’ by enthusiastic volunteers. Everything planted is edible and free to all to pick and cook for themselves. The idea was to get people interested in growing their own – it certainly worked !
The initial edible gardening activities have now expanded to include all types of food, including eggs, food producer maps, school events and many more. We hope to learn all about the initiative, tour the town and get inspiration for Hexham and beyond.
To book a place please email by Friday next week (10th) to either :
Sue at : suehick3@gmail.com
or Richard at : powpowell@llewop.freeserve.co.uk
Please bring a packed lunch and drink or money to eat in town.
Transition Tyndale Meeting 1st May 2013 Scott’s Cafe Forum Cinema
Chair : David
Notes : Barbara
Present : Debbie, Kate, Jo, Richard, Roly, Jane, Wendy, Sue,
Apologies received from Ross, Gill, Megan, Pat, Phil, Roger, Andrew & Kat, Anderw Auld, Mark Slipperly.
1. Energy Fair 11th May Trinity Church Hall 10am – 4pm. Volunteers are needed from 8am to help set-up; meet and greet; also we hope to be able to have energy monitors to lend out on this occasion.
2. Incredible Edible Todmorden Trip 18th May Richard will send out an email for people to sign up to travel by mini-bus. There will be a tour of the town and a presentation.
3. Love Your Bike 3 25th May will be held at West End Methodist.
4. Transition Free Press was available for £1 from Debbie. It was agreed with our Treasurer, Wendy, that Debbie be reimbursed for the whole purchase and return the money from sales to T.T.
5. Car Share Scheme: Jane and Susannah had a meeting with NCC Local Transport Officers – Margaret Robinson, Richard Mackenzie, and Co-Wheels. £35,000 is earmarked for the purchase of two probably hybrid cars, arrangements of street parking consultation by the charging points is required but the project could be launched this summer. Jane asked for T.T. Volunteers to help with publicity and management of the Car Club that will cost £25 and the cars will be hired to members at an hourly rate.
6. 25th May Farmer Market Seedling Swop on T.T. Stall. Please bring surplus seedlings from your or your friends supply and collect rare and wonderful specimens provided by other people. Flowers, herbs, salad, veggies and surplus seeds
This is a summary of the views of those present regarding campaining.
Discussion about campaigning initiated through various scenarios presented by David,( see previous post) were scaled depicting T.T. engaging with complex controversial issues to
local education and awareness raising.
We agreed that individual members of T.T. would represent their views on sustainability and resilience by active engagement with projects meeting our objectives.
We could achieve our objects by facilitating local neighborhood actions, campaigning to influence our local authorities such as our MP, NCC, Town or Parish Councils, and provide or organize or promote educational and awareness raising initiatives.
It was agreed that TT is not aligned to any political party but does support initiatives towards energy descent and ecological preservation and conservation by government.
It was also agreed that we could benefit from more expert knowledge on complex and controversial issues to ensure that our motivation and actions are aligned with our core beliefs.
We did not see ourselves as a protest group but an action group so individuals were not inclined towards confrontation but strongly inclined to building the local community spirit supporting and reinforcing our ideals.
Our first object (according to our articles) is, ‘To create and help implement an Energy Descent Action Plan (EDAP) for Hexham and the surrounding area‘. So far as I know we don’t have a plan as such (correct me if I’m wrong), and from one point of view that is laudable, we’ve been getting on and doing things rather than just taking and writing about doing things. However I think its time to start writing, or at least planning, the plan. And we have the wonderful example of Totnes’ plan to start with, and where we want to copy. I would envisage this being done mainly by a small group of people, but inviting contributions from as many people as possible. If anyone would like to knock around ideas for the form the Plan might take, and how we can move it forward, I’d be very happy to act as co-ordinator, or referee, at least for a time.
Roly Beevor
Hi
We had an excellent discussion themed of the following newspaper headlines, strap-lines and very short context statement.
Barbara will post her notes once complete.
Definition of campaigning is “an organized series of operations in the advocacy of some course or object” Chambers Dictionary.
These headlines do not represent my view but i have tried to grade them at levels of possible acceptability. We don’t want to get hooked on these headlines in the literal sense but would these headlines be good for Transition Tynedale to see in a local paper. The headlines were handed out on a folded slip of paper and read out in turn. The list below is not in order of discussion as I “shuffled them first”.
“Survey reveals that Transition Tynedale has changed how Tynedale residents think about there life. Small actions by residents make a big difference to the local environment, resilience and less energy use in positive ways”
Are we already campaigning?
I’m afraid that due to the limitations of our blog, WordPress, we’re unable to replace uploaded media such as the Energy Fair poster. As the posted sent out in our last TT email has been superceded, the link is now broken. So, if you are looking for the Energy Fair poster, please download it from here
Go Local Food Ltd is a cooperative based in the Tyne Valley. Their vision is a community owned farm to grow and rear food; there’s quite a journey ahead to make this happen but they are confident they can achieve this if they find members who want to be part of the trip!!
They have half an acre being farmed by a full-time grower, providing a share of the crops to members with another half an acre in preparation. Members are welcome to get involved on the field under the direction of the grower. Members will receive a weekly share of the crops throughout the growing season. A polytunnel has been delivered and will be built soon (spring 2013) which once up will help to extend the growing season – more polytunnels are all part of the plan so eventually veg production could be year round. They will be growing organically on the existing field but won’t be paying the £500 per year to register as certified organic – there may also need to be some non-organic management of any new land if persistent weeds are a problem. Members will be kept up to date on the growing decisions.
Only a small group were present for this meeting, largely owing to the school holidays. The meeting restricted itself to checking on progress on various projects.
A suggestion had come from a Civic Society (HCS) member to develop the garden located in the grounds of the Golf Club (Spital Lane). The land, which had attracted interest at several points over the years, had potential as a community garden. Pat Caris of HCS would contact Gillian to discuss the best form of approach
The Hexham Debates are at 11.00am – 12.30pm
St Mary’s CentreJudith Kirton-Darling Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation
‘Alternatives to Austerity: a sustainable new deal?’
From a European Trade Union perspective, Judith will examine how far sustainable, green economics might offer an alternative to current Europe-wide austerity policies.
Judith Kirton-Darling After graduating from the University of Sheffield in Social and Political Studies, Judith was a Programme Assistant at the Quaker Council for European Affairs, responsible for their human rights and social policy. She has worked inside the trade union movement for over a decade. In May 2011 she was elected Confederal Secretary to the European Trade Union Confederation. The ETUC – the only EU-wide representative cross-sectoral trade union organisation – was set up in 1973 to promote the interests of working people at European level and to represent their 60 million members in the EU institutions. The process of European integration, with the euro and the growing impact of EU legislation on daily life, has changed the setting in which trade unions operate.
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