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 In Transition 2.0 film - Belper Goes Green planning - Energy Group - Station gardening - Belper's Incredible Edible - Planning for a low carbon future - Travel & Transport Group - World car-free day - October AGM - Bakewell Green Festival - Inspiring Communities

Transition Belper Newsletter - Late August 2013

In this issue...

September meeting - In Transition 2.0 film showing

Tuesday 3rd September, 7.30 pm at Strutts Centre, Derby Road, Belper

At the September monthly meeting we'll be showing In Transition 2.0 - "an inspirational immersion in the Transition movement, gathering stories from around the world of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. You'll hear about communities printing their own money, growing food, localising their economies and setting up community power stations. It's an idea that has gone viral, a social experiment that is about reponding to uncertain times with solutions and optimism.  In a world of increasing uncertainty, here is a story of hope, ingenuity - and the power of growing vegetables in unexpected places." You can see a trailer here.
If you're new to Transition and wondering what it's all about this is the meeting for you - and you'll be assured of a warm welcome from our regulars. We'll also be going through all the current and possible projects.

Belper Goes Green 2014 - planning gets under way
Tuesday 27th August, 7.30 at the Queen's Head, Chesterfield Road, Belper (upstairs)

Work has already started, dates have been set (May 31st and June 1st 2014), and brilliant ideas are pinging around but we need you to get involved and help make our ECO Fest bigger and better. We're looking at borrowing more gazebos and marquees rather than just keep our fingers crossed it doesn't rain. We'll be beefing up the low and renewable energy and insulation displays after several companies didn't show up this year. We'll also be looking to make the event more sustainable and involve schools - how about building a solar and/or bike powered PA system or involving kids in making musical instruments by recycling waste?  A wider range of local food, more stuff for kids to do, more craft, growing and recycling workshops... What are your ideas? If you can't make the meeting but would like to be involved please let David know.
If you missed out this year you can get a flavour of the Festival from the short Belper Goes Green video. This has been put together by Stef Henley from footage he and Charlie Watson filmed over the weekend. There may be a longer version with interviews sometime later this year.

Using Energy Company funding (ECO) to reduce energy use in DE56 - Energy Group meeting
Monday 9th September, 7.30 at The Old King's Head, Days Lane, Belper

If you're interested in reducing the carbon footprint from homes in the DE56 area please come along to this important meeting. We are currently putting together some proposals that Amber Valley Borough Council could use as a basis for bidding for funds from DECC's £20 million Green Deal Communities scheme. Ideas so far include liaising with local builders and installers to get them accredited as Green Deal Installers and marketing solid wall insulation and other measures in a targeted way across 6 areas of DE56 to make referrals to an accredited Green Deal Assessor. Solid wall insulation is expensive and disruptive so can be part paid for by the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). They do this by paying a sum per lifetime tonne of CO2 emissions saved - a rate of £150/tonne would mean an energy company paying about half the cost.
We'll also be discussing the energy related responses to questions posed at Belper Goes Green and how we can prepare parts of the Energy Descent Action Plan. 
All are welcome but if you'd like to be involved but can't make it please let David know you want to be included in future.

 

Belper Train Station Gardening

First impressions are very important and our train station is often the first part of Belper visitors arriving by train see. Would you like to get involved in helping us make Belper Train Station an attractive and wildlife friendly green area which we can be proud of?  We are looking for volunteers to help us finish transforming this important part of Belper. It is not heavy gardening and is suitable for all physical and horticultural abilities. The work takes place during the day, at weekends and evenings during the summer. If you would like to be involved, please email Kathy with your availability so that we can prepare a gardening schedule for September.


Incredible Edible has come to Belper!


I saw this wonderful sight at the Alton Manor shops car park! There is a little overgrown area bordering the car park where the owners of the Chinese takeaway are growing vegetables and Goji Berries. How about a campaign to get many more public areas which are at present full of weeds or are used as dog toilets only planted with fruit and vegetables for public consumption? If you have not heard of the most amazing and inspiring movement in Todmorden called "Incredible Edible"  please follow the link http://www.ted.com/talks/pam_warhurst_how_we_can_eat_our_landscapes.html. If you have any ideas or would like to get involved, please email Kathy


Green Drinks - come and socialise
Monday 16th September, from 7.30 at the George and Dragon, Bridge Street, Belper

Do come along and relax over a pint and a natter in one of Belper's finest. Local Shottle beers should be available. Although socials are organised to the end of the year we are now starting to give some thought to next year's Green Drinks. If you have any views or suggestions please let any of the Core Group know - see below for email links.

Energy Descent Action Plan meeting
Monday 23rd September, 7.30 at The Old King's Head, Days Lane, Belper

We'll be discussing how the Energy Group and the Travel and Transport Group will be feeding into the Plan as well as how the recent consultation around Amber Valley's Core Strategy can possibly be used as a basis for moving forward. The possibility of a Master Plan for Belper could also be a spur to reaching a community vision of what Belper should be like in 20 years time - though we'd probably need to widen the scope to the whole of DE56. The 'Belper in Transition' meeting (see below) is also an opportunity to involve the whole community in the process.
After the last meeting draft plans for a Belper Food Co-op and for a garden share scheme have been outlined and will also be discussed. Click on the link to find the full document The ideas for this came from the responses at Belper Goes Green - t
here is a sense in many of these responses, and in the support indicated for them, that by coming together and sharing we can be more productive, less wasteful and better supported in our efforts to utilise our gardens and be more self-sufficient. So, we are looking at how it might work in practice and whether it could be a viable business venture that many of us can contribute to and benefit from.

Travel & Transport Group meeting
Thursday 26th September, 7.30 at The Old King's Head, Days Lane, Belper

The group will be discussing how to promote existing public transport networks and the car free challenge that has been running since the start of July. For more details contact Jennie

World Car-free Day - 22nd September

Every year on or around 22 September, people from around the world get together in the streets, intersections, and neighbourhood blocks to remind the world that we don't have to accept our car-dominated society.  But we do not want just one day of celebration and then a return to "normal" life. When people get out of their cars, they should stay out of their cars. It is up to us, it is up to our cities, and our governments to help create permanent change to benefit pedestrians, cyclists, and other people who do not drive cars.  Let World Carfree Day be a showcase for just how our cities might look like, feel like, and sound like without cars…365 days a year.

Annual General Meeting
Tuesday 1st October, 7.30pm at Strutts Centre, Derby Road, Belper

At our AGM in October we'll be electing Trustees to take us forward for the next year as well as looking back at the past year and forward to the coming year. Only full members can vote at the AGM although non-members are more than welcome to attend and participate. Full membership for the calendar year is a modest £5 and membership forms will be available at the September meeting if you want to show your support by signing up.

Belper in Transition - A Communities Perspective

We are currently helping organise a meeting of local voluntary groups and organisations such as schools, councils and the health authority who have something to contribute to the development of a more sustainable and resilient Belper. The aim of this initial meeting is to ensure we are all aware of each others' activities, plans and ideas so we can all work together for the benefit of Belper and its community.

Pauline Latham MP has offered to help organise and facilitate the meeting and has sent out invitations to a number of organisations already. If you are aware of an organisation that should be involved then please email Pauline with the name of the organisation, the person to contact and their contact details at pauline.latham.mp@parliament.uk .

 Bakewell Green Festival Open Evening
Bakewell Quaker Meeting House, 7.30 pm, Wednesday September 18th 

The Bakewell Green Festival (12th July 2014 at Bakewell Agricultural Business Centre) will bring together individuals, enthusiasts, voluntary organisations, schools, colleges and business people from across the Peak District to share the vision of a sustainable future with each other and with our many visitors.  If you’re involved with a sustainable project, the Green Festival will be a brilliant opportunity to demonstrate, interpret, advertise and trade in your speciality through stalls, exhibitions and talks and activities.  The day is about celebrating the great work we already do and increasing its impact.  It will help to create new connections between us.  
The emphasis will be on accessible, practical ways to reduce our damaging impact on the planet.  The tone will be uplifting, informative, positive. The catalyst for the Bakewell Green Festival is a Quaker commitment to work towards a low-carbon, sustainable future.  The steering group and lead organisers are from Bakewell Quaker Meeting, but this will be primarily a secular and inclusive event.  For more details contact Jeni Edwards on 01629 636550

 

Transition Belper Facebook Group
Keep up-to-date with the latest developments and join any discussions on Facebook. Join us here

Belper's fruit and veg grower's forum
There is a Facebook Group locally for exchanging tips and ideas for your garden and anything to do with growing fruit and veg. Join the Forum here

HelpReUpcycleDE56
A Local group to advertise for Recycling, Upcycling, Neighbourly Help & Advice, Lending & Borrowing in the DE56 Area. Join us here


Contact
The trustees of Transition Belper are:
Chair - Ian Jackson
Secretary - Richard Keighley
Treasurer - Adrian Rochford
Core Group - Craig Scott
Core Group and Energy Group leader- David George  
Core Group and Community Gardens organiser - Kathy Fairweather
Core Group and Transport Group leader - Jennie Lindop
Trustee - Mick Hepworth
Or you can contact us via the Transition Belper email address: info@transitionbelper.org
Copyright © 2013 Transition Belper, All rights reserved.
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