 Welcome...
to the December newsletter, and seasonal greetings to all our readers.
We hope you like the new look, reformatted by Paul of the TTK team to look and read better on a mobile. We took the opportunity to tidy up and tweak the design and to get rid of duplication, so you will now find events in the group sections with regular events in the grey boxes underneath, and a few that don’t fit into these sections right at the bottom of the newsletter. So please scroll down and browse all the events to find ones that appeal to you, and before planning new ones as it’s always a pity when interesting events clash.
Contributors and potential contributors - our contact list needs refreshing so if you have dropped off the list or would like to be added to it or your contact info needs updating, please email Marilyn › who will also be editing the next issue at the end of December, so send her your items.
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Campaigning  together
In case you haven't noticed, there's a General Election coming up on 12th December. Unfortunately the climate crisis, carbon emissions, environmental degradation and pollution remain low on many political agendas, so please raise your environmental concerns with candidates and canvassers on the doorstep and at hustings, and vote with them in mind. A few hustings that we've heard about below - look out for others and please go along if you can - and don't forget to vote!.
Ideas from Biofuelwatch: if you’re still burning to do something after the TTK screening of “BURNED”, Biofuelwatch would like your help in getting as many prospective MPs and candidates to commit to calling to scrap biomass subsidies if they are elected. To do this Biofuelwatch have a pledge form › you can ask candidates to sign and there's an email that you can send to candidates on Biofuelwatch election page › as well as some biomass questions for candidates in their hustings guide ›
Campaign against Climate Change also have some suggested questions for candidates on climate and one on biomass ›
Climate refugees: refugees are often fleeing poverty or conflict caused at least partly by climate change, but their plight doesn't seem to feature much in this General Election campaign. If you are interested and want to raise the issues facing asylum seekers and refugees with your local candidates, Refugee Action has produced a new page › of actions and questions.
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COMING SOON: 2019 General Election hustings
Opportunities to meet local candidates and ask questions:
Thurs 28 Nov, 7.30 - 9.30pm, Duke Street Church, Richmond TW9 1DH
Hosted by The Richmond Society and The Kew Society for the Richmond Park & North Kingston parliamentary constituency
Find out more ›
Thurs 28 Nov, Shiraz Mirza Hall, Old Malden (time to be advised) arranged by Henry Riley (Radio Jackie)
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Tues 3 Dec, 7.30 - 9.30pm, Surbiton Hill Methodist Church
Find out more and book a place ›
Thursday 5 Dec, All Saints Church, Kingston
A Topical Lunch with some local candidates.
See also Kingston Environment Forum Facebook page › for updates on hustings as we hear about them.
Contacting politicians when you need to
Find contact details for your councillors, MP, MEPs, and LA members at WriteToThem.com › Rather than repeating our advice on writing every month, we have saved it here on the TTK website ›
Please tell us about other local green campaigns we should highlight in this section; air pollution; trees and local biodiversity; getting shops to close their doors in winter; supporting active travel, making cycling (and cycles) safer; divesting pensions etc from fossil fuels; recycling bins in public spaces; reducing waste plastic, other...? Please tell us what you’d like us to take up, and help others to join in by providing useful evidence and web-links.
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TTK and Transition news
TTK Energy Group have given Kingston Quaker Centre further advice on improving the efficiency of their heating system, and are helping Kingston Council with guidance on energy efficiency for people making planning applications. Now that winter is here it’s a good time to have a look at the Energy Group tips on keeping cosy without wasting energy ›
Abundance Kingston thanks all their volunteers for their time and the tree owners who generously shared their crops this year. 2019 produced a glut of apples, and the Abundance Project was invited into gardens and allotments all over Kingston, Surbiton, Long Ditton, Chessington and beyond to harvest the fruit. Volunteers and tree owners picked an impressive 1174 kilos (1.174 tonnes) and saved them from going to waste. They were also donated over 40k of pears, courgettes and damsons. Read more and see how the fruit was used and distributed ›
Rob Hopkins, co-founder of the Transition Movement, on YouTube › asks why we, as a species, do so little to prevent climate crisis and species extinction. We have many of the solutions yet we still do not act - why?
And you can listen to him talking about his new book, From what is to what if? and answering questions from UK Transitioners here ›
 If you know of green (or even green-ish) enterprises that should be in our e-Directory, please get in touch via the website › And if your enterprise is in the Directory, do let us know of any necessary updates.
What's on
"Should we all be vegans?",
Thurs 16 January, 1.00- 1.45pm, All Saints Church, Kingston Market Place
An All Saints Topical Lunch panel brought together for Veganuary by TTK to discuss sustainable eating, exploring vegan,vegetarian and ethical omnivore perspectives.
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Regular events
Kingston Green Drinks
Last Tuesday of every month (apart from public holidays) from 7.00pm to 9.00ish, Woody's riverside bar, Rams Passage, KT1 1HH (but NO GREEN DRINKS ON NEW YEAR'S EVE!)
A free social event for anyone interested in environmental issues, hosted by Transition Town Kingston. All welcome to come along to have a drink, make new connections, and share news, insights, activities, events and strategies with like-minded people.
From 6.00pm, TTK management team meeting in the same venue - do come along to meet us, pitch ideas, offer help...,
We hope to see you...
at one or other of our upcoming meet-ups or events - click an icon below to find updates on events and other ongoing TTK projects, as well as new sources of funding, fascinating news snippets, encouraging ideas and discussions… on our Facebook page.
If you'd like to suggest a new project or event, or help plan and implement TTK activities over coming months please contact the TTK management team via the website or come along to one of our monthly management meetings just before Green Drinks every month.
Find out more about the wider Transition Network ›
Find more Transition activities and events in London and the S E on Facebook ›
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Environment Centre news
WANTED: Families and individuals for our experiment “A plastic free Gardening Year”
Your progress reported on a Blog - be the envy of your friends as you gradually develop a beautiful sustainable garden. Contact us ›
And please complete our plastic-free gardening survey here ›
Volunteer opportunities
KEC could really do with help if you have any free time: Regular Gardening at HQ and Hogsmill; Trainee Bookkeeper; Social Media Manager; Sustainability Engineer; Schools Outreach; Diversity Champion.
Request a job description or just contact us for a chat.
What's on at KEC this month
See below and the KEC website calendar › for info about events coming up at Kingston Environment Centre, 1 Kingston Road, New Malden, KT3 3PE.
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Bee Talk
Sunday 24th November, 2.00pm
Kingston Beekeepers Association
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The Fair Fayre
Friday 29 November, 12.00 – 6.00pm
Xmas Eco Craft Fair - call for a stall 020 8942 5251 or email Pat ›
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Solstice Party
Sat 21 December, 7.00pm - late
Music. Food. Etc.
"The eco-social not to be missed”
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Yoga Flow with Jane
Sat 11 January, 11,00am
Mixed ability class, beginners welcome."Come and stretch, strengthen, release tension and breathe" Free session, bring your own mat if possible
Find out more › or email Jane › or phone 07910286028.
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Regular events at KEC
NB, regular events will take a break in Christmas week!
 Kingston Extinction Rebellion
Every Thursday evening ,7.30 - 9.00pm
See their very active Facebook page ›
 Stitch and Chat
2nd and 4th Wednesday evneings of the month
Our lovely, friendly, knitting, crochet and sewing group. Knit blankets, hats and snoods to be donated to refugee charities or bring your own project. We also have plenty of yarn and needles available. Beginners welcome.
Kingston Cycling Campaign monthly meetings 
2nd Tuesday each month, 8.00pm
Find out more about Kingston Cycling Campaign ›
New Malden Garden Taskforce
Every Friday, 3.00 - 4.00pm
Meeting to plan activities.
KUTLETS social and trading evenings
Exchange goods and services for the local currency Beaks. Find out more › or contact Simone ›
Volunteering drop-in sessions and KEC community gardening day
Every Thursday, 10.00am - 2.00pm
Help with a variety of tasks, indoors and outdoors.
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What's on
Save the World Club AGM
Friday 13 December, 6.00 pm - 8.00pm, The Circulatory, next to Berrylands Station.
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KBN exists to highlight and promote local conservation work in Kingston.
News
Sign up to our newsletter › and click on an icon below for news of more conservation activities around Kingston - get involved or set up a project of your own.
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Regular events
KBN quarterly meetings are always packed with great people doing fantastic stuff for Kingston, and are the perfect opportunity to network and join exciting new projects or promote your own project. If you would like to request a specific speaker, would like to volunteer to speak or would like a particular topic covered in future please let Marina know ›
Kingston Cemetery Conservation Days
Bonner Hill Road - every 3rd Saturday of the month, 10.00am - 1.00pm.
Find out more on Facebook ›
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 Berrylands Nature Reserve
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News
Read our blog › After every event or when there is some exciting news about our nature reserve or local green space, we try to write a quick blog post to let everyone know. We love feedback and ideas so please do keep in contact by emailing us › or via social media.
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Regular events
Volunteer Wednesdays - conservation events continue on the last Wednesday of every month.
Join Friends of Berrylands Nature Reserve to show your support for all the amazing restoration working taking place and for future activities and events.
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Click on the website icon below for information about ET's Green Infrastructure Project or contact Stephen James ›
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Hogsmill Community Garden
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What's on
Tidy Up Day, Saturday 23 November, 11.00am – 3.00pm
Volunteers welcome to drop in any time .The pizza oven will be ready to go from noon!
Find out more in Regular opportunities below and by clicking the Facebook icon.
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The photo shows Peter Mason putting the finishing touches to the chicken run roof.
It’s been clearing up time in the garden, preparing beds and planters, mainly for spring planting but also for a few legumes planted in the past month, with the hens enjoying roaming and scratching and “helping” in the empty beds. Volunteers and children from Educare have helped with weeding, raking up leaves and clearing the pond. Visiting children know all the chickens’ names, and the Educare compost experiment is yielding interesting results: after some months the starch-based compostable bags and envelopes are rotting down nicely, but wooden forks and “compostable” coffee pods seem likely to take years! The toddlers’ group turn up every week, rain or shine, and have enjoyed plenty of muddy play this month. Members of the Chicken Collective made a roof for the chicken run to protect the hens from the incessant rain, with many thanks to Des Kay’s Circulatory for the plastic roofing – a fine example of collaboration between local groups and re-use of unwanted materials.
Find out more in Regular opportunities below and by clicking the Facebook icon.
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Regular gardening and outdoor learning opportunities
Canbury Community Garden
Canbury Gardens, weekend gardening sessions
All welcome to help with seasonal tasks. Find out more on Facebook ›
Hogsmill Community Garden
Swan Path, Kingston, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, 11.00am - 3.00pm, or by arrangement.
For more info see the Facebook page ›
Kingston Edible Forest Garden
Knollmead Allotments, Tolworth
Group gardening, duck pond, poly-tunnel and tea over the fire in a wonderful oasis. For more details see website › and for up-to-date times when we'll be there use the contact form or email ›
Parkfields Community Garden
North Kingston, Volunteer sessions Thursdays, 2.00 - 4.00pm.
Connect with nature, observe the seasons, share skills, socialise, grow, cook and eat healthy food, learn about living more sustainably, build dens and play! Facebook page ›
Find more gardening opportunities in the Kingston Environment Centre section, and local nature conservation activities in the Kingston Biodiversity Network and Berrylands Nature Reserve sections.
Useful sources of advice:
- Garden Organic › “If all ... gardens were cared for organically, it would create a much better environment – for our families, plants and wildlife.”
- Cordwainers Grow › lost its lovely community garden in Hackney earlier this year, but continues to champion community growing in the face of increased competition for space.
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“The solutions to the climate crisis are at our fingertips. What are we waiting for?” asks The Climate Coalition.
Read their solutions here ›
Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming
Watch the video ›
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Funding for Pocket Parks
Community-led organisations working in partnership with local authorities across England can apply now (deadline 31 December) for grants to establish new pocket parks or to restore and renovate existing parks which have fallen into disrepair...
Find out more and apply ›
The Climate Action Fund
The fund will support communities across the UK to take action on climate change, demonstating . what is possible when people take the lead in tackling climate change. Initial ideas must be submitted by Wednesday 18 December, full proposals must be submitted by midday Friday 27 March 2020.
Find out more ›
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Banana leaf packaging - looking forward to seeing this in our supermarkets
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Relative rates of decomposition
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An A-Z reminder of what and how we can recycle in Kingston ›
See Kingston Council item below for news of South London Waste Plan consultation.
The true costs of on-line shopping: tons of packaging, more delivery vans, dying town centres, low-paid jobs... A Guardian Long Read here ›
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Citizens’ Assembly on Air Quality
Kingston’s first ever Citizens’ Assembly met for two days early in November, with a second weekend session scheduled at the end of the month, to consder the problem of local air pollution and come up with possible solutions. Read an account of the first weekend by Marilyn Mason, who gave a short presentation on “The experience of poor air quality in Kingston” and observed some of the other sessions on the Kingston Environment Forum website › And see Kingston Council website on the Citizens' Assembly › for an account of the Assembly with links to videos of the presentations.
Green Spaces in Kingston survey
The Council will use responses to inform future strategy and what we include in the new contractual arrangements.
Find out more and respond ›
South London Waste Plan consultation
Kingston, Croydon, Merton and Sutton councils are consulting on ‘The Issues and Preferred Options Document’ for the South London Waste Plan and welcome views on location of waste facilities and how planning applications will be decided. The consultation runs from 31 October to 22 December.
Find the relevant documents here › or a paper version at your local library or Guildhall. You can respond here › or by email ›
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Things we like this month 
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- “BRANDED Volume II: Identifying the World’s Top Corporate Plastic Polluters” › Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and PepsiCo are the top polluters according to this report.
- Freegle › not only a good place to find or give away unwanted stuff, but also somewhere to find volunteers or volunteering opportunities. Freegle is currently looking for someone with some design/CSS expertise to help with their website.
- The Guardian Green Light › Get the most important environment stories, debate and analysis delivered to your inbox each week – usually some good news, some bad...
- National Park City 'Maker' Guide › activities people, communities, businesses and others are doing to make London greener, healthier, wilder. Paper copies available too.
- NEF’s new “Change the Rules” website › “A new economy is emerging from below, but is being blocked by economic rules made for the wealthy and powerful. Discover inspiring projects › across the UK and the rules we need to change” ›
- Rewild My Street › guidance for people wishing to adapt their homes, gardens and streets to encourage wildlife - and stop London's streets going grey.
- Which? Conversation on Sustainability › Repairability, buying smart, eco-friendly products... What can we do to help the planet we call home? Get advice from the consumers' bible and join in the conversation.
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Special events
International Soil Day
Monday 5 December
Soil pollution can be invisible and seems far away but everyone, everywhere is affected. A UN resolution in 2002 proposed 5 December as World Soil Day.
Find out more ›
Permaculture Design Course
6 weekends between April 4 and Oct 11, 2020, South London + one weekend residential
Accredited by the UK Permaculture Association.
Find out more ›
Regular events
Greenpeace Richmond & Kingston monthly meet-up
2nd Tuesday each month, 7.30pm, Gazebo, Kingston Riverside
Find out more and confirm meeting time › or search for our group page on Greenwire › (Greenpeace's social media).
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