Copy
View this email in your browser

Welcome to the March newsletter from Transition Stroud!


This newsletter brings you a selection of news and articles about all the good things going on locally. Thank you for supporting Transition Stroud, as we make our journey towards a carbon neutral 2030.

As we announced last month, Erik has stepped down as co-ordinator, and Tosca is now at the helm. If you have queries or ideas, she’s the person to contact. Email Tosca via admin@transitionstroud.org

If there’s anything you’d like to know about the inner workings of Transition Stroud, do get in touch. Are there things you’d like to see in this newsletter or on the website that aren’t currently available? We’re very much open to suggestions.
 
If you’re doing something you think might encourage or cheer other people, email Bryn for the newsletter – brynnethnimue@gmail.com or contact us by social media. We’ll do what we can to support fellow travellers locally, tag us on Twitter for re-tweets and pop things on the facebook wall  for sharing.

As ever, this letter brings you news, articles, events, fellow travellers and the scope to make a difference.
 
If you want to encourage anyone to sign up for this newsletter, please send them to the website – https://www.transitionstroud.org/
 
TS News and Action

Making Transition Accessible


At our Council Meeting on Monday 24th February, Transition Stroud agreed to hold all meetings and events in venues that are as accessible as possible in the future (with the exception of those held in people's homes).

This is a long overdue step and we apologise for not making it sooner.

We have published a list of reviewed venues on our website and we have used a traffic light system to label venues as

Inaccessible
Accessible but with some issues
Very accessible

These labels are based on independent reviews conducted by Christian at Accessible Gloucestershire, information from members with accessibility needs, information from venues themselves and from our own personal experiences/views as able-bodied people.

You can find the list as a pdf file on this page - https://www.transitionstroud.org/accessible-venues/

This list is not (and probably never will be) complete, it is just the start. Please do not write a venue off just because it does not appear on the list - instead make enquiries and pass the responses on to me (Tosca - admin@transitionstroud.org) so that I can add to the list. This is a collective responsibility that we all have to ensure that our events are as accessible as possible for all who wish to attend.
 

Climate Action Group Support News


Over the last year Transition Stroud has been busy supporting the setting up of local climate action groups (CAGs) across the district, and building a network of groups.  This has included convening a CAG Forum for representatives to exchange information and experience and discuss potential activities.

Much of this work has been undertaken by voluntary TS Directors.  Now, thanks to a grant from Stroud District Council, we’ve been able to recruit part-time support.  So welcome to Noel Sharp, our new CAG Support Worker!  Noel’s role includes administration, organisation of meetings and events, communications, and input to programme development. 

Here’s a few words from Noel to introduce himself:

Hi, I am Noel, and delighted to be the new CAG Support Worker. I live in Uplands, Stroud, I am married to Elaine and have 3 grown-up children. I am also a Methodist Minister working part-time at a church in Tetbury.

I will be helping nurture new groups into existence and existing groups to grow, and forging links between them.  I’ll be working 1 day a week in March, and then 2 days a week from April. I look forward to meeting you, and finding out how I can best support your group. The CAG Forum will play a key role in defining more precisely what kind of support groups need.  You can contact me at networksupport@transitionstroud.org.
 

News from Nailsworth Repair Cafe

 
Nailsworth Town Council have kindly made a grant of £750 to grow the Nailsworth Repair Café in 2020. The money will be used to provide core equipment and materials to repair the more complex (often electronic) items. It will also provide for training and equipment to test mains electrical items, ensuring that they are safely assessed and repaired. We’re also planning to run the Repair Cafe at other venues in Nailsworth over the following twelve months.
Articles

The 10th Annual Stroud Potato and Seed Day 2020!  


NEW! This year we also had a Friday evening event from 5pm to 8pm at Stroud Congregational Church Hall. This was very successful in our aim to reduce the potatoes for the following day and also raise the profile of our Stroud Community Seed Bank. We had a steady flow of people, sold about a third of our potatoes and gave away a good 80 seed packets.
 
Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake and refreshments were not so popular as we had hoped as folk were fitting us in before going on to other Friday events! 
 
There was no frost, so the potatoes were stored overnight in 2 cars, ready for the 8am start next day:
 
Saturday 1st Feb at the Farmer’s Market, outside the Baptist church gate.  2 stalls were very kindly given to us by Gerb, the market organiser. At the last minute, the weather forecast showed NO RAIN! so we did not need our emergency Plan B (another kind gift of storage space for our paper sacks in the Baptist Hall until 12pm)
 
In fact, we even had some sunshine...and it was certainly all sunny smiles and buzzing business around our potatoes!
 
We had 26 varieties of Potatoes from first and 2nd earlies to main crop, all sourced from our great supporter, Dundry Nurseries (near Shurdington) And of course, our amazing Lemon Drizzle cake made with potatoes, a recipe form the Stroud Potato Cookbook (we sold 2 copies!).  Made by Norah Kennedy, with our grateful thanks.
 
We sold out completely by 12pm!
 
After paying the wholesale potato bill and other costs, we were able to give Transition Stroud £150.00  (+ £10 for cookbook). 

The event is a joint one, run by Down to Earth and Transition Stroud, so the profit is shared accordingly.
 
Thank you very much for the wonderful help from TS and Down to Earth volunteers. We seriously could not do this without you!
TS Events

Open Home Tours


New regular monthly visits of energy efficient Eco homes are starting in the Stroud area. There were 20 on the recent tour by Ollie of The Greenshop in Far Oakridge, -photo above!.  More details about the extremely efficient (Seasonal Performance Factor of 6!) Waterkotte heat pump from the GreenShop here https://www.consolar.co.uk/products/solink-pvt

Visits are open to all and no booking is required. Each visit will be a guided tour lasting around an hour and will be a set tour at a specific time. The event is joint hosted by Transition Stroud and the AECB, the Association of Environment Conscious Builders in a new local group for Gloucestershire. There will be plenty of opportunity for questions. The group will be looking at Eco features of new and existing homes, possibly even some commercial buildings. For queries contact Tim Martel on timmartel2@gmail.com. See also https://www.aecb.net/local_group/aecb-gloucestershire-group/


The next visit, is to the home pictures above.

Saturday 21th March, 10:30am. Grove End, France Lynch, Stroud, GL6 8LJ
Grove End is a single storey property completed in 2019 on a design and build basis by Greenheart. It is a new build to almost Passivhaus (very low energy) although is not certified.  It is mainly timber frame, built on site with 300mm timber I-beams and has a living roof.  The walls are insulated with Warmcel cellulose insulation. The MVHR system was designed by the Green Building Store using a Zehnder unit. Windows are triple glazed. Energy for the building is supplied by a combination of Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP), solar thermal evacuated tubes and Photovoltaic (PV) panels connected to a Tesla Battery. Combined with an occasional use room sealed, double-sided wood burning stove the house is self sufficient in energy over the year. Directions: Satnav takes you to junction of Brantwood Road and Coppice Hill. From top of Coppice Hill take very sharp left after only 4 houses, down little lane (no name) - at the bottom the lane goes onto tarmac track past the last house and down to Grove End. Parking for about 6 cars and turning space.

FILM NIGHT - Seed: The Untold Story


Friday 13th March, Lansdown Hall 6.30 doors open for 7pm start.
Timings:
7 - 8.35pm FILM
8.35 - 9pm short talk from a Seed Guardian and then time for a discussion and questions
 
“SEED: The Untold Story follows passionate seed keepers protecting our 12,000 year-old food legacy. In the last century, 94% of our seed varieties have disappeared. As biotech chemical companies control the majority of our seeds, farmers, scientists, lawyers, and indigenous seed keepers fight a David and Goliath battle to defend the future of our food. In a harrowing and heartening story, these reluctant heroes rekindle a lost connection to our most treasured resource and revive a culture connected to seeds.”

Stroud’s saved seed will be available for a donation on the night. Do check our online catalogue to see what’s available - please note, many seeds are running out fast!
Tea and light refreshments will also be available.
 
 
Other Seed Events:

Winchcombe Seed Swap is a small but thriving ‘shoot’ from the Seed Bank and is on March 7th from 10am to 12pm at the Guide Hall.
 
Also, advance notice: Stroud Community Seed Bank hope to have a presence in the April Earth Week at the Stroud Sub Rooms

Seed Saving Workshops will be offered in March and April, please keep an eye on Facebook for details - https://www.facebook.com/stroudcommunityseedbank/ 
 

Repair Cafes


The next Nailsworth Repair Café is at the Nailsworth Community Workshop 10:30 - 16:00 on the 5th April (the first, rather than the second Sunday in the month). As usual we’ll helping you fix anything electrical, mechanical electronic, woodwork or made of leather.
We’re running another pop-up Repair Cafe for leather repairs at Atelier at the Nailsworth Community Workshop 11:00 - 14:00 the 29th March. This runs alongside the regular Repair Cafe for textiles.

Please book in for either of these events at www.bookwhen.com/nrc 

Textiles Group


The textiles group meets on the first Monday of the month in Stonehouse. if you'd like to get involved, email Clare- textiles@transitionstroud.org 

Getting there!


Event: April 23

“Get There ! Use the bus and reduce your carbon emissions”. A Public Debate on transport at the Subscription Rooms in Stroud.

Free Admission. All Welcome. Booking Highly Recommended.

 

6.30 Bar open for drinks and snacks

7.30 - 9.30 Public Debate in the Ballroom.

Local transport campaigns

 

Speakers will include

Rupert Cox, MD Stagecoach West

Bryony Chetwode, Travel Watch South West

 

Chair : Cate Le Grice-Mack MBE.  Travel Watch SW director,  SoS appointee to Cotswolds Conservation Board, Chair of First Group bus users in Bath.

 

Event: April 25th
On the Subscription Rooms Forecourt.

Information and conversation with some singing and maybe even a bus !

 

Minchinhampton Climate Action Network (CAN)


The market house in Minchinhampton, 7.30pm on 11th March. All welcome, no cost. 

Minchinhampton Parish plans to start a parish CAN steering group in a similar style to Chalford. This is the first community meeting to gauge interest with the hope of signing people up to the steering group. 

Speakers include Richard Erskine from Nailsworth CAN, Liam or Yvone from Chalford CAN and Transition Stroud. Probably 10 -15 minutes each and then questions are answers/ brain storming session afterwards
Fellow Travellers
Hawkwood Centre for Future Thinking is running an innovative Climate Action Lab from 4-6 March 2020 with renowned author Mike Berners Lee. Ecocide Co-Founder & Director Jojo Mehta is speaking on Wednesday 4th March at 11am. Other speakers include Natalie Fee, Hugh Blogg, Fiona Ellis, Simon Pickering, Zoe Sear, Dr Alex Ryan, Yolande Booyse, Miriam Webb, Clare Carlile & Claudi Williams.

This climate lab is a practical intensive course on how, either individually or as a business, we can take responsibility and tackle the all important question of climate change within our daily lives.   Working with leading environmental organisations such as Ethical Consumer, The Soil Association, Business Declares, Good EnergyStop Ecocide and Triodos Bank, this course is a practical, hands on learning journey aimed at creating a 10 point plan for your work or home.    

Please click here for the timetable    (this is subject to change)
To book visit : https://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/event/climate-change-action-lab/
Or call 01453 759034
Prices start from: £55, with residential and non-residential options
 


Common Edge are running another of their popular Permaculture Design Courses again in 2020 in Stroud. It starts on April 23rd and runs for 12 weeks, on Thursdays daytime 10.00am to 4.00pm. It is an in depth course about how you can use regenerative practices in your garden, home, life, community and business. It is a practical, whole system approach to designing sustainable projects. More details are on the website www.commonedge.org.uk

 
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Copyright © 2020 Transition Stroud, All rights reserved.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp