JULY Update 2021
In this issue:
Green Drinks 1st July... Tidelines... Dr Bike... OurPlaceOurPlanet Blog ....Rivercide....LoT...ExeCargo...Wildlife Wardens...Indoor Market Stallshare...Share smart meter data....Climate Action Network... Stir to Action ...Membership Secretary....Climate Conversations...Edward ....What Next?.... & more....

Firstly thanks Transition Exmouth for all of your support in helping us find our feet!

What has Tidelines been up to?

Tidelines is a project working with citizens of the Exe estuary and other organisations to bring together arts, sciences, local knowledge and academic research in creative ways to learn more about our changing home - the Exe estuary and coast at a time of climate and ecological emergency. www.tidelines.uk

EXE ESTUARY BOX We are pulling together the beautiful and varied contributions to the Exe Estuary Box which give us a real sense of people’s interests, relationship and concerns about the estuary and are looking forward to exhibiting these around the estuary soon and you can still take part! Check out some of the updated galleries online

BODY OF WATER We are working with other organisations and interested individuals to co-design a project to monitor water quality in our estuary and coastline using a range of methods including citizen science and creative enquiry. This is in order to gather data to work towards a more healthy sea and estuary. If you are interested in finding out more about this please get in touch. info@tidelines.uk

HIGH WATER We are working on a High Water event in 2022 connecting us to Exeter and other coastal locations around the world through the tides and changing sea levels. More about the March 2021 High Water event here

To keep in touch with all of Tidelines work please join our mailing list or email us and say hello or let us know what you are interested in or would like to get involved in.

RIVERCIDE is a one-off live investigative documentary, written & presented by George Monbiot and directed by Franny Armstrong. It will be livestreamed free on Weds 14 July on Rivercide.tv

The Rivercide team tell us more about the project :
"Every single river, lake and stream in England is polluted and we are freaking furious about it.
We love rivers. We love wild swimming, we love kayaking and we love watching wildlife. But year on year, we’ve seen our rivers turn from beautiful, pristine ecosystems into open sewers. As revealed by George in his Guardian investigation , water companies and farmers are allowed to just pour waste - including raw sewage - straight into the waters and trash them. There is no effective regulation and no effective punishments. It’s an ecological calamity.
>> The World's First Live Investigative Documentary? <<
We're attempting to do something which, as far as we know, has never been done before: a live investigative documentary. Streamed online as it happens, George will present RIVERCIDE live from a polluted river, speaking to experts and campaigners live from other polluted rivers, trying to find out why Britain’s rivers are in the state they’re in and what can be done to improve them. He’ll also be calling politicians and knocking on the polluters’ doors, demanding answers.
Think Challenge Anneka meets Newsnight.
Our wish-list for who we'll invite to take part includes some of the biggest names in conservation, ecology and politics. We'll be announcing names as they're confirmed via our Twitter, Facebook and Instagam.
The one-hour programme will also reveal the results from our team of citizen scientists who'll be going out testing the water quality of their local rivers. We'll also be inviting viewers to share their footage of pollution incidents they’ve witnessed.
RIVERCIDE isn’t just about how bad the situation is, even though it is very very bad. Shockingly bad. The documentary will also show how everyone can get involved in turning the situation around, helping to restore our rivers back to the natural wonders they used to be.
We are not approaching broadcasters with RIVERCIDE as we feel it is crucial to be independent. We need to maintain editorial control and not be beholden to funders or executives so we can tell it exactly like it is.
That’s why we’re crowd-funding, you can find out more about the Rivercide Kickstarter campaign."

GREEN DRINKS THURSDAY 1st JULY 7.30pm
Greener Cleaner Exmouth Campaign
at Sundowners

July's Green Drinks is as usual on the first Thursday of the month - yes that's this Thursday , 1st July.
The evening opens with a 29 Minute Talk about a topic of interest , followed by social chat over drinks and snacks.  Sundowners is a in the Strand, Exmouth, and the wonderful owner Helen opens especially for us on Green Drinks evening - so it feels like we have our very own licenced bar and vegetarian/vegan cafe. Thank you Helen !

This Thursday, Liz Oram ,will be talking about a ‘cleaner-greener’ initiative that will kickstart on Saturday 11 September with a clean up of Exmouth. Liz is on both Exmouth Town Team and also  on the Transition Exmouth umbrella group.   Liz will explain the plans for the day and how anyone and everyone can get involved to tidy up Exmouth town centre.   This is part of a wider initiative supported by the Exmouth Chamber of Commerce to encourage businesses to go greener - Plastic Free Exmouth and Transition Exmouth are both involved to make changes to a better environment for those that work and live in the town – and Liz will outline the hopes for this and how the initiative will look to grow in the town.

Please come along and show your support – if you can’t make it but want to get involved with the day please contact liz.oram@outlook.com. Thank you…. look forward to seeing you there !

Photo:- Thanks to Craig & Arthur for the informative opening chat about their food co-op in June , it was great to be back at  Sundowners again !

Congratulatations Catherine ! & Situation Vacant at Transition Exmouth

EDDC at last has a full time Climate Officer - Transition Exmouth's Catherine Causley stepped into the post last month . Catherine we wish you all the best in your new role , with your dynamism we will soon be seeing real change at the District Council.

Catherine will be staying on the Umbrella Group but stepping down as Transition Exmouth's Membership Secretary. Catherine told us why she's sticking with us , now that she has this new role :
"I believe that working within our community is the best way of achieving lasting change. So whilst my days are taken up with climate change work on a district scale it's a pleasure to spend some of my free time working with dedicated and committed people in my community who really want to see local change for the better"

This creates an opening for someone new to help us plan membership events and spread the word - do contact us if you think this might be you

LEVELLING UP FUND - WHAT IS IT?
AND WHAT MIGHT IT MEAN FOR EXMOUTH?

Exmouth Town Council have just heard that the Levelling Up Fund, announced in the budget in April, with a huge budget nationally, has been offered to local authorities to bid for. As its name suggests, it is planned to provide infrastructure to back so-called "left behind" communities in an attempt to rebuild their economies. As part of this, many councils who had bid to the Pinchpoint Fund, as Devon County Council did with the bid for money for the Dinan Way extension, were told that they could transfer their bids to the Levelling Up Fund, as the other fund was being closed down. As part of the criteria to be met, it was felt that development around the "Exmouth Gateway" (a name used in the 2011 Exmouth Masterplan for the area around the railway station), including a transport interchange, a concept discussed for several years by Exmouth Transport Partnership under the auspices of the Town Council, and since incorporated into the EDDC Local Plan and Exmouth Neighbourhood Plan.

We are told that the bidding will be very competitive. We are not helped by the fact that there are three levels of need allocated by District area, and that East Devon (not Exmouth) was in the lowest of the three levels. Exmouth itself had several designated neighbourhoods in the most vulnerable quarter of Devon neighbourhoods. Those include, at No 7 out of 457, the Town Centre area, which of course is the site of the Exmouth Gateway. Not much further down the list were the Marpool Estate area around Moorfield Road, and areas of Littleham. Devon County Council has only submitted this one bid from a number of potentials across Devon (for a total of £15 million) because they genuinely believed it had a good chance of succeeding, and especially with the Dinan Way project already having planning permission it fulfilled the "shovel ready" criterion of much Government funding recently!

A Senior Transport Planner at DCC has also assured us that because the area around the station has not yet had planning permission, that Town Council would have leeway to put in ideas which have been discussed locally over several years, and in some cases already included in a previous bid. This was reassuring, as it had originally seemed that they would just adopt ideas culled from the Exmouth Masterplan of 2011, way out of date since the building of M&S and the station improvements of recent years.

They have told us to expect some information on our bid in the Autumn.
Report by Cllr Tim Dumper

Library of Things
Grand Opening 31st July

In January Transition Exmouth was awarded National Lottery Funding to set up a “Library of Things” (LoT) and since then a whole lot of work has been going on by a dedicated team of volunteers to set up the infrastructure for the project in preparation for the grand opening on 31^st July. Littlemead Methodist Church has generously donated start-up space in one of its outbuildings and this room has been renovated and kitted out with benching, shelving and electricity. The team has been working tirelessly , a massive well done to them all including Kate, Mary, Trvor, David , Bianca , Catherine , Brian , Helen, Neil, Ally, Josie , Grant , Dave and Vicky .
Responding to a shout-out in local media, nearly 60 pre-loved items have been donated by members of the Exmouth community, ranging from ladders, tools and tents to a garden shredder, and even a cider press. It is also planned to purchase some new high-use items, such as a carpet cleaner.
Members of the Exmouth community will need firstly to join the library by paying an annual fee of £30 in order to use it. The majority of individual items will then be available for hire for a weekly fee, which is expected to be no more than a pound or two a week, depending on its value and popularity. Those pieces that are very popular, i.e. cleaning tools, may have more limited hire periods of 2 or 3 days but these details are still being worked out.
The idea of the LoT is to promote a ‘sharing economy” in the town and provide a facility where people can reserve and borrow a range of household items for DIY or leisure activities for short term use. Sharing things that we only use now and again cuts down on clutter and waste, saves money, brings people together and is kinder to our planet. Nowadays many of us live in smaller spaces and so storage of personal “stuff” can be a challenge. So, a prime aim of the LoT is to stock things that people normally need only infrequently, such as a long ladder or a particular power tool for DIY, or items for a celebration with family and friends, such as a gazebo, catering tables or some extra garden chairs. Also, things, like a tent or other camping equipment, that members may want to try out before deciding whether to buy for themselves.
The LoT is still seeking donation of items to add to its stock; these should be serviceable and in good condition. Collection can be arranged and PAT testing of electrical items will be carried out. If anyone has anything that they wish to donate then please email libraryofthings-exmouth@outlook.com, giving your contact details and a brief description of the item(s).

Thanks to Exmouth Cycles for hiring us the ExeCargo Bike at mates rates !
The bike now joins the Exmouth Cycles hire fleet for the summer

ExeCargo - now looking for the new face of
pedal power deliveries in Exmouth

The initial three month trial of Execargo has ended , showing that there is a viable business opportunity in Exmouth for pedal powered deliveries.

Execargo has been making deliveries for several local independent businesses and, for the Exmouth Food Bank. ExeCargo is now looking for someone to take on Execargo as a self employed business opportunity.
The trial period has seen the development of the Execargo website and has shown that there is enthusiasm among local traders for an ecargobike delivery service. It has also demonstrated that a paid service can co-exist with volunteers making collections for community support organisations.

It looked as though we had found our perfect rider-manager in Tom Wheeler , but Tom's health has meant he has had to step back from the project. If you're on instagram, you can follow Tom's Vlog @myhearttransplantstory.

We'd like to thank Exmouth Cycles who helped us to make the £500 grant from the Transition Bounce Forward / Lottery fund go a long, long way, and Exmouth Town Council for help with signage and printing.
Special thanks of course go to the amazing volunteers who made this happen, especially Angela, Tom, Adrian , Grant , & Nathan.
Please do contact us. if you are interested in taking over this new exciting venture for Exmouth.

Exmouth Wildflower Wardens
Exmouth Wildlife Group has organised a team of 12 volunteers to record wildflowers growing in public green spaces in Exmouth and on June 4^th, a training day was held in Phear Park.
Mike Waller and Katy Ross, Devon County Council ecologists, talked about the main plant families and gave us many useful tips to help identify the wild plants we find.
Each new Warden was given a copy of Harrap’s Wild Flowers, a hand lens and other useful items such as a hi-viz vest for working near roads . Wardens have committed to each surveying at least one green space this Summer and there will also be some group events when we work together on bigger sites.
We hope the information gathered will be used to inform decisions about when and where the grass should be cut so as to maximise biodiversity and protect more unusual species such as orchids.
Many thanks to Devon County Council for providing the training at no cost to the Wildlife Group and huge thanks to Tim Dafforn of East Devon Countryside Team for supporting the project with funds for the equipment and books.
Report by Jan Gannaway

OPINION: Licencing and the Environment

Recent applications for outdoor amplified music and alcohol licences near Exmouth's Nature Reserves have highlighted the fact that a negative effect on the environment isn't currently considered a grounds for objection. Maybe it should be ?
Town Ward Councillor Joe Whibley has sent us this article, which

clarifies the legal, and only, position we can take when examining licensing applications and how we might, maybe, go about changing that.

Councillors should be able to consider environmental impact for pub and restaurant licenses | Opinion

Transition Exmouth's STALLSHARE at EXMOUTH INDOOR MARKET
Jane Habermehl reports:

Exmouth Indoor Market can be a bustling chatty place where shoppers come to explore
what the more unpredictable and independent stallholders have to offer; you'll find craft objects in all materials from Macrame to veneer and for sewing, knitting and linen accessories,
CDs, games, a beer making kit, electrical attachments, DIY fixes, and more. There are card shops, kitchenware and pet food store alongside charity stalls such as the Exmouth Friends in Need who did so much for the community during the worst days and months of COVID.

I am not going to advertise all the market stallholders I just want to highlight that as a place
to ‘mooch’ about and find an unusual bargain, it serves Transition Exmouth well in hosting
our own stall. Since the market re-opened for business after COVID on the 12 th April our stall
opposite ‘Just Sew’ has proudly displayed pictures of past Transition activities as well as our
large banner proclaiming the importance of lobbying local councillors, businesses and of
course our MP to support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill.
This is a particularly important message to get across as the Climate Change Bill in place at
present is not going to get us out of the impending Climate disaster and does not take into
account the importance of the ecological impact of human activities. We have been making
decorated hand crafted hearts as a token gesture, inviting people to take one in exchange
for writing a letter to Exmouth MP Simon Jupp.
Our message to the town is one of promoting a sustainable community which means
helping to connect individuals through activities and events and empowering them to take
part in promoting a more sustainable future. This could mean anything from lobbying the
local council to introduce measures to lower the carbon footprint of town to taking part in
tree planting, beach cleans or flower surveys.
At present the stall is available for people to browse through the leaflets and information
but feel free to come and chat to members who are available at the stall as and when time
permits, usually on Mondays and Thursday mornings.
We are open to any offers of displays from community groups whose aims are in keeping with our own.
We have already had Exeter Friends of Animals with their promotion of Vegan products and
some beautiful crafted quilts made from offcuts of fabric and sold for the Heart Foundation.
Future themes could highlight any of the following; shopping local, carbon free transport,
growing your own veg or vegan, plastic free or chemical free cosmetics and cleaning
products, upcycling or reskilling, clothes or seed swaps.
In future weeks the stall will feature other aspects of Transition Exmouth’s many projects
and activities so watch this space as we hope to run a calendar of events
Do Contact us if you would like to display and promote your community group at our stall.

Coming soon on OurPlaceOurPlanet.org Blog :
My Cycle Route Exmouth to Exeter

Adrian Toole cycles between Exeter to Exmouth and gives us his views on the routes he's tested ...
"Please don’t use the A376 or other main roads unless you feel suicidal! The route described, as far as possible, stays off and away from all busy roads."

Local Energy Researchers want your smart meter data

Exeter Community Energy Company ECOE is pleased to introduce an exciting new project called Future bE. If your meter is smarter than the one above , read on to find out how you can help them to help you consume local energy:

Future bE is an Exeter based research company setup to pursue technical solutions to our pressing energy challenges. They are currently running a very exciting project with the Environmental Futures and Big Data Impact Lab as part of Exeter University and linked to the UK Met Office. This project aims to develop a platform which will enable intelligent matching of local energy consumption with decentralised renewable energy generation. This will optimize the use of these precious resources, and of course lower energy bills too.

At this early stage they need to test their modelling with real domestic consumption data. So, they’re after volunteers in the Exeter area who would be happy for their smart meter data to be used in the project. It’ll be completely anonymous to the system so there is no risk regarding data sensitivity or identity. They access smart meter data from a central database, so you won’t need to make any effort. It is merely a matter a of having your consent. Of course they’d love to keep you in touch with progress. Should the project prove to be commercially viable they’ll rightly reward you for your early involvement.

If you would like to be involved please contact research@futurebe.co.uk. They’d love to hear from you.
Image by Alexander Schimmeck @alschim via Unsplash

Climate Action Network Welcome webinar (6 July, 19:00-20:15)
Transition Exmouth is part of the Climate Action Network run by Friends of the Earth . They offer a wealth of experience and resources available to any eco-conscious group.
This includes the communcation tool Slack
Welcome webinars introduce you to the Climate Action network and provide you with tools and resources to support and develop your local campaign. Register here.

Stir to Action's Playground for the New Economy Festival 2021 is at their very own site – the New Economy Centre at Selgars Mill in Devon.

Join them for three days of critical conversations, live podcasts, interactive workshops, idea surgeries, sustainable food, wood-fired sauna, games and, of course, live music!

It's been a couple of months since the What Next? Summit and the Transition UK team have been busy shifting through all the inspiring and challenging conversations and feedback. They've used these to generate this exciting call to action: 5 provocations from the summit to help guide collective practice moving forwards.

They'd love to know how it lands with you. Does it resonate? Does it reflect what you saw and heard? Are these things you feel inspired to embed into your organising and groups? Share feedback here.

Join the TBF team, other Transition Groups and amazing community activists from across the country FACE TO FACE for thought provoking discussions, networking and a good old bit of fun.
There will be an opportunity to discuss Call to Action further at the Playground for New Economy event in July.
Day tickets available from £20, or three days including camping £125.00 15% ticket discount for members of Transition Groups, just use the code: TRANSITION15

THG Climate Conversations & Exhibition in Exmouth

Climate Conversations aims to help people to engage with complex issues and make real, sustainable changes by bringing communities together in a shared challenge.

Mike Perry Exhibition Land/Sea (Tir/Mor)

8 June - 14 August: Ocean, Exmouth

Art Dayz family art activities-
Abode of Love/Creative Cabin, Exmouth seafront. Limited places, booking essential:
Workshops | Thelma Hulbert Gallery

3 July - The Art of Seaweed Pressing
24 July - Creating a Labyrinth in the Sand
14 August - Sand Body Casting

Mike Perry in Conversation - Ocean, Exmouth (date postponed, to be reset)

For more information and times, check out: What's On | Thelma Hulbert Gallery

Have you met Edward - the blog that contains everything you never realised you wanted to know about waste and recycling in East Devon!

The Last Word comes this month from Positive News magazine about a new no-fly travel agency Byway ... Happy Holidays everyone !

TRANSITION EXMOUTH MEMBERSHIP
DONATIONS & SUBSCRIPTIONS

Transition Exmouth's Newsletters and Events are all Free -
but producing them isn't !
Donations pay for the costs of web site fees, running events (we hope!), annual public liability insurance, printing, etc.

Membership is free for students and people on a low income
Subscription rates of £5, £10 and £50 a year are available
You choose what you can afford, and how to pay.

Donations can be paid via:
Bank transfer to Transition Exmouth, co-op bank 08-92-99, a/c 65332739
The Paypal or Card button on our website

Cash at Green Drinks
Cheque to Transition Exmouth , c/o The Manse, Summer Lane, Exmouth EX8 5BD

Member organisations can be featured on our website,which is currently being revamped. They can also be featured on the new OurPlaceOurPlanet website

Transition Exmouth is a voluntary organisation, new members are always welcome.
Voluntary help is as valuable as money –
none of our work would be possible without the time members put in.

TRANSITION EXMOUTH MEMBERS EACH PLANT AT LEAST ONE TREE A YEAR
Just One Tree will plant and nurture a tree for you from £1

We hope you've enjoyed this Newsletter .
Any comments or suggestions for future newsletters, please get in touch
transitionexmouth@gmail.com

2021 Transition Exmouth
PLEASE SHARE !

Our mailing address is:
transitionexmouth@gmail.com
c/o The Manse,
Summer Lane,
Exmouth EX8 5BD

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Coming soon on OurPlaceOurPlanet.org Blog : My Cycle Route Exmouth to Exeter

Have you met Edward - the blog that contains everything you never realised you wanted to know about waste and recycling in East Devon!

Coming soon on OurPlaceOurPlanet.org Blog :
My Cycle Route Exmouth to Exeter