November

November Transition

"Local enterprises are more likely to employ local people, provide services to improve the local quality of life, spend money locally and so circulate wealth in the community, promote community cohesion and, by reducing transportation of goods from across communities, are likely to have a smaller environmental footprint”.

Ward, B, Lewis, J. (2002) The Money Trail. New Economics Foundation



Welcome to the November newsletter.

Remember you can always catch up on the website - http://transitiontowns.org/Taunton/ until the 31st December when Taunton Transition Town will be moving over to the new, super-duper Transition Network - http://www.transitionnetwork.org/cms/taunton. It is not ready yet but do have a look around the rest of the Transition Network site and sign up.... it is a great resource and there is plenty of opportunity to discuss Transition topics with like-minded people!

I always need input, news and events to update this newletter. If you know of any events or have news about Transition please email me, Vicky Briggs on shuunyanet@gmail.com by the 19th of the month for publication on the 20th or there abouts.

There are some new ways to follow what we are doing. Join our Facebook Group , find out what we are up to on the blog, or follow us on Twitter.

Events

This months Transition Drop-In Cafe looks again at the new Taunton Living Landscape Scheme.. Learning from the Land have some have some great events this month and Transition Athelney are hosting permaculture guru Aranya to introduce the course that will be run in the new year.



News

Wish to cut back on your car usage then maybe the new car club is for you..... Find out how you can invest in the land with the Land for Food scheme.



Permaculture Talk - 22nd November

Aranya of Designed Visions (strongly recommended by Patrick Whitefield) is giving a talk about Permaculture at North Curry village hall next Monday evening, (22nd November, 7.30pm). All are welcome.

It is a stand-alone event, but Aranya will also be outlining his 2011 training.

This builds on the basic introduction provided by Mark West earlier this year. Permaculture is a key ingredient, and inspiration behind Transition. It is an utterly practical approach, helping us to avoid waste of time, money and precious resources.

Do come and bring a friend!


Organised by Transition Athelney



Buy Nothing Day- 27th November





Lock up your wallets and purses, cut up your credit cards and dump the love of your life - shopping.

Buy Nothing Day is on 27th November this year..... toddle along to www.buynothingday.co.uk to find out more....

As consumers we need to question the products we buy and challenge the companies who produce them. What are the true risks to the environment and developing countries? We all know recycling is OK for the environment, but consuming less is better and Buy Nothing Day is a great way to start!






Taunton Transition Drop-In - 27th November



Venue: Friends' Meeting House, Bath Place, Taunton.

Time: 10.30am-12.30pm

A Talk on the Taunton Living Landscape Scheme

Somerset Wildlife Trust is the county’s leading nature conservation charity, with over 20,500 members. Our vision is for a Living Landscape in Somerset, a natural environment rich in wildlife, sustained and cared for by all, within which people enjoy happy, healthy and prosperous lives. We work at all levels to educate and inspire people about wildlife. The Trust manages over 80 nature reserves, part of the backbone of Somerset’s living landscape, and works with partners, landowners, members, and volunteers to restore, recreate and reconnect wildlife habitat throughout town and countryside. Our work will allow wildlife to thrive in our county. Through town and village, along hedgerow and verge, through field and garden, down the coast and over the hills, a riot of life, colour and sounds for all to enjoy.

But just what is a “Living Landscape”? What does one look like, how do you achieve it, and what benefits does it bring? Michelle Osbourn from Somerset Wildlife Trust will cover all this and more on Saturday 27th.

Plus all the usual catch up on all things Transition.... interested in finding out about Taunton Living Landscape Scheme or just a chance to find out about what we do come along to the Friends'Meeting House, Bath Place.



Have a Handmade Christmas - Make, Do and Mend

This November we invite you to make your own Saltdough gifts and decorations with us . This traditional folk craft is a cheap and easy way to create endless designs, bringing added cheer to any home.

Alternatively bring your current project, gift ideas or mending along to Friends Meeting House, Bath Place from 2-5pm on the 27th.

Please note this will be the last Make, Do and Mend session of the year as our usual timing in December falls on Christmas day. We will be back on January 22nd with a Swapshop Extraordinaire - so look out and bring all your unwanted presents, clothes and books etc. and turn your cast-offs into something more desirable.


We are currently looking for people to help out both with informal skill shares and general tea making. If you can help please email Pixie:tauntontransitiontown@live.co.uk





Grassroots Social Enterprise Network - 25th November


GRASSROOTS Social Enterprise Network (Somerset) will be holding its first meeting on the afternoon of Thursday 25th November at Great Bow Wharf in Langport, Somerset.

If you are a social enterprise in Somerset, or interested in setting one up, please join us! This is a free event.

The meeting will be addressed by Howard Moorey from the Hojomo group in Gloucester as follows:



“HAVE A JELLY TO COMMUNICATE & CONNECT”



Why? Because if you are a Social Enterprise, or you are trying to go it alone, you need your own Network. Social Networking is a great tool, but it doesn’t satisfy the human soul in quite the same way as meeting in 3D. Howard has been running Jelly events since April in Gloucester, Cheltenham & Stroud.



(In Stroud they use the Social Enterprise Centre, with publicity through Social Media & bookings on the Net, free of charge, through Eventbrite.com, it really helps to put the Centre on the map, drawing people in who didn’t know it was there, and giving it free advertising to the business community with Twitter & Facebook coverage before & after each fortnightly event. This can only be to the Centre’s advantage, when they have “Hot Desks” available to rent on a daily or monthly basis……….)



The afternoon will also include a chance to get to know each and what we do, as well as a guided tour of Great Bow Wharf and the amenities available there.

To book your place for this free event, please email Lindy Booth at: lindy@cascadetrainingplus.co.uk



Please extend an invite to the event to other social enterprises & interested parties.

Further information about the Grassroots Network which is funded by the Empowering Communities Development Fund and South West Foundation, can be found at: http://www.cascadetrainingplus.co.uk/?Grassroots_Network



The Power of Fire - 28th November

Learning from the Land are holding another great event on Sunday 28th November - The Power of Fire..... A day to explore the energy of fire from rocket stoves to gasifier, wood-filled kiln to making charcoal.... Lots of fun for the family.

2- 5pm

Free Entry.

On Friday 26 November Secret Meadow are receiving delivery of enough tiny trees from Kittisford Trees man, Richard Wood (yes, his real name!), to plant a hedge to mark a border. If you are interested in learning how to put one in and are willing to give a hand, please bring a shovel, wellies, wet weather gear and the good folks at Learning from the Land will feed you hot chocolate!

Please let them know if you are interested and able so I know who might be turning up.

01823 400696
nicky@learningfromtheland.co.uk
Secret Meadow, Nr Milverton, TA4 1QE, www.learningfromtheland.co.uk






Can We Feed Ourselves and Keep Bio-Diversity in Nature- 11th January 2011

One date to put into your diary early is the talk by Patrick Holden director of the Soil Association. Come along and listen and give your views in a discussion after.

Patrick Holden was brought up in London. He visited a dairy farm near Epping aged five and decided he wanted to milk cows. He studied biodynamic agriculture at Emerson College in 1972 and started a community farm in West Wales in 1973.

The 93 hectare mixed organic farm is now the longest established organic dairy farm in Wales, with a herd of 65 Ayrshire cows - the milk from which is being made into an unpasteurised cheese by his son Sam. Patrick still milks his cows at weekends.

He has worked for the Soil Association since 1988 and as Director since 1995. During that period income has risen from £200,000 to £10 million and sales of organic food from £50 million to £2 billion.

He is a regular broadcaster and speaker and was responsible for Tony and Pat Archer's conversion in 1985 and still advises for the Archers on matters organic. He was awarded the CBE for services to organic farming in 2005.



The evening is organised jointly by Somerset Wildlife Trust and Taunton Transition Town.





Somerset Land for Food

Buy a piece of Somerset for Christmas!

A new scheme has been launched to help people in Somerset buy land for food production.

A share offer has been issued for Somerset Land For Food a new non-profit society which raises money to buy land for growing food. An undersupply of allotments and the expense of buying cultivatable land can frustrate the ambitions of community groups or smallholders who want to produce more food locally. When land does come up for sale at auction, it may take a community group too long to organise fund-raising, thereby missing the chance to bid.

Now people have a chance to invest in shares in Somerset Land for Food, a Community Benefit Society, creating a pot of available money to bid for land as soon as it becomes available for sale.


This is how it works:

the share offer is open to investments in shares of between min.£100 – max £20,000 (people can group together to buy shares e.g. 5x £20)

share capital is used to buy land, which is then rented at low rates by SLFF to community groups or growers wishing to produce local food

tenants may eventually buy the land outright, releasing more capital for further land purchase

the use of the land is protected in law – it may only be used to grow food

shareholders can withdraw their capital after a minimum of 2 years, or begin to be paid interest of 2% on their investment




The target for the share issue is £100,000 to start the community land pool in Somerset. If less capital is raised, the company will buy less land.


The share offer closes on 30th November 2010. For more information and for a share application form, visit www.wessexca.co.uk or call one of SFFL’s Directors:


Kim Robinson (Chair) 01749 689037

Paul and Sarah Sander-Jackson (Secretary) 01458 833489

Jane Birch 01823 442442

Peter Millar 01458 223444

Dan Keech 01373 451402

If you are interested but cannot manage £100 why don't you think about investing with others in a group organised by Taunton Transition Town. We are gathering a group that are interested in investing £20 each. If you are interested please contact Vicky Briggs - shuunyanet@gmail.com .... We will be getting together at our drop-in on the 27th to gather a few interested parties together and sign the documents.... As the deadline has been put back we have a little more time to gather together.

Invest in some land for food production today!







Taunton has a car club!


Taunton Transition Town are really proud to have helped start up a car club in Taunton. With our help, Co-cars, a not for profit social enterprise, currently operating in and around Exeter has managed to set up a car club in Taunton.

Car clubs are a way of saving money by using a car without having to own one. They might also be a way of getting rid of your second car.

You can use the car for an hour, hours or a day and pay for what you use. All bookings are through their web site.

As their flyer says, “WE buy it, insure it, tax it, maintain it, repair and clean it.... YOU drive it!”

The first car will be based at Taunton Deane Borough Council’s offices at Deane House any day now. It will then be available to members for 24 hour booking.



Save our forests

The government is getting ready for a huge sell-off of our national forests to private firms or local communities.. This could mean ancient woodlands are chopped down and destroyed. The government is insisting that conservation will not be compromised and would not lead to the mass felling of woods. Critics are worried that the revenue that is made from the sales would not be used to invest in other national forests and in the creation of new native woodland.

This could be an opportunity for local communities to invest in their future and protect valuable forests or a disaster for biodiversity.

But they need to push new laws through Parliament before these plans can go ahead. That means we have time to stop them.

Sign the petition now to tell the government to “save our forests”.

http://www.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-forests