TRANSITION STROUD COUNCIL

Minutes of meeting Tuesday 18th March 2013, 7.00 for 7.15pm,

Large Meeting Room, The Exchange, Brick Row, Stroud, GL5 1DF

Present: James Beecher (minutes), Chris Harmer, Jon Barrance, Simon Allen, Seb Buckton

Apologies: Philip Booth, John Meadley, Helen Royall, Martin Whiteside, Crockett Cresswell, Mark Keoghan.

Meeting not quorate
1. Decide on chair: Seb Buckton was supported as Chair of meeting

2. Formal introductions and Apologies: As above.

3. Minutes of last meeting, 17 February 2014: No comments
4. Updates

  • SCTV awards:

Film of Fix It For Free made by Peter Richardson won Best Community Project Film. The list of seven award-winners can be viewed at SCTV is receiving about 600 views a week from people at the moment. Awards were covered in Stroud Life, though Transition Stroud was not mentioned in press release: “Stroud Community TV is a Transition Stroud project - we now over 1,100 films with a Stroud connection.”

James mentioned that some of the award winning films were shown at the most recent Transition Film event. Proposed to make awards more of a ‘presentation evening’ style event, rather than a ‘virtual’ thing next year, James to email Philip JamesB/PB

  • Open Homes– Jon B reported: website (Stroudopenhomes.org.uk) coming on – some homes still to complete a map. 7 installers at fair on Saturday 26th April, plus activity for children (‘build your own eco-home’) and ‘Tarmac and Trail’ bringing electric bikes for people to try. SWEA are helping and proving efficient and enthusiastic. Booklet coming along, several businesses taking advert space – BSAG and SkillsGain will have room, and info about TS. Grant received from ‘Ready to Retrofit’ - £565 to help with the Installers Fair – additional to previous funding.

4 taster sessions ahead of weekend – Renewable Heat Incentive, Listed buildings, insulating difficult places – details on the website.

  • Funding and Awards-A4A project updates
  • SDC very engaged and happy with the Edible Stroud project and suggesting plots of land to us. Extensive planting at lake at the lawn, and Stratford park. Planting just happened at the maternity hospital (thanks to the team!) and the hospital are delighted with the speed and quality. There are 50 people on the ES mailing list and about 15 have been active. Planting will take place along the canal- mostly soft fruit but a couple of tree opportunities. Josie will invoice soon for half the money for her time (£300 of the £600-obviously she has mostly worked for free) and some expenditure.

Budget: £4,400 of which £2000 is match (local company Creative Consortium have committed cash (for notice boards) and in-kind design work worth £1750 + the 250 plants). £2,400 is: £600 Josie, £100 Steve Beard advice, £700 Plants, £1000 Boards (ongoing discussion about best way – perhaps using QR code and website/app instead).

  • Creative Sustainability CIC work in schools:

Approached all schools in the District to commission an audit and behaviour programme. Working with one primary school to establish tailor made plan.

For one secondary school: Energy audit complete (recommendations incorporated in to buildings schedule and policy, including no and low cost changes, review of billing, potential for renewable technologies on site) and behaviour change programme mid-way (following consultations and behaviour audit students drawing up a plan of action). Anna Bonnalack’s support will continue until the end of this term.

CSCIC also working with Good Energy to establish tariff for Stroud District Schools that will encourage take up of green electricity provision, collecting information about billing and usage.

  • Hubstroud – Following discussion at Hub Stroud meeting on 10 February, James Beecher is taking on some marketing work to get more people posting, and more people visiting the site – has been making good progress, and produced a crib-sheet for venues. Meeting of SA, GB, MK, CC and James on Thursday March 13th about Memorandum of Agreement – on which changes were made, presentation of website design, now moving forward on re-design and addition of form to add events. James/SA/HR/MK/CC
  • Nothing to report from Building Skills Action Group, but ongoing activity.
  • Stroud in Transition Action Menu – money has been awarded (£500) to produce a leaflet and have it sent out with a Town Council mailing to ~7000 people. Erik Wilkinson talking to Imogen Shaw about design. £430 for leaflet, £70 to cover the delivery. Erik and SB discussing leaflet text. Mailing is in October, leaflet has to be approved by Town Council. Text to be circulated to TS Council when complete SB/EW
  • Transport Group update – Paul Flynn. Was mentioned at the film on Sunday – one woman potentially interested. No further report as Paul not present.
  • Film showings - In Transition 2.0 shown on 9th March – Thanks to those who attended. Lower number (30) than at previous films but still acceptable turnout. Some new faces and brief discussion afterwards, with people signing up to e-newsletter. £123 collected (comparable). Thanks to Paul and Claire Sheriden, SB, HR and Vaughan Webber who helped set up and tidy away. Next film – ‘Beyond Elections’ about co-operatives and participatory budgeting in the Americas. James to contact film working group again re: helping for next film and make a list of places happy to take posters for variety of TS events James
  • Membership numbers and contributions (previous month in brackets)
  • Seb reports upward trend as follows:
  • Mailchimp 596 (534 - 30 new members from Stroud Businesswomen group)
  • Facebook 252 (229)
  • Twitter 868 (801)
  • Discuss 83 (82) - 26 topics in February, 34 postings (suggests not that much discussion), January 30 topics, 50 posts.
  1. Actions from last meeting
  • Website. Mark working on the website had been ill but Helen is chasing. HR
  • Meeting re: HubStroud - Crockett, Mark, Gail, James, Simon. This happened (see above), ongoing.
  • Form support group for film showings – James. An email sent out and volunteers came forward to help with recent screening. Ongoing development as described above. James
  • Explore using Awards for All money earmarked for youth activity to show TS film to youth groups: The Awards for All application states £300 to be spent on “outreach via paid youth worker”. Broader description says “to support our engagement with communities of the Stroud District that we currently have less involvement with. This includes more mainstream community groups and young people and young adults”, in order to “increase our ‘transition-aware’ footprint and breadth of involvement, thereby increase our numbers who are supporting the localisation of our economy”. James to contact Creative Sustainability about possible collaboration on workshops, this could include presentations based on Zero Carbon Britain report by Jon Barrance. James/JB
  • Transition Free Press – check sales and get payment from SVP. Seb reported 49 copies sold, we take £38. In April we’re getting 125 (for £50). James to make sign to put in SVP to advertise TFP better. Delivery site required as Seb away. Jon B to accept – to send address to Seb, Seb to pass on by April 14th. James/JB

6. Finances– Claire Deacon

Balance today is £13,593.47, which includes the following income:

  • £1,500.00 Green Doors grant received on 26 Feb
  • £500.00 small grant from Stroud TC for Action Menu received 13 Feb (this will be a new budget line)
  • £155.00 money from potato day (added to Open Gardens budget line)
  • £31.85 from SVP for sales of Transition Free Press (this is added to Transition Free Press budget line giving a balance of £29.85)
  • Expenditure is essentially just Seb and Helen so far.
  • Accounts sorted for Companies House (with thanks to John Maddox).

7. Any other business

  • Climate change action group

Gloucestershire Climate Action Network formed, Imogen Shaw working on design. Arun Cappi has produced a website. Group is meeting regularly and plans to pressure local politicians in lead up to Paris 2015 climate summit.

  • Zero Carbon Britain report

Jon B followed up on Zero Carbon Britain report events, well attended and new faces/sign-ups to email list. Simon Pickering suggesting a meeting with Stroud District Councillors, Jon thought perhaps the Town Council as well. Jon interested in talking to younger people. James to talk to CSCIC about incorporating into the youth outreach work, combined with the TS video (as above). James mentioned he knows new student union chair Sahaya James at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College and will contact her about possible event. Jon to ask CAT if they do visits where they do presentations of the report which could form one of the ‘film’ events. James/JB

  • Transition Library

James mentioned now relocated to Black Book Café after period in Stroud Library where books began to be sold. Has been mentioned on twitter and at film event. Jon to raise at next workshop which is in Black Book. James to write short text for next TS newsletter, and create list of books to circulate on discuss and add to website James

  • Next TS newsletter

Seb mentioned this is out early in April. Please send copy to Seb. Has plenty already, but important to reflect as much as possible what is going on. John to write up Zero Carbon Britain for newsletter JB

  • Waste

CH reported that indications Waste group might get going after screening of Trashed a year ago – but didn’t get going, people asking basic questions rather than wanting to participate in group. Incinerator saga at stage of Inspectors report from public inquiry in May (same inspector as for Waste Core Strategy), July-September decision by Erik Pickles. Zero Waste England formed as an NGO by Chris and friends (WRAP unambitious and connected to conventional waste industry, has been dropped by Scottish government in favour of government funded body Zero Waste Scotland, and Zero Waste Wales also formed – targeting 2035) – to advise and remove excuses from waste collection authorities, and work with advising government at various levels, work with councils, possibly on consultancy basis to achieve better waste figures and show it won’t have excessive cost, using examples from Europe and USA. Chris going to Spain to see 88% recycling rate area (and places where 2 incinerators seen off). Chris trying to get interest from Transition Network. Chris currently looking as best practice – recycling rates and cost per capita – find out how they do it and get a much more standardized system.

  • Chamber of Commerce

Crockett’s involvement in Chamber of Commerce has led to Carole Garfield contacting HR regarding a bid they are putting in.

Directors group

John Meadley no longer active – moved on to other things. Mark and Crockett emphasising self-employment. Molly and Gail no longer directors. Resolved to discuss at next meeting.

8. Confirm main topic, date and time of next and future meetings:

  • All meetings start 7 for 7.15pm, all in large room at Exchange unless otherwise stated. Next meetings:
  • 24 April (main topics: ‘new blood’, AGM)
  • 21 May

Meeting ended at 9.00pm
James Beecher for Mark Keogan Company Secretary 28 March 2014