TRANSITION TOWN WOODBRIDGE AGM 2020
Friday, 20th November 2020 7 pm on Zoom
Present Jane JH, Martin MW, Deb DP, Eamonn EN, Hilary HW, Jessica JG, Pat PW, Sue SO, Charlotte CL, Eva EG, Jonathan JV, Peter PJ, Sara SN, Carol CS, Alexis AS Apologies Ellie, Chris, Jackie, SueG, David & Chris
Secretaries’ reports (Jane and Carol) and Treasurer’s reports (Deb)had been emailed to members. Both reports were accepted. Although position holders were elected just a year ago Jane asked if anyone was interested in taking over a position but there was no interest. DP was thanked for report and also lists of the group’s assets and current projects. DP acknowledged help from husband, John. JH thanked JG for her work in sending out TW publicity & reports and communicating with the local press. Thanks also to Ellie for keeping website updated with monthly Wildlife Corridor Newsletters & events. Thanks also to HW for Facebook, Chris for Twitter communications. All excellent.
We have received complimentary messages from Kerry Stranix of Groundworks and Linda Gray of EV Driver for our continuing work & Ray Norris of local Tai Chi group sent a cheque for £500 (total donation to date from this group now £1,100). JH suggests that we use this to fund a particular project. Any suggestions?
Verge Planting – Lime Kiln Quay, Hilly fields & Through Duncans will be part of ESDC scheme & also part of Green Veining scheme and will have signs ‘Pardon the weeds, we are feeding the bees’. Hopefully Norse contractors will only mow in New Year until April & then resume mowing in September to allow wildflowers to grow to help pollinators. We sowed wildflower/grass seed mix at Lime Kiln Quay (October) which is already growing. A failed scheme at Seckford Hall Rd has shown importance of working with residents, wildflowers have been moved from this site to Hillyfields & Through Duncans and grass seed sown. EN suggested a competition to design a Woodbridge sign to explain wildflower verges but as verges will be mown by Norse contractors but DP thought perhaps a standard sign is better. EN said there is conversation between WTC & ESDC. CS pointed out that any signs will need to be out of the way of mowers otherwise will be damaged. DP suggested that in Spring we sow wild flowers eg primroses in paper pots, seed trays to grow on to use as plug plants to enhance wildflower verges. HW would like reminders to do this and seed recommendations in Spring. Fruit Tree planting and Maintenance – new fruit trees due 1st week of Jan 2021,2 replacement trees for Balliol Close & Seckford Hall Rd, 5 for Hall Farm Close, Melton and 2 for Burness Rooms, Melton. PJ query re Orchard Close where MPC trees had died, DP thought these were going to be replaced by native trees.( Have heard that these trees have now been replaced) MW will take over from Lindsay Dann as Melton Tree warden. All Community Orchard trees have been weeded, mucked & cages checked & repaired in the last week, thanks to all involved. Woodbridge Town Council Climate and Ecological Emergency Committee (CEEC) Jane sits on this and put TW forward to do a hedge survey, completed in October by JH, DP & CS. Several TW members followed Transition Network webinars and several ideas were passed on to the CEEC. WTC is no longer planting Tiny Forests but will be tree planting & is looking for a site for a new Community Garden. Woodbridge is now an Earth Protector Town (a new national movement, Woodbridge is 3rd to sign up), this could be posted on our TW website. The movement has 5 aims, EN said WTC will issue a press release. Local food production is one of CEEC aims and to support local food networks; JH said TW would work to produce a leaflet listing local farmers, growers and food producers and local shops, restaurants etc selling and serving local food. Local, we decided, 21 miles in 2021 ( Local Transition groups project in 2012, 2013 was 30 miles in 30 days of September) Promoting local food is a basic aim of the Transition Movement- supports local economy, boosts local employment, reduces food miles, builds resilience etc CS offered to work on this along with Helen , Jonathan, Charlie, Pat, then Peter, Jessica, Sara, Hilary, Bernie and Charlotte offered to help with leaflet distribution. Thanks to all, this will be a challenging but important project. Need to get estimate of cost for JH to present to CEEC for possibility of funding from WTC for Local Food network leaflet. There are 3,200 households in Woodbridge and 1,800 in Melton. DP said important to set completion date and we settled on 31 March 2021. MW suggested leaflets could be delivered with other leaflets. Could put out call for information in local press – EADT on day when farming supplement is published? Quaker Burial Ground SN concerned with condition of this area which belongs to the Quakers but is cared for by Norse under contract from WTC. SN, MW and Lucy Pollard from Quakers had meeting there after Norse had mown the grass. SN suggests writing simplified management plan based on report by Simon Leatherdale (SWT advisor) to enhance value of Ground for wildlife. There would be a cost for some of the easier targets eg bat boxes, owl nest box. MW suggests there might be funding for the area as a place for helping patients with dementia and so could be subject of ‘green prescribing’ by GPs. MW to ask WTC clerk to check on this. Wildlife Corridors – 46 gardens now in scheme and DP has produced Woodbridge map showing these plus wildflower verges & WTC Green Veining projects. DP has also created Woodbridge map showing TW community orchards and other garden sites. CL has completed a first draft of a tree map detailing the 166 trees in the old cemetery. 58 species are listed including many interesting, mature and unusual species planted over two centuries. What began as a lockdown art/nature project to identify and map this collection has widened to include the knowledge of Martin Minta and various tree related discussions in the community. She is interested in how the trees have been seen over time at this heritage site and what we need now going forward with the need to increase biodiversity and sequester carbon. CL hopes the map will be just one aspect of a project that uses art to see things with fresh eyes leading to a re-imagining of our local area at a time of rapid change. She agreed that JH could share her work with others at the meeting and is looking for feedback on this project. Signs are needed at several tree planting areas, JH’s friend at Shotley is happy to make signs from driftwood, can we find suitable driftwood for her. Transition Town Woodbridge Archive CS asked if others thought it worthwhile to have an archive, a list of all TW projects, events both successes and failures with paper cuttings etc. A project for a TTW supporter who is perhaps not able to be involved with more active projects like tree planting and maintenance. Any volunteers out there?
Meeting finished at 8.30 Thanks to all who attended.