TRANSITION WOODBRIDGE MEETING IN ELMHURST PARK MINUTES 23rd JULY 2021
Present: Deb, Ethna, Sara, Jackie S, Jonathan, Peter, Carol, Hilary, Jane
Apologies: Martin, Greg, Bernie, Eamonn, Catherine, Charlie, Mel, Helen, Aiden, Kerry, Jessica, Stephen, Pat, Rachel, SueO, Jan, SueG, Pam
Local Food Project Suffolk Digital at Martlesham printed 7,500 leaflets which Woodbridge TC & Melton PC are paying for and they gave us an extra 500, no charge. Dan has sent invoice for £50 for design work, Deb to pay him. Volunteers have completed delivery of leaflets around Woodbridge and Peter is organising delivery in Melton with more volunteers. Carol is planning a get together for all involved to thank for support. 3 – 5 pm, Elmhurst Park, Thursday, 29 July. Carol and Jane looking into chance of following-up leaflet with talks, discussions etc possibly as part of a 2nd Climate Summit which WTC CEEC may organise in 2022. Lesley Sharman of St Audry’s Sports club has suggested a Food Fair with stalls for producers & retailers listed in the leaflet. We discussed this, no objection and Sunday 3 October was chosen as good date, weekend following Aldeburgh Food Festival. Carol to talk with Lesley. If agreed we shall organise publicity. Melton parish council are going to put the leaflet pdf on their website and it is hoped that Woodbridge Town Council will do the same. It could be easily updated that way. Sara suggested that Woodbridge Town Council should have a dedicated area on their website for climate emergency work – Jane said she had already suggested it but would do so again at the next CEEC meeting.
Deben River Festival 7th-15th August This is being organised by River Deben Association and Matt from Woodbridge Boatyard had approached us to take part. Jane will approach Greg about having space at the car free day on 14th August (when barn dance takes place) and Whisstocks. Matt is happy for us to be outside the Woodbridge Boatyard anytime during the period. Hilary has approached art and photo clubs and people are creating boards under the title “the sea starts here” which will be lightweight and portable to various future events along with a wonderful quiz game created by her and her son-in-law. Thanks Chris! Hilary and Jonathan have devised a method to show off the boards, Deb to reimburse Hilary £50 for the cost of the quiz, Hilary has free butt pouches from Gemma Holt at Suffolk Waste Partnership. Hilary to research more cigarette butt containers,either free or to sell on a stall. Volunteers to help will be needed.
Opera in Park 12th September Nick will be having some workshops beforehand to create recycled costumes. Transition will have a stand using the quiz and boards from the festival. Volunteers to help will be needed.
Repair Café 6th September This will start up again, risk assessment permitting, on Monday 6th September from 10-12. It will only be the Repair Café as the Hub will be elsewhere. So Jen, Colin, Milly and Tiffany (when she can) have been recruited to help with “reception”. “Reception” will now include people helping with refreshments alongside a volunteer from St Johns as well as getting forms filled up and directing people to repairers. Jane to ask ESC for start-up funding for leaflets.
Great Big Green Week 18-26 September Events so far 18th September bike ride by those who want to using Pam’s map to Tunstall where Karen and villagers are organising a one day event with tea and refreshments. The bike ride would be down to individuals to undertake. Jane had been hoping to encourage people to use the Woodbridge family friendly cycling route devised by Martin and Laura on the WTC CEEC as it was a shorter ride but so far that had not materialised so she thought it would be best to just keep it to going to Tunstall by bike if possible, but otherwise by car. Carol said it needed advertising.
19th September Transition will have a stall at the Churches Together event in Kingston Fields with the quiz and encouraging families to make hats with recycled objects from Nick’s opera and other items we’ve all collected. Volunteers will be needed to help. Jane to ask Jason if he will come in his “suit”.
25th September will be the Martlesham Climate Summit which we will advertise spaces for as soon as we have details from Dave at Martlesham council.
Community Fruit Tree Harvesting – Foxburrow Farm 10th October Everyone was keen to help with picking fruit….have to see what this year’s harvest brings….Jane will check what’s available. Deb has a fruit press if we want to use it. Use Betsy’s press at Foxburrow Farm. Volunteers will be needed.
Jetty Lane rewilding Cordelia, Jane, Deb and Pam had agreed a plan of action on the rewilding starting with delineating the areas to rewild with logs. Carol, Hilary and Deb had worked with Farlingaye sixth formers on tining, ID of plants, litterpicking and covering logs with chippings on the site. It was hoped the sixth formers would also help with planting seeds/plants in the autumn. Cordelia had approached Greenprint Forum for funding to help provide cycle racks, water harvesting, plants/seeds, upcycled benches, explanation board for the site.
Update on Recycling points in the area Poppy’s Pantry are now a Terracycle hub for everything. The pens currently recycled at the Library and Post Office and the toothbrushes recycled at the Eco-Refill shop can be taken there for recycling rather than being taken by Mel to other recycling points although Mel is still happy to do this. Carol was hoping to persuade the pharmacy to have a box for blister pack recycling.
Woodbridge Town Council Climate and Ecological Emergency Committee Martin has been appointed Chair of the committee. A Sub-group has been created to decide what projects to progress rather than using the old spreadsheet. A focus on the river and sea levels, ecological recording and monitoring, plastic reduction, checking on tree planning applications where trees are to be removed so far. Question for Jane to ask next time: if Woodbridge is prepared for very heavy rain event without there being serious and disruptive flooding. We are aware of blocked drains, gulleys full of debris & culverts carrying streams are backing up indicating that they are blocked. We need to collect photographic evidence.
Connected Communities planting Transition now have the funding for plants/seeds for this East Suffolk Council Good Neighbours Scheme for 6 parishes. Transition (Deb and Jane) will collect together the orders after helping each parish once they have chosen where they want to plant and what they want to plant
Any other business
Waste Food bins Hilary mentioned someone had approached Transition with concern about East Suffolk’s changes to the food waste recycling. Most people had received the East Suffolk Council letter of explanation where peelings can still be put in green bins but COOKED FOOD cannot. Carol will respond to the concerned resident.
Thanks to everyone who came and contributed in the lovely park setting even if it did get a bit chilly in the end. However the weather was kind to us.