Marianne had a visit from her cousin, who is a member of TT Freiburg. She was keen to meet up with Transitioners in the Bournemouth/Poole area, so a group of us met at the Surf Cafe near Boscombe Pier on a sunny evening.

Sadly the beers were not local – Gwyn did ask. Not sure that the barbacue was serving local sausages either, though the mackerel were quoted as from Boscombe bay – the charts say it’s all Poole bay !

Monica introduced the structure of the Freiburg TT group. TT Freiburg is fairly new, and exploring lots of possibilities. http://www.transition-initiativen.de/group/ttfreiburg suggests they started in Jan 2011.

Freiburg TT has a number of small groups:

1. Publicity,
2. Heart Soul,
3. Guerilla Gardening, also a preserving garden produce (tomatoes/cucumbers etc.) group.
4. Equitable/ Ethical Economic Management/ethical consumption/sustainability group;
5. A steering group of 12 people who meet monthly.

TT Freiburg have a local currency linked to the Euro, but some people prefer sharing to using that currency.

There are several sub groups responsible for separate actions, that send one or two representatives to the monthly TT meetings. All the groups get together every three months.

The Garden Co-op has 200 members (who are also part of TT)

Each person paid €400 for the start-up for the gardening project to buy the tools etc. The vegetable crop is shared out between the 200 people

Members pay €30-€60 per month for the employment of a professional gardener and two helpers

They have leased 7 hectares (17.3 acres) of land, of which 2 hectares (4.9 acres) have been planted, the remaining 5 hectares soil is being improved with green compost. The lease is for 10 years with the option to buy it after 10 years. In some of the part where the veg didn’t do well they have planted wild flowers. They also have 2 polytunnels for Tomatos etc.

The site is 22 Km from the town. They have a little building in the middle of Freiburg where the veg is stored, collected and from where it is delivered by bike. Monica shared some pictures of the bikes with enormous  trailers – 16 crates laden with produce.

The co-op idea originated from the Jardin des Cocagnes (Garden of Eden), near Geneva, Switzerland. www.cocagne.ch which has been going for 30 years. (I also stumbled across another site with some delightful pictures of Swiss allotments at http://housetohaus.blogspot.com/2011/02/did-you-eat-your-veggies-today.html)

For Freiburg’s co-op see: www.gartencoop.org I contrasted that we pay £7 per year for membership of http://tatnampatch.org.uk, but we don’t get enough produce from Tatnam to feed ourselves !

Apparently a nearby town to Freiburg is trying to use a parallel currency. Andy highlighted that Totnes, Lewis and Stroud have done so in England.

I asked about the guerilla gardening. Monica said that this is mostly with consent, and often on communal land around housing developments. We have held discussions in Poole with the social housing trust, who are keen to encourage food growing on their land, but not yet happened. Also the attempts to get at least part of Turners Field into a community resource/productive garden.

They are exploring an idea of everyone being given a basic income (originated in the 1600s by an Englishman), and that each do work that they are skilled and interested in. A similar system was tried in a town somewhere in Africa for one year and was very successful. There is a film – Gruntagen – apparently the local government forced its abandonment (presumably didn’t meet their aspirations).

Other projects that TT Freiburg are considering includes looking after elderly people – in collaboration with others in a similar situation.

The city has invited TT Freiburg to help with a scheme where 400 people families are encouraged to join in reducing their carbon impact. 80 people came to the film: In Transition. Harriet contrasted the Transition Together work we have started in Poole and Bournemouth. We haven’t achieved on that scale yet – our target is 100 but recruiting is proving hard.

25% of Freiburg’s traffic are bicycles, and there is car sharing in many cities. They can use cars from other towns. Members pay €300/€400 to contribute towards buying the cars. The money also goes towards hiring someone to service the cars. They can book the car online. The same car share system works in Switzerland too. They can get all the information about the car they want to use, such as whether it has a motorway sticker for other countries like Austria or Switzerland. Freiburg has 12-15 cars. Next year they are planning to buy 2-3 electric cars. The city administration of Lorrach also use the car share facility. There are some schemes in the UK, but small numbers (Whipcar has about 8 cars in the Bournemouth/Poole area). Bournemouth and Poole have better than average UK cycling rates, but less than 10% of journeys to work are by bike. Can’t lay my hands on the figures just now.

We mentioned the Abundance scheme, started in Sheffield, which we have done in a limited way in the conurbation, and the Mors bags project.

Notes by Marianne and Andy

1st June The Green House Hotel

A mix of business, academic, public sector, voluntary and environmental folk gathered to be challenged on the topic ‘OUR COMMUNITY – OUR ECONOMY – OUR FUTURE – Something has to change’

The theme was “A Green Economy for Bournemouth and Poole”, and this started with a talk by Dr Alan Knight OBE of Southampton University followed by a chance for stimulating, lively discussion for people who live and work in the conurbation.

Dr Knight’s talk was based on this slideset

http://www.soton.ac.uk/mediacentre/features/southampton_city_lecture_2011.shtml

The challenge laid down by Dr Knight was to identify what is unique and important for Bournemouth and Poole, and how we positively engage business in delivering an agenda which they can sell to shareholders and stakeholders. Campaigning and negativity may get less progress than shining a torch and encouraging businesses towards the light. (I paraphrase, I was late to the meeting)

A Green Economy for Bournemouth and Poole

Transcription of the main points from each table’s discussions

Task :

• How to get everyone to sign up to the common goal of sustainability
• If that is satisfied then people will understand resource/energy implications.
• Benefits to be highlighted rather than the negatives

Table 1:

• Quality and upgradability of goods – What is the value relative to “Buy and Chuck”
• Joined up thinking: social, health, safety – public transport
• Public debate of the issues
• Celebrating sustainable practice
• Consider profit in more than monetary terms – welfare, good health, happiness as well as £, $
• Valuing mending and re-use
• Information on opportunities available to buisnesses e.g. car clubs (see near the bottom of our getting around page)

Table 2:

• What do we need to start looking at in B&P?
• Meaningful communication – positive messages – inspiration
  Engaging others with motivation and feelings from the heart
• Connection with those who can change things
• What can be done in “local” areas?
• Focus Attention
• Find out the options and new practicability
• What will make you act now?
• What are you willing to change/do?
• Make it easy to join in and add to the debate
• Engaging others/motivate others (and ourselves!)
• Education – and LEARNING
• Who participates? How to attract others to participate?
• Local – regional – national – global

Table 3:

What does B & P do?

• Education – hospitality – finance – travel
• Poole – port, import, fish
• Less travel? Energy reduction? Product design?
• “Sunlight” !!

Table 4:

• Bournemouth and Poole competition
• Models of organisation that work with communities
• Education, inspiration and Enlightenment – Communicating messages through medium for changing attitudes
• Green Legislation/ Political pressure

The meeting carried on upstairs in the bar, sampling local beers and further wideranging and lively discussion.

Many thanks for the Green House Hotel for hosting our event,  to Harriet for the idea, and to Gwyn and the Association of Sustianability Practitioners for running the event.

I’m sure you’re aware that there is significant unmet demand for allotments in the UK.  We did a survey of allotment waiting lists in England earlier this year, and you can access figures for any principal local council with allotments on National database.

Bob Russell, MP, has submitted for an Early Day Motion (EDM 687) for debate stating “That this House welcomes the big increase in home-grown vegetables, with seed sales up 14 per cent last year; is pleased that the number of people wanting an allotment has increased by 20 per cent in the past 12 months; is concerned that according to the National Society for Allotment and Leisure Gardeners there are 100,000 people on waiting lists for an allotment; and calls on the Government, local authorities, other public bodies and private landlords to make land available for new allotments.”  To-date 28 MPs have signed the Motion.

I’m wondering if Transition groups around the England would consider checking if their MP has signed the motion and if they have have, thank them for their support and offer to meet with them to discuss the situation in their constituency and if they haven’t, to seek their support.

Margaret Campbell, Transition West Kirby

Which is very interesting (no local MPs I could see there yet), but it led me to look more closely at our local provision. Will update in a bit, but all is not as it seems;

Have created a separate page to summarise the allotment provision across the conurbation which is constructed mostly at Borough level from the FoI requests Jan 2010 undertaken by TT West Kirby, and at detailed level by me checking websites, and emailing people.

http://transitionbh.org/todo/allotments-around-bh/

OK, so it is time for anyone who has been waiting for something practical to do to act.

Members may be aware that we (Julie on our behalf) were successful in bidding to be one of the locations to roll out the Transition Together initiative, as originated by TT Totnes.

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/transition-together

A few of us have been working to localise the handbooks that allow a small group of friends/neighbours/workmates/random souls to come together, explore the issues, and change aspects of our own lives to transition.

At a pace and in a style set by the group of maybe 8 or so households, you come together, using the workbooks, plus Transition films, fellow transitioners and anything else you think of to stimulate discussion, plan, and then act to make transition happen in your immediate surroundings.

The list goes something like
1) Getting started
2) spend less on energy
3) spend less on water
4) spend less, eat well
5) wasting away
6) getting around
7) celebrate

WHAT WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO NOW:
a) TO PARTICIPATE
b) to recruit others (maybe people who havent heard of Transition) and form your own group
c) to be prepared to help groups on any of the above topics

It is free to take part. We just need some commitment that your group will give it their best shot.

We hope that you’ll be inspired, make savings, and by the end some participants will be prepared to help promote the scheme to further groups, and support them in turn.

So if you are keen, please talk to others, maybe gather a group, and then contact Harriet, Theresa or Andy to let us know when you would like to start.

Was it the early timing, the ‘not going out on a friday night’, or meeting fatigue ? Please let us know – what would be better ?

Feedback on the Big Green Fortnight

General consensus was that it was brilliant engaging with those people who came by,
the stalls were interesting The Brigit Strawbridge talk was very interesting, over 70 people there
It was great to have the films at the Lighthouse, though a shame about technical hiccups during them

As a result of seeing the “Age of Stupid”, Amanda Hughes is putting it on at the Winchester Pub – Poole Hill, Bournemouth £3

We then talked about ‘The End of the Line’, which highlights the unsustainability of fishing, and has just been released, and “In Transition” which is a more upbeat film to show !

The Pavillion was a very poor venue, not well signed or easy to get into, and a bit out of the way. Would have been different in the rain, but poor numbers attending. Those that did were very interested. The TransitionBH area was very good, and vibrant. Well done to all.

Marks Garden was one of the highlights, and with support running teas and coffees, he was free to talk about the garden, and so apparently really enjoyed it.

The party went really well, after worries about not selling many tickets in advance.

The little green talks on the big green bus went well. Garry had 2 people sign up for a Permaculture course from his one, and Andy tempted a family to come and visit the Tatnam Patch from a comment a the end of his talk.

The BGF organisers want to have numbers of visitors to the various venues, and £ raised for charity or whatever other feedback we can muster. Will have to estimate as we weren’t counting !

The BGF is likely to happen again the year after next. It was expensive to have the Bus (which did visit a load of schools during the week). The decision depends on the councils and partnerships agreeing to do it.

Apparently 60% of the schools are signed up with Garden Organic.

We discussed having a ‘Little Green Weekend’, or may be a ‘Little Green Week’ in between, just the voluntary organisations.  End of May is a good time, a debate around whether half term week was good or bad, and likewise the bank holiday – both means some volunteers are away, there are lots of people about, but many are not locals. 4th
June is Environment Day, so could link with that. Didn’t get to a conclusion.

Possible Venues -

• Dolphin Centre in Poole – out of the weather if foul
• Sovereign Centre in Boscombe
• Party
• Shelley Park community rooms may be operational and available

There were about 35 contacts from the yellow box on the TransitionBH  stall. 21 from the bus, 14 from the Pavillion. Harriet had emailed the 21 to remind them of the party, but otherwise not progress. Andy to email them to invite to join the Google group.  (Done)

Role for TransitionBH
With the advent of Transition Poole, and hope for groups springing up in both Bournemouth and Christchurch, we discussed the ongoign role for the BH hub.
- Awareness and networking
- supporting anyone who wants to set up a local group
- socially meeting – with a purpose – green drinks is probably a good way to do this
- supporting other groups – possibly bidding for funding (but we would probably need a formal structure…)
- Skills sharing board – what you want to learn, what you would be prepared to give

We talked a bit about resources that are available
- Harriet has a library of DVDs – most of the film showings have been from these
- we could have a page of skills/information exchange on the Google Group (Done, but needs contributions !)
- free school – free skool – on the web, Vancouver and lots of other places http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_school
- using the concepts of barn raising for example encouraging pond digging, communal productive gardens
- which led onto buying pond-liner in bulk, buying wholesale food etc.

We had a discussion about having a Facebook page too – some are concerned by the commercial/advertising, but it does allow one to reach out to a wider group of people, and friends of interested people.
Not clear that people are aware you can opt not to receive the emails, but just to go to http://groups.google.com/group/transition-bh?hl=en to view posts. You need to use the ‘Edit my Membership’ on this page to change your preferences (or email Andy or Dave to help you).

Andy, Harriet and Jacki fed back on the Transition Training in Dorchester
There were some useful tools that were shared by the team from Totnes, and it was great to meet Transitioners from all around Dorset who are keen to push things forwards.
- several icebreakers
- We mapped (by moving people about) where people were from, the size of their towns, their age (which was interesting !)
- we explored the concepts of peak oil, a healthy world with fair shares, awareness raising techniques
- We explored the inner world – transition and change – you need to be self-motivated to make a difference
- a cycle of change

• precontemplation – is there a problem ?
• contemplation – what needs doing ?
• preparation – what and how ?
• action
• maintenance – and probably going back round the cycle to refine or take the next step
• termination – if unsuccessful or need to start again

- We looked at the usefulness of open space to support ideas from individuals
- we did some visioning – “meet the descendants” – what will our ideal world look like ?
- we then had a canter through what Totnes are up to. They have successes and challenges
- we created an action plan – which in our case was to try and get Transition Poole started.

Next meeting
Helen is organising, a Thursday sometime in July. Possibly in Oakdale Methodist Church to include a film showing, “End of the line”, or “In Transition”

Reminder that we have the first meeting for Transition Poole planned in the Brittania pub, at Ashley Cross for Tues 9th June 7:30pm.

Several people have expressed that they want to get down to some practical actions. This is your chance to come along and find like-minded people to get on with it, whether that be growing your own food, taking action on transport, energy, building, learning a new skill, or sharing a skill that you have.

Each of us has the power to make a little change, together we can make a real difference.

The Britannia is on Britannia Road, just down from the traffic lights at the Central, a short walk from the M1/M2 bus route.