Notes on Meeting – 15 August 07 (Note-taker: John Bristow)
Meeting Purpose, Outline and Turnout
Around 40 of us met at Brighthelm Centre for 2 hrs from 7.30.
The meeting went well and many were pleased at where we had got to by the end.
The aim was twofold to:
Form, or start to form, a Hub for the TBH network and begin to discuss its role in relation to the rest of the Network in B&H and other groups and organisations in the city, in carrying out together the tasks of the first steps of the transition journey.
Prepare to meet the Transition Network’s criteria for starting a transition within the national network, as agreed with its Funders.
Doly introduced the meeting.
John gave an update on numbers of network members (145 on email list) and the function and neighbourhood groups that people have interest in joining (sometimes putting name down for 2 or 3). Function areas cover: (1) the way how we meet basic needs links to climate change and peak oil (food, transport, buildings, energy, recycling etc – 64 people), (2) other community needs generally and in transition towards greater resilience (education and awareness raising throughout the city, community enlargement, use of arts and media, health, local economy – 48 people), (3) co-operating and joint planning with local government (8 people), community and environmental groups (16 people) and business (6 people) - and networking nationally and internationally (8 people), (4) use of science and technology (6 people). Neighbourhood groups cover 5 or so areas of B&H (101 people or 76% wanting to be in neighbourhood groups).
Steve described the first few stages in the transition process (from the primer), and went through the questions for meeting the national network criteria using the Nottingham example (a similar size city), and the typical functions of a hub group.
Questions then included:
What distinguishes the Transition Network and Transition B&H from other environment and community groups in the city? Answers included: (1) a coherent strategy to work with all groups to address the critical issues of climate change and rise in oil prices as oil passes its peak, to reduce carbon footprint and consume less energy and resources (“energy descent plan”). (2) This is a community-based network (3rd sector) that seeks to collaborate with local government and business, and leaves campaigning to others doing great work in that area already. (3) The uncertain, and potentially devastating, impacts of CC and Peak Oil together require greater local resilience across the country (much more re-localising of the economy to towns and regions, while not attempting complete self-sufficiency), and this is a key aim of the network. We focus on social and economic as well as environmental issues in addressing climate change and peak oil. A useful question which we can ask again from time to time!
Why was the 25 July meeting not made public in the Argus? We asked the Argus journalist present not to as we had not formed an organisation yet.
What are the Function and Neighbourhood groups supposed to do now? A good question that the Hub can discuss with F and N groups and others in the network, once the Hub has formed. Awareness raising across our city and neighbourhood seems to be an activity that all groups can share in during the first steps.
Creating a Shared Picture of the Transition Journey
We need to build a general picture of the transition process together, calling on the experience of towns such as Kinsale, Totnes, Stroud, and what has been distilled from this in the TT network guidelines. At the same time we can all start discussing how to go about education and awareness raising in all its aspects, both issues and solutions, with some of the 250K people in the city, including different income/age/ethnic/life style groups so that the network membership includes these. We can build relationships with existing local community-based organisations, local government, local media, schools and businesses through collaborating in this process, with a view to ongoing synergy and co-operation in the future. We have started this already – an education and awareness group formed on the 25th, and another one did at this meeting, and which will report back by website and email. Our membership has a good representation of local groups and organisations.
Building on what Steve said, based on TTNetwork guidelines (the “primer” and see also www.transitiontowns.org for examples) the next steps would be: after (or just before) an event to mark the start of the process proper (“the great unleashing”) we can develop a shared vision and direction for the transition. Then we can go on to create together both a long term plan, and a short term programme of projects, with others in government, business and the community locally, advised by our sci and tech group. Awareness raising and relationship building are key parts of the 1st stages of the transition journey leading to more specific initiatives after the shared direction and vision is in its first version or edition. These initiatives will in most cases be based on an analysis of the relevant city context and specific goals and measures and plans, with the aim of getting some some quick wins and visible results while making steps or achieving milestones in the longer term journey. Evaluation will stimulate learning-by-doing/doing-by- learning in making possible and attractive or desirable the necessary changes in life style, business practices, skills and preferred technologies. We mentioned that some external evaluation of outcome at various stages (e.g. awareness) can be conducted by local MSc students in 3 months projects for example. As a national network we can work on a regional and national scale as well, and link with others internationally.
We could start a discussion group on our transition journey.
Hub and Non-Hub Groups
After a round of introductions (we were sitting in a circle), introduced by Doly, John proposed the next phase in the meeting, as agreed by the Step 0 team planning and facilitating it: to vote with our feet in choosing whether to be (or explore being) in the hub or in a non-hub group
Participants in the hub group discussed what they might offer and what they needed to know before joining it (e.g. time commitments etc), and moved towards forming a hub group.
The non-hub group(s) were asked to discuss and report back on what they needed from the hub and what they thought the hub might need from them.
Two non-hub groups formed: an Education and Awareness Raising group (key initial activity) and a general non-Hub group, covering either function or neighbourhood groups. .
Report Back from the Hub Group
The good news is that there seem enough people ready to join the Hub now to make it work and to meet the accreditation criteria in this respect. At the same time the Hub membership is still forming: others may want to join and some of those in the Hub group on 15th are still thinking about it. 10 seem really interested and ready to join: Aisha Hannibal, Annie Baldridge, Chris Callard, Daniel Hill, David Greenop, Doly Garcia, John Bristow, Maureen Winder, Ming Wu, Stephen Watson. 2 others (who could not make it) said they might be interested. Once the network constitution and ways of operating are more established Maureen would like to withdraw as she sees her main contribution in helping us to set this up in a way that is going to attract and include people from different groups (income and ethnic etc).
We do not want too many in the core hub as we would not be able to have participative discussions – 12 as an upper limit was suggested. Others may play a co-ordinating role without attending hub meetings.
This Hub will need to have a number of people committed to stay in it until the launch conference (the “unleashing” as Rob Hopkins calls it) – and this is part of the accreditation criteria. Continuity of membership and a size small enough for discussions with all participating are probably essential conditions for the Hub to work effectively. But others who had necessary skills to offer that are not already in the Hub may well join in. After the launch (that could be 6 months to a year away) function groups will be more key, and need to be represented in the Hub full-time. So the Hub will be open again for a change of membership.
Those who have put themselves forward for the Hub will share very short bio details as part of the accreditation process. But we know already that the potential Hub group includes: a BPEC leader, B&H Food Partnership team member, a Futurist, knowledge of setting up inclusive 3rd sector organisations, Peak Oil writer, Local Businessman (recycling), Advisor on leadership and organising for societal change, Permaculture knowledge, International representative (China). 5 men and 5 women. Younger and Older people.
We began to start discussing what our tasks are, how we need to operate and some ground rules, and we would like to carry on and share these discussions with the network as a whole – e.g. through our website and at our meetings (“How do we want our Hub to be? What does the rest of the network need from it and what does it need from the network to do what we need to do together?) Visit our website now to join these discussions or email our email co-ordinator if you cannot get on the website (see end of these notes)
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The Hub’s initial task is to go through the accreditation criteria to become an official Transition Initiative in the national network. We will also need to set up Transition Brighton and Hove as an organisation (trust or charity or other), and a constitution. Then we can discuss funding and budgets etc.
The Hub role will be to co-ordinate the activity and decisions of the network as a whole so that thinking, decisions and activities are joined up where they need to be, the experience and skills of the network are best used, and people feel heard and involved, and able to influence what we decide and do. We said we want there to be an open, visible and transparent communication and decision processes in the Hub to enable this to happen, and trust to be established and maintained. We will through our meetings, website and emails help people network and link together; self-organise, yet link back to the Hub and align with our shared direction.
We had a whole group phase and then Hub and Other groups phase, followed by whole group again at the end in our TB&H Network meeting on 15th. This format might work well for a while, especially in shared activities such as awareness raising, and then later for key decisions, as it enables the Hub both to work alone and with others in the same meeting, and immediately co-opt people outside the Hub as needed. With website discussions before and after these meetings on questions that emerge as important, and communication about meeting agendas and outcomes through the website and by email, we will endeavour to involve the whole network in the processes of forming our organisation and making plans and decisions. People will know which general network meetings they want to attend.
At the same time if meetings are to be effective they need to be planned and facilitated, with notes taken and later disseminated. We have been doing this as a Step Zero team as best we can and others will need to take on this role, so that we share the role between us (often 2 or 3 people for each larger group meeting).
For the Hub itself, Natasha Thoday has agreed to act as a facilitator for the time being while not being a member of it. Any lead or chair roles are likely to be taken up by different Hub members at different times.
Tasks that the Network needs to carry out, together with Others in the City
o Through awareness raising “shepherd and nurture” a sense of urgency and mobilise the energy for active participation in transition amongst more people in Brighton and Hove, reaching all parts of the community.
o Form effective function groups (e.g. in the 12 areas already identified by us).
o Establish strong connections with other community and environmental groups, local businesses, schools, public service agencies, universities and research centres, the city council, and others, starting with collaboration in the awareness raising itself
o Get training and advice from the national network
o Support other towns and cities in the network.
o Carry out other key activities in the early stage of transition (as we get a clearer picture of our journey – see above)
Report Backs from the non-Hub Groups
Someone from each group has agreed to write up the meeting notes from flipcharts and put them on the website and send them to John for emailing around the members of the network. Here are some of the initial points made in the wrap-up at the end:
On what they need from the Hub:
Info on the knowledge and skills of Hub members (to be met as part of accreditation process).
Way of finding out what the programme of activities and meetings of TBH is without going to the website or receiving e-mails e.g. advertisement in the Argus.
A constitution with democratic and inclusive principles – and maybe start with a relevant template used elsewhere.
Trasparent processes for decision making etc, with opportunity for input
Specific to the Education and Awareness Group:
Aims, targets and syllabus for awareness raising agreed with Hub.
Exchanges with other transition towns and cities on what worked best on peak oil or climate change.
“Give us a steer”
On what they think the Hub needs from them:
Some report back from Function and Neighbourhood groups (using website).
Suggestion: Representatives from each Function group attending every 3rd or 4th Hub meetings (taking it in turns so that there are not too many at once). (In fact once we are up and running this Hub membership will change and Function group representatives will need to be in it).
Discussions about Organising and Planning on our Website
One discussion group has been set up following this meeting and others are being started:
How do we want our Hub to be? What does the rest of the network need from it and what does it need from the network to do what we need to do together? (see above). The Hub’s role will be formed in relation to the rest of the network and other stakeholders, community groups and partners in the city, in collaborating to fulfil our purpose.
Agenda setting and Planning for Meetings
Education and Awareness raising (building on the report backs from both 25 July and 15 Auguest meeting), and the possible roles of neighbourhood groups and function groups in this, together with the education and awareness raising group.
Next Meeting and its Purpose
This is on Wed 29th August 7.30-9.30 Brighthelm Centre.
We are discussing the agenda on the website and in the planning and facilitation group for this meeting. Nat and Doly have agreed to plan, facilitate and arrange for report back on this meeting. If you want to contribute to agenda forming please put any of your ideas on to the website or email them back to me John Bristow (address on the email I sent round to us all) and I will forward them to Nat and Doly.
The main aims of this meeting are likely to be:
To address key questions in forming the network and hub, getting input from the website discussion. Complete the accreditation process. Agree membership and initial tasks in the Hub. Others wanting to be in the Hub but who have not attended so far are particularly welcome.
To plan the first steps in awareness raising, in collaboration with others in the community (local schools and universities, local media, local businesses, local government, other environmental and community groups - linking to what they are doing already while focusing on climate change and peak oil); using the experience of other towns and cities in the network (including use of specific CDs and expert panels). Role of our “science and technology” group, the "education and awareness" group, neighbourhood groups and other key function groups in the network in the awareness raising process.
To get ideas and input of whole group on 1st version of our website.
Website and email Communications
Sam Watts has kindly set up a domain name for us – done in the pub after the meeting on the 15th. This links automatically to our google website for now until we set up it up properly. Our website is:
http://www.transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk
We will need website moderators – probably eventually one in each main function group.
I am prepared to handle the e-mail communications for the time being as I have the lists on my address book. john.bristow1@btopenworld.com tel 01273 820543.
Notes on Meeting – 15 August 07
