Transition Brighton and Hove monthly newsletter • 25 January 2008
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Welcome to the first Transition Brighton and Hove newsletter – this is going to be a monthly affair, to let you know what's been happening over the preceding weeks, and what events are coming up in the future. Please feel free to forward to anyone who may be interested...
Transition Brighton & Hove news
• Jo and Charley from the TBH hub have attended a weekend-long training session by Transition Network trainers from Totnes, the first Transition Town. They will be presenting what they have learned to everyone sometime soon.
• Last week 30 members of TBH attended a free workshop on Sustainable Neighbourhoods run for us by the New Economics Foundation, which produced a number of ideas for energy-reducing projects. Details will be available on the website soon.
• A programme of transition-related film screenings and talks is being put together to raise public awareness of peak oil and climate change – keep coming back to the website (www.transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk) to see when these are, and encourage your friends and families to go see them (some films are already organised, see upcoming events below).
• Following the council's decision to ban plastic bags at the end of last year, TBH member Chloe Hanks (who runs the website www.plasticbagfreebrighton.co.uk) is raising public awareness by screening the film that kicked off the banning of plastic bags in Modbury, Devon (see upcoming events below).
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Transition Interest Groups news and requests for help
The Food, Waste & Recycling, Transport, Buildings & Construction, Business & Economics, Transport and Textiles & Clothing groups have all now held their first meetings – you can read the notes from these from the main page of the website – click on the labels in the right hand column to find the group you want.
• Food group: the Food group aims to increase the amount of food grown and consumed locally, and to raise awareness of the impacts the food system has on the environment. The group, which has met twice so far, is already planning some exciting and informative events for city residents. Our first event will be a whole day, Saturday 12 April 2008, dedicated to sharing our knowledge and learning more about food issues. The day will include a film screening, talks, seed planting demonstrations, and more. Please check the TBH website for more details as our plans develop!
Anyone is welcome to join the Food group, so please do come along if you're interested. Our next meetings are Tuesday 12 February and Tuesday 11 March, both 7:30-9:30pm. Venue to be confirmed soon, so please keep an eye on the website. There will also be an adult day-school around food-related issues on 12th April, venue tba. Agendas and notes from previous meetings will also be available on the website (click on the 'food' label in the right hand column to see our postings). For more info on the Food group, contact Ann at ann*at*bhfood.org.uk or on 01273 431700
• Energy group: the Energy group has its first meeting planned for 8pm on Sun 10 Feb at the Sanctuary cafe. Please keep an eye on the website for confirmation.
• Transport group: Call for guinea pigs for the Car-Free Week Experiment. The Transport group is looking for homes that use a car regularly for a radical experiment: life without a car. This is your chance to find out if it is possible or not. If you commit to try to abandon the car for a week, you will get all our support, and a perfect opportunity to make your voice heard about the issues that stop you from making that huge lifestyle change. If you are interested, please get in touch with webmaster*at*transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk.
• Business & Economics Group: we are acutely aware that not all of us can come to meetings all the time; we have now met twice but everyone (including non-members) is very welcome to feed thoughts into the discussion on the forum (see link at bottom) or email Martin at martin*at*greenspeak-brighton.org.uk (07891 571739). It has been enjoyable and inspiring so far, with a great bunch of people. We've spent some time getting to know each other, our skills and dreams and working out what the purpose of the group will be and how we will go about working together. Our meetings have been balanced with a film and talks. We want to ensure that we are effective and imaginative, aiming high yet with achievable goals, that the process should be fun and even playful. The next stage is to start thinking about our objectives for the next 6, 12, 60 months. It's all very fluid, but now is a great time to share your ideas. Next meeting - all very welcome: Wed 13 Feb at 7.15pm . Brighton Media Centre, Suite 4, 68 Middle St, Brighton (opp Hop Poles pub)
• Waste & Recycling group: the group is to be involved in a public meeting on the subject of waste and recycling, to be arranged probably in early summer – details to be honed at next meeting; and also involved in a Buy Nothing Day/Reskilling Day, booked in as part of the Cowley Club's Brighton Festival activities on Saturday May 10th 2008. The next group meeting will be at the Cowley Club on Monday 11 February at 6pm. Contact Jessica at waste*at*transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk for more details.
• Textiles and Clothing group: we have had a number of meetings. One of the projects in the pipeline: Swaparamarama, an event on Saturday, April 26. It will be a big clothing swap shop with workshops for revamping, customising, mending etc, and some awareness raising, probably a film related to the clothing industry. We'll be holding a planning meeting at the end of January/beginning of February. Anyone interested in helping run the event or contributing ideas please contact katneeser*at*hotmail.com or telephone Kat 07958 964810. Keep an eye on the forum for more information on this group's activities.
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other general requests for help
• Film screenings: a group has been set up to arrange a programme of film screenings of transition-related films (such as The End of Suburbia, Power of Community, What a Way to Go, etc). The group would like to hear from anyone who can help with venues, projectors, publicity, etc. Also planned for the future is screening films to existing community groups as a prompt for starting Neighbourhood groups around the city. If you are part of a community group and would like to host a screening, please let the group know. Contact Chris at webmaster*at*transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk or on 01273 746797. Also if you can help with the Permaculture Film Showings in the studio at Ralli Hall Farmers Market (see Upcoming events) please contact Kat at katneeser*at*hotmail.com or on 07958 964810.
• Blog writers: Sarah Lewis, the editor of Rocks magazine (www.rocksmagazine.co.uk) has offered up to four of us the opportunity to make our voices heard on the 'Rocks' blogsite. If you reckon your typing fingers are mightier than a sword, send us your stories to webmaster@transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk and we'll publish them on the Transition B&H site, with a good chance they will be accepted by Sarah. For tips on how to write a blog, see here:
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Upcoming events
Sun 3 February – Films + speakers: Hawai'i – Message in the Waves at Duke of Yorks
Plastic Bag Free Brighton are screening Hawai'i – Message in the Waves at 1.30pm on Sun 3 February at the Duke of York cinema, Preston Circus, the film made by Rebecca Hosking that kick started the successful Modbury plastic bag-free campaign. Free entry/donations.
More details
watch trailer
Sun 3 Feb – Seedy Sunday
Community seed swap at 3pm in Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove. Plus talk about Seedy Sunday by Alice from Trapese.
More details
Thu 14 Feb – TBH interviewed on Radio Reverb 97.2 FM
Interview at 12 noon with Chris and Stephen from the TBH hub
Sun 2 Mar – Permaculture Film Showings in the studio at Ralli Hall Farmers Market (by Hove Station)
From 10.30am till 3pm. Grab your shopping and a cup of tea and watch some inspiring Transition-related short documentaries. For more information and if you can help contact Kat at katneeser*at*hotmail.com or on 07958 964810
Thu 6 March – Film + discussion: What a Way to Go at Duke of Yorks
What a Way to Go: A middle class white guy comes to grips with Peak Oil, Climate Change, Mass Extinction, Population Overshoot and the demise of the American Lifestyle. At 6.30pm on Thu 6 March at the Duke of York cinema, Preston Circus, followed by a discussion in Circus Circus.
watch trailer
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General information
Meetings: the next general meeting is on Wed 30 January at The Werks, 45 Church Street, Hove (map)
Dates of TBH general meetings can always be found on the main page of the website
Joining Transition Interest Groups (Food, Transport, Energy, etc): either sign up in the Usergroups on the forum – how to do this here – your email address will be passed on to the group coordinator who will let you know about future meetings. You can also contact the group coordinators directly, see here.
Forum: please remember to add your news, opinions and suggestions to the discussions on the forum – this is the place where ideas for projects and collaborations can begin:
Contact details: contact emails for all hub members and group coordinators are available here.
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