Notes by Stephen Watson
The purpose of the meeting was to try to work out how to keep people more engaged with what is going on in TBH.
How did you hear about this meeting tonight?
Web site: 1 + 1/2 + 1/2
Word of mouth: 1 + 1/2
Hub: 7
Green Party Meeting: 1 + 1/2
Mailing list: 1
(The 1/2 was people who heard about it one way and check it via another)
Why did you come to this meeting tonight?
Very involved
A sense of involvement with it
I Care about it
A sense of responsibility
Importance of the process
Nurturing the Transition seedling
Community
Responsibility to community
To make a difference to our future
Worked in community development for years. Wanted to find out more, so as to be more useful helping Ann on Saturday. Out of work at the moment, so has some free time. has ideas about ways of changing environment. Only way we can change if we stop consuming so much.
Involved last year in a group trying to setup an eco-village. Group ended.
Get back involved.
Knew about Transition Towns from Permaculture and prompted me to get involved.
Don't just think about it - do it!
Aware that things are beginning to get urgent now - go on paying lip service rather than action for this.
Needs to come from grassroots - government has no real commitment.
To keep up with what's going on
Good movement
Challenges of the coming meltdown
Extremely worried about the coming 'meltdown'
Don't think that groups / lobbyists / government is up to the challenge
Overarching group rather than a single issue
All other work part of TT anyway
Determined to come to every meeting since the first one - I'm a stubborn person
Was going to come to the meeting anyway - but no expectations
Addicted to Transition meetings
Nothing on TV
Connection with FairTrade
To get back into the loop and the bigger group instead of just attending small interest groups
Interested in starting up a young people's group
Keep in touch with what everybody's doing
To see new faces: more energy coming into the group
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How can we contact various people in Brighton?
Local papers
Radio (Reverb)
Flyers at (Community) Libraries
Discussions at Community and Forum Groups
Activist and Community Groups
Coffee meetings
Community Newsletters
Stickers
Performance
Viral marketing
Stalls
Speakers
Graffiti
Political engagement
Schools
Publicity Stunts
Multimedia pack
Film making
DVD Club
Film screenings
Working with other Activist Groups
1) Join B&H Community or Voluntary Sector Forum
a) Update on newsletter
b) Work with them on Climate Change & Peak Oil
2) Use Brighton Activist Network website - Sign In. Provide a diary of meeting dates
3) Stalls at events:
Interfaith Group
World Fair Trade Day
Wave event in Preston Park
Events such as Gay Pride
Hove Farmers' market
4) Facilitating TB&H Interest Groups seeking mutual interest & ??? with other local groups active in their areas
5) Events with other local groups i.e.
Speakers
WDM Transition Town Talk
Send invites to similar people & organisations
We support their events
7) Use vision/EDAP process to talk & engage with people and organisations. Get their contributions - set questions
Discussions at Community Groups and Forums (Outreach)
Brighton Youth Service ( web site) - every Estate has a centre
Detached
Centre-based
Drop-in
Care Centres
Day Centres - Millview hospital may have list
Elderly Homes
Supported Housing
Community Base
High Rise Action Group
Islamic and other ethnic groups
EB4U BME officers
Probation Service
Community Centres (lunch clubs, other courses, etc.)
Being sensitive to other cultures (esp. norms) and being proactive - go into other people's "realm"
Flyer Tesco + ASDA
National Trust
RSPB - more members than any political party!
Volunteer Bureau on Western Road
Film Showings
What?
Power of Community
Crude
Message in the Waves
An Inconvenient Truth
*Crude Awakening*
What a Way To Go (certainly not for everyone - maybe home showings?)
Story of Stuff
End of Suburbia
Where?
Brighton Unemployed Centre Family Centre
Duke of York's
Alicats
The Cowley Club
Friends Meeting House
'Village' halls / Community Centres
Who?
Job descriptions?
Roles to attract & keep new members before you lose them
Refreshments (Vegan) - vegan ice cream. (for Funding)
How?
A film screening group within TB&H
Schools and Youth Groups
Hook up with Project Genie
Council - Eco schools - nature, recycling
Local food - after school cookery club
Half day conference - ???? energy descent plan conference for kids
Develop workshops - performance, hands-n workshops. Storytelling.
Youth Groups - Woodingdean / Whitehawk
Cowley Club, Scouts, Woodcraft Folk, Guides, YMCA
Impact Initiatives Youth Group, Council run youth services
Youth Clubs
Kids Clubs
Home education kids
Workshop / Storytelling
TT youth group
Figure out key people with TT
Find out exactly what other groups are doing and get help
Developing workshops / curriculums
Trial with youth groups
Funding - lots of it available for kids / youth stuff
Launch TBH 'Youth' Group
Sign up here:
Jo Nean
Beth Tilson
Jon Seagrave (may co-ordinate)
Vicky Wakefield-Jarret
Sarah Flyn
Who are some of the groups we can we contact in Brighton?
Office workers
Homeless
Unemployed & working class
Commuters
Middle classes
Supermarket workers
Rich people
Elderly
Teachers
Anarchists
Food growers
Clubbers
Techie people
Hospital users / workers
Students
Alternative Therapists
Faith groups
Children
Local businesses
Tourism workers
Residents' groups
(Ex-) Offenders
Gay community and other 'Communities of Interest'
Parents
Vulnerable Groups - elderly, long-term care, disabilities
Aristocracy
Animals!
Vulnerable Groups
Includes: disabled / elderly / long-term care / offenders / homeless
Be inclusive
How are they involved? What can they offer?**
Opportunity for input - their experiences, their dreams
We are moving to a new future; how would this affect these groups?
Impacts of energy & food scarcity
Rising costs of living
What do we plan for?
How to provide resilience & security for these groups?
Do we need new ways of providing care & housing and keeping people involved in the community - creating a sense of community.
** Ask for their involvement in skill transfer or exchange. The art of living in a different time is something to share.
Skill swaps with the elderly (one on one sessions, days of skill swapping as an event)
Tomorrow's home - reflecting on the 1940s e.g. home but future looking
Unemployed and Working Class
Where?
Brighton Unemployed Family Centre
Unemployed Workers Centre
Community Centres (Whitehawk, The Bridge, Bristol Estate)
Getting people involved in events that are already going. Increase involvement in allotment, cookery classes, Great reskilling etc.
Energy generation
1st Event: raising awareness about PO & CC
Film: The Story of Stuff, Crude, The Power of Community
Suburbanite
Money / Capitalist
'Chinks in a cosy existence'
morsbags given out
Watch 'The End of Suburbia' - ad in bag
Children's performance about Peak Oil / CC. A lovely sustainable future outside supermarket / in a park
How to connect with commuters
Trains
Written info / flyers at train station. Free newspapers; add into metro / Argus Lite
Flyers at stations - 7am
Flyer typical commuter houses?
Flyer with a bisucit ( & a smile) - made by the Food Group
Content:
Tell commuters about working from home - info about how you can work from home - government info on this
Flexible working laws (women especially)
Cars
School runs
Support no car day - dangerous to cross the road during a school run
Work with schools - want to reduce school runs for environmental reasons
Make walking to schools safer
Work with schools to make the area around schools safer
No car day once a week as a target. Create a 'critical mass' & pattern of behaviour
Council - Zebra crossings, pavements, "Brighton not built for cars"
Bus Drivers
Educate them to be safer and more aware
Promote more cycle safety
Promote bike use - subsidise bike schemes. Estate Agents!
Bio fuels address power that a car holds - how do you make bio fuel
Bikes as a status symbol
Selling green as fashionable - cloth bags are a good example of this
Notes from TBH general meeting – Wed 9 April
