TBH newsletter – May 2008

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News

First TBH public talk
On 17 April TBH held the first of its public talks, with Jeremy Leggett talking on peak oil and Jim Watson on options for generating energy locally. The talk was well-attended, but for those who missed it a YouTube video will soon be available to watch on the website.

Introduction to Brighton & Hove sessions
If you want to know more about what Transition Towns and Transition Brighton and Hove are about, and learn more about climate change and peak oil, we will soon be running introductory sessions. If you are interested in attending please contact introsessions*at*transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk so we can get an idea of numbers.

Transition Network conference
The Transition Network Conference was held at the beginning of April in Cirencester. There are now 50 Transition Towns/Cities around the country with more than 600 thinking about become one, and the conference may be becoming so large that smaller, regional conferences will be necessary next year...

Transition Library
There is now a category on the forum when people can offer to lend, and borrow, books on transition-related subjects. If you have books on climate change, peak oil and other relevant subjects and think others will benefit from reading them, please offer to lend them out. Lending/borrowing arrangements at the top of the forum.

TBH allotment
TBH has been offered its own allotment, next door to Whitehawk Community Food Project on the top of Whitehawk Hill. There are many ways we could use this, from growing food to teaching people how to, running workshops, etc. You are invited to get involved, the allotment needs everyone from those with skills in permaculture design down to those who don't even know what a trowel is but want to learn in a friendly community allotment. It's just brambles at the moment, but if you'd like to have a hand in deciding it's future and get involved in any capacity please contact Jo at allotment*at*transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk to come to the first meeting.

Transition Interest Groups news

The dates of all Transition Interest Group meetings are on the website. (If you want to see meetings just for the area you are interested in, click on the link under 'Search Posts by Area of Interest', further down the page in the right hand column.)

Requests for help

TBH is not really about the coordinating group initiating projects and recruiting help – it's more about people who are part of TBH providing help for your own projects. If you have an energy-reducing project that you need help with, if you have a pie-in-the-sky dream and you want to throw ideas around about it with other people, please advertise them here (by replying to this email), and it will go out in the next newsletter.

Researching the Energy Descent Action Plan
The Energy Descent Action Plan is the document that TBH will be drawing up over the coming months and years, which will be our blueprint for how Brighton & Hove will take steps to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and become more resilient to future energy scarcity. The Transition Interest Groups (Food, Transport, Energy, etc) are beginning to research all the ideas that groups and individuals in Brighton & Hove have for this. We want to know your ideas, what you are excited about doing to reduce energy use, so that a framework can be drawn up for the Plan. Please contact the group coordinators with your own and your groups ideas – contact email addresses for each group are here.

Skills inventory
There are more than 300 people on the TBH mailing list, but we don't know what skills and talents you all have with which we could be helping each other! So we would like to make a 'skills inventory', so that when people are looking for particular skills for future projects there are people they can call upon. So if you are a carpenter/copy writer/wind turbine builder/graphic designer/cook/Farsi teacher/anything else please let the skills inventory know. The way to do this is on the forum. Log in (if you have lost your log in details, or are having problems logging in, please send an email to webmaster*at*transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk), click on 'Profile' in the top bar, and fill in the 'Occupation' or 'Interests' boxes with the skills you have. This will add to a searchable skills database.

Support for TBH from Radio 4A
Local independent Brighton radio station Radio 4A have been welcome supporters of Transition Brighton and Hove's aims and objectives, and are keen to interview anyone putting on transition-related events to promote your activities. They would also like to receive regular updates about TBH activities. If you'd like to take them up on this please contact Debbie at debbie_mallard*at*yahoo.co.uk.

Neighbourhood groups

TBH Neighbourhood groups are gradually forming, often as part of existing community groups. If you are interested in starting a Transition neighbourhood group in your area, please contact hub@transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk. Or you are already part of a community group and would like a member of TBH to come talk to your group about transition towns, please contact talks*at*transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk

Upcoming events

For Upcoming Events see the main page of the website.

General information

Joining Transition Interest Groups (Food, Transport, Energy, etc): either sign up in the Usergroups on the forum – how to do this here – or 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.

Brighton & Hove Green organisations index: the TBH website has a updated directory of green Brighton organisations, including campaign groups, awareness-raising literature and training, local produce suppliers, transport alternatives and lots more.

Contact details: contact emails for all hub members and group coordinators are available here.