Norwich FarmShare talk- 25 February

As well as running a hedge-planting workday on 24th February (all welcome), Norwich FarmShare will be relating their experiences of this unique city CSA at  the next meeting of the Norwich Organic Group.

Connecting community with food growing on 7 acres: Our story so far with grower,  Tierney Woods
Members of the social enterprise will share their experience of creating a community-run vegetable growing business. The growers, Transitioners and volunteers will be telling their grassroots story of how the farm got started, how everyone has learned about the site and soil, how people have benefited from being on the land and find out about opportunities to get involved.

All welcome; £2 entry for people who are not members of NOG. If you’re a member of FarmShare and you’d like to come along for free, please email us.

 Date:7.30pm Monday 25 February Venue: Friends’ Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane, Norwich NR2 1EW (next to St Giles Car Park)

The Common Room - 23 February

“The Common Room” is a series of Norfolk-based community popup days, open to all, creating innovative projects and events. Following on from the successful prototype day last November, we will be hosting another day of making, learning, sharing and socializing at the 15th Century St Laurence’s Church in St Benedict’s Street, Norwich, on Saturday, 23rd February, 2013, from 11am until 4pm.

The Common Room is an experiment in creating a community space, made and shaped through local collaboration, connection and resourcefulness: a social engine room for developing our community’s ideas and projects. It was initially created by Social Spaces and 00:/ in partnership with the Churches Conservation Trust, and is now run by a Norwich based community group formed from some of those who were deeply inspired by the prototype day.

Just a few of the events on Saturday, 23rd February, will include: a trade school, weaving, origami, herbs for resilience, disruptive education, grassroots communications and media, a book exchange, pod building, DIY events, a speaker’s corner, maker’s market, music and food workshops, as well as a chance to meet and talk with other interesting members of our community over a cup of tea and launch your own ideas!

For further information contact Jeppe Graugaard jeppegraugaard@gmail.com

Logging for Stove Wood 2/3 March

A Norwich-based 2-day course in safe use of a chainsaw, cross-cutting,splitting and stacking with local forester and conservationist, Paul Jackson. Selection of trees for coppicing/trimming/felling, designed for those wishing to maintain or enhance biological diversity of a copse or woodland. It also includes processing and preparing stove wood from bulk supplies.

This two-day course is designed as:

*     Introduction to the safe domestic use of a chainsaw
*     Chainsaw cleaning and general maintenance
*     Use of different types of hand-saw
*     Cross-cutting
*     Wood-splitting - maul/wedge/fro
*     Introduction to woodland management
*     Coppicing
*     Replanting
*     Wood-stacking and weather protection for optimal seasoning

This is an ideal course for those wishing to maintain or enhance
biodiversity in a copse or woodland using a chainsaw.  It also includes
processing and preparing your own supply of stove wood from bulk
supplies.

This course does not cover mature tree felling and is not suitable for
those people who use a chainsaw in an industrial capacity

Please bring PPE safety equipment with you.  If you can't please tell us
and we will aim to accomodate at this end.  Chainsaw not essential but
if you already have one then do bring it.
 

Lunch and tea/coffee/biscuits provided. 09:30 - 16:30  each day 
Limited places, booking essential Total cost: £150  For further 
details and booking contact: Deepak Rughani parkhouse@fastmail.co.uk

Transition Free Press Issue 1 is here

The Transition Free Press has published its first edition today. 10,000 copies of the new Spring issue are now being distributed throughout the UK. 24 pages of news, reviews, comments and cartoons, as well as dedicated pages to land rights, education, food, well-being, arts and community. Do check out our on-line version:

http://issuu.com/transitionfreepress
 
Transition Free Press is written by transitioners from the UK to Japan to Europe and the Americas. This issue includes an article on the Magdalen Street Celebration by our own Chris Hull, reviews by TN bloggers, Mark Watson and Simeon Jackson and is edited by Charlotte Du Cann (who will all be distributing hard copies in the city from mid-month). Copies will also be available at The Common Room on 23rd February at St Lawrence's, Benedict Street. Cover price, £1.

Lists of stockists, events and distributors for the paper is here

If you enjoy what you read, do become a Friend of TFP and help the newspaper crew continue with Issue 2 (May). Our crowd-funding campaign ends on 14th Feburary and would welcome a boost. If you prefer offline donations, please contact Jay Tompt jay@transitionfreepress.org.uk Many thanks!

TRANSITION FREE PRESS – REPORTING THE MOVEMENT.

Norwich FarmShare - Job vacancy for grower

Tierney, one of our two growers, is off to pastures new- so we’re looking for another grower. Could that be you?

Norwich FarmShare are looking for an experienced grower to join our team. You will be responsible, alongside our existing Grower, for planning and growing a year-round supply of vegetables for our Community Supported Agriculture project, located just outside Norwich. We want a great communicator, who’s passionate about  involving our members and the wider community in our CSA. Our existing membership is around 90, and we look to expand this in the course of the next year to 130 members.

Hours & wage: we are looking for a grower to work around 18 hours a week in winter, rising to 35 hours in summer. The hourly wage is £8.00 per hour (subject to annual review). Download the job description to find out more about the role.

Please email us your CV and a supporting statement or call on 08456 805721 for an informal chat if you’d like to find out more. If you’d prefer to apply by post, please send your application to Norwich FarmShare, 18 St Mary’s Works, Norwich NR3 1QA.

The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on February 12th; Interviews will take place on February 18th.

Living together gathering - 26 January

A day of workshops and networking about and for intentional communities. 

 How to set up a housing co-op 
Introduction to CoHousing 
Forming a group/ Visioning/ Action Planning 
Facilitation and Consensus Decision Making 
Raising finance and making a business plan 
Radical Routes 
Case studies from local communities: Random Camel Housing Co-op, Argyle St Housing Co-op, Norwich Cohousing, Old Hall, possibly the Drive from Walthamstow 
Open space discussions - and please notify in advance any specialist workshop desires

Matchmaking! Like a real time Diggers and Dreamers noticeboard! 

Lunch included, a local AND vegan offering - oooh.  

Cost: A tenner concession/ twenty pounds full price, but nobody turned away for lack of funds - contact us! Places limited please book  

Contact: Nigel - 07946529642 / livingtogetherevent@gmail.com
 

When:	Sat, 26 January 2013, 09:30 – 16:30
Where:	Old Hall Community, East Bergholt, Essex, CO76TG. Nearest station is Manningtree on the East Coast mainline then a 3 mile cycle/ walk along the Stour, or let us know if you require or can offer a lift.

If you want to display posters as below please ask download and print or ask Gemma for hard copies: 07816 146 567

Transition Free Press seeks backers!

 Transition Free Press, the new nationaal newspaper will be publishing its first issue on 1 February 2013 and
thanks to 40 Transition initiatives across the UK has a fully fledged distribution network in place. Now the editorial crew have launched a crowd-funding appeal which will go towards paying staff, contributors and printing costs.

The appeal needs to reach it £10,000 target (at least) by mid-February. Can you help get the presses rolling? Do check out the newspaper's dedicated site at BuzzBnk:

 https://www.buzzbnk.org/TransitionFreePress 

All subscriptions and backing will be very happily received!


Lost in Transition? New agony column needs your dilemmas

We don’t promise to solve every problem, like Marge, but we can give you directions when you are stuck. At the TFP a crew of seasoned Transitioners are set to offer their experience and advice on any difficulties you might be encountering on the bumpy road to sustainability.

Downshifting blues, group dynamics, living without heating, partner loves you, hates Transition? Bring it on. If we don’t have a solution up our sleeve we’ll do the Transition thing and ask someone in the network who does. Please send you problems to us and we will do the best to answer you in our column (and send you a paper too).

Please send your question to charlotteducann@transitionnetwork.org and it will be passed on to the team. Thank you!

Getting on message

We are also looking for advertisers for the first issue, so if you are looking for a good Transition audience this is the place to come. We have all sizes and prices available and a special marketplace section for Transition events. notices, sales, swaps etc.  As our  business manager, Jay Tompt  (here in action at the Conference) says:

We’ll be reaching thousands of Transitioners and Transitionistas, change makers and early adopters, activists and organizers, enthusiastic supporters of local, green, ethical, cooperative, social, and resilient enterprises. This network holds lots of potential.

You can get hold of any of us through this website and we are happy to answer questions about advertising or editorial  and give advice about creating a local news page.  This is a paper written, edited and published by people in Transition. So do get in touch. Charlotte Du Cann

Not heart of Transition Free Press? Check out our preview issue published last summer. 

.https://www.buzzbnk.org/TransitionFreePress

Grapes Hill Community Garden Update

Harvesting produce from the raised beds

As winter approaches we can look back over another successful year for Grapes Hill Community Garden. We have won several awards this year: A Green Flag Award and Group Award in the Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership Community Biodiversity Awards in July and Best Community Project in the Anglia In Bloom Awards in September.  We were also Highly Commended in the Norwich EcoAwards in March 2012. Thanks to all our supporters for all your help in winning these awards.

It has been a difficult year for growing vegetables but our raised bed tenants have managed to grow a good range of crops.

We are be renting out deep beds again in 2013 and, as before, we will give preference to people in the surrounding area who don't have their own growing space. If you're interested, complete an application form and send it to our Secretary by 1st December 2012. You'll also need to join the Gardening Group. Group members receive a regular newsletter and invites to members only events in the garden, such as barbecues. For more details, including forms and where to send them, see the Get Involved page on our website.

Soon we will be planning events for next year, including a joint opening with the Belvedere Centre Garden for charity through the National Gardens Scheme on Sunday 28th July 2013. Let us know if you have any ideas for events in the garden.

For more information on the garden see our website and Facebook page.  

Jeremy Bartlett

Photograph by Jeremy Bartlett

National Climate Change March against Fracking Today - 1 Dec

Organised by the Campaign Against Climate Change, this demonstration is against the use of destructive fracking techniques in mining for gas and oil. This year has seen the passing of an awesome milestone in the accelerating escalation of the climate crisis, as well as the introduction of fracking testing in the UK.

Several Transition groups in the UK have also been helping local campaigns in their challenge to this highly polluting technology.

The march is assembling in Grosvenor Square at 12.30 and laying the "Grosvenor Keystone Pipeline" at 1pm. The march to Parliament begins at 1.30pm and building a mock fracking rig at 3.30pm.

Join us at Grosvenor Square, London www.campaigncc.org

Biofuels petition please sign today!

STOP PRESS!!  Today is the last day to addyour signature to stop palm oil subsidies for biofuels.  Join us if you can in our submission to DECC tomorrow, Friday 30^th, 1:00pm.

Sign the petition here

In early 2013 the UK government is set to guarantee generous subsidies to burn vegetable oil (mostly palm oil) for hugely inefficient electricity power generation.  This could potentially double the total UK palm oil imports, posing a threat to rainforests, climate and forest-dependent communities and indigenous peoples who face losing their land and livelihoods to new oil palm plantations.

So far, biofuel company W4B has planning permission to build two large palm oil power stations in Bristol and Portland and another company, Edgeley Green Power, is seeking planning consent for a power station in Shoreham-on-Sea, also listing palm oil as a potential feedstock. 

In Indonesia alone, the Government is planning to see 20 million hectares – an area ten times the size of Wales, converted to new oil palm plantations to meet rising global demand with devastating impacts on endangered species such as the Orangutan.

Please join us in another push to let the government know that subsidies for biofuels are a scam, nothing more than a destructive give-away to industry masquerading as responsible action on climate change. 

Norwich FarmShare Workday - 25 November

Fancy a burst of natural exercise? Norwich FarmShare needs regular volunteer help on the farm every Wednesday (10.00-1.00 or 1.30-4.00, or stay all day- just turn up on the day, no need to let us know in advance) & also every Thursday morning to help with the harvest (starting promptly with a warm-up at 10.00am and working until 1.00pm- again just turn up) and at the Food Hub every Thursday afternoon (3.45pm-6.45pm. We have a rota for these shifts, so please email us to let us know you’re thinking of coming) to help with the distribution.
 
We hold monthly workdays throughout the spring, summer and autumn on the last Saturday of the month. All our members and supporters are welcome to come along (and bring their friends and families) for a fun day out on the farm.

We’ll give you any training and equipment you need on the day, all you need to bring are plenty to drink (it’s thirsty work this farming), something for lunch and good sturdy clothing and footwear. Getting stuck in to a good day’s planting or weeding alongside like-minded people is one of the best bits of Norwich FarmShare.

The next workday is Saturday 25 November 11.00 to 3.00, with a lunchbreak at 1.00pm. Do join us!
It’s best to arrive just before 11.00 to make sure you’re in time for the warm up and so we can show you how to do all the jobs safely. Let us look after you, as you’re looking after us!

Directions to the farm and advice on what to bring,

REPORT: "What's Happening in Transition Norwich"

The event held at Inner Space on 28 September was approximately split into three parts: 

• a workshop, 
• introductions to existing projects, 
• discussion and ideas for further projects.

The evening started with a workshop to get us thinking about the human needs that unite us. There are only a limited number of fundamental human needs, defined by Manfred Max-Neef as Subsistence, Protection, Recreation, Creation, Affection, Understanding, Participation, Identity and Freedom. These needs may be satisfied in various ways, including some ways which are actually destructive to our ability to satisfy other needs, the needs of other members of society, and the planet.

Following this, various projects were introduced by people in the room, which were then discussed in further detail over the meal in smaller groups.  We finished up with a short summary and feedback session, hoping to get an idea of further projects, but it was getting late, and although there was much talk on the subject of marketplaces and the use of empty land within the city, no distinct action emerged. If anyone feels that they would like to spearhead action on this front, though, email out to groups.google.com/group/norwich-in-transition.


The Projects:

Energy 4 All (www.energy4all.co.uk) - Co-operatively owned wind farms in Britain, including some new sites in Norfolk on land owned by Bernard Matthews. Paul Rea (paul.rea@energy4all.co.uk) is keen " contact people who are open to dialogue on wind turbine development and who would feel able to write to planning authorities in support of each scheme". The web address for the co-operative is www.bmwe.coop.

Visions for Change (visionsforchangenorwich.org.uk) - "Its purpose is to enhance communication between the many such groups in the area and to make it easy for anyone, whether already in a group or not, to be aware of and contribute to the Norwich and district progressive scene." Includes a monthly themed facilitated discussion (the next one is on "Work"). You can sign up to their mailing list on their website.

Norwich FarmShare (norwichfarmshare.co.uk) - "A community-owned farm growing delicious seasonal vegetables just outside Norwich. We deliver them fresh into Norwich every week for our members to share."

Norwich Community Bees (norwichcommunitybees.blogspot.co.uk) - "Norwich Community Bees is a community-supported, non-profit making cooperative [bee-keeping] venture, supported by the subscriptions, time and effort of its members."

The Poosh (thepoosh.org) - A website to facilitate connections between those who are planning a self-build sustainable building, and those who wish to volunteer to help build those buildings (rather like WWOOFing, but for building). Local contact is Jim Self (jim@thepoosh.org).

Norfolk Master Gardeners (www.norfolk.mastergardeners.org.uk) - A project managed by Garden Organic to provide advice and support (not actual gardening) to those wanting to grow their own food. Local co-ordinator Gabbie Joyce (gjoyce@gardenorganic.org.uk, 01362 869286). Also organise events about organic gardening.

Abundance Project (http://g.co/maps/m86ft) - Wild food mapping.

FoodCycle (www.facebook.com/foodcyclenorwich) - Makes use of surplus food produced within the city by providing free meals to the community each Friday, 7pm, at Friend's Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane, NR2 1EW. Staffed by volunteers.

Norwich Garden Share (www.facebook.com/groups/231291046985505) - For anyone in Norwich who would like to share some of their garden or Allotment space and for those people who are seeking access to gardening.

Carbon Conversations (carbonconversations.org) - A series of practical meetings to help you halve your carbon footprint. Contact in Norwich: info@innerspacenorwich.co.uk.

Magdalen-Augustine Celebration (magdalenstreet.blogspot.co.uk) - Yearly celebration of the Magdalen Street area. This year's, which took place last Saturday, was the third of these celebrations, and the first to include the St Augustines Street area.  Please sign up to their mailing list on their website, and volunteer to make sure next year's is just as much of a success.

UEA World Cafe - Termly events held at UEA to get ethical and environmental societies of the university talking to each other and collaborating.  The last one was held on the 9th October. For information about future World Cafe events, make sure you are on the mailing list The Lense.

The Lense - A weekly bulletin of events and information from the UEA's Union Ethical Officer (currently Rosie Rawle. Email: union.ethics@uea.ac.uk (I think this is the right email address!)). Please contact her to provide content, to be added to the list, or for more information.

David Medding's Upcycling (davidmeddingsdesign.co.uk) - Upcycling waste by making it into eco-furniture, gifts, signage and school projects. Looking for places to trade in Norwich, and suitable waste to be turned into other things.

The Common Room and Norwich Trade School (www.thecommonroom.so) - The Churches Conservation Trust is trying out a new concept to bring St Laurence’s church on St Benedict Street, Norwich into re-use as a new type of shared space, made and shaped collectively by the community, and run on the principles of collaboration, connection and resourcefulness. (This wasn't actually mentioned on the 28th Sept, but still a project worth following!)

Trade School at the Common Room -10 November

Exploring a way to bring St Laurence’s church back into use as a new type of shared space

Social Spaces and 00:/ are working in collaboration with the Churches Conservation Trust to try out a new concept to bring St Laurence’s church into re-use. It is a called The Common Room. We are introducing the idea to everyone by bringing it to life for a "prototype day" on Saturday 10 November - and we would love you to be part of it…

The Common Room could transform the church into a new type of shared space, made and shaped collectively by the community, and run on the principles of collaboration, connection and resourcefulness. More than a coffee shop, gallery, traditional community centre or office, the Common Room is a place where you can fix yourself a cup of tea, meet people and read your emails. Bring a dish and share a meal with others. Learn how to fix your bike, or the toaster. Or try and build your next big invention.

Great ideas, projects and enterprises seldom originate from a single person working in isolation. For stimulation, enthusiasm and collaboration we need to work in an environment full of people, ideas, learning, conversation....

+ Share your ideas for what you might like to do in the space if you were a member of The Common Room Co-operative.
+ Come to afternoon tea on the long table
+ Sign up for a Trade School class, or register to teach www.tradeschool.coop/norwich. Exchange food, items or advice for new knowledge - herbs for resilience to time skills to social media
+ Join a conversation on the long table – or offer to host one.
+ Join an activity– drop in to bake bread or build a web app.

The Common Room – prototype day. Saturday 10 November. 9am – 4pm St Laurence’s Church, Saint Benedict Street, Norwich NR2 4PG h Website: www.thecommonroom.so Email: thecommonroom.norwich@gmail.com.

Poster for event; Trade School class in USA

TN Bloggers meeting and Ceildh - 17 October

The Norwich bloggers are celebrating their third birthday this week. We have had another full-on year on This Low Carbon Life, reporting and reflecting on the multi-coloured strands of Transition, and on 17 October we're meeting to decide how to proceed in the next few months.

If you are connected with the blog in any way, past, present or future, or would like to join the crew, please join us for an informal meeting and celebratory drink at the Bicycle Cafe.

 Afterwards we're going to the Keir Hardie Hall for a resilient whirl (organised by regular blogger, John Heaser). Hope to see you there!

Bloggers meeting, upstairs at the Bicycle Cafe, St Benedict's Street at 6.30pm. Dancing from 8pm at Keir Hardie Hall. For more info contact Charlotte Du Cann theseakaleproject@hotmail.co.uk