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NEWSLETTER
Oct to Dec 2010 Walsall Friends of the Earth
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Page 1 : Fiona gives details of Beacon Wonderland. Details of the Energy Efficiency Campaign, Renewable Energy Talk and the Food Chain Campaign. Page 2 : Bill reports on the Regional Gathering. Jennifer gives an update on the Bag Campaign. Page 3: Janet reports on the good work of the Chuckery Residents Group. Bill gives an update on the Cycling Forum. Page 4: Dates for your diary and contact numbers.
BEACON WONDERLAND On Saturday 11th December Walsall Countryside Services are running an event called Beacon Wonderland, as part of their Heritage Lottery Bid. We have been invited to have a stall from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in The Collingwood Centre, Pheasey. It would be an opportunity to showcase the types of things we do including the bag-making. We would also be able to give out information. We will be discussing the event at the next meeting. If will not be at the next meeting but want to get involved please let me know ASAP. Fiona Kells ENERGY EFFICIENCY CAMPAIGN Nationally FoE is running a campaign on Energy Efficiency and Private Rented Homes. At our next meeting on Weds 10th Fiona and I will be giving a brief presentation on the Campaign followed by a discussion on how we as a group might get involved. If you are unable to attend the meeting but would like to find out more about the campaign please let me know.
$0Martin Normanton$0
$0 RENEWABLE POWER TALK Birmingham Friends of the Earth have organised a talk on Feed In Tariffs and the opportunities that could be taken from the FIT's programme. One scheme which will benefit from the scheme is 'Birmingham Energy Savers'. This scheme will see improved insulation and new environmentally friendly means of energy production fitted to thousands of private and council owned homes. The meeting is on Monday 22nd November at 7.00 p.m. at Carrs Lane Church Centre, Birmingham. Martin Normanton. FOOD CHAIN CAMPAIGN UPDATE The second reading of the Sustainable Livestock Bill is on Friday 12th November. Valerie Vaz MP has told us that she supports aims of the Bill and that she will try to be there on the day. So far we have had no such assurances from Richard Shepherd MP or David Winnick MP. If you have not yet written to your MP asking them to support the Bill there is still time. If you need guidance on what to write either visit www.join the MOOvement.com or contact me on 01922 636601 or e-mail: [email protected] Fiona Kells NOCTON DAIRIES If you haven't yet read Fiona's e mail on this megadairy, please do so and sign the petition. This is causing widespread concern and generating increasing media attention. So far over 172 MP's have signed EDM 1037 opposing this new 'super dairy'. This is likely to be a long fight but we have to do our best to stop this! See Compassion in World Farming website for more information or go to: http://www.wspa.org.uk/latestnews/2010/Not_in_ones_cuppa.aspx Jennifer Griffiths REGIONAL GATHERING Saturday 22nd May 2010 Well summer had arrived and Birmingham was full of people enjoying the sun while I was inside Birmingham Midland Institute attending the Friends of the Earth West Midlands Regional Gathering.The event started at 11 a.m. although there was time for networking with other groups before hand and during lunch breaks Executive Director Andy Atkins kicked of the programme with a talk about the new political landscape being a hung Parliament and the forming of a Coalition Government. After this people split into three National Campaign groups, Get Serious About CO2, International climate issues and Fix the Food Chain. I went to the Fix the Food Chain. We looked at how to engage with farmers in a way that supports farmers, and at the issues that farmers face and the pressure from Superstores like Tesco. To find out more on farming issues try looking at the following Web sites Open farm Sunday - http://www.farmsunday.org Farming today pod casts http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/6006qj8q National Farmers Union. http://wfu.org.uk. Other items discussed included the Iceland volcano and highlighting the consequences of global food economy as a lot of food is imported via air After lunch there was a plenary regarding Board elections, motions to conference. Then the last part of the event focused on local group skill sharing before moving on to three themes organising a craft activity, media and public campaigning and social net working looking at using Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and Survey Monkey. The next Regional Gathering will be in January and I would urge you to go as it is always a useful and informative event. When we know the date of the next meeting it will be circulated along with details of the programme.
Bill EllensPLASTIC BAG CAMPAIGN UPDATE Since our last newsletter, we have been fairly busy. On the bank holiday weekend of 29th, 30th and 31st May the Caldmore Festival was held. We all felt this was a great success and well worth the effort. On Saturday and we held bag making sessions which were well attended, especially Sunday at Caldmore Evangelical Church, where we had six sewing machines continually in operation. The atmosphere was great and we felt that people understood the message within the bag making campaign. On bank holiday Monday, we had our stall and were giving away the bags we had made, with our insert on sustainable living. This proved to be popular and by mid-afternoon we could see Morsbags dotted around the field. We also gained more contacts from people who are interested in doing bag making - so watch this space! On Saturday 12th June we also had a very successful morning in Walsall town centre, where as well as promoting the Food Chain campaign. We also gave away yet more bags. Both of these campaigns were well supported by the public and it is pleasing to note that the number of people who are becoming more aware of such concerns is increasing. Walsall Youth Offending Service report that their bag making sessions are working well and regular sessions are being held each week. On Saturday 4th September were at the Whittington Country Fair, where our Food Chain and bag campaigns were promoted. We were so successful that we gave away all of our current stock of cloth bags. The Walsall Saddle Bags bag making group continues to be held at Alison's house and the next sessions are on Thurs 18th November, and Thurs 16th November both at 1 p.m. until about 4 p.m. On the group's behalf, Beth has now purchased our own sewing machine.$0
$0Jennifer Griffiths GREEN WALSALL A headline in The Guardian of 9 August 2010 read: 'We have allowed developers to rob us of our village greens'. Well, a group of Walsall campaigners is attempting to reverse this trend. Chuckery residents are working to make Chuckery Corner, between Charlotte Street and Walhouse Road, an official village green. They have already saved the green space from developers and now have applied for formal village green status to protect it for future generations to walk and play, sit and talk there. Studies show that in green places people know more of their neighbours, are more likely to help each other and have stronger feelings of belonging. Social isolation is strongly associated with an absence of green spaces. One study shows that crime rates are affected by the amount of vegetation and there's an association between the absence of greenery and both property crime and violent crime. Children are encouraged to go out and play and so are fitter. We send our best wishes to the Friends of Chuckery Corner in their endeavours to protect a much-needed breathing space and help to create a safe, fit and friendly community. Janet Hughes Walsall Local Access Forum& Cycling Forum Walsall Council held an information event on Thursday 29th April 2010, to celebrate the work of the Local Access Forum and Cycling Forum. The event highlighted some of the achievements and local improvements undertaken within the borough, along with some of the regional and national initiatives that the forums and their members have contributed towards. This event was held at Pelsall Community Centre with information stands with the options of a two mile walk or a cycle ride around Pelsall. The Walk centred on the timberland trail/walk this is the option that I chose. It was good to network with other people with similar interests this gave me a chance to promote Walsall Friends of the Earth group and give out some information on the group's work and campaigns. Walsall Local Access Forum is an advisory group which meets four times annually to focus upon improvements to walking, cycling and horse riding along with access to the countryside and public rights of way for leisure and recreation, and land management issues. Similarly, Walsall Cycling Forum is an advisory group, which meets four times annually with a focus upon improvements to both on and off road cycle ways, promotional activities and physical improvements to encourage cycle use and achieving a safer cycling network. More information can be obtained from Walsall Council via the Civic Centre or Council web site:http://www.walsall.gov.uk/index/transport_and_streets/public_rights_of_way/content-newpage-85.htm$0
$0Bill Ellens REPORT ON WALSALL FOE's AGM The AGM was held on Weds, 14th July. A copy of the minutes will be circulated in due course. Beth Porter was re-elected as Co-ordinator, Karen Faulkener was re-elected as Treasurer and Fiona Kells was re-elected as Membership Secretary.Fiona Kells AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Weds 10th November : 7.30 p.m. Business Meeting, Royal Hotel, Walsall$0
$0 Thurs 18th May: 1.00 p.m. onwards Bag-making 11 The Crescent, Walsall$0
$0 Weds 8th December: 7.30 p.m. Business Meeting, Royal Hotel, Walsall at 11th December: 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. Beacon Wonderland, Collingwood Centre, Pheasey. Thurs 16th December: 1.00 p.m. onwards Bag-making 11 The Crescent, Walsall Weds 12th January : 7.30 p.m. Business Meeting, Royal Hotel, Walsall WALSALL FOE KEY CONTACTS Co-ordinator Beth Porter : 01922 625851 Treasurer Karen Faulkner : 01922 408492 Membership Secretary/Editor/Waste Fiona Kells : 01922 636601$0
$0Planning Advisor Gerald Kells : 01922 636601$0
$0 Cycling Mark Barrett : 01922 693167 Living World Bill Ellens : 01922 441308 Energy and Climate Change Martin Normanton: 01922 612625 Plastic Bags Jennifer Griffiths: 01922 645915 the views expressed in the newsletter are those of the editor and contributors. We welcome submissions from all our members. Views expressed in the newsletter should not be quoted as the views of Walsall Friends of the Earth, unless with the agreement of the co-ordinator or relevant campaigner The future of Planning remains uncertain after the Coalition moved swiftly to remove Regional Spatial Strategies and herald a new era of 'Localism'. At the same time cuts to local Planning Departments could see Planning functions shared between local authorities. There were many bad things about the old system but local authorities, such as Walsall, may not have the critical mass to deal with issues such as addressing climate change, other environmental issues or ensuring brown field development rather than green field.$0
$0One critical area is transport. Lack of money has had an impact on some large proposals, including bad road schemes, but has also put some Public Transport schemes others on hold, such as the 5 Ws Metro scheme through the Black Country. Less well used bus services are also threatened by changes to Bus Grants and the free bus passes. CENTRO is busy developing its Local Transport Plan but it will only be as strong as the capital money to implement the schemes and the revenue money to keep the services running.One new kind on the block is Local Enterprise Partnerships which the Government hope will help kick-start economic activity without the Regional Development Agency. We've been critical of the lack of any Sustainable Development remit in the LEPs. Bids were submitted but the Black Country's has been turned down and there may be pressure to link with Birmingham, which could increase the centralisation of political power in Birmingham. Gerald Kells
Free-bee film screening Wed 26 June
Spring 2012
Congratulations to Bill Ellens from the Walsall group, who addressed a public meeting on the impacts of a large dam on the India / Bangladesh border. More >
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