Meeting Update

In a concerted effort to keep people up to date with what's happening at meetings should members not be able to attend we will try and publish a brief resume of what was discussed alongside the date of the next meeting and events coming up.


Outcomes from Meeting 11.10.11 at Browns of Brockley


Local Timebank


Discussion around possibility of engaging with local timebanking community, to help source participants for activities but also to help to increase diversity of the transition town. Maria to investigate further.


Fruit Harvesting 2011

Background

Brockley has an abundance of fruit trees and a lot of fruit goes to waste because the fruit isn't picked. We're following on the heels of others. See:http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/nov/18/fruit-abundance-picking

The main aim is to highlight the contribution that food makes to our carbon footprint (around 20%) and ensure that the harvest from local fruit trees doesn't go to waste, by organising groups of volunteers to go and pick from people's back gardens or trees overhanging the pavement.

Transition Brockley has organised several picking outings over the course of August, September and October. A dozen volunteers have picked from half a dozen back gardens in the Brockley area. There's no doubt that walking around the area with a fruit picker does invite questions and perhaps we have inspired some people to pick their own fruit. (we certainly had questions about where to buy pickers). In early October, we did our final picking session and took some of our pickings along to a juicing event at Honor Oak Park allotments where a large group was engaged in chopping, mashing and juicing apples and pears. The end product was delicious.

Reflecting on the fruit harvesting at the October meeting we noted that difficulties were:

-not knowing how many volunteers were going to turn up

-making sure fruit trees were going to be ripe at the time of proposed harvesting. This in effect means that much has to be organised at the last minute, at a time when the tree owner can be around.

Suggestions for the future were:

-start earlier to catch the plums! Some were picked this year but there were more.

-alongside organising occasional groups of volunteers to pick, we could encourage people to advertise excess fruit on freecycle

-such advertising could be done using posters on trees on roads where we know there are lots of fruit trees.

-if we wanted to get more people we could make use of the Rushey Green time bank which is very active.

As well as sharing out fruit, we also hope to stimulate discussion about other ways in which resources can be shared.e.g. Do you know of others to add to this list? If so, please email us.

Garden Share 
Are you looking for a plot of land to grow fruit and veg on? Or do you have a garden which is neglected and would be happy for someone to use part (or all) of, to grow food? Transition Brockley are investigating matching up available plots with growers. If this might suit you, please email us.

At a national level see http://www.landshare.net/

Freecycle 
Online facility to dispose of items you no longer need to someone who can make use of them. Please see here for details.

Hire your neighbours car (fully insured). See: http://www.whipcar.com/

Lend and borrow everyday objects, skills and spaces. See: http://www.ecomodo.com/

e.g. borrow a power tool - Apparently the average productive time of a drill in its entire lifetime is about 12-13 minutes. http://www.nesta.org.uk/blogs/assets/blog_entries/do_you_own_a_drill


Community Garden at Brockley Station


Volunteers met on Saturday 15th October to prepare the plot for the winter. The new sign is almost ready and will show what we have planted during the winter. The next session down at the garden is on Saturday 3rd December from 2-4pm. Please bring your own gloves and tools and remember that gardening is of course at your own risk so please bear this mind.


Draughtbusting Session 
Going ahead on Sat 29 October from 11 to 1.00pm. Address details to follow.

Mini-Meadow 
Meadow at the orchard plot on Hilly Fields to be cut then raked up within next week. Orchard carers to be contacted.

London Lead on Low Carbon Economic Growth
Event being organised at City Hall discussed and details forwarded to those in group interested in attending.


South East London Transition
Members of different South East London transition town groups met on Saturday 22nd October to share thoughts. Feedback soon!