1. Introduction * 2. TTT Open Community Meeting * 3.Solar Water Heating Challenge * 4. National Bike Week * 5. Funding Update * 6. Help for your TTT your Project! & 'How to Grow a Transition Business Workshop' * 7. Energy Descent Pathways * 8. Upcoming Events * 9. Non-TTT Events * 10. Help Wanted

1. Introduction

As summer approaches, it is wonderful to see the food gardens around the town starting to yield their produce.   Of course, the most visible one of these is the allotments at the bottom of Castle Meadow, the result of a great deal of campaigning and hard work by the Totnes Allotments Association, but many other gardens remain tucked away. 

One of the final events in TTT's calendar will be the 'Edible Garden Crawl' on Sunday 20th July, which will allow participants access into a number of food producing gardens across Totnes.  It should prove a fascinating day, and given the recent sharp rises in the cost of food, an opportunity to acquire insights, skills and tips that will be useful in starting or further developing your own garden.

Life for TTT continues to move fast.  A recent meeting to draw together ideas for September's programme generated so many ideas that we could have a programme 3 times the length of the current one.  Our midsummer picnic was hit rather hard by the rain, but was enjoyed by all who went. 

A recent screening of the excellent film 'Garbage Warrior' at the Barn Cinema, co-organised with TTT, was followed by a vigorous panel discussion.  TTT has also given well-received talks over the past few weeks to Totnes Probus Club and the Totnes Townswomens Guild.  We recently hosted the first 'Training the Trainer' course, hosted by Transition Training, which produced the first 'wave' of people qualified to deliver the Transition Training.  The ATMOS project, which is aiming to bring the Dairy Crest site into community ownership in order to create a radically low carbon development of housing and business space, is going from strength to strength.  We are also waiting, with crossed fingers, to hear whether we have made it through to the last 10 of the Big Green Challenge (we hear during the first week of July, and will keep you posted). 

Suddenly, everyone is talking about high oil prices!  We have been visited by film crews from Japan, Canada and Spain, and appeared on ITV West Country News recently as part of a piece about high oil prices.  A piece in last week's Western Morning News looked at the opportunities inherent within high oil prices (click here).  A new book, Felicity Lawrence's 'Eat Your Heart Out', ends with a discussion of the importance of Transition Initiatives such as Totnes. 

We are particularly proud to announce the birth of the second edition of the Transition Town Totnes Local Food Guide.  Supported by the National Lottery, this new and expanded guide is the result of a great deal of work within the TTT Food Group, and it is a gorgeous, easy to use and information-packed publication.  It will be launched in the Civic Square on Friday 28th June at 10.30am.  Let's hope it is a drier day than the deluge that greeted the publication of the first edition last year!  (more information on the launch can be found below).  Our deepest gratitude to those who produced the guide. 

In recent weeks the Government has been setting out its plans for the future of the UK in the light of energy security.  While this includes increased installations of renewables (although how local authorities are to be compelled to set out actual targets has yet to be set out), it also includes a great deal that is more worrying.  More nuclear power, more coal fired power stations, increased air travel, more roads and a lot more houses.  What is clear is that much of this planning is based on deeply suspect assumptions.  The Government stated recently its assumption that oil will cost $65 a barrel by 2010 and $67 a barrel by 2020, in spite of Goldman Sachs and OPEC warning of $200 a barrel by next year.  The bottom-up, community-led approaches being developed by Transition Initiatives, both in Totnes and beyond, have never been more timely. One of the ways in which this is being co-ordinated is our Energy Descent Pathways process, which Jacqi Hodgson has recently been taken on to co-ordinate.  Keep an eye out for future events as this process begins to gather pace.

2. TTT Open Community Meeting  - A Summary   June 2008.

On the 21st of May Transition Town Totnes hosted an Open Community Event. The first half was a report of what each individual TTT working group had been doing over the last one and a half years.  You can read the reports here. The remainder of the evening was dedicated to getting feedback from the community, we have tried to summarise people’s responses in the report which follows. We asked how people feel the initiative is working, what they would like to say to TTT, what has helped or hindered their involvement, and what would they like to see happen next in the process.  To read the community's feedback click here.

Many felt that outreach was an area that TTT really needed to concentrate on,  and many within TTT are meeting to talk about how we can reach out to different sections of the the community and looking to actively take forward the ideas that have come from the consultation. The feedback will be discussed at the next core group meeting, as well as the idea of holding a regular open meeting like this (perhaps every 6 months)  and we'll discuss what we can do with the priority items (above and beyond what we've done already), then will communicate this through the website and bulletin....so watch this space!  

Following the meeting, TTT now has a regular presence at the Totnes market most Fridays in the form of a stall outside the Harlequin Bookshop.  This has been going really well, thanks to the hard work of a few dedicated souls who have been braving the rain. TTT ideas and projects have been getting out on the streets, making it more noticeable and accessible, as well as providing a human face for the all different groups. A TTT stall was also manned at the Dartington Open Day recently.

3.Solar Water Heating Challenge 

We have updated the solar water challenge info and the latest is we are going ahead with the installations, and its not too late to join. To see the updated info click here... 

4.National Bike Week

Landscove Cycle Out

On Sunday 1st June, a small crowd of cyclists set out for Landscove. A day of sun and fluffy clouds along the cycle paths and back lanes, esp. the long-awaited new stretch of cycle-path at Huxham's Cross. Lots of chances to chat and listen to the skylarks while gazing at the placid swirls of the river at Staverton. We stopped for ice cream, cake and welcome drinks at the Garden House Cafe at Landscove and nattered for a good hour or so before heading back.

Jim’s verdict: “…a fine day out! Very relaxing, good company... but who'd have thought you could spend most of the day just riding to Landscove and back?” For youtube footage of the ride click here.

14th June – first day of National Cycle Week

Bikes filled the workshop while owners looked intently at bits that didn't work.  Bike Doctors Pete and Julian tinkered with gear cable tension whilst assistant Ben as kept tea & coffee flowing to encourage the swapping of experiences and comparing of bikes.

There was a brief breather around 12.30 and then it was wielding a 5mm Allen key in one hand and a sandwich in the other while doing a running commentary on the intricacies of Bowden cables and brake adjustment.  “OK, I’ve shown you how to do the front brake, can you have a go at the back?”

Most people’s tyres needed lots more pressure – you get fewer punctures and the bike’s easier to ride. Many brakes were adjusted – vital for safety, and nobody found it difficult after looking carefully at how they work. Everyone went away with a smile and a handle on what they can easily do to keep their bike safe and easy to ride.
 
£50 was most generously contributed towards the group's kitty.  A big Thank You to everyone who came and to the Doctors and their assistant! 

Cycle Ride to the Whitehart Pub, Dartington

On a dark rainy Wednesday night a group of  us peddled together along the river and up the cycle path for a drink at the pub, where we hung our macs out to dry and ate penny sweets. There were lots of new faces smiling and chatting away in the half-light, which is the great thing about the cycling group! You never know who you're going to meet , and each ride out has it's own flavour.

Cycling Group Market Stall

The Totnes Cycling Group had a stall at the market last Saturday, and got to meet with passersby to talk bikes, the group, about the community cycle rides we do (1st Sunday of the month 10am - The Plains, Totnes), and how through these we raise cycling confidence and the profile of cycling locally, exploring local cycle routes. People had fantastic ideas about what the group could be doing, and how they wanted to get involved. So watch this space!

5. Funding Update.

Over the last month or two we have applied for, and been awarded, funds from a variety of private trusts. These funds are for specific purposes per the funding agreement with the benefactor. This document aims to give full visibility and transparency about how we got the money, what we plan to do with it, who gets paid for the work they do for TTT and how much.... and also about how we aim to move from external funding to revenue generation. Click here for more...

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6. Help for your TTT Project!

Funded support now available for TTT projects. Have you got a great idea for a TTT project, or do  you already have one underway? Do you need some help with organising  your project, or finding the money, people or equipment to help make it happen? This section of the website explains what support can be offered to TTT projects, and will provide a range of things to help manage and deliver projects of all shapes and sizes. For more info click here...

Following on from this is the...  ''How to Grow a Transition Business' Workshop 

Tuesday 8th July 6:30-9:30 pm

From funding to revenue... do you want to make some money for your TTT project, or for yourself?'
 
This workshop will look at how we can develop products and services that will generate (1) income for TTT to support our projects, volunteers and core costs and (2) income for those of us who are looking for new business/work opportunities'. Read more...

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7. Energy Descent Pathway Scenarios

TTT Energy Descent Pathways project has begun. 

  

This series of workshops are being held to involve the TTT Groups and begin the process of drawing together ideas and views about the future which are vital to the development of this project.  A process using Future Scenarios helps us to think beyond our usual constraints.  Participants at these workshops will plan some possible scenarios for Totnes in 2030. Read more...

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8. Upcoming Events

If you had a chance to see last year’s ‘A Celebration of Local Food’ you’ll know that Totnes is home to a wonderful array of shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants aiming to make local food available to us.  Now an updated and revised edition is to be published this Friday, 27th June.  This new version comes with lots more information, as well as celebrating some of the progress made by local businesses over the year, there’s new information about local producers, bed and breakfasts, when different food comes into season locally and so on. This guide enables us to do our bit to build local food resilience. By supporting the businesses that are turning their backs on the multi-national dominated global food trading system and making the effort to produce or source food locally, we give them the encouragement they need to keep going.

The Guide will be launched on 27th June at 10.30am in Totnes Market Square. The Mayor, Councillor Pam Barnes will be in attendance, along with international campaigner and founder of the International Society for Education and Culture, Helena Norbert-Hodge, and the Co-ordinator of the Local Food Guide Initiative, Noni Mackenzie. The Children from the Grove Primary School will attend to welcome in the Guide, with a special song. Copies will be on sale for 1 Totnes Pound or £1.50 and all proceeds will go to support Local Food Initiatives. After the launch, the Guides will be available at the regular TTT stall at the market on Friday. They will be on sale at various outlets around the town over the next few months, look out for the special stickers.

Edible Edges: designing future feasts into some of Totnes' unloved corners.

Saturday 28th June. 4-7pm. Meet Heath's Nursey Car Park (Pay & Display)

“’Ere long, the most valuable of all arts will be the art of deriving a comfortable subsistence from the smallest area of soil”.  Abraham Lincoln.A design walk around potentially productive sites in the town on a gorgeous summer’s evening (guaranteed) with Patrick Whitefield, Permaculture teacher, author of ‘The Earthcare Manual’, recently seen in BBC2’s ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green’)...Includes a talk by David Heath, son of George Heath of Heath’s Nursery, telling the story of the commercial market garden that used to be in the centre of the town. For more click here...

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 The Art of Retrofitting: a detailed walk through the energy options of three very different houses.

Saturday 5th July 12-5pm. We will start at 6 Bridge Rd, Follaton, Totnes at noon.  £5 (4 Totnes Pounds) per household.

Community Health and Wellbeing Garden Project

Wednesday 2nd July - Planning Meeting, TTT Offices. 7:30pm

The Totnes Summer Edible Garden Crawl

Sunday 20th July. Meet at the Train Station, Totnes. 2pm. Free!

Come along for cake, tips, & shared gardening inspiration...