Forthcoming Events

Saturday 18 July, Repair Café

10am–3pm  Heeley City Farm, Richards Road, S2 3DT
Got any broken household items or gifts that need fixing? Don’t throw them away!   Small electrical items, shoes, scales, toys, tools and wooden furniture have been successfully fixed at previous cafés. Bring items to the Repair Café where volunteer fixers will see if something can be fixed, and show you the magic of how to mend things for yourself.  The help is free but donations welcomed. Info at https://www.facebook.com/repairsheffield

Saturday 18th July: Freeman Biodynamic Garden open day

Riggs High Road, Stannington, S6 6DA

12:30 Ruskin, Land and Livelihoods (talk).  With a panel of speakers on sustainable and local land management at St George’s Farm, Freeman College and Ruskin Land.  Free.
2-5 pm  Public Open Day.   Come and explore Freeman Bio-Dynamic Garden’s wonderful rural site. Creative activities, seasonal land tasks, games, outdoor bread oven – bring a picnic! Free entry.   NB. Limited parking on site.  More info.

Monday 20th July: Sheffield Green Commission’s Green fringe event: Shed talks.

4.30pm registration for 4.45pm start at Sheffield Hallam University City Campus Peak Lecture Theatre

A dozen dynamic, influential local thought-leaders will provide 3-5 minute fast paced “think-pieces” on sustainability. The speakers include professors from both Universities and grass-roots activists. The event will be chaired by Paulette Edwards from BBC Radio Sheffield.  Tickets can be reserved online.

 Tuesday 28th July, Transition Study Group

11:00am, Principle 5 Yorkshire Co-operative Resource Centre, Aizlewood’s Mill, Nursery Street, S3 8GG

As the world is changing at an unprecedented rate, there is a need for communities to build up resilience to meet the changing circumstances.  This study group will explore examples of communities rising to the challenge, and a live proposal that a multi-stakeholder co-operative should be set up in Westfield (in Sheffield S20) to protect local community resources.  As a starting point, an agreement has been reached to secure the future of the Westfield Community Centre.  For info contact Steve Thompson of the Principle 5 Yorkshire Co-operative Resource Centre via steve.thompson@phonecoop.coop.

4^th– 6^th September 2015:  Small is Beautiful Festival, The Centre for Alternative Technology

Explore positive responses to our future through low carbon technology, social justice and the arts. Includes hands-on workshops and activities to equip you with practical knowledge and new life skills in sustainability and social change. Sessions range from pico-hydro systems, strawbuild housing, reaching a Zero Carbon Britain, soil quality, and Hydrologists Without Borders.  There are also debates on energy, food and land, and the economy and talks from former Welsh Minister Dr Jane Davidson, Feimatta Conteh, Sustainability Manager at the Arcola Theatre and climate change expert Aubrey Meyer.
See http://smallisfestival.org/

8-16 September: International Permaculture Conference and Convergence,

Take action:

Funding deadline: Wednesday 29 July.  £400,000 up for grabs via M&S Energy!

If you’re a not for private profit organisation that wants to use renewable energy to provide community benefits, this is your chance to try to secure funding. Whether you’re a community energy group, a sports club or simply an organisation that wants to have a positive impact on the environment, this funding will be awarded to renewable energy projects in Great Britain who can demonstrate they have the support of their local community. Online application form available at https://www.mandsenergyfund.com/

Campaign to Stop TTIP:

Trade deals are under negotiation between the EU and the US and Canada which are a threat to democracy, the environment, consumers and labour standards. But we can stop them! See https://stop-ttip.org/

Prevent fracking in South Yorkshire:

Fracking will accelerate climate change, delay a transition to clean energy, waste money chasing short lived resources and risk ground water contamination, and air pollution and earthquakes.  Find out more and sign the petition

Vegbags from the Hazelhurst Community Supported Agriculture project

If you live in Meersbrook, Netheredge, Norton, Totley or Woodseats, you can be part of an affordable weekly veg bag scheme which directly supports local growers.   For more information about veg bags see http://hazelhurst.coop/veg-box/ Also explore the website to find out about the land, volunteering opportunities, and much more.

Join the Green Homes Sheffield team

If you’d like to get more involved in an active local project, then joining the steering group for Green Homes Sheffield might suit you. You’d be joining a small group of enthusiastic volunteers and would have the chance to make an important contribution. The project is in a good position with funding in place and a series of events lined up, so this would be an exciting time to join the team. Find out more

Help Sheffield Renewables find their next solar site

We are currently looking for sites suitable for fully funded community owned solar projects, in return we can offer a reduction on electricity price, and help organisations fulfil their long term environmental and carbon reduction commitments. For details of recent installations and future plans, visit their Community Solar page.

Transition Sheffield Postscript

In the last newsletter, a call was sent out for new members to join the Transition Sheffield Hub. Sadly a new group didn’t come together, and so it seems time for Transition Sheffield to change to a new format. The intention is to simply maintain a website under the title of ‘Sustainable Sheffield’. This can continue to celebrate the great projects which exist across and beyond Sheffield, point newcomers to active projects in which they can get involved, and be a voice for change. If you’ve any questions, please contact susannah@transitionsheffield.org.uk

Congratulations to Sheffield Renewables, for their recent installation of 50kW of solar PV for a local school in Swinton (see their blog and the Doncaster Free Press).  Also there was FutureBuild, which demonstrated the potential for sustainability in housing and energy, a WealthyWeekend inspired by visionary John Ruskin, and Is it time for a Sheffield pound? with Positive Money Sheffield.

As usual there are more events in the pipeline – see below for those (in particular do contribute your ideas to the Green Commission if you can), but first here’s a request for comment and participation:

Transition Sheffield – call for participation

A small Transition Sheffield hub group was established in 2007 with the aim of encouraging other groups to form across the city. Some marvellous activities have taken place (see examples) and it’s clear that a fantastic range of community groups and enterprises across Sheffield are working towards sustainability (see the nominations for the 2012 Awards).

Recent activities for the Transition Sheffield hub have included helping to set up GreenHomesSheffield, and meeting with Sheffield City Council as part of Sheffield Climate Alliance.  However, the hub group has lost key people recently and its future as a constituted group is uncertain.

Would you be willing to step up and become part of Transition Sheffield to encourage grass-roots action for sustainable communities and action on climate change?  All skills are welcome (organising social events, speaking to new groups, taking out stalls, keeping accounts, or simply being an enthusiastic new face). This need not be a massive time commitment, and if you can’t offer anything yourself at the moment, perhaps you know someone else who might?

Contact susannah@transitionsheffield.org.uk with offers or questions.

Forthcoming Events in Sheffield

Saturday 29 November: Poverty in Sheffield Today: Finding a way forward

10am to 12.30pm, Victoria Hall Methodist Church, Norfolk St, Sheffield
This public meeting includes presentations and opportunities to ask questions, put forward ideas, and help shape the way forward as the 2015 Election approaches.
More info

Tuesday 2 December: Public Hearing for Sheffield Green Commission

6pm prompt until 7.30pm, Sheffield Town Hall.  Places are limited. 

The Green Commission is collecting evidence in order to produce recommendations for a sustainable future for Sheffield.  This event includes speakers on policy development, sustainable travel, and fuel poverty. See info about the event on the 2nd, and contribute to the wider call for evidence.

Saturday 6 December: Christmas Craft Fayre

11am- 3pm, St Thomas’ Church, Philadelphia S6 3BL
A craft fayre in aid of S6 food bank funds – see info.

Saturday 6 December:  “Earth Matters” 5 rhythms benefit for climate change

10:30am, Sharrow Performing Arts Space

A day workshop in 5 Rhythms dance, to land more deeply in your body and connect with Earth, Fire, Water, and Air, with Sarah Blagg. All profit goes to Sheffield Climate Alliance.
Cost: £33. Enquire for concessions. Also a few places are available for just the morning.  For more info contact: dancetherhythms@gmail.com tel. 07758 146130.

Abundance Community Jam and Chutney Making workshops

Every Tuesday evening from 6-9:30pm from Tuesday 2nd September at St Mary’s church on Bramall Lane.  Learn how to make amazing chutney with locally picked fruit and go home with a jar of it and the recipe so you can make more! Surplus chutney from the workshops is used to help fund the Abundance project.  Please email abundance@gmail.com for more information.

Wednesday 17 September: Open Evening and AGM

6.30-8.30 pm,  Strip the Willow, 226b South View Road S7 1DH
An open evening of Recovery Insulation & Strip the Willow and the AGM of the Schools and Homes Energy Education Project/Solar-Active. Includes an open discussion with invited experts to discuss home energy efficiency and how to improve your home air quality. See Inno-Therm® installed in the ceiling at Strip the Willow cafe, and register for a free home insulation survey.
For more information, see http://www.inno-therm.com/contact-us/open-evening/

Sunday 21 September: Sheffield Climate Alliance’s Sheffield Rivers Rally

On Sunday 21st September, just days before a landmark climate summit at the UN, people all around the world are taking part in a global day of action on climate climate.  In Sheffield there will be walks along four different rivers into the town centre, all starting at 1pm and converging outside the Town Hall at 3pm, where there will be speakers and music. For information visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1484881805089191/

Wednesday 24 September:  Against the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)

7pm, Central United Reformed Church, 60 Norfolk St. S1 2JB
A meeting to discuss the secret talks between the governments of the UK and the US taking place which would result in big corporations holding tremendous power over countries and individuals. The speaker will be Linda Kaucher who is a trade treaty researcher. Linda is a campaigner against TTIP and lectures at the London School of Economics and London Metropolitan University.  See http://alt-sheff.org/events/3600/ and more info on TTIP at: ethical consumer

Sunday 28th September: Allotment Soup

Manor Allotments on City Road
Allotment Soup is an annual creative and artistic harvest celebration that takes place at a different Sheffield allotment site each year, to celebrate food growing and allotment culture. Plot holders are invited to open up their plot to host an installation, artwork or event, whilst artists, performers and poets are encouraged to create new, original work in response to the allotment site, theme and season. See photos on Facebook from 2013, and info about how to get involved in 2014.

Grow Sheffield: Local fruit trees for sale

Grow Sheffield now have a range of fruit trees including apple, plum, damson, gage and cherry. All trees have been grafted and nurtured here in Sheffield and are suited to the local climate and soils.  Trees are priced at £21.75 and can be collected from the Old Junior School in Sharrow by arrangement.  Please email adamh.grow@gmail.com for information

Opportunities for volunteering

Grow Sheffield has a wide range of volunteer opportunities from digging and building to blogging, updating the Sheffield Food Network Map, and helping at events. Volunteers selling Abundance chutney and fruit trees at local fairs and markets will be ‘paid’ with a jar of chutney, and mileage can be paid for drivers.  Also, if you are a community project that has some land or a gardening club that you need help with, Grow Sheffield may be able to match volunteers with your project.  See http://growsheffield.com/volunteers/

Green Homes Sheffield open days during October 2014:

Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th October, and Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th October
Green Homes Sheffield are organising further Open Homes events in Autumn 2014, where you can see how other people’s homes have been upgraded, and ask the householders about their experience and how it all works. A range of different houses will be open, showing off their insulation, draught-proofing, solar panels, heat pumps, windows and low-impact extensions.
For more information, see http://www.greenhomessheffield.net/

Thursday 16 October 2014: Sheffield Friends of the Earth, 40th Birthday Party

7.30pm until 11pm, Showroom, 15 Paternoster Row, Sheffield S1 2BX.

Sheffield Friends of the Earth is celebrating 40 years of environmental campaigning by hosting a 40th birthday party, open to all. The party will feature a vegetarian and vegan buffet, live music from a number of different bands, a review of the past 40 years of campaigning (talks and videos), a bar (not included in the £10 ticket price), and a talk by Friends of the Earth Executive Director, Andy Atkins.

Closing Date: 24 October:  Nominate a school for free solar panels!

Friends of the Earth want to make it easy for schools to run on solar power.  In this competition a lucky primary school could win a set of free solar panels. Solar panels could help the school save thousands of pounds every year as well as generating clean energy in your neighbourhood. Is there a primary school that’s close to your heart?  Just provide their name by 24 October and the school will receive everything they need to enter the competition. After nominations close, you’ll get a chance to vote for the winner.  Don’t delay – nominate a school today.

18-28 September: Festival of the Mind

Tuesday 23 September: Urban Agriculture – The Roots of Change
Meet the guerilla gardener from South Central LA who found that a garden has the power to break the chains of injustice, because a garden is not just about food and plants.

Saturday 27 September: Thermal Imaging of Sheffield’s Buildings – Talk and exhibition
Could some of Sheffield’s famous landmarks be more environmentally friendly? Panel discussion about heat loss from city buildings, contributing to CO₂ emissions.

Thursday 18 September: Grow Wild – Love Square
How an eyesore plot of land was transformed into an urban eco-park which combines nature and wildlife with ingenuity, youthful energy and local pride.

Saturday 20 September: Open Data | Open Hardware – Resilient Cultures
A participative exhibition about how open source software, open data and open hardware can help build social resilience. It includes demos, performances and workshops using Raspberry Pi computers and open software to promote creativity in technology.

18-28 September: Fairness on the 83 – Exhibition
Do we live in a divided city? This interactive online map of the bus route that links north and south Sheffield includes filmed interviews with the people who catch the 83, and is an important document of social inequalities in Sheffield.

23-28 September: The Resilient City: Ecology, People, Nature
How can we transform public spaces to create a liveable, sustainable and climate-adapted cities? – An exhibition by the University’s Department of Landscape.

Finally, Sheffield’s Green Commission aims to create a vision and blueprint for the future of Sheffield.  So think about the key changes that would help in creating a city and planet in which future generations can thrive, and we’ll try and keep you posted as to how to contribute to the Commission.

14th–20th August:  Reclaim the Power – Anti-fracking camp

Operation Mums and Grandmas occupied a proposed drilling site near Blackpool on Thursday 7th August – find out more about their inspiring action, and join the camp for social, environmental and economic justice. Support the community fightback; get skilled up and take direct action; build the world you want to see. See http://www.nodashforgas.org.uk/ for info.

Thursday 21 Aug: Family Allotment Playschemes

1pm-3pm, Firth Park Community Allotment
Playscheme activities for the school holidays include bug hunts, flower dyes, face painting, fruit smoothies, potato day, plus the usual activities – sand tray, mud kitchen, dino park, crafts, etc.
The allotment site is specially designed for those with young families and has just been awarded its Green Flag status again! . The allotment is at the meeting point of Vickers Road and Drive – just look for the big green allotment gates and follow the signs. Ring for more info: Dot 07985 421346, or see the Heeley City Farm website.

Thursday 21 August: Allotment morning at Meersbrook 

10am-1pm, Meersbrook Allotments, S8 9HX

This is a morning of shared cultivation activities at Meersbrook Allotments – clearing, rootstock planting, plus of course tea and cake!  Grow Sheffield has been invited to help develop this double-allotment for Permaculture-inspired activities. and this will be our first chance to see the site and talk about possibilities.

Meet at the lower entrance to Meersbrook Allotments on Carfield Lane (top of Meersbrook Road) at 10am.  If you’d like to come, please drop us a quick email via adamh.grow@gmail.com.  (Please give us a contact number too so we can get in touch.)

Mon 25 August:  Denying the Evidence – Why People Reject Science and What We Can Do About It

7.30pm, Farm Road Sports & Social Club, Farm Rd. S2 2TP  (This is a Skeptics in the Pub event held in the back room of the Club. Press the buzzer to be let in.)
Climate change is described as one of the biggest threats facing the world, so why is international action moving so slowly? Chris Hassall, a lecturer at the University of Leeds, has investigated climate change denial at a Canadian University. He will outline the science behind climate change, the interests that have sought to muddy the waters for various important scientific topics, and describe recent research that can guide efforts to promote science in hostile communities.  See more info.
Events are free and open to all although a £3 donation is invited.

Mon 25/Tue 26 Aug: People’s March for the NHS arrives in Sheffield

Sheffield will welcome the national People’s March for the NHS, organised by the Darlington Mums’ group, as it comes through the city. It will arrive on Monday, coming through Hillsborough at approx 3pm for a rally in Weston Park. On the next day the marchers will leave Sheffield Town Hall for a brief rally at the Hallamshire Hosital at 10:30 am before going through Nether Edge towards Chesterfield.
Come and show support in opposition to the threat of charges, and the disaster of privatisation and competition in health care. Check times and see updates

Saturday 14 June:  Peace in the Park
12pm to 9pm, Ponderosa (park)
The 10th year of Sheffield’s fantastic festival of peace, happiness, love, unity and respect. With music, poetry, dance and art, it’s planned to be the biggest and best yet! Plenty of food and drink, fun for kids, crafts, healing, loads of stalls and organisations, and all run by brilliant community activists. Profits are given to a couple of selected charities, this year they’re supporting ASSIST and Roundabout. 

Monday 16 June: Film showing of Wajdja

“Is solar thermal more efficient than a ground source heat pump?”
“What’s the most cost-effective way to insulate walls?”

For our spring Transition Café event, we’re introducing the Green Homes Sheffield project to help provide some of the answers to such questions.

As recent news items about rising gas prices and climate change causing UK flooding have illustrated, the importance of energy efficient homes and lifestyles is becoming increasingly clear. This event will help people to consider their next actions for achieving more affordable, comfortable, and future-proofed homes.

During the evening we’ll show a short video clip about the Bath Green Homes project, and be joined by Jenny Patient who is project lead for Green Homes Sheffield. She’ll explain the aims of Green Homes Sheffield and describe forthcoming opportunities to visit ‘green homes’ in Sheffield.

You’ll also be invited to share your questions and stories about home energy efficiency and green home improvements with other participants, so you’ll have a chance to participate in the Green Homes Sheffield just by joining us on the night.

NB. Would you be able to help Green Homes Sheffield by volunteering as a Welcomer on two or more of these green open homes dates? You’d give practical help to enable the host to show their home to members of the public. Please email jenny.patient@regather.net if you are interested.

The event dates include a good mix of opportunities for both visiting green homes and helping out:

• Sat 12th and Sun 13th April, 11am – 5pm (weekend)
• Weds 23rd and Thurs 24th April, 11am – 5pm (school holidays)
• Sat 3rd, Sun 4th, and Mon 5th May, 11am – 5pm (May Bank holiday)
• Fri 16th, 4pm-10pm, Sat 17th and Sun 18th May, 11am – 5pm
  (Fri evening includes the option to open up for the Sheffield Friday Night Ride)

Fusion Café is in a central location on Arundel St, S1 2NS – see directions. The event is free, but donations towards running costs are welcomed, and tea, coffee and light snacks will be available for purchase.  We look forwards to seeing you on the April 7th.

Thermal image of heat loss

Installing insulation

Energy efficiency rating

There is a call out from Green Homes Sheffield to householders with relevant experience in making their homes more energy efficient and comfortable. We encourage Transition minded-people to help with this initiative.

This doc gives more info about opening your home as a green householder:
Invitation to Hosts – Green Homes Sheffield

The project is just getting set up, so for the moment the call is for green householders, whilst later on there’ll be opportunities to explore what these green householders have found useful in terms of insulation, efficient heating, renewables and other key aspects of the green homes journey.

Here’s a selection of community events which provide food for thought, and a chance to learn or share practical skills:

Saturday 15th February, 1pm-4:30pm

Whose food? Our Food! An afternoon of films and discussion  

The World Development Movement will be showing a selection of films giving examples of people around the world reclaiming their right to grow food; to choose, to access land, and to grow their crops.  These demonstrate encouraging 21st-century alternatives to agribusiness practices. Questions, comments and discussion, partly in small groups, to follow after each film.  We will also be introducing WDM’s new Agribusiness campaign.

All welcome. No charge, but contributions to costs requested. Vegetarian lunch available at the beginning (so come hungry!), as well as the usual hot and cold drinks and biscuits

Venue: Quaker Meeting House, 10 St. James Street, Sheffield S1 2EW (nr Sheffield Cathedral)

The day will include a range of activities: Heavy horse working; snedding, sawing and extracting; bodging & green wood crafts; children’s crafts and dens; the history of charcoal making; a wildlife trail; ‘up in the trees'; woodland art and more. Soup and light refreshments are available for a small charge.