Midsummer news

Hi all, it is suddenly midsummer, and there are lovely local and national events which bring people together to experience real sustainable projects and to envision socially fair and transformative possibilities.  There are also actions to take which can help to sustain community resources, energy and food. And finally, it is time to say farewell to Transition Sheffield.

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.

4th– 6th 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,

IPCUK will bring together leading experts and practitioners from around the world. Together we will create a vision of a near future society that is caring, sustainable and fair, and explore how we can collectively design strategies and pathways to make it happen.
Conference, 8-9 September 2015, The Light, Euston Road, London.
Designing the World We Want – two days packed with presentations, workshops, academic papers, exhibitions, music, and art.
Convergence, 10-16 September 2015, Gilwell Park, Essex.
Designing the network we want – for people from around the world using permaculture in their everyday lives and communities. There are also Edge events, throughout the UK and Europe – from tours and courses, to talks and more.
Book now for early bird tickets

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

This entry was posted in News. Bookmark the permalink.