Successful Brainstorming Meeting

Buck the Trend would like to thank everyone who attended the public meeting on Wednesday 25th November.

Andy Stokes, Buck the Trend’s secretary, said:

It was great to see such a wide range of people coming along to support us and generate some good ideas for how we can make Buckfastleigh a more sustainable place to live and become a stronger community as a result. It was also encouraging to receive support from the Town Council, with the Town Mayor Councillor Peter Clarke and Councillor Ann Armstrong (of the Buckfastleigh and District Society) both attending the meeting.

The meeting was also attended by members of related groups in neighbouring towns. Andy Stokes said:

We really appreciate the fact that representatives from Sustainable South Brent and Transition Newton Abbot came to the meeting and gave us the benefit of their experience. We look forward to working more closely with them and the other groups that showed their support, including Ashburton Futures and Bovey Climate Action.

Tony Merrick from the Energy Saving Trust said:

The meeting was a great start to the project and it seems that the group contains some very knowledgeable, keen individuals. After this first meeting I am very much looking forward to progressing with Buck the Trend in their action plan. Thank you to the other community groups for coming and sharing their previous experiences and good practice with us.

Buck the Trend are now working to finalise their plans for the Green Communities programme over the next year.

Tony Merrick (EST), Councillor Peter Clarke (Town Mayor), Robert Byrnes (BTT Chairman) and Andy Stokes (BTT Secretary) at the meeting

November Public Forum

The next forum will be held at Buckfastleigh Town Hall on Wednesday 25th November at 7:30pm. This public meeting will launch the partnership between Buck the Trend and The Energy Savings Trust ‘Green Communities’ Programme (see previous post).

It is also a chance for everyone to help to plan what we will do over the next year and beyond. We welcome your input, so please come along to hear what this means for Buckfastleigh and to contribute your ideas.

If you are not within walking/cycling distance of the Town Hall, please consider using public transport or using Car Share Devon.

Lamb Pie Day

We did a stall at this year’s Lamb Pie Day, giving out some Buck the Trend info, entertaining people with Toby’s music, and selling lots of raffle tickets for our excellent prizes – a voucher for Jenny’s Farm Shop, a voucher for the Buckfast Abbey shop, a cream tea for two at the Singing Kettle and a basket of organic fruit and veg from Nature’s Round.

As can be seen from the pictures, rain meant that the whole stall – apart from one hardy lettuce – had to be covered up at times but we had a good day anyway!

A walk on the wild side!

On Bank Holiday Monday, 25th May, Buck the Trend went wild!

Well, to be honest, we went on an amazing wiold food walk led by Fiona Campbell who collects wild food nearly every day.  She  is extrememly knowledgeable having lived wild not only here but also having spent time with Australian Aboriginals and the Bushmen of the Kalahari learning how ancient peoples live from the land and treat it with respect. Fiona explained how our ancient ancestors would have spent a nomadic existence moving from the moor to the sea and back again as the seasons tunred. At this time of year we would have been leaving the moor and moving down to the coast living on the cleansing leaves that we were introduced to and encouraged to taste and to pick.

Many of the group had already tasted the wild garlics that abound near us but thistles was a new experience for many. Useful cooking tips and ideas of how to eat the leaves were incorporated as well as what not to eat (poisonous plants). My favouirie discovery was pennywort, very mild and with a lovely crunch!

Fiona forages most days and would be happy to take people out with her if they want to find out more (there is a cost), if anyone is interested please contact the group and we can put you in touch.

Seed and Plant Swap

The seed and plant swap last Saturday (25th April) went really well. We carried a table from the Town Hall and set it up in the Victoria Woodholme car park, next to the Council’s compost giveaway, with a fair selection of plants and seeds.

The car-park was very busy. An advert (including BTT plant swap) had gone out in the Mid-Devon Advertiser and also on the radio.

The Council’s compost was gone by 11.00 but we stayed until about 12.15, as did Eric from Go Green Devon. Eric gave us a pack of marrow seeds to swap. His company collects garden, green waste and timber, composts it, makes wood chip or veg frames, planters etc. They now also have young adults with learning difficulties working with them. See their website – www.gogreendevon.com

Free lightbulbs on Fore Street!

On Saturday 21st March some members of Buck the Trend handed out free low energy lightbulbs on Fore Street and near the Co-op, accompanied by Toby’s beautiful flute music and, later, Iona on violin.

We met a great response – the point of it was to promote the Energy Fair the following Saturday so, even though quite a few people said they already had enough low energy lightbulbs (”a cupboard full of them” in one case), most people were interested in the Fair, and a lot planned to come along!

our stall by the Co-op

The Buckfastleigh Energy Fair

Come to the town hall this Saturday (the 28th of March) and join the Energy Fair that we’re hosting.

There will be demonstrations, talks, credit-crunch cakes and a whole lot more!