Big Picnic in the sun…

We had a lovely day on Sunday 18th July, with Buckfastleigh’s (and the country’s) second ‘Big Lunch’  Big Picnic in the Park at the Orchard Millennium green, organised by Andy and Theo of Buck The Trend.

We enjoy sharing food and company at our version of the nationwide 'Big Lunch'

The sun shone most of the afternoon and, unlike last year, we had no need of the gazebo, except to keep the sun off the heads of the toddlers.

Everyone brought food to share, including home-grown vegetables, and we had a fine time eating, talking, and playing games together.

In Buck the Trend, we believe that community events like these are important to help build a closer, more resilient community which works and has fun together locally. Let’s help make this an annual Buckfastleigh institution and join up next year around the same time…

Watch This Space!

BTT at Lamb Pie Day

Buck The Trend had a stand as planned at Lamb Pie day on Saturday 17th July, and the rain held off all day this year, despite ominous grey clouds at times.

Anne, Theo and Andy set up and manned the stall through the afternoon – we had badge-making kit and offered this at 50p a badge, which brought lots of youngsters to the stall, where they drew their badges while we chatted to their parents about Buck The Trend.

BTT at Lamb Pie day with 'Cherie' the ideas tree

Also with us at the stall was a cherry tree donated to Buck the trend by the Energy Saving Trust (whose stall was opposite ours in Fore Street) where folks could hang their energy saving ideas for a chance to win a prize draw by the EST.

The cherry tree becomes part of our campaign to reintroduce fruit trees and expand orchards in and around the town. We are looking for a good spot to plant it – send us your suggestions here: Click here to reveal email address

The Big Lunch – Sunday 18th July

Buckfastleigh’s Big Picnic…

We are planning to join the rest of the country on Sunday the 18th July, for ‘The Big Lunch’ – an initiative launched by the Eden Project where folks all other the country get together to share food,  have fun, make new friends and catch up with old ones. You can find out more about it here.

We have booked the Orchard (Millenium) Green for the afternoon, and want to encourage everyone to join us from midday for a giant picnic in the park. Bring food to share or just to feed your own bunch, and bring your own entertainment – games, instruments, skills, whatever…

Tell everyone you know and download a poster to display

If it rains, we have a gazebo, and will all have to squash up.

If you want to help organise, set-up or clear-up let us know Click here to reveal email address

See you there!

BTT at Lamb Pie Day

BTT will be hosting a stall at Lamb Pie Day on Saturday 17th July.

Please let us know if you would like to help out setting up or taking down the stall, or if you can help man it at any time.  Click here to reveal email address

Or just come along and hang out and have a chat on the day.

Look forward to seeing you…

Buckfastleigh Fun Day was fun!

We had a fantastic tropical afternoon in the sunshine on Sunday – I for one am glad that I was out enjoying good company and good weather rather than sitting in doors watching England’s World cup dreams getting wiped out…

It was great to have a chance to chat to interested people about BTT, low-maintenance gardening and the complicity of capitalism amongst other things.

The Energy Cycle went down well, especially with the youngsters, although we didn’t quite get a cup of tea out of it!

Many thanks to Steve, Andy and Theo for the effort they put in to it…

Visitors at BTT Stand

Green Library gets boost…

BTT’s project to set up a ‘Green Library’ corner in Buckfastleigh received a boost from Clr John Nutley, one of Buckfastleigh & Ashburton’s local district councillors.

Mr. Nutley has donated £400 from council funds to help purchase books and DVDs for the project.

BTT Secretary receives cheque from Clr John Nutley

Thanks so much to everyone who has contributed books and DVDs to this project – keep them coming and watch this space for news of the launch…

There is a shortlist of books and DVDs here http://www.buckthetrend.info/buckfastleigh-green-library-corner/ Please take a look and let us know if your favourites are on there – if not let us know what they are.

Energy Course voted a success!

BTT hosted a free ‘Energy Audit for Community Buildings’ Course on Thursday 25th March. More than the maximum 24 people turned up from all over Devon – Ilfracombe to Plymouth (as well as Buckfastleigh, Ashburton and South Brent), to find out how to cut their building’s energy footprint. They represented a wide range of diverse organisations including the Quakers, a hospice, and more than one Village hall.

It was a great atmosphere, with the course presented by Anna Watts of the Centre for Sustainable Energy http://www.cse.org.uk/ but everyone contributing their own, specialist knowledge and experience.

Wonderful food was supplied, by Polly Wilson, and there was a great buzz and lots of useful contacts made between people attending.

Many thanks for the Energy Saving Trust – Green Communities for providing this course for us. We will definitely think about hosting more in future, so please take a look at the list here and get in touch and let us know what you are interested in…

‘I’d like to thank you and your colleagues … as well as Anna, for putting on such a great day…’

‘Thank you very much for a good day and useful seminar training. Lots of good people and contacts. Next one please!’

Free Energy Course – Thursday March 25th

As part of the Green Communities programme,  Buck the Trend (BTT) will be hosting a free one-day course on how to energy audit a building. This will be presented by the Energy Saving Trust.

The course will be held at Buckfastleigh Town Hall on Thursday 25th March from 9.45 til 4.30.

See here for more details…

Help to make Buckfastleigh & Buckfast Devon’s ‘Green Community’ – and cut your energy bill too!

You may have heard that Buckfastleigh has been chosen as Devon’s ‘Green Community’ by the Energy Saving Trust. This means that we have a chance to show the rest of the county what can be done to make a difference to the environment, cut carbon emissions, and save energy.

On Tuesday 23rd or Wednesday 24th February,  every household in the town will receive a ‘Home Energy Check’ form. This simple form, that takes about 15 minutes to complete, asks questions about fuel bills, heating system, insulation and windows etc.

You can get phone help if you need it, or you can fill in the form on-line (if you are not in the Buckfastleigh area then this is the way to do it ) on the EST website here.

You will then be sent specific details of what you can do in your home to cut energy use and reduce your fuel bills, and what government help might be available.

What’s more, you will be helping to build a picture of energy use in the town, and how to start reducing it – which is essential for us all to make a brighter future for our children, and build a community where we would want them to live.

Many Thanks,

Andy Stokes
Secretary, ‘Buck the Trend’