Vision & Pathways Reflections

A few reflections sent by participants after the Vision & Pathways day which took us from Where has TTT come from? via Where are we now? Where are we going? and How are we going to get there? to How will we know when we get there?

"I stepped through a leaf circle into a very different space ... a really great thought provoking day"

"I loved being in the cemetery - it was a gorgeous spot to be on such a beautiful autumn day"

"Wow ... thanks all for lovely day and your company"



"A comfortable and enjoyable day spent with friends planning and thinking about life. If I had stayed at home I would have been busy sanding, painting and cleaning, this was much better!"

 "My highspots of the day were where everyone talked about when they first encountered TTT and the what their highlight had been - it was lovely to hear how what felt sometimes like small events or moments had rippled out and caught people's imaginations".

Report of WEF meeting on local impact of the Green New Deal

Several of us from Transition Tooting attended this months' excellent WEF Open Meeting and WEF Co-Chair Jon Irwin has very kindly written up the details of the meeting for those who were not able to attend.

Green Deal - Notes from the Open Meeting 3rd November 2011
John Alker, Policy Director of the Green Building Council (GBC) introduced the Green Deal, as Justine Greening MP was delayed in arriving.

Background to the GBC:
It is a charity funded by it's members (building organisations, local authorities number amongst them). They are apolitical and can be viewed as part trade association part NGO. They form part of an international network of other green building council's with a presence in 80 countries.
25% of UK energy use is by UK housing stock. On average there are between 25-30k deaths each winter that are attributable to the cold.

Green Deal:
GBC has been involved in 2009 proposing a "pay as you save" scheme. The ideas from this have been taken up in the Green Deal. The charge for work done under the green deal is attached the the property over a 25 year period. Key element to the Green Deal is the Golden rule. Only measures that result in cost savings through energy efficiency over the lifetime of the deal can be included in it.

Vision & Pathways

We had an inspiring Vision & Pathways all day event at the amazing Streatham Cemetery (in Tooting) today, covering the past, present and future of TTT.  Hopefully we'll have a write up in due course, but meanwhile here is some photographic evidence!

 This bucolic rural idyll is in Tooting; no seriously it is ...

These people have vision or are at least on a pathway ...

And this year's Turner prize nominees are ...

More photos here:

Local Economy & Currency

At the First Tuesday event on 1st November 2011 members of the local community came together to discuss the issues facing the local economy and what could be achieved by developing a community currency.  Could a Tooting Pound become a reality?  With one of highest levels of independent small businesses in the country, people like Tooting’s quirky feeling of energy, which we would not want to lose in favour of tidiness or an influx of chain stores.

Encouragingly the group felt that a community currency might help facilitate connections in the local economy, while also boosting the sense of community, causing people to explore new places to shop.  Perhaps the successful night time economy could help drive the daytime economy and maybe the currency would enable small businesses to feel connected, resilient, and therefore stronger together.

Thanks to Alex from TT Brixton who gave us a fascinating account of their experience of developing, implementing and maintaining the Brixton pound, to Chuck for bringing his money facts and extensive collection of bank notes from round the world and to Tim for running the evening and continuing to champion the concept.

We are definitely encouraged to put more time into developing a community currency with the caveat that ultimately the success or failure of the project rests with local people and businesses who might use it. It is obvious that if people in our community feel important, valued and included in the project, then the currency is more likely to succeed. After all is said and done, it will become their money!

Experiencing the camp at St Paul's

This past week, two TTT supporters have made separate visits to the 'Occupy London' camp outside St Paul's Cathedral. We asked them both to blog on our site to share their responses, and we hope you find their personal comments interesting and thought-provoking:

Jesse's experience:
On Saturday I decided to see what all the fuss was about and spend some time at the Occupy London Stock Exchange Camp outside St Paul’s. As has been commented on in the mainstream media it is difficult to simplify and describe; I thought it would be good to share my experience and let everyone know how they can get involved if they're interested.

Jane's experience:

I had been meaning to offer solidarity to the St Paul’s Camp for days and decided to spend last Wednesday there with the tenters. I arrived from the Tube fired up that someone is making a visible statement, to cry out against the extreme levels of inequality in our society. It has been too long.

Local Economy & Community Currency Event

What can we do together to support the local economy?

What's the value in developing a Tooting community currency?

Many local businesses are in direct competition with national chains, the internet and large suburban shopping centres. When 'big business' wins, another local shop closes or a small business goes bankrupt.

If you, like us, are concerned about the local economy and wish to talk to other like minded people our Local Economy & Community Currency event on Nov 1st might be just for you! We will be discussing how to strengthen our local economy, build new relationships, and how we spend our money. We will ask if we want a thriving local economy, or are we happy with our money going elsewhere? Do we want extended supply chains or short ones? How would this benefit us? Would a community currency help?

Venue: Mushkil Aasaan, 222 Upper Tooting Rd 7-9 pm.  All Welcome.

Gaia - the Cabaret

At short notice, Peter Horton of Gaia's Company is offering an extra night of his current cabaret tour of songs, sketches and curiosity.  Transition Town Tooting is delighted to support Gaia the Cabaret at the Wheatsheaf in Tooting Bec next Tues 25th Oct at 8pm.  Come along!

"Common Knowledge: Drawing Tooting"

Sunny weather brought 15 local people, including several Transition Tooting friends, onto Tooting Common to join a Wandsworth Arts ‘Big Draw’ event on Saturday 15th Oct:

"Explore the hidden ecology of Tooting Common

with artist Jacques Nimki through drawing, talking and walking.”

We practiced 'measured drawing', collected leaves and seeds in paper boxes which we made on the spot, and tried drawing in tiny sketchbooks – no excuses for not having materials with us!

We looked at the Common through our own varied and personal experience of the space - including searching for stories in the apparently random paths we followed (Jacques calls them ‘desire lines’). We felt this drawing and observing both plants and social meaning should be continued - all part of valuing what makes Tooting special.

Foodival & Roots

More photos from Foodival now online - thank you Chuck!  Keep 'em coming if you have any good ones!

Meanwhile congratulations to Tim for the successful first run out of a Tooting currency at Foodival with our prototype pound, already known on the streets of south London as a "ROOT" (rather than a quid). Go to the ROOT'S NEW WEBSITE (fast work there Tim) - it's the destination of choice for anyone out there even vaguely intrigued by the idea of helping put the Root in Tooting.

Fun at Foodival!

It was a great afternoon at the Tooting Foodival with local fruit and veg turned into delicious Tooting dishes by local restaurants and purchased by the Tooting public using a prototype Tooting currency the Tooting Root, all in our local Tooting Market!  Thanks to all who helped out including restaurants Meze, Al Mirage, Lahore Karahi, Rick's Cafe, Pooja and Spice Village not to mention the fabulous Brick Box for hosting the event.  More details and photos on the Foodival pages soon.

Queuing for food, "Tooting Roots" in hand

"I've never seen it so packed round here"

Countdown to Foodival

The Food Group are gearing up for Saturday's Foodival, this year taking place at Tooting Market, 21-23 Tooting High St.  All donations of fruit and veg to be magically transformed by local restuaurants into special low food mile Tooting dishes are very welcome.  There's a drop off at the Tooting Community Garden on Friday evening 4-7 pm and also a collection service.  Please see the Foodival page for full details.  We look forward to seeing you there!

 

To get involved, donate produce or ask a question please mail Giles

Foodival 2011

 

More details on the Foodival Blog

A weekend spent getting ecologically deep

I thought I’d take a few minutes to write a bit about a recent ecological/environmental conference I attended, which I found completely inspiring, energizing and life affirming.  If you’ve not come across Green & Away, it’s Europe’s only tented conference centre, with everything in the open air or under canvas.  Set in rolling fields outside Worcester, by the river Teme, I’d highly recommend it.  I took part in the Resurgence summer camp, and as well as several great speakers and workshops, found the experience of living outdoors for 4 days (including taking open air showers!) really lovely.  Satish Kumar, peace activist and ecological campaigner, ‘headlined’ and spoke of a trinity of ‘soil, soul and society’, which in essence I took to mean thinking of ecology as three inter-connected spheres which we must nurture as a whole if we're to find sustainable solutions to the challenges of climate change, inequality and the many other ills facing the world.  I was particularly interested in the ‘soul’ aspect, and the importance of connecting with our inner landscapes whilst moving away from a constant outer focus, for example on material possessions.

News from a Tooting front room near you!

Liz has been hosting a series of ‘Carbon Conversations’ meetings with neighbours in her front room: 

Our latest 'CC' is now taking a break for the summer, so I thought I'd take the opportunity for a quick update on how it's gone so far, since we started meeting once a week. In mid June a group of intrepid Tooting dwellers ventured up the hill into Furzedown, and we began by discussing :

'why on earth are we even having a conversation about carbon anyway?' 

And what do these 'tonnes' consist of, and what is 'carbon equivalent', and why should we bother when China builds a new coal power station every week? We all concluded that we did want to bother, and for me it felt good to be doing something positive.  
We had some fun thinking about what we'd say to the current prime minister about climate change if we got the chance; things like 'don't wait for other countries, just take a lead', 'be proud of the UK’s Climate Act - do more to promote it' and 'tackling inequality will help with climate change and vice versa, don't forget the multiple benefits to society'.

With thoughts racing through my mind we went on our way to ponder for a week before the next session. 

Transition Conference Report - Charles

Two of us have just been to the annual Transition Network Conference in Liverpool

Each of the 200-plus participants probably had a unique experience of the 3 days. Much of the time was offered in chunks of options...

Exciting choices, because most of the parallel sessions looked tempting…but you needed to select just one!  What would you do:  choose a very popular one with 40 people signed up, or go for a topic with a smaller group of 5? And would you prefer to be meeting the same people, or new ones?

My choices took me to sessions on social justice, on community renewable energy, on health in cities, on a long evening walk with a forester in local woods and fields, and on Kids in Transition.  

Transition Conference Report - Lucy

‘The change in direction represented by the Transition movement is as profound as any intentional change experienced by a civilisation’.

I have been at the national Transition Town Conference in Liverpool for three days. An intense experience, characterised by almost constant conversation with 259 other ‘transitioners’ from all over the world and the UK. The conference was on the campus of Hope University near Chilwall Woods in the North East of the City.

The conference recognised that after 5 years of existence the Transition movement has a great deal to reflect on. The movement can begin to look back at the evidence of its impact with confidence.  With initiatives across the world putting ‘transition’ principles successfully into action, responding quickly as communities pulling together has shown how resilience really counts. This has been especially so in the stark contexts of national crises such as New Zealand’s earthquake and Rio’s floods.   When things are destabilised you have to be ready with new ways of doing things. 

Tooting Community Garden

We have had an exciting few weeks at the Tooting Community Garden so here's a little update on recent activities. On 18th and 19th June we invited volunteers to come to the Big Dig. We certainly have some talented gardeners and knowledgeable people in Tooting. Sharing skills and knowledge was a feature of the weekend. We began by preparing the rectangular bed in the middle of the garden so we can grow some veggies. Although we are a bit late in the season we are confident we can grow some produce in time for the Tooting Foodival in September. A few weeks previously we had been prepared to dig by hand but the soil was so compact that when we were offered use of a rotivator (thanks to the lovely people at Share Community Garden!) we accepted. Following rotivation we marked out beds with concrete slabs we found in the garden. After preparing the soil a little more and adding some compost we were ready to plant.

Furzedown Low Carbon Zone

Transition Town Tooting is a partner in promoting the "Furzedown Low Carbon Zone", a new project that will help achieve the goal of an energy efficient, resilient Furzedown.  TTT has a stand at the Big Day Out and will co-host an inaugural meeting at the Furzedown Project, 91-93 Moyser Rd, SW16 6SJ on Monday 18th July, 7-9pm.  Further information will be posted soon!

Recycle Week June 20-26th

This has been Recycle Week and we were delighted to welcome Wandsworth Council's Recycling Team Sophie Chitty, at this week's TTT co-ordinating meeting. She writes about her visit here: