World Premiere in Tooting!

We are delighted to announce that the World Premiere of the film Transition 2.0 will take place in Tooting in a simultaneous broadcast with Totnes and other Transition initiatives around the world on Thursday 2nd February.

And look that's the Upper Tooting Road taking centre stage on the poster, the day the Trashcatchers' Carnival took over the streets!  Tooting features and so might you, so put the date in your diary!

Film venue:
Sivayogam Hall, First Floor, Sri Muthumari Amman Temple

Address:
180-186 Upper Tooting Road
Tooting, London, SW17 7EJ

Note: please use entrance on corner of Hebdon Road and Upper Tooting Road.

Time: 7:30 for 8:00 pm screening prompt. Strictly no alcohol.

Entry will be free, but donations are welcome.

Watch the trailer here.  

TTT First Tuesday on January 10th: 'Just Do It'

For the first of our free monthly meetings in 2012, we looked at What are the actions you’d love to take this year to help build your own and Tooting’s resilience, sustainability, wellbeing?

This took us into the territory of New Year Resolutions - maybe easily made, and maybe hard to act on?

We shared some of our own hopes for action in 2012 - personal and / or communal.



We looked at some
meanings of resolution:
making a decision...
reaching consensus...
and getting things into
focus, as in 'high-resolution'
photographs.

We all need inspiration to make bold plans, especially in a challenging period of complex change, when we often need to act without being sure what will take place en route. To encourage us, we shared two exciting stories where Tooting people took action when 'what would happen next' was not guaranteed.

Liz described One Little Wheel, a cycle trip between Europe and Thailand last year.

Jake described his own experience of non-violent direct action, as shown in the film Just Do It.

Finally, bringing what you would love to do in 2012 back to the experience of the meeting participants, Belinda outlined a set of keys to happiness to explore what supports each of us to act.

Just Do It

Tuesday's Open event is called Just Do It!
What are the actions you’d love to take this year to help build your own and Tooting’s resilience, sustainability, wellbeing? What do you really want to do?  There isn’t a ‘right answer’ to this question, so it’s exciting & inspiring to hear others’ ideas and visions, share yours, get some tips, plan to act.

At the event we will:
Ø Hear examples of recent ‘just do it’ actions by local colleagues – including a cycle trip last year between Thailand and Europe
Ø Watch and discuss some of the new documentary film ‘Just Do It’, which explores the Climate Camps, creating Transition Heathrow, and non-violent direct action over the past 2 years.
Ø Do some blue sky action planning together
Ø Share your views, and hear others’ ideas too
Ø Share Transition Tooting’s plans for 2012 We’re looking forward to a great evening, and a year of change…

Tue, 10th January, 7pm, Mushkil Aasaan, 220 Upper Tooting Road

Meanwhile, this weekend the Tooting pound team will be on the streets on Saturday and the Community garden team will be planting willows on Sunday.  Feel free to join in with either activity!

Two London meetings in December emphasising community resilience

TTT members took part in two recent London meetings:
London Transition Groups Gathering

On Dec 1^st, 100 participants from over 25 London Transition groups - and beyond - met at City Hall, by Tower Bridge on the Thames.

As well as meeting new people and following up links and ideas, we heard quick updates from 4 speakers:  on the London Low Carbon Communities Network, from two of London’s funded Low Carbon Zones, and from the founder of Project Dirt. All these talks mixed humour, honesty about mistakes and celebration of successes with encouragement for the rest of us in our diverse community projects.

The main part of the evening was led by Rob Hopkins, who founded the Transition Movement seven years ago. His new book ‘The Transition Companion’ has just been launched: developed over 2 years of listening to and collecting stories about many Transition groups. (Yes, there is a lot in the book about Transition Tooting…have a look!).
 
Rob facilitated the ‘audience’ to participate by exploring a new

Transition tool – a set of cards illustrating the 40-plus ‘Ingredients of Transition’ which groups are using to support their projects and communities – and which he describes in the new book.

Photo: Rob looks on as TTT's ingedients are mapped by many hands using the picture cards

City University Food Symposium

On December 13^th, City University hosted its second Food Symposium, bringing together over 150 people from community and consumer groups, farmers and food producers, wholesalers and retail chains, unions, universities, the NHS, local authorities, and the government.
The overall topic was the direction, roles and challenges facing UK food policy - influenced of course by change across the globe.
The day was convened by Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University, who has supported several Transition Tooting events and lives locally.


After a morning of talks from a wide range of experts, the group divided into three (‘Civil Society’; the ‘Food Supply Chain’; the ‘State’) and addressed these questions: “what are the current challenges facing the UK food system from your perspective?”, and “what can be done about those challenges, and who will do it?”

Footfall on our High Streets (plus some webbed feet too.....)

It's a fact: a local economy needs to take account of Peak Oil and Climate Change. We cannot 'grow' our economy without recognising we live on a finite planet. Our fiscal 'crisis' is tagged to these two reality-checked 'barriers to growth.'  How exciting to see the new government Mary Portas report on bringing life back onto our High Streets talk of community well-being and sustainability  -  though she explains it in terms of building social and cultural capital to build economic capital - bringing human footfall back onto our High Streets to create vibrant centres.

To join the dots between what Transition's been exploring for 4 years and what Portas herself is saying,  do look at this recent Transition Culture blog by  Rob Hopkins. 'Another world is not only possible..she's opening a bakery around the corner'.

Festive Making & Social II

An interesting evening learning new craft ideas and chatting was had by all on Tuesday evening. Wreath making from Community Garden unwanted ivy (great idea Maddie) and wrapping paper printed from polystyrene sheets (thanks Gillian) were particular hits alongside Mal's poms-poms! Is Hilary still knitting that pink thing? What will it be?

Festive Making & Social

Tuesday sees the return of the TTT Festive Making & Social event which last year saw many of you unleash your creative skills making greeting cards, wallets from juice cartons, paper and even mincemeat!

This year, we have a plethora of talented creative types taking part with decorative pom-poms, origami and recycling of unwanted gifts already on the agenda.

Why not come along on the 6th December and get involved? Perhaps you would like to teach others a new skill or simply join in and learn something new yourself? Or both!

Things You Might Bring:

• An unwanted gift to swap
• Colourful wool for pom-poms
• Any old wrapping paper, junk mail or magazines to recycle into something artistic

It's suitable for all the family. There will be a (non-alcoholic) fruit punch and something to eat, but do bring any food you can to share. The event runs from 6pm till 9pm at Mushkil Aasaan 222 Upper Tooting Rd

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