LATEST NEWS And Updates on projects
AGM 2019
Forum 21 would like to invite you to our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 20th November 2019 at 7.00 pm for refreshments followed by the AGM at 7.30 pm inThe Quaker Meeting House, Bancks Street, Minehead, TA24 5DJ
Come along for the brief AGM followed by an uplifting and inspiring talk from our guest speaker, Hanna Wittek, Somerset Member of Youth Parliament, who will give a young person's perspective on the climate emergency.
Hanna is from Bridgwater and is also a member of the Somerset Climate Action Network (CAN) Steering Group. As an MYP she represents in Westminster all young people aged 11-18 and provides a powerful voice for Youth Empowerment in Somerset with particular regard to Knife Crime, Street Harassment and Youth Mental Health.
The UK Youth Parliament provides opportunities for 11-18 year olds to use their elected voice to bring about social change through meaningful representation and campaigning. Through the Make your Mark campaign young people get to vote on UK-wide issues, Devolved issues and can also recommend other issues for general debate. Last year there were 1.2 million voters and this year looks to be even more impressive.
West Somerset Together Updates on Projects as of October 2019
Plastic Free Minehead and West Somerset: The campaign to give Minehead 'Surfers Against Sewage' (SAS) Plastic Free Community status is continuing. The group are hoping to work with Minehead Town Council to support it in developing a Plastic Use Strategy before the end of the year. They are also planning further beach cleans and other community events and have now awarded Plastic Free Business Awards to 8 local businesses as well as beginning work on getting local schools Plastic Free School awards. A pilot meeting is also planned with stakeholders in Watchet for them to start a parallel SAS Plastic Free Watchet campaign
Climate Change:
- West Somerset Together are organising climate change workshops for local parishes and communities with pilot workshops planned for Roadwater and for Timberscombe.
- Bill Butcher and Graham Boswell gave a talk on behalf of Somerset Climate Action Network (Somerset CAN) to councillors from Somerset West & Taunton Council on climate science and on actions the council could take to combat climate change.
- Somerset County Council and Somerset West & Taunton District Council are working with SCAN also organising Climate Summits for members of the public to have their say on climate change policies. The Summit for Somerset West & Taunton District Council will be held in Taunton on Saturday 16th November. Further details to follow.
Global Climate Strike - 20th September 2019: 3000 people took part in the Global Climate Strike in Taunton with the leader of Somerset County Council, Mr David Fothergill, starting the speeches and telling the marchers "to go and make some noise".
Woodcombe Woods - Community Woodlands and Fuel Poverty Project - Produces wood for logs for those in fuel poverty. Contact Hester if you know of anyone who is in need. Low price of £40 a cubic metre.
Local Project Updates
Minehead Rail Group - Continuing with campaign to have Great Western Railway (GWR) to run trains from Taunton to Minehead with a 2 hourly service. This would be a community run rail service, working alongside the volunteer run West Somerset Railway.
There is currently a pilot service, with limited times, running from Bishops Lydeard to Taunton. The plan is then to have this fully extended to Taunton.
Extinction Rebellion West Somerset - A West Somerset Extinction Rebellion (XR) group has formed (40 on the mailing list), with the main hub being the Taunton XR Group. Five people from West Somerset have so far been arrested taking part in the London International Rebellion calling on the government to state their plan on how to deal with the climate emergency declared.
Dates for Your Diary
Tuesday 22nd October - Extinction Rebellion (XR) West Somerset (WildWest) meeting
Quaker Meeting House, Bancks Street, Minehead, 7pm - 9pm. This will be an informal meeting especially for those who went to London for the October Rebellion and/or supported them from back home - a time to reflect, support, celebrate and recover. Bring cakes and treats if you wish!! New members also VERY welcome - we are a friendly bunch and don't worry if you are still unsure of XR ethos and structure, there will be someone to explain!
Saturday 26th October - "Climate & Ecological Emergencies - & what we can do about it" - Organised by West Somerset Together
Presentation and Workshop - Roadwater Village Hall 7.30 pm - 9 pm
Aimed at local residents in Roadwater, and surrounds, to raise awareness and start looking at positive community level projects.
Sunday 27th October - Somerset Wildlife Trust 'ShoreSearch' training (citizen science seashore surveys) 10am - 3pm, Beach Hotel Minehead (register on SWT website: https://www.somersetwildlife.org/Shoresearch_Training.html)
Monday 28th Oct (evening) – Tim/Beth to run plastics arts session at Minehead Eye. Please contact Beth if you’d like to help out beth.cahalan1234@gmail.com
Wednesday 30th October - XR West Somerset meeting
Quaker Meeting House, Bancks Street, Minehead, 7pm - 9pm
This meeting we will be looking at developing the growing West Somerset XR Group and how we link up with the Taunton group and wider as we move forward.
The Rest and be Thankful Inn at Wheddon Cross now has an EV charge point!
Electric Vehicle (EV) Launch and open day of the first EV2 Charge Point on the EV2Charge Rural Network was held at the ‘Rest and Be Thankful Inn’ Wheddon Cross, TA24 7DR on Wednesday 24th April 2019
We heard the latest about electric vehicles, hybrids and what we, as EV2 Charge Community Project, are doing to make access to EV public charging easier in West Somerset.
Brotherwood® the Somerset based leading Wheelchair vehicle specialists will have a Nissan NV‐200 Combi on display, and we are able to introduce Drive Green also Somerset based, and a leading distributor of second hand EVs and introduce their exciting PV innovation from Solar Edge that enables off grid charging.
For more information, ring David Croxton 07850 740 516 or email localfuel@gmail.com
www.ev2charge.home/blog
A Community Project out of Forum 21 and West Somerset
24th April 2019
'Renegade' economist Kate Raworth has written a very accessible book 'Doughnut Economics- seven ways to think like a 21st-century economist' which outlines an economic model which won't destroy the planet.
As you can see she is passionate about rewriting economics so that it’s fit for the 21st Century. In this 2-minute video clip she uses something she found in her garden shed to explain how we can work with and within the cycles of the living world to create a circular, regenerative economy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS7NeFZOnzA&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1XHU0uw2ZYKBeSqE1qoLA7gNMj3QqlUskeBd3b8jDq9broYjudPYdYch8
As you can see she is passionate about rewriting economics so that it’s fit for the 21st Century. In this 2-minute video clip she uses something she found in her garden shed to explain how we can work with and within the cycles of the living world to create a circular, regenerative economy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS7NeFZOnzA&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1XHU0uw2ZYKBeSqE1qoLA7gNMj3QqlUskeBd3b8jDq9broYjudPYdYch8
TESSA MUNT CALLS ON SOMERSET COUNTY COUNCIL TO DECLARE A CLIMATE EMERGENCY
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Call to declare a Climate Emergency -Posted by Tessa Munt on January 30, 2019 Tessa Munt calls on Somerset County Council to declare a Climate Emergency and initiate a massive society-wide climate action mobilisation. Click here to see more details and to sign her petition |
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Posted here 4th February 2019
call to stand in may 2019 local elections
People of all political persuasions should consider standing for election to the new Somerset West and Taunton Council and Minehead Town Council in May to take action on the Climate Emergency, says West Somerset environmental group Forum 21.
Sir David Attenborough, reputed to be the most trusted person in Britain, has recently appealed to world leaders to change course urgently. He says that otherwise the future of the natural world and even humanity itself is threatened by climate change.
“We believe that immediate action is essential from central government, local government, individuals and businesses”, said Forum 21 Chairman, Bill Butcher. “While the country is consumed by the Brexit debate, the more important crisis lies in tackling climate change. We believe in the democratic process and there is a lot that local Councils can do. What we need is a set of councillors across all political parties, and independents, to be elected to Somerset West and Taunton Council in May whose main mission will be to accelerate policies and actions that improve health and wellbeing while reducing carbon emissions.”
A decade ago Forum 21 was commissioned by West Somerset Council to write a Climate Change Strategy for the District, and a Low Carbon Programme for the Exmoor National Park Authority. The Councils made good progress in the first few years, but funding cuts have meant that key officer posts were lost and the momentum has gone. “It’s vital that everyone gets behind a new push towards a healthy and safe local environment”.
Forum 21 is offering a full briefing on climate change to anyone interested in standing for election to either Somerset West and Taunton Council or Minehead Town Council.
Background information and links:
- Somerset County Council produced a Climate Change Strategy in October 2007. It undertook to aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the county by 20% by 2010, and to produce an annual update plan on progress. Forum 21 understands that annual update plans have not been produced by the County Council since 2011. The County Council does however report on carbon dioxide emissions arising from its own estate. Further information can be found here.
- The West Somerset Climate Change Strategy was prepared by Forum 21 for the West Somerset Strategic Partnership and West Somerset Council in 2008. It set targets for reductions in carbon dioxide emissions of 22% by 2012 and 45% by 2020 compared with a 2004 baseline. A copy of the strategy can be downloaded from the West Somerset Council website here. Some information on progress against the target is also available on this website.
- The Exmoor National Park Carbon Neutral Programme was prepared by Forum 21 for the Exmoor National Park Authority in 2010. It set a target for the National Park to become carbon neutral by 2025. A copy of the Programme can be downloaded from the National Park website. Some information on the progress towards this target up to 2013 is available on the National Park website.
- Sir David Attenborough has been appointed the Climate Change Ambassador for the United Nations. He addressed the conference of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in Katovice, Poland, on 2nd December 2018 and the Davos conference, Switzerland on 21 January 2019 in an interview with Prince William.
COMMUNITY WOODLAND HELPS TO WIN NATIONAL AWARD
EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK has won a prestigious Royal Forestry Society (RFS) Excellence in Forestry Award for its sustainable approach to woodland management and involvement of community groups, including Forum 21's management of the Woodcombe Community Woodland at Minehead. It complements a new Government accord announced last week that aims to expand and enhance woodland in National Parks**.
Moor Wood near Minehead is being slowly transformed by the National Park’s woodlands team using a technique called Continuous Cover Forestry, which harnesses the ability of woodlands to naturally regenerate.
The temporary gaps created when carefully selected trees are felled enriches the habitat for a wide variety of specialist species, such as rare birds, butterflies and fungi, while allowing commercially viable amounts of timber to be harvested sustainably. This avoids the need for largescale felling, which takes several decades to regenerate and generally involves uniform plantations that are more vulnerable to environmental pressures.
Graeme McVittie, Senior Woodland Conservation Officer for Exmoor National Park, said: “It’s great to get this kind of recognition for the work we’re doing to make Exmoor’s woodlands more resilient in the face of modern day threats from pests, disease and climate change. We’ve witnessed the loss of elm and larch in our woodlands, and are now losing horse chestnut and ash. Storms and drought have caused further damage and other diseases threaten our oaks and sweet chestnut. So it’s vital that we do all we can to prepare these places for the future.”
The Certificate of Merit was also awarded for the National Park’s commitment to creating opportunities for local communities enjoy and benefit from Exmoor’s woodlands.
Woodcombe Community Woodland is a project initiated by Forum 21, an environmental group in West Somerset. It leases an area of woodland from the National Park to produce seasoned firewood to help local people in fuel poverty with the help of local volunteers. Graham Boswell who leads the project for Forum 21 says: “It’s great to see our idea for a community woodland brought to life through our ongoing partnership with the National Park. The next few years will be crucial in terms of developing a workforce with the necessary woodlandskills, but we’re all up for the challenge and excited by the potential benefits for the whole community.”
Rob Wilson-North, Head of Conservation and Access at Exmoor National Park Authority, said: “Exmoor’s diverse woodlands are truly special, providing a rich haven for nature, from some of the country’s rarest birds, butterflies and bats, to seldom seen lichens, liverworts and mosses. But they’re also an important part of the local economy, providing timber and recreational opportunities, along with a host of public benefits, including educational opportunities, carbon storage and flood alleviation. Balancing these priorities isn’t always easy, but this award is a sure sign we’re on the right track.”
Presenting the Awards, RFS President Andrew Woods said: “The Excellence in Forestry Awards have once again revealed a rich seam of excellence in woodland management – from some of the most prestigious estates in the country to some of the smallest of woodlands. As landowners and woodland managers look to an uncertain future with increasing climate and environmental challenges, these are all woodlands we can learn from.
“It is also uplifting to see the fantastic work that is being carried out among communities to encourage forestry and woodland skills. These projects tap into the enthusiasm of those who will be planning, planting and managing our woodlands in the future as well as looking at how timber can be used in construction for generations to come and deserve the recognition they receive.”
* Duke of Cornwall Award 2018 for Resilient Multi-purpose Forestry: http://www.rfs.org.uk/awards/excellence-in-forestry-winners/duke-of-cornwall-award-2018-for-resilient-multi-purpose-forestry/
** New Accord Launches to Enhance National Parks and Woodland: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-accord-launches-to-enhance-national-parks-and-woodland
1st August 2018
Small shops better than supermarkets for reducing plastic waste
Every supermarket in Minehead has been rated as “Poor” or “Very Poor” for their performance on single-use plastics in a survey by West Somerset Together, an initiative of local environmental group, Forum 21. But some small local food shops, including outlets in Dulverton and Brompton Regis, were rated “Good”, especially for selling loose fruit and vegetables and giving shoppers the choice of paper bags.
Bill Butcher, a spokesperson for West Somerset Together said “it is particularly disappointing that, at a time when the public is very concerned about the damage that plastic waste is doing to marine wildlife, the big supermarkets appear to be offering little choice to shoppers. The survey found lots of examples of over-packaged food, and no sign at all of “plastic-free aisles”, the government’s idea to help shoppers make good choices. Some of the smaller shops and stalls at the Farmers’ Market are making good efforts to minimise the use of single-use plastics; now we need the supermarkets to change their approach too”.
Stefanos’s Food stall at the Minehead Farmers’ Market was singled out for praise for selling food in compostable containers. Jules Salvati of Stefano’s Food said “We’ve been using compostable plant-based food containers for over a year now and our customers really like them. They can be re-used for a few weeks and then home composted, where they will break down in around 3 months. If small businesses like ours can do this, when are the supermarkets going to change?”
Toucan Health Foods of Minehead was also commended for its use of paper and making cloth carrier bags available.
The Plastic Waste Campaign plans to repeat survey at intervals and hopes to see a rapid improvement in the actions taken by retailers on this urgent issue.
The survey covered fourteen food shops in Minehead, Dulverton and Exmoor villages. It was undertaken by volunteers from West Somerset Together as part of a Plastic Waste Campaign.
The survey took place in April and early May 2018.
The supermarkets surveyed were:
Minehead Morrisons, Minehead Tesco, Minehead Iceland, Minehead Lidl, Minehead Co-op, Dulverton Co-op.
The following were rated as “Good” or “Very Good” for their performance on single-use plastics:
Toucan Health Foods, Minehead; Stuart Lowen Farm Shop, Minehead; Stefano’s Food Stall, Minehead Farmers’ Market, Dulverton Delicatessen, Brompton Regis Village Shop, Dulverton Fruit and Vegetable Shop.
All of the food shops rated “Good” or “Very Good” for their performance on single use plastics were small shops or market stalls. None were supermarkets.
Bill Butcher, a spokesperson for West Somerset Together said “it is particularly disappointing that, at a time when the public is very concerned about the damage that plastic waste is doing to marine wildlife, the big supermarkets appear to be offering little choice to shoppers. The survey found lots of examples of over-packaged food, and no sign at all of “plastic-free aisles”, the government’s idea to help shoppers make good choices. Some of the smaller shops and stalls at the Farmers’ Market are making good efforts to minimise the use of single-use plastics; now we need the supermarkets to change their approach too”.
Stefanos’s Food stall at the Minehead Farmers’ Market was singled out for praise for selling food in compostable containers. Jules Salvati of Stefano’s Food said “We’ve been using compostable plant-based food containers for over a year now and our customers really like them. They can be re-used for a few weeks and then home composted, where they will break down in around 3 months. If small businesses like ours can do this, when are the supermarkets going to change?”
Toucan Health Foods of Minehead was also commended for its use of paper and making cloth carrier bags available.
The Plastic Waste Campaign plans to repeat survey at intervals and hopes to see a rapid improvement in the actions taken by retailers on this urgent issue.
The survey covered fourteen food shops in Minehead, Dulverton and Exmoor villages. It was undertaken by volunteers from West Somerset Together as part of a Plastic Waste Campaign.
The survey took place in April and early May 2018.
The supermarkets surveyed were:
Minehead Morrisons, Minehead Tesco, Minehead Iceland, Minehead Lidl, Minehead Co-op, Dulverton Co-op.
The following were rated as “Good” or “Very Good” for their performance on single-use plastics:
Toucan Health Foods, Minehead; Stuart Lowen Farm Shop, Minehead; Stefano’s Food Stall, Minehead Farmers’ Market, Dulverton Delicatessen, Brompton Regis Village Shop, Dulverton Fruit and Vegetable Shop.
All of the food shops rated “Good” or “Very Good” for their performance on single use plastics were small shops or market stalls. None were supermarkets.