News and recent activities
Our film night and gin tasting was well attended and much enjoyed.  Our thanks go to Shenstone Library for hosting and the Apiarist Gin for supplying the delicious, locally-produced, honey-infused gin!
‘Planet Local: A Quiet Revolution ‘ produced by Local Futures, explores the negative impact of the globalisation of the world economy and argues that:
•      It is an extractive model, not a sustainable one.
•      Globalisation has turbocharged the pursuit of economic growth at all costs.
•      In turn, this is driving the twin threats of global warming and ecological destruction.
•    It is also concentrating economic power and money in very few hands and increasing inequality.
•             Governments should invest more to support local communities.
•             Communities need to take their future into their own hands.
•             It argues that we can improve the situation by re-localising our economy.
There were so many people and projects around the world already using the ‘localisation’ model and bringing about change, resulting in people having a sense of purpose and community.  It was very inspiring to see solutions.  The next step for us all is to see how we can bring about change to our own locality!
If you did not get chance to attend then do watch the film – available here.

LDC are planning to hold a Climate Summit on 27th Sept at Lichfield Cathedral which would be aimed at residents of the District as well as community groups and businesses.  A comprehensive recycling campaign is proposed for May time too, so these provide good opportunities for conversations with the community. And LCC have an active Climate Change Committee which has a number of plans for the City in relation to planting, drinking water and support for eco projects.

Repair Café celebrated its 6th birthday and calculated that well over 1000 items have been looked at/repaired!  That’s quite an achievement!  They will be having a stand at The Great Imagining event, being held at Chase Leisure Centre, Cannock Chase on Sat 9th March.  The event will showcase lots of climate and environmental activities – a fun day out for all the family.

Grace & May Home (based at the Plant Plot Garden Centre, Lichfield, main building) are now open Fridays - 11-4, Saturdays - 10-4, Sundays - 10-4.  They have a new refill station including cleaning, laundry and beauty products (see photo). Customers can purchase ready filled bottles which include a loyalty stamp scheme for refill returns, and/or bring their own clean containers for refills (no loyalty scheme with fill your own). They also have Terracycle collection point for the following items:
All Babybel packaging; any brand of flexible plastic cheese packaging and nets; Ferrero Rocher and Ferrero Collection aluminium wrappers, plastic boxes and plastic trays; biscuit, cracker and cake wrappers; Pringles tubes; Bakery plastic packaging; Warburton's wax bread packets; Air, home and laundry care products; Philips dental care products.
If getting ready for holidays/travel then they have a number of useful products including insect repellent, after bite balms, toothbrushes, stick deodorants and shampoo bars. Nearly all of their products are vegan friendly and made in the UK. Check them out online for more information.
 
Spark in Burntwood have a number of fundraising events coming up, to help support their many activities - a timetable which can be found here. Their Community Fridge will be undergoing some upgrades throughout March/April but anyone can make use of the items from the fridge so do check it out. 

Lichfield Cathedral’s Lent Lectures will be a series based on the theme ‘Faithfully Political’, looking at issues that will dominate the narrative of a General Election, expected this year (homelessness, migration, law and order). The Climate Crisis, and it’s impact upon daily life will surely be one of these, and they are pleased to have Andy Atkins, Chair of ‘A Rocha (UK)’, coming to speak (7.15pm - Wednesday, 6th March) on how as people of faith can use our vote and place in the public square, to make changes that will address the existential crisis of Climate Change. The lecture will be followed by group discussion, and a chance for groups to ask questions.

New Co-op HQ in Lichfield
Good to read the following….“The building, situated at Queen Street, Lichfield, WS13 6QS, includes sustainable features, including solar roof panels, and soon to be installed EV charging points plus a bike shed, and showers planned for early in 2024, for those who choose to take advantage of our new cycle to work scheme. We even recycled and reused as much as we could from our old offices to avoid waste.”  Transition are hoping to team up with them on some planting initiatives on the site soon too!

Support Staffordshire Job Role
Support Staffordshire are recruiting for a new Community and Environment Officer to work on future projects as part of Transforming the Trent Valley Partnership. This is a 30 hour/week post, with work mainly focussed on north Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford. The role will focus on engaging communities along the River Trent with their local natural spaces, working in partnership with other Transforming the Trent Valley partners to develop environmental community action and volunteering opportunities.
The full application pack can be found here but please feel free to share widely among your networks and interested contacts. The closing date is 4th March 2024.

Mud Creature!
Our Mud Creature is taking shape at Three Tree Triangle at long last!  It needs its mosaic eyes adding in and planting to be done too of course but do go take a look if passing! Although it does not look all that big, it has taken over 90 bags of soil so far!
        
Learning opportunities, inspiration and handy hints
Read
Some items in the news recently:
 
Why are farmers around the world protesting? A useful insight.
About time that the UK left the Energy Charter Treaty.  Why did they even sign up in the first place?
A space probe, made out of wood and about the size of a coffee cup will be launched in the summer!
 
Visit
The RHS has a new venture – an urban based show, looking at community growing, indoor plants etc.

Household
The story of Vinted – are second hand clothes the future? A lot of our Transition members think so!
Loo rolls…. There are lots of eco loo rolls out there. What kinds are the best?  Serious Tissues loo roll, kitchen roll and tissues are highly recommended (by Pam!). UK made from 100% recycled from post-consumer waste.  They plant trees for every roll purchased. In fact, every box sequesters 11% of the average annual carbon footprint of someone in the UK. Check out their calculations on their website.  Anyone else use something to compete with this?  Please let us know!
 
Get involved
Transition meetup
Thurs 7th March, 7.00 for 7.30 start at BitterSuite pub.  Lots of thing to discuss and plan for. Volunteers are definitely needed if we are to continue to have an impact in our locality so please do show your support if you are able.
 
Mothers Rebellion
 Sat 9th March, 11am at Speakers’ Corner.  Mums, daughters, grandmothers….gather to speak out about our children’s future
 
The Big Plastic count – 11th to 17th March.  Try and reduce the plastic you are buying but also count the stuff that you do have!  You will be surprised.

Gardening/growing
There are lots of opportunities for people to help out with planting, maintenance, planning and so on with a range of projects going on.  Please get in touch if you would like to be on our list of contacts so that we can get in touch and let us know if you have specific skills or interests. Email [email protected].

Some interesting tips here from the RHS on planting for the environment and also on watering effectively.

Contribute
Findings from discussions held around the County at consultation events will be brought together at a Staffordshire COP event, which is taking place at Staffordshire University on 15th March. Click here to book your place and/or stand or for further details on the project, partners, sponsors and other events please visit the Staffordshire COP website.
 
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Dates for your diary
You can also check out the Events listing on the Transition website.
March
2nd – Burntwood Repair & Share Café, 10-1pm, St Joseph’s RC Church, Cannock Road, WS7 0BB
2nd - NCT Cloth Nappy Library. 10.00-12.00am, Lichfield District Children's Centre WS13 7PH. [email protected]
2nd – Burton Conservation Volunteers. Washlands litter pick 9.30-12 noon, meet Washlands car park, Watson Street.
3rd - Burton Conservation Volunteers. Milford  - training locals to manage 2 community woods.
5th - Lichfield Wildlife Group, talk by Joan Lockley, West Midlands Hedgehog Rescue. Wade Street Church Hall, Frog Lane, Lichfield WS13 6HL. 7.45pm. £3:50.
6th – Lichfield Cathedral Lent Lecture, Andy Atkins of A Rocha, 7.15pm in the Old Stables building.
7th – Transition Meet-up, 7.00pm for 7.30pm start Bitter Suite pub, St John Street.
9th – Mother’s Rebellion gathering, 11-12, Speakers’ Corner Lichfield
9th – Great Imagining, Chase Leisure Centre, 10-4pm.
15th – Staffordshire COP, Staffordshire University, 10-3pm
16th - Lichfield Repair & Share Café, Martin Heath Hall, Christchurch Lane, Lichfield. 2-5pm. Note change of venue just for March only.
24th – Friends of Lichfield City Station working party 10.30am.
29th - 31st – Easter events at Woodhouse Farm.
30th – Shenstone Library Repair Café, 10-12pm
 
April
2nd – Lichfield Wildlife Group – talk by Jane Arnold Pipe Green Trust, Wade Street Church Hall, Frog Lane, Lichfield WS13 6HL. 7.45pm. £3:50.
6th - Burntwood Repair & Share Café, 10-1pm, St Joseph’s RC Church, Cannock Road, WS7 0BB
6th - NCT Cloth Nappy Library. 10.00-12.00am, Lichfield District Children's Centre WS13 7PH. [email protected]
12th – Spark Fashion Show, Ashmole Club, Hammerwich (time tbc)
18th – Lichfield Cathedral along with Lichfield Wildlife Group iNaturalist workshop at College Hall, The Close, 2pm-4pm
20th - Lichfield Repair & Share Café, Curborough Community Centre, 2-5pm
22nd - Lichen around The Close. Ivan Pedley will be sharing his expertise on lichen, beginning with a Talk in College Hall at 2pm  followed by a Walk around The Close. Email [email protected] to book
27th – Shenstone Library Repair Café, 10-12pm
 

It has been a while since we have had a film showing and discussion and this one was made even better with the addition of the fabulous, locally-produced, honey-infused Apiarist gin!
The Shenstone Library Environment Group hosted it for us at the amazing community run library in Shenstone village and we watched an appropriate film entitled 'Planet Local: A Quiet Revolution', looking at the topic of localisation v globalisation.  Local wins hands down!
​The group discussed issues affecting us locally and celebrated all the brilliant initiatives already happening.
If you want to be kept informed of our events then join our mailing list - email on [email protected].

News and recent activities
We held a very constructive Transition ‘meetup’ at the Bitter Suite pub on 11th January and it was great to see some new faces there.  As we will be holding a film night and gin tasting event on 28th Feb (details a bit further on in this newsletter!), then perhaps a meet-up on Thurs 7th March would be an idea, so that we can follow up on anything raised at the film showing/discussion and make some plans for the year ahead.
Gemma Wall was one of the attendees.  Gemma was appointed as the Waste Minimisation Officer for Staffs CC in September and has got of to a brilliant start at bringing about changes at all the recycling centres across Staffordshire and introducing some new initiatives. 
There is a ‘Repaint’ scheme starting up where usable paint that is dropped off at the Centres can be taken by anyone for reuse.  Staff will sort the paint brought in to ensure that it is in good condition still and then people will be free to take what they want.  It costs SCC an awful lot of money each year to dispose of unwanted paint.  A great resource for community groups too if needing to revamp premises or do arty projects.
Gemma is also putting together ‘home starter packs’ consisting of secondhand goods which are still in good condition and usable that might otherwise have been put into skips.  The packs are then given out to people leaving prison or perhaps escaping domestic abuse.
Groups or individuals who might be able to rehome other items can register with the sites to be part of a scheme to pick up items left in the Katherine House containers (large blue shipping container at the Lichfield site).  If Katherine House do not want certain items then they will leave them in there and if you can show that you are putting items to use to benefit others (could be something that gets repaired or upcycled and then used by a community centre for example).  All ideas helping to cut down on waste.
It was great to meet Nicky Jones (and husband Will!) from Spark in Burntwood too.  Nicky runs the Babybank scheme, amongst other things!  We did do a Spotlight on the group in one of last year’s newsletters but we just wanted to share how much they are doing for the community and for families who really do need support.  Hats off to Team Spark!  Here is their current timetable of activities, just to show you what’s going on.

ReThink Food initiative for Staffordshire.  A lady called Diana Smith is spearheading this group and has connected with a wide range of groups, individuals and businesses who are concerned about the current plight of our food system.  Diana is keen to get an effective network of suppliers, producers, teachers and so on to benefit the whole county.  Shropshire has a very successful food initiative in place and it is hoped that a Staffordshire one can be set up.  If you are interested in being part of this network then please get in touch with Diana ([email protected]) and take a look at the Shropshire Good Food Partnership website for reference.  We can contribute to this network here in Lichfield with projects like the ‘Growing Communities’ one which Nurture are running again this year.

Repair Café sessions have become increasingly busy and great to know that the word is spreading.  If you know of somewhere where a poster could be located that you would be willing to keep an eye on/update then do get in touch.

Home insultation initiative just launched with Community Home Solutions and supported by Staffs County Council and Lichfield District Council. Further details can be found via https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Warmer-Homes/Staffordshire-Warmer-Homes.aspx or https://www.communityhomesolutions.co.uk/grant-funded-schemes.html

Stychbrook Leisure Centre proposals. Diane Harrison attended the planning meeting but found it most unsatisfactory.  Inaccurate information about the form of heating to be used and a general dismissiveness of concerns about noise from the pitches and lack of joined up public transport plans.  Diane will continue to follow up on areas of concern.

The Grace & May Home store at the Plant Plot garden centre has increased its range of liquid and powder refill items (shampoo, soap, washing up liquid, cleaning products, citric acid etc) and is open Saturdays and Sundays at the moment or look online for more information. They also have some Terracycle recycling bins and hope to increase the coverage of those soon.

Woodhouse Community Farm are preparing for the showing season so visitors might be lucky enough to see Bull Stewart,  Cow Belle and calf Priscilla or bull calf Buster out for a walk. They hope to be showing their rare breed Irish Moilies at Staffordshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire and Three Counties Shows this year.

Lichfield Cathedral’s Lent Lectures will be a series based on the theme ‘Faithfully Political’, looking at issues that will dominate the narrative of a General Election, expected this year (homelessness, migration, law and order). The Climate Crisis, and it’s impact upon daily life will surely be one of these, and they are pleased to have Andy Atkins, Chair of ‘A Rocha (UK)’, coming to speak (7.15pm - Wednesday, 6th March) on how as people of faith can use our vote and place in the public square, to make changes that will address the existential crisis of Climate Change. The lecture will be followed by group discussion, and a chance for groups to ask questions.
With support from the County Climate Action Fund, Lichfield Cathedral have purchased a touch screen dedicated to its environmental activities. Material is still being uploaded but do take a look when you’re next in the Cathedral.

Lichfield District Council are recruiting for this role – Policy & Strategy Team Leader: Environment & Communities. The closing date is today (26th January!) but whoever gets this position will be a crucial connection for us and many other groups around the District.  Useful to see the remit of the role.

Transition - Ideas and projects for the coming year – ‘open garden’ dates for showing/skill sharing  gardens with veg growing and/or wilding spaces; the Great Big Green Week in June – what could we do for that?; a group visit to the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales; Fuse Festival 12th-14th July – have some activities and a ‘green’ presence there?  Also form a Climate Choir to perform at it (currently being looked into).
 
Learning opportunities, inspiration and handy hints
Read
The Resilient Garden by Tom Massey (copy available to borrow via Philippa). An excellent and very clear guide.
 
The concept of doughnut economics is being talked about a lot. But what is it?! Read about the concept here.
 
Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie. This is a data based discussion with a very positive slant.  Hannah is well respected and has great positivity about what CAN be done.
The reports feeding back on the local ‘green conversations’ held around Staffordshire last year and which some of you attended.
 
Two handy articles about heat pumps here, something many of us will need to learn about in the next few years.  Good to see that research is showing that they are effective. And this visualization is great at explaining how they work!
 
Watch
Countryfile on 4th Feb as Lawrence Oates of Burton Conservation Volunteers may be featured on there (if he hasn’t been cut from the filming!). He certainly deserves some recognition for the mazing and varied work that he has been involved in for the past 30 years across Staffordshire.
TED Countdown: A New Climate Vision – excellent range of talks and inspirational people.
 
Listen
Planet Critical: podcast journalist Rachel Donald interviews people confronting the climate crisis, revealing what is really going on and what needs to be done.
Sustainability Champions podcast – highlighting the people, ideas and innovations protecting and healing the planet.
  
Get involved
Transition film night
Wednesday 28th February, 7.30-9.30pm Shenstone Library, Main Street, Shenstone
The Economics of Happiness: a short film.
"Localization is the best way to repair our ecosystems, our societies and ourselves."
Come and join us for an evening of thoughtful discussion on how making small changes locally can help with the bigger picture.
Hosted by Transition Lichfield and the Shenstone Library Environment Group, we will show this short film, followed up with discussion about some of projects happening around the District, with a positive slant to it all!  And to keep us in the positive frame of mind, attendees can sample the delights of the locally produced, bee-inspired gins courtesy of The Apiarist! No ticket required but please book in so we can cater for the right number - email [email protected].
 
Gardening/growing
There are lots of opportunities for people to help out with planting, maintenance, planning and so on with a range of projects going on.  Please get in touch if you would like to be on our list of contacts so that we can get in touch and let us know if you have specific skills or interests. Email [email protected].

Contribute
Book a place at the Lichfield session (8th Feb) of Future’s Thinking Consultation Events, organised by the Globe Foundation. The events are taking place across each Staffordshire district in Feb 2024, plus one online workshop, to enable people from all different backgrounds and sectors to take part and talk about climate change/environmental concerns. Link to book your local one here.
Findings from discussions will be brought together at a Staffordshire COP event, which is taking place at Staffordshire University on 15th March. Click here to book your place and/or stand or for further details on the project, partners, sponsors and other events please visit the Staffordshire COP website.
 
Mother’s Rebellion
Are you worried about the climate emergency, and want to take some positive action? Join Grandmothers,  Mothers, Aunties, Sisters, Daughters and allies (everyone welcome really!). We believe in the power of Mothers and caregivers to demand climate justice. We know that the least responsible for the climate crisis are also the most impacted. Please join us for this peaceful action.
Likely to be held at Speakers’ Corner, Lichfield 11-12pm but contact Clare Whitehouse to be kept up to date – [email protected]
 
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Dates for your diary

January
27th – Shenstone Library Repair Café, 10-12.00.
26th to 28th - RSPB Great Garden Birdwatch
31st – Sausage Making Workshop, Woodhouse Community Farm, 2-5pm. Booking essential.
February
3rd - Burntwood Repair & Share Café, 10-1pm, St Joseph’s RC Church, Cannock Road, WS7 0BB
3rd - NCT Cloth Nappy Library. 10.00-12.00am, Lichfield District Children's Centre WS13 7PH. [email protected]
3rd – Burton Conservation Volunteers. Washlands litter pick 9.30-12 noon, meet Washlands car park, Watson Street.
4th – Burton Conservation Volunteers. Milford training locals to manage 2 community woods.
6th - Lichfield Wildlife Group, talk by Nicola Lynes  on Transforming the Trent Valley legacy. Wade Street Church Hall, Frog Lane, Lichfield WS13 6HL. 7.45pm. £3:50.
7th – Lichfield Science & Engineering Society talk “The Scale of Human Impact During the Anthropocene” Prof Colin Waters. Lichfield Garrick Studio, 8pm.  £8 non-members.
8th – Futures Thinking Workshop, Lichfield Guildhall, 1-3pm
17th – Build your own nestbox with SinCH. 1.45-3.30pm  Great Haywood Memorial Hall, Great Haywood.
Come along to assemble a bird box from a kit provided by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.  £6 per box. Email [email protected] to book (places limited to 20)
 
17th – Lichfield Repair & Share Café, 2-5pm, Curborough Community Centre, WS13 7NY.
24th – Shenstone Library Repair Café, 10-12.00.
28th – Transition/Shenstone Group film night and gin tasting. Shenstone Library, Main Street, Shenstone. Please email [email protected] if you intend to come in case plans changed and you need to be notified.
 
March
2nd – Burntwood Repair & Share Café, 10-1pm, St Joseph’s RC Church, Cannock Road, WS7 0BB
2nd – Burton Conservation Volunteers. Washlands litter pick 9.30-12 noon, meet Washlands car park, Watson Street.
3rd - Burton Conservation Volunteers. Milford  - training locals to manage 2 community woods.
5th - Lichfield Wildlife Group, talk by Joan Lockley, West Midlands Hedgehog Rescue. Wade Street Church Hall, Frog Lane, Lichfield WS13 6HL. 7.45pm. £3:50.
6th – Lichfield Cathedral Lent Lecture, Andy Atkins of A Rocha, 7.15pm
7th – Transition Meet-up, 7.00pm Bitter Suite pub.
9th – Mother’s Rebellion gathering, 11-12, Speakers’ Corner Lichfield
9th – Great Imagining, Chase Leisure Centre, 10-4pm.
15th – Staffordshire COP, Staffordshire University, 10-3pm

If you have walked past the Three Tree Triangle wild area at Festival Gardens then you may have noticed something new!  A mound of soil with a tree trunk protruding!  What's that going to be then, I hear you say?
Well, we have been planning on making a 'living creature' of some sort for a while and have finally got round to starting one!  The mound will be planted up and various bits added to make a 'creature' of some sort.  We won't spoil the surprise but keep your eyes peeled as the project progresses.

Nurture Community CIC worked so hard in 2023 to pull off a great project which involved people of all ages and backgrounds getting their hands dirty and growing veg! Here is some detail, taken from their final report.

Managed by Nurture CIC, with support from Community Partners (Brand Remarkable, Worship Food and Emma Cooper Artist), the project aimed to support local community groups to grow food crops which can be used in cooking classes and for educational purposes. Recipe sharing was encouraged with the production of a cookery book and online resource.  This was funded by Tesco Groundworks and Transition Lichfield after a grant was obtained from Staffs CC Climate Change Fund.

The project supported groups from all generations, bringing isolated communities together to build intergenerational connections and friendships. Sessions were tailored around planting, creating and cooking. Beginning in June 2023 and concluding in October 2023, there were eight weeks of sessions with a weekly theme, with 16 sessions across two groups in total.
 
Session 1: Design, Sow and Grow Week
Session 2: Allocate Equipment Week
Session 3: Plant Week
Session 4: Create Recipes Week
Session 5: Cooking  Week
Session 6: Vegetable Print Week
 
148 beneficiaries were impacted over the course of the project, including staff (from the care home and youth club) who were given new skills and activity ideas for their ongoing community support.
 
This pilot project involved two groups with differing outcomes. The Spires  (Care Home) group exceeded expectations by cultivating crops, incorporating them into their menu, through discussions with the residents and chef, and starting a gardening club in late June. The unexpected positive aspect was the level of community involvement, driven by residents' interests and expertise, that continued outside the time of the face-to-face contact of the project and has developed further since the project was completed.
 
The project improved residents' moods and inspired participation in various community initiatives, including the Crop Club. It boosted their confidence and facilitated skills sharing with staff. Other team members, such as the chef and grounds staff, also contributed, which was an expected benefit.
 
Furthermore, the project uncovered neglected Mexican tomatoes in the garden, motivating families of residents to join in sessions like vegetable printing. This intergenerational connection enhanced the overall project narrative, addressing residents' self-esteem and mental health while positively impacting the community.
 
For Fun Club Hub CIO (the youth group), additional sessions at Beacon Park allowed the leaders to actively engage in community projects. Parents also became involved, highlighting an unexpected intergenerational aspect, taking it beyond the youth's ages (mostly between the school ages of Years 7-9.)  They consistently supported the project's direction, including a Saint Foye cleanup at Beacon Park and discussions about finding a community space.
 
Peapods and herbs were grown for members to take home, and the neglected Saint Foye space was revitalized through collaboration with Lichfield Parks, leading to a volunteer cleanup event. Both of these were unexpected, valued additions to the project. Additional dates have been pencilled in to continue the clean-up in the latter months of 2023.
 
There were lots of lessons learned...
 
- Intergenerational projects are vital but challenging due to scheduling constraints, including timeframes, lunch breaks, and visitor availability for both those over 60 years of age, and those who are of school age.
- It’s essential to respect existing routines and engagement patterns, which helped to spark curiosity among participants in intergenerational activities.
- Make the project relevant to participants by linking it to their favourite foods, creating a literal relationship between planting and enjoyment.
- Consider health considerations, especially in cases of dementia, and provide physical prompts, like hard copy pictures, to assist with memory to support their participation.
- This project challenged our, and staffs, assumptions about care home residents' interests and autonomy, empowering them to express their food preferences and choices.
- Plan for at least two, possibly three, facilitators for more direct 1:1 support, especially when residents may have difficulty writing or marking.
-  The project team had underestimated the level of interest from participants from all age groups, many engaged with the project through social media, or internal word of mouth, and became invested in its success as it developed. This meant participation numbers grew over the length of the project term.

A website was created by our partners, and used throughout the project: 
https://growingcommunitieslichfield.uk/
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It's not often we get surprises at Transition Lichfield but an email came through from a local domestic cleaning company (Sparkle18 Ltd) saying that they wanted to make a donation to us, to use for an environmental project so in return, we are linking to them in this blog to help spread the word about the Lichfield cleaning offer they have. Find out more here:
https://www.sparkle18ltd.co.uk/cleaning-services-lichfield/domestic/.
We will of course keep everyone up to date on how the donation has been spent. Thanks again Sparkle!

​News and recent activities
Repair Café and International Repair Day
The recent Lichfield repair session co-incided with International Repair Day and the launch of a campaign to get the Right to Repair brought into UK law.  You can read more about the campaign here and contact our MP about it – shocking to read that the UK will be number one in the world for the amount of electrical waste we produce per person!  What a sad accolade!
The session proved very popular with around 40 items brought along and the clothing upcycling workshop was well received, so thanks to Debbie from Missfit Creations for hosting that. Maybe Lichfieldians are bucking the trend?
“Welcome to Lichfield” Signs
Litter Legends have taken on responsibility for improving and maintaining the areas around the ‘Welcome to Lichfield’ signs that can be found on the main routes into the City.  Volunteers will be planting up new or existing troughs with bulbs and plants and keeping on top of their maintenance.  Well done to them!

Start ‘em young!
Nurture Community CIC’s ‘Growing Communities’ project has proved a great success!  Members of Fun Club Hub youth group have loved raising and tending their veg and flowers (as have the slightly older residents of Barchester Care Home who had a wonderful crop of courgettes!). Recipes are going to be shared in a cookery book shortly, that will be sold to raise funds to expand the growing project for next year.
Spark in Burntwood are doing a great job of encouraging children and their families to embrace recycling.  A lovely picture of a ‘recycling’ toy being enjoyed!

Stychbrook Leisure Centre proposals
Take a look here to see images of what the proposed leisure centre might look like. We will be keeping a close eye on the planning process via Lichfield District Council.
Climate Scorecards for Councils
Check out how well our Council has done on climate action since they declared a climate emergency in 2019, compared to other UK councils.
The Apiarist Lichfield Distillery
The beekeeping/honey gin/whiskey/rum producer from Stonnall are opening their lovely local distillery in November. Follow them on social media to find out more - @theapiaristco.
Lichfield Cathedral
Chris Baines’ talk on Second Nature attracted an audience of 70 and there are lots of follow on activities planned. Last year the Cathedral entered the RHS ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ and the Diocesan Churchyard Award schemes. This year saw it leaping forward to “thriving” in the former and “Gold” in the latter, with plenty of encouraging comments. Preparations continue for an application for Gold Eco Church in January.

Learning opportunities, inspiration and handy hints
Read
Did you know that the UK can actually produce enough energy from solar and wind?
A national citizens assembly on biodiversity loss was held in Ireland– very impressive event and report.
Boyan Slat was scuba diving off the Greek coast when the epiphany came. Surrounded by marine life and more than a few plastic bags, the then 16-year-old remembers thinking: “Why can’t we just clean this up?” A decade later, and after dropping out of his aerospace engineering degree to start non-profit the Ocean Cleanup, Slat is dedicated to confronting our polluted seas.
The Right to Grow movement (using council owned land to grow food) has had a positive outcome in Hull.
We can highly recommend signing up to the Guardian’s ‘Down to Earth’ weekly email.  Some excellent coverage of a wide range of issues - positive stories as well as areas of concern.
Sunday 22nd Oct edition of the Sunday Times Home section has a ‘complete guide to retrofitting’ feature. Good to see big papers like that covering the topic. (Pam has a copy if anyone has difficulty accessing it online).

Watch
Some positivity for a change – TED talk from a data scientist, explaining that the current generation of young people might turn out to be the first sustainable one.
The True Cost – a film we may have highlighted before but worth a watch to learn more about the ‘true cost’ of our clothing.
Contribute
If you have a little spare cash to invest in something that benefits others then take a look at Shared Interest and Lendwithcare. Both offer a way to ensure that your funds are helping people in other parts of the world who might just need a little financial boost.
 
Listen
Podcasts on Spotify (and may be on other platforms!): ‘Outrage & Optimism’ and ‘Sustainability Champions’.
 
Crafters – don’t forget to check out the Craft Barn at Chasewater before you buy any new materials!  They have a vast selection of fabric, wools as well as general crafting equipment and materials at the fraction of the cost of other suppliers, and all profits go to Saxon Hill Special School. Open Wed, Fri and Sat 10-2pm. 

Spotlight Slot
Two sisters on a mission to help people live more sustainably. Launched in May 2020 with the aim of bringing greener options to the public. Their newly established shop has a wonderful array of eco products including beauty, stationery, kids items, vegan and homeware. They also have a range of household cleaning and laundry refills and a gift box range.
 
They have Terracycle recycling options – you can drop off Pringles tubes and bread and cheese packaging.
 
Online as well as the shop and they plant trees with every online order received. 
 
​Find them at The Plant Plot Garden Centre, Stafford Road, Lichfield, WS13 8JA. Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays or online at www.gracenandmayhome.co.uk.
 
Get involved
Transition Meetup
We will try and make the 2nd Thursday of each month an informal ‘meetup’ date from Jan 2024 where updates and ideas can be shared.  We will hold them at 7pm at the Bitter Suite pub but other venues may be an option from time to time or the meeting might be replaced with an event such as a speaker or film showing.
The last one for 2023 will be 9th November (December too busy for everyone!) and then back into the swing on 11th January.

Green Conversations – 29th November
​​An initiative to provide an opportunity for organisations, community groups and members of the public to discuss issues relating to nature, the environment, sustainability and to network with other likeminded people. Organised by Support Staffordshire, Transforming the Trent Valley, Lichfield Re:Cycle and the City Council – book via Eventbrite.

Repair & Share Cafes
The 4th Nov session at Burntwood will include a craft session with Nurture Community CIC – making Christmas decorations which will be used on the community Christmas tree in Lichfield Cathedral and at the Garrick Theatre.
Back at Lichfield, the November 18th session will have a calligraphy/lettering expert there to teach some new writing skills and you can try your hand at willow weaving with Ellen Spry, and make a Christmas ring or star.  All FREE!. And don’t forget to bring your Christmas lights or electronic decorations along to get checked over before the festive season begins.
And January will see a furniture upcycling/advice session so watch out for details on this.
Curborough Brooks – proposed housing development
Have your say on this development application.  2,900 houses plus 2 primary schools and 1 secondary school. It will have a massive impact on Lichfield.  There are a number of events taking place so that the community can input:
Drop-In Hub 4pm - 8pm at Lichfield City Football Club, Brownsfield Road off Eastern Avenue, Lichfield, WS13 6AY
Wednesday 1 November | Thursday 2 November
Drop-In Hub 11am - 3pm at Lichfield City Football Club,
Friday 27 October | Friday 3 November
Drop-In Hub 11am - 5pm at Lichfield City Football Club
Monday 30 October | Tuesday 31 October
Drop-In Hub 10am - 1pm at The Hub at St Mary’s, Market Square, Lichfield, WS13 6LG
Saturday 28 October | Saturday 4 November
Website – www.curboroughbrooks.co.uk
 
Global Day of Action - SAVE THE DATE: 9th DECEMBER
Message from Friends of the Earth – “From 30 Nov to 12 Dec, world leaders will be gathering for the Conference of Parties (COP), hosted and presided over by the United Arab Emirates.  We don't expect the COP processes to provide the solutions, but we still need to tackle the climate catastrophe. So, the Day of Action will be a vital moment to build the strength of our movement across the UK and the globe. “
And on the subject of COP28, there are a couple of useful articles looking at the man tasked with leading on it, despite him being an oil company executive and the controversial venue of the talks – the UAE.
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Dates for your diary
You can also check out the Events listing on the Transition website.
October
25th – Lichfield Cathedral Gaia Earth exhibit, 7pm. A Vigil – an hour of prayer and reflection, followed by 30 minutes of silence. More detail from [email protected]. ‘Gaia’ installation there until 5th Nov.
28th - Lichfield Wildlife Group’s fungal foray 2:00 - 4:00 in St Michael's churchyard.  The event will be led by Beverley Rhodes, a most knowledgeable mycologist. £2:00 per person
29th - Dovehouse Garden Working Party, 11-1pm. Meet at the site.  Growing spaces available so contact [email protected] if interested.
29th – Forest Harvest, Yoxall, DE13 8PG. Samhain Halloween Gathering, 11-3pm. More details and to book here.
Oct and Nov - Consultation re Curborough Brooks housing development
November
4th Burntwood Repair & Share Café, 10-1pm, St Joseph’s RC Church, Cannock Road, WS7 0BB with craft activity
4th - NCT Cloth Nappy Library. 10.00-12.00am, Lichfield District Children's Centre WS13 7PH. [email protected]
4th – Lichfield Cathedral Artisan Market, 10-3pm. Explore a range stands by local craftspeople and producers - from food and drink to unique, handmade gifts. Held underneath the stunning Gaia artwork.
7th – Lichfield Wildlife Group talk ‘The Wildlife of Chasewater’ by Graham Evans.  (Graham will be leading a walk at Chasewater on Saturday 6th of January at 10:00, meet in the car park). Wade Street Church Hall, Frog Lane, Lichfield WS13 6HL. £3:50.
9th - Transition Meetup. 7pm, Bitter Suite pub, St John St, Lichfield. Please email [email protected] if you intend to come in case plans changed and you need to be notified.
16th – Friends of Lichfield City Station meetup, 7.30pm Bitter Suite pub.
18th – Lichfield Repair & Share Café, 2-5pm, Curborough Community Centre, WS13 7NY. FREE calligraphy and willow workshops on offer.
18th – Forest Harvest, Yoxall, DE13 8PG. Crafty Christmas Workshop run by Little Trees, 2-4pm. Book here.
25th – Vintage & Craft Fair, 11am – 3pm. Burntwood and Hammerwich Labour Party event, Burntwood Memorial Hall. £1 entry. Pop up Repair Café at this event!
26th – Dovehouse Garden Working Party, 11-1pm. Meet at the site.  Growing spaces available so contact [email protected] if interested.
29th – Lichfield ‘Green Conversation’ session, 10-12.30, The Guildhall, Lichfield. Join in the conversation about all aspects of Lichfield District’s green ambitions.
Woodhouse Farm in Whittington will be taking Christmas orders for meats, pies etc so keep your eye out for that or go along to the Whittington Market to pick up some items. Check out their Facebook page.
 
Save the Date!
9th Dec – the Global Day of Action being organised by the Climate Justice Coalition during the COP28 meetings. 

Now is the time to look around you and see what you can forage!  The Sweet Chestnut trees are weighed down by their spiky 'seeds' this year - such an abundance!  Go and gather some and see what you can do with them - roast them, make soup, grind down to flour...

And there are raspberries galore at the Three Tree Triangle site on Festival Gardens. Help yourselves!
​A recent addition to the site is a painted rock, created at the Lichfield Arts Fuse Festival in July by attendees.  Beautiful colours and designs!

​News and recent activities
The ‘Welcome’ stones at the Three Tree Triangle area of Festival Gardens have been restored, following the ‘removal’ of a couple of the letters by light fingered passersby! Let’s hope that they remain in-situ!
And we received a lovely message from a lady who said how much she loved the Three Tree Triangle wild area and sent this photo of a visiting butterfly.