Minutes of TWiG meeting 26/11/14

Transition West Gateshead

Notes from the meeting of 26th November 2014, Path Head Mill, Blaydon

Present: Nick Ball, , Di Cadman, Garry Jenkins (minutes), Lesley Mountain, Trevor  Underwood, Mick Marston, Rachel Darby

Apologies: Steph & Ike, Anne Dymd, Rachel Ball, Pat Hobson, Cllr. Julie Simpson

Notes from the last Meeting

These were agreed, with the following amendments noted:

1/The Main topics for action were:

FOOD – Food map of the area

WASTE – An event around waste ( see topic later in today’s minutes)

TRANSPORT – action around car/lift sharing scheme

2/ We agreed to become an Unincorporated Association

Matters arising from previous meeting minutes:

Banking: Trevor has looked and the Post Office no longer do their own brand bank current accounts suitable for our use. (see discussion later)

Surplus swap system : Sarah has set up a Facebook page “Transition West Gateshead Surplus Swap” some discussion followed on the problems of identifying / differentiating between this and a Transition West Gateshead main Facebook page.

It was agreed that the FB page name should be changed to “Transition West Gateshead” removing   “Surplus Swap” from the title, and that the “Surplus Swap” page be embedded or a sub- within the main page.

Food Bank: they are interested in distributing surplus veg but this is not part of the “official” distribution which is of dried & tinned goods. Lesley has taken stuff from Gibside Community Farm CSA and from home. Apples went OK, cabbages not so well received.

Information Digest: this will be signposted from the Facebook page.

Website: we need one but this has been put off until a later time

Logo: we need one to show the groups identity – people should think about this, to be discussed at a later meeting.

Reduce, reuse, recycle event

Lesley has booked St Barnabas Church Hall in Rowlands Gill, for Saturday 31st January 2015. It is booked from 12-4pm. It was agreed the time for the public should be 12.30 to 3.30pm.

Trevor gave his apologies in advance as he is working that day.

There is a well-appointed kitchen for food preparation and serving.

Suggestions for organisations/people to be approached to take stalls:

• Recyke y’Bike – possibly a bike repair stall – Nick to contact them

• RENEW North East – white goods repair and distribution – Trevor to contact them

• Mens’ Shed in Winlaton – repairing stuff – Lesley to contact Steve Gooch

• Repair of computers – Jim from Blackhall Mill – Mick M to contact him

• Woodworker from Gibside Market (David Shields?) – Mick M to contact him

• Greenside WI for cake stall – Di to contact them

• Derwent Valley Car Club – Susan will be bringing electric car & bike (Mick M) Garry will bring his E-bike if needed

• Gateshead MBC re what goes in Blue Bin (via Julie Simpson?)

• Food Bank

• Fat Quarters Quilting shop, Blackhall Mill (Di)

• Yarn shop – High Spen (Di)

 

Suggestions for our own stalls

• Rachel D to do felt making/ clothes mending

• Table for Post Christmas Swap (Lesley?)

• Compost Corner (Garry)(also Di to contact Frances Hinton?)

• Freegle & swap pages – Mick M has laptop & projector, Nick has dongle to connect to the internet

• Quiz – maybe something that other Transition Groups have done (Di & Lesley?)

• Food, tea and snacks – Di will co-ordinate

 

Advertising the event

• Fat Quarters Quilting shop, Blackhall Mill (Di)

• Yarn shop – High Spen (Di)

• Rowlands Gill WI

• Rowlands Gill council noticeboard

Room cost: this is going to be £68. We will ask for donations but not have an entry fee. Lesley will approach Julie Simpson to see if the room cost can be covered by Gateshead councillors local funds.

Constitution

Lesley has drawn up a draft constitution for Transition West Gateshead .  A master copy of this is held by Lesley.

We discussed the draft constitution and agreed the following items:

A membership list will be kept

The Quorum for ordinary meetings is 3

A special meeting can be called by 10% of the membership

The position of meeting chair and meeting minutes will be rotated

Consensus decision making will be used. In cases where consensus cannot be agreed after two meetings, then a vote of ¾ of those attending the meeting will be final.

The chair of the meeting will not have a casting vote

The committee will meet at least 4 times a year.

With the above alterations made to the master copy, the Constitution  of “ Transition West Gateshead” was adopted. This was agreed unanimously.

 

• The Chair is Lesley Mountain

• The secretary is Diane Cadman

• The Treasurer is Nick Ball

 

Bank Account

The Post Office no longer do accounts. Trevor has got all the papers for opening a Co-operative Bank Community account.

We agreed any two of four signatories could sign cheques. Signatories agreed were:

• Nick Ball (Treasurer)

• Lesley Mountain

• Di Cadman

• Mick Marston

Any other business

WARP-IT recycling web site. It was agreed that we should join, cost-free as a Voluntary Organisation. Garry to do this

Date of next meeting

Thursday 18th December 7.30pm

Social evening – bring a snack and a drink

Di Cadman’s house

Greenside

 Contact Di for directions