Minutes TWiG meeting 21/10/15 at St Joseph in Blaydon

Transition West Gateshead

Meeting notes 21st October 2015 St Joseph in Blaydon

Present: Nick Ball  Di Cadman  Lesley Mountain Garry Jenkins Mick Marston Gwenola Ninon and Steve Pardue

Apologies:  Gueno Capp  Steph Brandon Laura Burlison

Notes of the meeting 8th October 2015: were accepted as an accurate record.

We quickly introduced ourselves and the group to Steve Pardue who came to share elements of design for our flier going to print before the end of the year.

Matters arising:

File storage: we were awaiting advice from David and Sarah based on experience but have had no response.  As some members are already familiar with it, we decided WIGGIO was as good an option as any. ACTION: GC to set up an account

 

Consolidation of mailing list: LM and DC have between themselves all the names of the core group and people who are interested, participate or signed up at event.

ACTION: DC and LM to create 2 lists

 

Generic Email: an info@transitionwestgateshead.org will be created and anyone who writes to it will receive an automated reply while DC and NB will both receive their request and forward it to the relevant person if they cannot reply themselves.

ACTION: GC to create email and GN to write automated response

 

Packaging: On its way.

 

Website: All to decide which role they want to take on. All admin was suggested but carries a danger of simultaneous modifications creating problems.

An informal training will be given by GC on how to add to the blog.

ACTION: GC to send list of roles available ALL to choose a role

ACTION: GC to send a survey to decide on training dates

 

Discussion of our TwiG leaflet with Steve Pardue:

 

LM summarised our current situation:

• showed our existing leaflet

• we want a 2-sided A5

• showed out current logo

• distributed the latest leaflet with highlighted bits are important to her

 

SP suggested the following from his experience and what we said:

• change the wording to make it easy for a newbie to understand

• make the logo more flexible and adaptable for different media

• make attracting members and eliciting interest in the transition movement a priority

• use the front to attract and the back to explain who we are and the network we are part of

 

The group went on to have an animated discussion about the logo and whether it was misleading

ACTION: ALL to define transition and our group in their own words and define what we think is our offer

 

SP enquired about how much we put in our bid for printing the leaflets and banner. It became evident we had not included design fees. SP explained his fees amounted to £150 minimum for each, leaflet, logo and banner designs. SP left at this point to let us discuss this as it was obvious we had a misunderstanding. 

LM indicated that we didn’t have that amount of money and that there was no excess in the grant received from LEAF.  NB said we have some money from events, maybe over £300. We had understood that Steve was being approached to do this work as a favour but Steve had not known this. We discussed whether to use Steve’s services, and thought it best to wait to see how much money we raised at the next event.

Leaflet, banner and logo will be discussed at the next meeting.  Care needs to be taken to avoid misunderstanding of this nature in the future.

ACTION: LM to gather visions of what Transition is from wider group members.

 

4Rs event

 

Cakes and Bakes: DC indicated she cannot make the event any longer. She has organised for friends to help with the baking.

GN’s friend will make a carrot cake

Laura offered apples for any bakers wanting to include them in their baking

GJ will make 3 wholemeal loaves

ACTION: LM will ask hopgarden for bread contributions

 

Banner: DC added some wording to last year’s banner

ACTION: GN to hang banner midweek before event

 

Publicity: GN gave some new leaflets including laminated ones for harsher outdoors posting

Tyne Valley Express has agreed to publish pubilicity for our group and our events when they have space – for free.

 

Stalls:

 

• Winlaton Men’s’ Sheds – coming

• DV Car Club not coming now.

• ACTION LM to remind them we’d like leaflets.

• Groundwork will do a crafts activity

• Gateshead Council will have a recycling info stall

• Blaydon jewellery and crafting club – Di to pursue further

• Gwen upcycling stall OK. Needs old orange t-shirts and wool

• Biochar – Tynedale man is coming – stall but no demo.

• Veg & fruit swap table OK – Laura to run

• Eggs, Laura will give 50p donation per box to TWIG

• Main swap table – Lesley to co-ordinate – labelling it as a “Give and Take” table. Both swap tables need to be next to each other to facilitate cross border swaps.

• Johnathon Wallace. Laura has contacted him. Lesley to ask him to put 4Rs event on his blog – no answer

• Compost corner – Sarah from the Hop Garden will make recycled paper pots and give compost advice.

• Freegle – Di to contact Theo Gibb, Gateshead moderator – not available on day

• Quiz – Nick and Gwen to co-ordinate. The plan is to have one line of fact relevant to each stall – like a treasure hunt.

• TWIG stall and Tombola stall.  These will also be on the same stall. Eco prizes please to Garry for the tombola, early in the week beforehand so they can be prepared on Friday. Lesley will put a request for prizes out to contacts. 20 plus prizes required, quite a lot of small prizes so lots of winners.

• Entry stall. This will be by ticket (raffle type) to work out numbers who come through. NB to count

• Green Party – Andy B may have a stall

• Soup, bread and kitchen. LM will make 2 soups GN will make 1. LM to co-ordinate soup making.  We will ask for a donation for each serving.

• Teas and coffee – DC’s friend Jean and LM’s friens Jane will help run on the day

Next meeting

18th of November at the White Swan in Greenside

“AGM” and end of year celebration social

DC booked December 6th in Greenside Community Centre from 2-6pm for the group and interested people to have a discussion followed by food, drinks and merry making.