Who are Transition West Gateshead members?
Here is a brief presentation of current active TWiGers!:
Lesley Mountain
Founding member.
Main role: Coordinator.
I met Di (Cadman) in 2013 just after I’d retired. We discovered that we both lived in west Gateshead and cared passionately about climate change. I wanted to use my time to tackle climate change, as I believe it is one of the most important challenges we (and the Earth) are facing. Di had been involved in a transition group previously, and I was attracted to the Transition movement because it is positive and has an emphasis on local community. Di, Garry (Jenkins) and I got together and planned a launch meeting, which was held in January 2014 at the Pack Horse in Greenside.
I suppose my main role in the group is as coordinator although everyone in the core group works as a team. My particular interests are food (growing, eating and not wasting it!) and reducing waste and consumerism.
It’s great to work with like-minded people and feel that we can make a difference locally.
Projects:
I’ve been centrally involved in all our events and run the Give and Take stall at the 4Rs events. I help to coordinate, and organise volunteers at, the Local Food festival. I send out a regular e-mail newsletter and keep our Facebook page updated.
Steph Brandon
Member since 2015
Main role: Local Food festival host and organiser
I’ve been a lifelong peace and anti-nuclear campaigner heavily involved particularly in the 1980s with CND and Greenham amongst other things.
I’ve been a teacher most of my adult life and have always taken children out into the countryside to share my love of the countryside and to experience and understand the natural environment. I still love walking in the hills and dales whenever I can.
I’ve known about Transition Groups for a long while, but only got involved with TWiG in 2014 when the group was looking for a venue for a local food event and approached us to host it. We held the first Food Festival here at Blaydon Burn Farm in July 2015, then repeated its success over the following 2 years.
I am most concerned about environmental issues and waste of all kinds. We endeavour to waste as little as possible here at the farm, and have invested in solar panels and a biomass boiler to address in a small way energy efficiency.
We do keep animals which are slaughtered for their meat, but we do not do this intensively and they live outside and eat grass as animals should.
Projects:
The main project I’ve been involved with is the Food Festival, but I do try to support other events where possible.
Gwenole Capp
Member since September 2014.
Main role: Website, mailing list and food map.
I joined TWiG in 2014 about a year after it was created. Lesley contacted me about this group thinking it was something I would like to do, and she was right! Interested in solutions to mitigate climate chaos and also in social justice, permaculture and environmental challenges I embrace transition town’s values and being part of a local transition town initiative project means a lot to me.
I am interested in all 4 subjects we are working on: Food, Waste, Energy and Transport. But among them I am particularly keen on working on a food map. I am also very interested with all Energy projects.
Projects:
Leader on Local Food Map; WordPress blog Maintenance and Content; Member of Solar Array project; Technical support for mailing list and other Internet related issues; Stall holder at various events like the Clara Vale open Garden in June 2017.
Nick Ball
Longstanding member
Main role: Treasurer.
I believe that our relationships with each other, with animals and with our environment should reflect our highest ideals as far as we can. This is not easy. How we live our lives has such a wide effect, not just on people, animals and the environment immediately around us but stretching right across the globe. So, if we can help each other to think about how we live our lives and the impact that we have, then that is time well spent. There are lots of ways that we can do this and, as a group, we only have limited time and resources. So one of our big issues is always how we use our group’s limited resources to best effect, in ways that are meaningful and effective.
Projects:
I am involved in most of our big events, both helping to pan them and to run them on the day.
I also do my best to count the money accurately and make sure that everyone knows what our financial positon is.