Visit to Local Alchemy event in Nottingham – 12th March 2008-04-06

Myself & Lydia attended – and we got to see first hand how the approach LA has developed could be useful for us – it’s a practical workshop approach & I suggest perhaps we and reps from the other local groups could meet up with them and let them demonstrate the approach on us. Perhaps we could organise a neighbours event for a few groups as they would get a wider exposure for their model & we would get to know people in other areas. We could host it on a Saturday perhaps. I’ll get in touch with Chris again and see what they think – but first – what do we think & feel about think?

If it something we like – I see it as a positive tool to use with the local chamber of trade & business generally.

ECO – TEAMS

At the local alchemy approach I met a woman who was talking about ECO-TEAMS. She’s Dutch and had developed the idea in Holland then brought it over here. The idea it to set –up local groups with our physical neighbours & start to map our energy usage, our co2 footprints & our recycling habits – the idea is to support each other to do the things we believe in & from their perhaps find ways of reducing each.

I thought this is a wonderful idea & really it feeds in to my notion of us all taking responsibility & then hopefully collectively acting together to meet our needs. Initially the approach is about monitoring but it’s easy to see how quickly it could also provide a platform for joint action. For example, as people get to know their neighbours maybe they will-

  • Socialise more & help offset loneliness
  • See how they can share meeting their needs – i.e. gardens & also perhaps share interests
  • They could work together on other projects of interest in their local area

Myself and Darren attended the Hands on Harborough meeting a few weeks age – and they were talking about launching a project to identify & target local ‘green’ or perhaps – not so green ‘grot spots’. I see the Eco – Team idea also linking to this as a natural extension as local neighbourhoods could adopt a ‘grot spot’, tidy it up & also convert it into a community space perhaps – may be where kids could learn how to grow some food for themselves – enhancing the edible landscape idea shown in the ‘power of community’ film last week.

The woman who created this approach is happy to come down and talk to us – perhaps we could also make this an open meeting and invite cllrs & people from the hands on Harborough group – as well as our friends from other TT groups locally – perhaps the HDC would give us a venue & provide coffee & teas

It’s worth asking hey??

Marion Turner
Steering Group TTMH