The Bulletin - May 2008



in this issue of the TTL Bulletin:

Transition Town Lewes news:

Transition movement news:

Upcoming TTL Events:

The Great Reskilling

Transition Town Lewes News:

Money Money Money:
TTL plans for a local currency hit the headlines

There has been a recent media flurry around TTL's plans to pilot a local complementary currency.

A local currency can:

  • bolster the local economy
  • foster a greater sense of community
  • cut down carbon emissions


Bernard Lietaer, the economist responsible for the design and implementation of the ECU (the basis for the development of the Euro) and author of The Future of Money, sees economics as a key part of designing relocalisation approaches and local currencies as essential to community wellbeing and resilience (more on this here).

In the current global economic climate (the deepening credit crisis in major market economies triggered by the U.S.-led slump in housing prices, the declining value of the U.S. dollar, persistent global imbalances and soaring oil and commodity prices - which together pose considerable risk to economic growth in both developed and developing countries) the media have picked up on the idea of a local currency as a way of building economic resilience into the system.

Following a piece in the Brighton Argus Is the Lewes Pound on its way? on 30 April the Press Association picked up on the story and members of the Currency Group have subsequently been interviewed on: BBC Southern Counties Radio, Southern FM, Bright FM, BBC2's Working Lunch, who interviewed Oliver Dudok van Heel at Bill's, BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans Show and, most recently, CNN who came down to Lewes on 16 May.

The currency is due to be launched in Lewes as a pilot scheme this autumn. More information can be found here.

Get involved in the Currency Group
The currency group consists of 5 committed people, including a support group of the same again. We are starting a planned process in the lead up to the launch in September, and invite anyone who’s seriously interested in helping out is warmly invited to come to our next meeting on Thursday 5 June, 8pm, upstairs at the Lewes Arms.
This is a creative, high profile project that needs a strong group to help make it work.
Also, we’ll be hosting an evening of interesting films and discussion about money, economy and all that jazz…..



Using cars to replace cars

Hot off the press is a Car Club Feasibility Study by TTL in partnership with Lewes District Council's Think Air initiative.
The study includes a survey of local residents, businesses, developers and councils and its findings show that there is very a strong case for a car club in Lewes.
The online survey was very popular; 101 respondents said that they would definitely join a car club.
Lewes District Council, who are delighted with the study that was carried out by Adrienne Campbell and Andi Mindel, is now investigating a way forward.
A copy of the sudy will be available on the TTL website shortly.

Informal car club
Would you like to share the running costs of your car? If so, Lewes's informal car club is already up and running and looking for vehicles.
Contact Adrienne for further details.



News from the TTL Groups:

All of the TTL groups are very busy doing all sorts of fantastic things, organising inspiring actions and events and writing their first draft of the Energy Descent Action Plan which is now really gaining momentum.

TTL Business Group
The Business Group of TTL continues to work with the businesses of Lewes to help them understand, and take positive action to embrace, the opportunities and risks created by peak oil and climate change. As part of this work we have recently completed the second phase of our survey of local businesses, and will be publishing the results soon. We have also updated www.LoveLewes.com, our gateway to information on sustainability for local businesses. Please check it out.

We have also started a series of talks about the issues facing local businesses.
The first of these was given by James Greyson, a sustainability analyst, who gave us a thought-provoking talk about our future economy and how it affects business. This article outlining his work article outlining his work is being promoted by the United Nations Climate Neutral Network of which James is a member. James' UN pages can be found here and a press release about the Network and its participants here.

Transition Movement News:

Transition Network Conference

The second annual Transition Network Conference was held in April at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester.

There were 193 people in attendance at the conference, from as far afield as Australia, the US and Japan.

There were 29 workshops, covering areas as diverse as "engaging young people" and "post peak medicine" to "energy descent planning". 31 open space sessions wre also held: topics covered included "transitioning cities", "dealing with despair" and "creating post carbon economies". Other activities involved: 4 drummers, 3 guitarists, I bagpipe player, 2 didg players, 193 singers, 21 footballers, 13 bruised shins and one hat-trick scorer. A lot of tired but very happy looking people headed back home on the Sunday afternoon.

Write ups of the conference can be found here and, in response to feedback and requests from those attending the conference, a number of discussion forums have been set up for transitioners around the world. These can be found here.



Transition Initiatives in the South East

Lewes hosted a meeting of South East Transition Initiatives (SETI) on 23 April. There are currently 30 transition communities, either mulling or ‘official’, in the South East of England.
At the gathering, which included a shared meal, the groups explored how they could best support each other and came up with these practical ideas:

  • Resource gathering and sharing
  • Training in the local area
  • An email/google group for SETI
  • A Transition Tales group
  • A Transition Design Tools workshop
  • A local Transition Festival in September

There was a strong feeling of cameraderie and mutual support in the room, and a realisation that no one community need struggle in isolation. In a local network the groups will benefit greatly from working together in these times of transition.

Upcoming TTL events

TTL Health Group presents:
Empowering Ourselves for Healthy Living

An interactive presentation by Dr Kevin Baker

June 14
10.00 am to 4.00 pm. Register 9:30-9:45
Subud Upper Hall, Station Street, Lewes
Fee: £45. £20 to secure a booking by post:
Dr K Baker, Cottage Clinic, Broomans Lane, LEWES BN7 2LT
RECOMMENDED BOOKING BY MAY 31. Spaces are limited.
Tea and coffee will be provided
Further information: Dr Kevin Baker 01273 401625 or dr.k.baker@googlemail.com

In this one day interactive presentation we will consider both modern and traditional perspectives on healthy living through the lens of empowerment. We shall reveal, explore and reconnect with pathways that lead to a fuller, more vibrant sense of our own health.
Common myths that often contribute to an excessive dependence on institutionalised healthcare will be challenged to support a reclamation of the power of our inherent, natural healthy state.

Facilitator:
Dr Kevin Baker is an Integrative Health Physician who specialises in traditional oriental acupuncture, integrative psychotherapy and mind-body approaches to health imbalance. He has 30 years experience across a wide spectrum of medicine from accident & emergency surgery and general practice through to traditional shamanic health practices.



TTL Transport Group presents:
Transit in Transition

Taking place during national Bike Week:

  • An exhibition of local transport initiatives - real and fantasy
  • Talks by the two leading UK sustainable transport experts John Whitelegg and John Grimshaw

June 18
7.00pm (exhibition) 8.00pm (talks) Pelham House, St Andrew's Lane, Lewes
Admission: £3 on the door
First 50 to arrive get in free, courtesy of Lewes District Council's Think Air initiative.

Professor John Whitelegg is the leading British academic on sustainable transport.
He has worked on sustainable transport projects for 30 years and is the author of ten books and over 100 papers.
He has worked extensively on consultancy and research projects for the UK local authorities, the European Commission, the Australian federal and state governments and many private sector clients. He has also worked extensively in China and India including projects to produce transport strategies for Kolkata (Calcutta) and Beijing.
John Whitelegg is visiting Professor of Sustainable Transport at Liverpool John Moores University, Professor of Sustainable Development at York University's Stockholm Environment Institute and runs the consultancy Eco-Logica, which specialises in providing consultancy on sustainable transport issues.
His main interests now are in fundamental restructuring of transport supply and demand to reflect sustainability principles and to deliver health objectives through transport policy globally.

John Grimshaw, founder and, for 30 years, CEO of the UK's leading sustainable transport charity Sustrans.
Sustrans' flagship project, the National Cycle Network, is now around 12,000 miles and runs within one mile of over half the UK population.
Grimshaw has recently helped secure £50 million for Sustrans’ Connect2 project from the People's Millions fund. Connect2 will revitalise walking and cycling in 79 communities across the UK by creating new routes for the local journeys we all make every day.

The Great Reskilling:

Reskilling opportunities

Everything from forest gardening to wild food foraging, and much more:
a superb programme of reskilling opportunities for all ages available locally can be found here.

Get involved: contact hello [at] TransitionTownLewes.org.uk