Local Food
A discussion took place at the Project Day on Sunday 18 May 2008 during which we discussed getting involved in a group allotment project, enabling garden sharing, and other ways to boost local food growth. The notes from this discussion will appear on this page soon. In the meantime, if you are interested in getting involved in local food projects, please contact Pete Mulhall (pmulhall_uk@yahoo.co.uk).
Trip to Middlesbrough
Peter Mulhall organised a trip to Middlesbrough to look at their local food project on 9th June.
Middlesbrough Environment City (MEC)
Middlesbrough has been awarded ‘Beacon Status’ because of the excellent work on environment and public health issues, involving a wide range of stakeholders. Beacon status means that it is a shining example of good practice for others to follow and we at Transition Towns South Liverpool along with two colleagues from The Pool Project did just that. Dr Mark Fishpool and his staff, who are employed by Middlesbrough council, warmly met us. During lunch Mark gave us the background to MEC -
Started in 1992 as one of four Environmental Cities (others; Leeds, Peterborough and Leicester) becoming a company limited by guarantee in 1996 and a charitable trust in 1998. MEC’s mission is to encourage all sectors of the Middlesbrough community to adopt sustainable and healthier lifestyles covering all areas of environmental sustainability. It is overseen by a management board of over 16 members from the voluntary and community sector, public sector organisations and private business with approximately twelve staff delivering over twenty projects each year.
We then started on a visit programme utilising the cycles from their Cycle scheme.
Following well maintained and signed cycle paths we made our way to an impressive array of allotments, where on MEC’s own plot, a programme of children’s education is underway. A number of schools have their own raised beds to plant and nurture vegetables, under the guidance of Brian (another council employee) who gives them his expertise as well as encouragement it is very popular with the children and teachers. It was also on this site that MEC ran a Community Composting scheme which has now been taken on as a mainstream service by the local authority.
We then visited an open vegetable plot near the town hall, planted by the parks and gardens department, which forms part of a wider community scheme. Local allotment holders, gardeners, community groups and back yard growers, who come together once a year donating food for a communal meal. It is impressive to see vegetables in an open public space so well tendered and not vandalised. We then went on to the nearby city centre Cycle Centre.
Cycle Centre by Mark Shooter
For me I found the city of Middlesbrough to be a very ‘futuristic’ city, In that the council had looked at the city’s future needs in regards to Peak Oil and climate change. Out of all the places our group visited, for me the Cycle centre seemed the most practical and progressive. At the time of the Visit to Middlesbrough, the new cycle centre was being built/refurbished; however the original Cycle centre was literally a few minutes walk away. The centre provides a safe and secure place to leave your cycle, which can be collected up to 6pm. However by also having access to showers, and to a personal locker, I felt it became more encouraging to would-be cyclists who don’t want to turn up to work all sweaty.
I personally feel sometime in the near future, Middlesbrough may have to open the original cycle centre if the scheme is a success. Due to spiralling cost of running personal transport. It may well be a good idea for the transport group to look into the feasibility of using any unused/empty shops in the city centre of Liverpool for a similar project? We could do with one, and it would make use of unused spaces.
For more details please go to this web for more details please go to this wepage:
http://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/ccm/content/transport-and-streets/9public-rights-of-way/middlesbrough-cycle-centre/new-cycle-centre-open-in-bus-station.enpage: http://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/ccm/content/transport-and-streets/9public-rights-of-way/middlesbrough-cycle-centre/new-cycle-centre-open-in-bus-station.en
Linthorpe Cemetery
We also went to Linthorpe Cemetery to see how a restoration project can improve the local community. What we found was a beautiful sight, a heavily wooded green area (for a cemetery) loved and cared for, with the stumps of felled trees, sculptured to compliment the sensitivity of its purpose, a central space for events and a restored Hebrew Prayer House which is used for this purpose and as community meeting room. What was truly wonderful was to see an after school club using the clear space in the centre of the cemetery for open- air activities, building a positive connection for the local children.
In addition to the rolling programme of projects MEC also provides information, awareness raising and holds special days such as Schools Environment days and Community Environment days to reach the public. The type and breath of the partnerships involved is extremely impressive, having strong backing from Middlesbrough council enables the group to have a wide reaching effect as well as adding long term credibility, very important factors for sustainability.
There is so much more to MEC’s work that we cannot do it justice here so please check out www.menvcity.org.uk
Peter Mulhall.