Brentford Recycling Action Group

Minutes, May 2013

Kath — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:17:53 +0000

Brentford Recycling Action Group
Minutes of Meeting held in the Directors’ Meeting Room,
Brentford Dock
on Tuesday 7 May 2013

Attending: Patti Horsnell, Hugh Picton, Douglas Benford, Rukmini West, Catharine Browne, Virginia Fassnidge, Wendy Mackenzie, Andrew Dakers, Kath Richardson, Cindy Gardener, LBH, David Eales, London Bike Hub

No	Topics	Action
1	Minutes of last meeting agreed.
2	Apologies for Absence: Michelle Aspinall-Baker, Paul Richens, Samantha Langton (Brentford Dock Management)
3	Give and Take Day, Brentford Dock: Remains in abeyance but, in conjunction with DHL environmental solutions and LBH, occasional small events for the disposal of small electrical items are held throughout the Borough. We will advise when one is planned for Brentford, but remember, there is a facility at the Recycling site in Morrisons car park.
4	Noticeboard: This will shortly change to include different posters for the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, Market promotion and the film “Gasland” which will be shown at the Docking Station at 7:30 on Saturday 18^th May.
5	BRAG NEWSLETTER: This is now nearing completion of distribution. The cooperation and assistance from the High Street Steering Committee, in particular Julia Quilliam and Joanne Lavery, is very much appreciated.
6	Cotton Bag Project: Cindy is in the process of ascertaining the price for 250 of these, to bear the BRAG logo and the words: No plastic init. When we have some stock we need to engage willing shopkeepers who will distribute. So far, Wendy has agreed to approach Take Your Pick and the vegetable shop nearby; Hugh will see the Brentford Dock shop, Naked Grain, Martins the newsagent, the Post Office and various shops on Albany Parade. We would like a volunteer to talk to The Coop (formerly Costcutter) near the University, but we agreed to omit Morrisons for the present as we will probably need to consult with their head office. Then we must plan a canvassing campaign. We could also consider delivering a bag with a future newsletter.	ALL
7	BRENTFORD FESTIVAL: Will definitely be held on Sunday, 1st September, in Blondin Park, which is accessible from Boston Manor Road, Northfield Avenue and Windmill Road. Further information will be forthcoming, please also watch the TW8 website. We will take a stall, as always, and LBH Recycling team will also be present so we hope to be positioned near them. Still need ideas for theme for our stall, please! Game for children? (One suggestion: “name the worm”.) ONGOING.	ALL
8	BRENTFORD MARKET: This will be held in Market Place every Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. from 12 May for a trial period of6 months. There will be a mixed and varied collection of stalls, some being available for charities and other voluntary groups. Information about stalls can be obtained from julia@quilliam.property.co.uk. We have agreed to take a stall, to share with Friends of the Earth, and we have come up with 23^rd June. PLEASE, WILL AS MANY members as possible come along so that we can be sure the stall is manned, possibly in shifts.	ALL
9	FUNDING: We have received the Grant Acceptance forms in response to our application for funding from the Community Development Foundation. This money, if forthcoming, will go towards our next newsletter publication and our cotton bags initiative. Hugh is completing these forms so that we can send them back, electronically, to Community First. Thank you, Hugh, and thanks to Kath and Andrew for their efforts to obtain this.	HP PH

NEXT MEETING Tuesday 4 June 2013

to start at 7pm in the Directors’ Meeting Room, Brentford Dock

Minutes, April 2013

Kath — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:59:51 +0000

Brentford Recycling Action Group
Minutes of Meeting held in the Directors’ Meeting Room,
Brentford Dock
on Tuesday 2 April 2013

Attending: Patti Horsnell, Hugh Picton, Douglas Benford, Rukmini West, Catharine Browne, Virginia Fassnidge, Wendy Mackenzie, Andrew Dakers

No	Topics	Action
1	Minutes of last meeting agreed.
2	Apologies for Absence: Michelle Aspinall-Baker, Paul Richens, Samantha Langton and Jenny Illman (Brentford Dock Management), Kath Richardson, Cindy Gardener, LBH, David Eales, London Bike Hub
3	Give and Take Day, Brentford Dock: Remains in abeyance. LBH are still hoping to hold a Give and Take event for small electrical items, clothing etc. but this will be dependent on staff availability.
4	Noticeboard: Currently displays information regarding the latest Love Food Hate Waste campaign. We will change these for different posters for the same campaign shortly.
5	BRAG NEWSLETTER: This is now in the process of being printed and distribution will be organised within the next few weeks. The cooperation and assistance from the High Street Steering Committee, in particular Julia Quilliam and Joanne Lavery, is very much appreciated.
6	*Cotton Bag Project (“No plastic innit”):* Some sources for cotton bags have been found so when we have ascertained costs and how many we will need we can go ahead with finally agreeing the message we would like printed on them. Cindy has already found some prospective suppliers whose products do not necessarily fulfil our environmentally friendly desires! However, a great deal will depend on cost – we definitely need to know quantities before we can proceed further. We thought we might start with 250. It was suggested that if one side of the bag was left blank we could perhaps provide stencils and paints for volunteers to complete their own message – even a competition? Also, we need to establish willing shopkeepers who will distribute – we need to know who these could be – suggestions, please. So far: any shops on Brentford High Street and Albany Parade, The Coop (formerly Costcutter) near the University, Morrisons, Brentford Dock shop. Then we must plan a canvassing campaign. We could also consider delivering a bag with a future newsletter. FURTHER DISCUSSION AT NEXT MEETING.	ALL
7	BRENTFORD FESTIVAL: Will definitely be held on Sunday, 1st September, in Blondin Park, which is accessible from Boston Manor Road, Northfield Avenue and Windmill Road. Further information will be forthcoming, please also watch the TW8 website. We will take a stall, as always, and LBH Recycling team will also be present so we hope to be positioned near them. Still need ideas for theme for our stall, please! Game for children? (One suggestion: “name the worm”.)
8	BRENTFORD FARMERS MARKET: Plans are now being finalised for the return of the market in Market Place to be held every Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The trial period will commence on 12 May for 6 months and there will be a mixed and varied collection of stalls, some being available for charities and other voluntary groups. Information about stalls from can be obtained from julia@quilliam.property.co.uk. We have agreed to take a stall, probably share with Friends of the Earth, so we need to know dates, asap, when members are available so that we can be sure the stall is manned, possibly in shifts.
9	FUNDING: We have made an application for funding towards our next newsletter publication and some merchandise of cotton bags from the Community Development Foundation. Thanks to Kath, Andrew and Hugh for their extra efforts to do this.

NEXT MEETING Tuesday 7 May 2013

to start at 7pm in the Directors’ Meeting Room, Brentford Dock

Free Training opportunity – Make money from waste

Kath — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:55:22 +0000

Do you think you have what it takes to become a social entrepreneur?
Do you want to gain new skills while improving your community?

We are looking for creative individuals, groups and organisations to take part in an exciting new training programme focused on the recovery, reuse and sale of ‘waste’ materials with the aim of helping your community develop new skills, generate income and employment opportunity.

Through a series of specially designed training sessions participants will explore and develop social enterprises around either high value metals or textiles depending on your skills, preference and interest.

The training will:

· Build and develop the skills, confidence and knowledge to set up, run and market your own community based enterprise

· Target the recovery of ‘waste’ items effectively diverting them from landfill.

· Generate income and employment opportunity in your local community

The three training sessions will be 9^th 16^th and 30^th May 2013, location TBC.

Please share this information with your members or anyone who you think may be interested.

For more information or to register interest please contact Ben Hudson at LSx by phone on 020 7234 9405 or by email at b.hudson@lsx.org.uk

Please express interest as soon as possible as places are limited. NB this opportunity is available to Hounslow residents only.

This programme is being delivered by London Sustainability Exchange in partnership London Community Resource Network and Tree Shepherd for the London Borough of Hounslow.

Film Screening of “Gasland”

Kath — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:43:35 +0000

Film Screening on Saturday 18th May at the Docking Station

An opportunity to see this award winning documentary which reveals the truth about the controversial gas extraction process known as “fracking” – Hydraulic Fracturing.

Licensed Bar – Real Ale – Real Popcorn

Doors open 7:30pm with film at 8:30pm

Tickets £2.50 from WeGotTickets or tel 07941 520 841

Docking Station is at 108-9 High Street, Brentford TW8 8AT

Spring 2013 Newsletter

Kath — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:03:34 +0000

Newsletter Spring 2013 – Brentford Market is Back!

Climate Radio

Kath — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:08:05 +0000

Climate Radio is back in 2013 with a new monthly programme. The first two shows are available now to listen online, download or subscribe to in iTunes. You can also check out the programmes on the New Internationalist website.

#1: An Arctic Wake-Up Call

Starting the series in our traditional way with a look at the science, we speak to Professors Tim Lenton and Peter Wadhams about the surprising rate of change we are now seeing in the Arctic’s natural systems.

“In the absence of urgent action on climate change, there may be a number of tipping points in climate-driven systems in the Arctic, which threaten to rapidly escalate the danger for the whole planet. A collapse of summer sea-ice, increased methane emissions from thawing permafrost, runaway melting of the Greenland ice-sheet, and a collapse of the thermo-haline circulation, may all be approaching in the Arctic and will have disastrous consequences for global climate and sea levels. These together comprise a wake-up call to reinvigorate efforts to tackle climate change. A lack of consensus on precisely how fast any tipping points are approaching in the Arctic should not be used as an argument for inaction.” (Environment Audit Committee, Protecting The Arctic, September 2012, p.21).

#2: Protecting the Arctic

Where scientists see warning signs, oil companies and their friends in government see only economic opportunity. Last September a cross-party parliamentary committee of MPs in the UK called for a moratorium on drilling in the Arctic – concerned about the potential impact on climate change and about the lax safety regime surrounding this high-risk activity. In January this year, the UK government rejected the committee’s key recommendations using old science to suggest that Arctic drilling could be compatible with avoiding dangerous climate change. At the same time a Freedom of Information Act request discovered the government had been lobbying against EU legislation designed to make Arctic drilling safer.

Over the course of 2012 Shell’s claims that they were “Arctic Ready” collapsed after a succession of calamities while investors and other oil companies started getting cold feet. We look at how Shell’s Arctic drilling plans pose a risk to your pension and what you can do about it. Featuring Joan Walley MP (Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee), Charlie Kronick (Greenpeace), Louise Rouse (Fair Pensions) and James Marriott (Platform).

Full descriptions of the programmes can be found at: http://climateradio.org/

You can follow Climate Radio on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClimateRadio

Many thanks to Artists Project Earth for their support for these programmes

Spring open day at Syon Lane Allotment - Saturday, march 16th - 12pm to 6pm

Kath — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:05:43 +0000

Reblogged from Transition Brentford:

You are invited to come and join us as we begin the rousing work of spring at Syon Lane Community Allotment. We have a huge variety of wierd and wonderfull seeds to try out this year, and we will be sowing into small pots and filling up the greenhouse and polytunnel to birsting point. There will be outdoor sowing happenning in the market garden too, but please feel free to come and join us just for a cup of tea and to enjoy the garden.

Minutes, March 2013

Kath — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:05:09 +0000

Brentford Recycling Action Group
Minutes of Meeting held in the Directors’ Meeting Room,
Brentford Dock
on Tuesday 5 March 2013

Attending: Patti Horsnell, Hugh Picton, Douglas Benford, Rukmini West, Catharine Browne, Wendy Mackenzie, Andrew Dakers, Cindy Gardener, LBH, David Eales, London Bike Hub

No	Topics	Action
1	Minutes of last meeting agreed.
2	Apologies for Absence: Michelle Aspinall-Baker, Paul Richens, Samantha Langton and Jenny Illman (Brentford Dock Management), Kath Richardson, Virginia Fassnidge,
3	Give and Take Day, Brentford Dock: Remains in abeyance. LBH are still hoping to hold a Give and Take event for small electrical items, clothing etc. but this will be dependent on staff availability.
4	BRAG web site: Hugh has requested that, when an opportunity for an award or grant for which we may be eligible, the relevant forms are printed out for him and he will make the applications on our behalf. Continuing.	HP
5	Noticeboard: now displays information regarding the latest Love Food Hate Waste campaign and publicised the WLWA Swishing event which was held on Saturday 16th February at Hounslow Library. This was proved to be a tremendous success. Thanks to all concerned.	ALL
6	BRAG NEWSLETTER: Patti and Andrew were unable to get together during the last four weeks dues to time pressures on both of them. Hugh has found a willing supporter who will print a small edition (5,000copies) of one duplexed A4 sheet. And we will find an economical source for this. We still hope to be able to produce the Spring edition late in March early April. We can then arrange distribution. (The whole of TW8 is 10,000 homes.) Some material for the newsletter has already been produced but we will save promoting the cotton bag initiative until the Autumn edition, which we plan for September when we can include information about the AGM.Other items for inclusion in the newsletter: from visitors to the recent LBH Road shows: “I recycle because . . . .” and advise about the Tidy Town Service, which will collect up to five items for the minimum fee, currently £34 + £7 for each additional item, so a good opportunity to get together with neighbours and friends to share in the service. Not forgetting the half page for the London Bike Hub.	AD PH WM and ALL
7	*Cotton Bag Project (“No plastic init”):* Some sources for cotton bags have been found so when we have ascertained costs and how many we will need we can go ahead with finally agreeing the message we would like printed on them.Cindy has already found some prospective suppliers whose products do not necessarily fulfil our environmentally friendly desires! However, a great deal will depend on cost – we definitely need to know quantities before we can proceed further. We thought we might start with 250. It was suggested that if one side of the bag was left blank we could perhaps provide stencils and paints for volunteers to complete their own message – even a competition? Also, we need to establish willing shopkeepers who will distribute – we need to know who these could be – suggestions, please. So far: any shops on Brentford High Street and Albany Parade, The Coop (formerly Costcutter) near the University, Morrisons, Brentford Dock shop. Then we must plan a canvassing campaign. We could also consider delivering a bag with a future newsletter.	ALL
8	BRENTFORD FESTIVAL: Will definitely be held on Sunday, 1st September, in Blondin Park, which is accessible from Boston Manor Road, Northfield Avenue and Windmill Road. Further information will be forthcoming, please also watch the TW8 website. We will take a stall, as always, and LBH Recycling team will very likely be present so we hope to be positioned near them. Ideas for theme for our stall, please! Game for children?
9	BRENTFORD FARMERS MARKET: Plans are going ahead for a return of the market in Market Place to be held every Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm – hopefully bigger and better than ever! The trial period will commence on 28 April for 6 months and there will be a very mixed and varied collection of stalls, some being available for charities and other voluntary groups. Information about stalls available from Melissa@sustainweb.org

NEXT MEETING Tuesday 2 April 2013

to start at 7pm in the Directors’ Meeting Room, Brentford Dock

Hounslow residents save £2million by recycling more

Kath — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:45:05 +0000

TWO million pounds has been saved from being thrown away thanks to the recycling efforts of Hounslow’s residents.

The money, which would have had to be spent paying landfill tax, will instead be able to pay for vital services in the borough.

The figure has just been revealed by Hounslow Council which was keen to salute everyone who played their part in helping both the local environment and local economy.

…

Read the rest of the article on the Hounslow Chronicle and see the delightful photo of our Patti, along with Councillor Colin Ellar and Nicola all dressed up!

Cultivate London Looking for Trainees

Kath — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:52:23 +0000

Are you between the ages of 16 and 24?

Looking for work, but aren’t interested in just any old desk job?

We may have just the thing for you…

If you love the outdoors and aren’t afraid to get stuck in and get your hands dirty, then come check out CULTIVATE LONDON, and innovative urban farm based in West London.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
‐ You will learn how to grow and care for plants
‐ You will be involved in the running of an award-winning enterprise
‐ You will gain skills in sales, time management and team work
‐ You can earn a qualification in horticulture
‐ It will keep you fit (who needs a diet or the gym?)
‐ When everyone else is stuck inside, you will be enjoying the outdoors (you
will be the first of your friends with a tan, we promise!)
‐ You will be challenged, and will gain experience that will get you on the path to your next job

No experience necessary! Just bring some ambition, an open mind and
enthusiasm.

If you think this could be for you, or someone you know, then we want to hear from you:

Call Adrienne: 0780 565 8934
Send her an e-mail: Adrienne@cultivatelondon.org
Or just come round and say hi: 108 High Street, Brentford, TW8 8AT
Taster sessions available March 11th-15th