Sustainable Crediton Newsletter Issue 63

Welcome to October's newsletter.

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Andi, one of the founders of Sustainable Crediton or Crediton Climate Action as it was known then. Read Linda Lever's thoughts about Andi below.

Sustainable Crediton's Give and Take Shop Pops Up Again

Following the phenomenal success of our Give and Take Pop Up Shop in February in the High Street, Sustainable Crediton are at it again!! 7,000 people visited the event in February and the majority of them asked 'when will it happen again?' So by public demand the Give and Take Shop returns for 6 days at the end of the month but at a new venue, ReFurnish, next door to Morrisons. It will be open Wednesday to Friday from 10am to 4pm on October 21st to 23rd and October 28th to 30th.

Can you help us organise a climate rally please?

Sustainable Crediton are in the early stages of planning an event in the Town Square on the 28^th November from 10am to 12 noon. It is in support of a global climate rally to coincide with the global Paris climate talks which start on the 29^th November. We need some volunteers to help us in the planning and on the day. More details below.

A Crackling new Pig Club for Crediton

Would you like to get involved in the raising of quality pork straight from the field to your plate? The Pig Club will be holding a meeting this autumn for people to find out more. In the mean time, please contact Anne Stobart for more details via The Pig Club web page.

Our Renewable Energy Project in the balance

As we went to press, we were waiting to hear whether or not we had been successful in applying for pre-registration and pre-accreditation of our potential project with QE School. The Government have removed the ability of community groups to reserve a feed-in tariff rate for 12 months as from the 1st October (pre-registration and pre-accreditation). Read more below.

Dates for your Diary
5th October	Core Group Meeting
7th October	Waste Action Group meeting
8th October	Woodland and Hedgerow Work Party 1
9th October	Inaugural Meeting of Crediton and District U3A
10th October	Chutney and Chat event
12th October	Planning meeting for the Crediton Climate Challenge
16th October	Can renewable energy create a Western Powerhouse?
21st October	Give & Take Shop
22nd October	Food Group Strategy Meeting
26th October	Woodland and Hedgerow Work Party 2
27th October	October Energy Group meeting
20th February	2016 Seed Share

Regular Events
Craft Inn Friday Crediton Work Club Crediton Farmers Market Crediton Garden Club Spinning Circle Family History Research Knitwits

In case you missed it...
2nd September	Feedback from the Core Values Meeting
7th September	Review of Waste Action Group meeting Apologies: Jill Arrangements for Give and Take Shed in October: Arrangements with Refurni ...
10th September	Feedback from the Woodland and Hedgerow Meeting
21st September	Feedback from the Energy Meeting
24th September	Feedback from the National & International Meeting
1st October	Review of Meeting with Mel Stride MP Gerald Conyngham and Charles Mossman met with Mel Stride and discussed with him the following iss ...

News Highlights

Tips for making your garden bee-friendly

Honey bees are thought to be responsible for about a third of pollination of food crops in UK. They have been of vital importance to the ecosystem of the world for thousands of years. Man has been collecting honey from wild bees for centuries. Bees collect nectar and pollen from all sorts of flower ...

Call for Volunteers to help us organise a Crediton Climate Rally

Sustainable Crediton are in the early stages of planning an event in the Town Square (if available) on the 28th November from 10am to 12 noon. It is in support of a global climate rally to coincide with the global Paris climate talks which start on the 29th November. We hope to get hundreds of peo ...

Something yummy to eat this Autumn

Apple cakes are made all over Europe during the autumn. This recipe adds walnuts and cinnamon. Ingredients For a shallow 20cm (8") tin you will need: 200g (8oz) wholemeal self-raising flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 100g (4oz) local butter 100g (4oz) brown sugar 100g (4oz) sultanas or rais ...

Volunteers needed!

Bob Lunnon and Laura Conyngham are part of and attend the Boniface Trail Association meetings which focus on a cycle/pedestrian route through Newton St Cyres. Most of the other group members live in Newton St Cyres and progress is thorough, both with landowners and in producing a questionnair ...

In Memory of Andi Tobe

Andi was one of the founding members of Sustainable Crediton, or Crediton Climate Action [CCA], as it was known then. It is very distressing to learn that such an active, committed and lively person has succumbed to a brain tumour after months of bravely struggling against it. I first met ...

Community Energy Opportunity for QE School

Crediton's Community Energy [CCE] project has completed a feasibility study which recommends the installation of photovoltaic [PV] cells on school roofs. Sustainable Crediton is now working with Queen Elizabeth's School with a view to gaining governor approval for PV installation. Ben Brook (QE Aca ...

DECC propose to cut Solar Feed in Tariff by 87% to all bands from 1 January 2016

Despite the industry making tremendous strides in reducing the cost of Solar PV in the last few years, the Government still proposes to make huge cuts to the subsidy, posing a huge threat to the domestic solar market. The cost of installation is now 1/4 of what it was 5 years ago, however the F.I.T ...

Feasibility Study Executive Summary

The Feasibility Study has been approved by WRAP and the Executive Summary is available to read here. Sustainable Crediton is grateful to Andrew Shadrake of DARE and the rest of the team for their excellent work. We are delighted that the study has identified a potentially viable project that could ...

Seed Share - start Saving Now!

Now is the time to save your seeds You can help increase diversity by saving seeds or growing heritage varieties. Want to learn more about gardening or helping bees? Come and visit our stalls at the seed share. Click here for information on how to save seeds. ...

Wild Flowers still flowering and seeding

The wild flower patch has been a picture to behold, with swarms of insects, bees and butterfies making regular visits. The array of various delicate poppies have been beautiful. Some of the earlier flowers have now set seed and are dropping onto the soil. The gardener has been saving some ...

What should the Core Group focus on?

When I recently took over as chair of the Sustainable Crediton Core group I was keen to find out what *you* thought we should focus on. So I've spent some time over the past few weeks gate-crashing group meetings and asking two simple questions: "What are your expectations for the Core Group? ...

Help Nigerian farmers resist the corporate land grab

'Global Justice Now' is campaigning in support of small-scale farmers in Africa. They are being threatened by the agribusiness front organisation known as the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition. This organisation is set up to help big business impose monocultures of crops for export ...

Fowl Play

Hens in the Garden One day I was chatting with the editor of a smallholding magazine. She told me that sales of the magazine increased by a significant percentage if pictures of chickens were on the cover. Chickens can be cute, but do they have any place in the veg garden? Before that qu ...

Time to think about planting some fruit trees

Fruit and Nuts September brings the very pleasant days of early autumn. The apple harvest is gathering pace and the very early varieties, such as Exeter Cross have already finished. It's easy for other fruits (and nuts) to be overlooked. My plum tree (variety unknown) is fruiting ...

A crackling new pig club for the Crediton area

A new scheme is providing households in Crediton and local area with the opportunity to sign up for a pig share. The Crediton and District Pig Club is holding a meeting this autumn for people to find out more. Would you like to get involved in the raising of quality pork straight from the ...

“On the death of a friend, we should consider that the fates through confidence have devolved on us the task of a double living, that we have henceforth to fulfill the promise of our friend's life also, in our own, to the world.”

Henry David Thoreau