Newsletter - Spring 2008
Celebrations at St Arvans Zero Waste Village Project
Residents of St Arvans Zero Waste Village were joined in February by Jane Davidson, Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing, to celebrate the success of the project seven months after it was launched.
The minister took a tour with Monmouthshire Community Recycling (MCR) and Recycling Officers from Monmouthshire County Council viewing the collection around the village. She also popped into the local pub for a chat with the Summers - a family in the village who have fully embraced the zero waste ethos.
Louise Summers told the minister: “Since we started having plastics and tetrapaks recycling in St Arvans, there is not a lot left in our bin, we don’t even fill one black bag a week. We’re a family of five so you might think we’d find it harder to recycle. In fact the boys are really on the ball, and they want to find a use for everything. We do think differently about what we buy these days, and avoid any packaging that would have to go to landfill. There’s a lot of awareness in the village, and people are starting to realise that it’s one of the ways they can fight climate change and save energy needed to make new products.”
Jane Davidson said: “Our effect on the planet is called our “ecological footprint”. Wales’ ecological footprint is the lowest of all the UK regions. But as a nation we are still using three planets worth of the earth’s resources, which is why I am delighted to see how well the residents of St Arvans have embraced this innovative project working to reduce waste in the local community. Waste reduction is key to fighting climate change as waste currently makes up 14% of Wales’ ecological footprint. If we want to reduce our ecological footprint, it is crucial that we all follow the example being set in St Arvans and look not only to reduce waste but to increase the proportion that is recycled.”
Monmouthshire County Council uses MCR as a contractor to carry out recycling in St. Arvans. Since the launch in June 2007, the village has achieved:
a 95% participation rate
a 77% diversion rate
The Local Government Association has calculated that households in the UK send more than 26.8million tonnes of rubbish to landfill every year – the equivalent of almost half a tonne for every person in the country. The figures also show that Britain sends 7 million tonnes more rubbish into landfill than any other country in Europe.
David Roman, MCR’s Executive Director, said: “The principle of Zero Waste is that everything we buy is made from materials which can be repaired, reused or recycled, and in those cases where they cannot, the products should use other materials that are capable of being repaired, reused or recycled. This month we will start to collect mobile phones, household batteries and toner cartridges. The only things that are left that can’t be disposed in an environmentally sound way are the heavily contaminated or mixed materials like cat litter and disposable nappies.”
Eric Saxon, Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Today was a great way of proving to us all how easy it is to stop producing so much waste. Hopefully, the residents taking part in this groundbreaking scheme will show that the concept of zero waste really is achievable.”
The Zero Waste Village project will run for five years in total, and is supported by Environment Wales with funding from the Welsh Assembly Government, and by Monmouthshire County Council’s Community Economic Development Scheme.
Chepstow Society celebrates 60 years
The Chepstow Society is Sixty years old this year. On the 12th March 1948 the inaugural meeting was held in the Tudor Cafe (now sadly gone) in Beaufort Square, Chepstow. In April 1949 the Society opened the town's first Museum , in the room over the Town Arch from whence it has moved twice, and much expanded passed into the control of the County Council. As a local history Society many books have been published over those sixty years and and countless meetings and lectures held, trips to places of interest, guided walks led, and exhibitions enjoyed . As a Civic Society there has been continuous effort to protect the historic buildings, environment and amenities of the town. At our meeting on the 19th March members will celebrate sixty years of achievement. We look forward to our centenary in 2048!
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Tools for Self Reliance Cymru - help needed with sewing machines
Tools for Self Reliance Cymru are re-launching their sewing machine repair workshop in Crickhowell in March. They would welcome anyone who has any interest in helping to get (mostly) hand sewing machines back into good working order. To start with, two sewing machine sessions will run each week – on Thursday and Fridays mornings. The work is very satisfying as these machines are so well built. The picture shows one happy man who has just found his machine again!
Any help and advice on electric machines is also very welcome. Please contact TFSR if you are able to help.
The hand tool refurbishment workshop in Tanzania set up by the group is working well, and another container of tools will be shipped to them in April.
Transition Chepstow
‘Transition Chepstow’ is a new group that aims to help develop a community response to the challenges of climate change and reducing oil supplies. We aim to draw on the genius and ingenuity of the community (Chepstow and neighbouring communities) to develop practical solutions to these problems. Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels will help to reduce our carbon footprint and develop resilience in the face of increasing fuel prices.
Our community is following in the footsteps of other Transition communities, including Totnes and Forest of Dean. Whilst the challenges are significant, we plan to make the journey engaging, educational and fun where we can! We believe that an even stronger and more vibrant Chepstow can emerge after the cheap oil has gone.
To start discussions in the community, we are showing three films during March. We anticipate that these films will spark discussions and plans in areas such as local food production, energy conservation and production, public transport, tourism and education. The film details are as follows:
Monday 3rd March - ‘The Power of Community’ A colourful and inspiring look at how Cuba survived on 60% less oil – followed by a discussion on how we (as a community) should respond to climate change and declining oil supplies. The focus of this first discussion will be a sustainable energy plan for our community. Start 6.30pm - Beaufort Hotel, Chepstow
Monday 17th March - ‘Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash’ A direct and powerful film looking at the peaking of oil production and the possible, serious effects this is likely to have on society. Start 7.30pm – Beaufort Hotel, Chepstow. Followed by group discussion on our community’s response to climate change and declining oil supplies.
Monday 31st March – ‘An Inconvenient Truth' The ground breaking Al Gore movie that raised the profile of the climate change crisis. Start 7.30pm – Beaufort Hotel, Chepstow. Followed by group discussion on our community’s response to climate change and declining oil supplies.
The films are free however a small donation on the evening will be greatly appreciated. Please contact Marcus Perrin (Marcus@dellstars.plus.com) if you require more details or wish to reserve any seats. Back to news index
Alfred Russel Wallace conference
Usk Civic Society, in association with Usk Conservation and Environment Group and The Friends of Usk Rural Life Museum, is organising a Conference in May to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Alfred Russel Wallace’s work on evolution and to launch a book of poetry inspired by it. We are sorry to say that this event has had to be cancelled.
Abergavenny & District Civic Society
Abergavenny & District Civic Society is pleased to announce another year's programme, starting on Monday 11th March we have Mr Brian Smith talking about "Gardens Worth Visiting". Meetings are currently being held at St. Michael's Centre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny at 7.00 p.m. for tea or coffee and biscuits followed at 7.30 by the speaker.
April 14th is the Annual General Meeting. The meeting on 12th May is "Countryside Council for Wales". Followed by two outside visits to Hampton Court near Leominster, and Belmont Abbey near Hereford on Tuesday 10th June and Tuesday 15th July. For membership and more information telephone Michael Foden 855263. New members of the society are always most welcome.
Cleddon Bog SSSI restoration
Cleddon Bog in Trellech was notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1963, for being the best example of lowland bog habitat in the old vice county of Monmouth. It was declared a Local Nature Reserve in 1970.
Over time the SSSI, through lack of management and surrounding land-use changes has lost the diversity of its characteristic species and these have been replaced by more dominant species such a purple moor-grass. Trees and scrub have also invaded the bog surface. All of these factors have resulted in the bog drying out.
To help restore the valley mire vegetation, it is essential that the bog is brought back into appropriate management. Woodland has become established on the Bog surface in places resulting in loss of bog vegetation. Characteristic species of the habitat should include purple moor-grass, bog asphodel, common cotton sedge, cranberry, sundew and sphagnum moss species. The extent of purple moor-grass however should not exceed circa 50% cover.
Over the last 2 winters Countryside Council for Wales has commissioned a contractor to start clearing the invading trees. Prior to the commencement of any works, all of the Commoners were consulted on proposed management via a Site Management Scheme (since the death of the previous owner, it has not been possible to confirm who is the legal owner of the bog).
It is particularly difficult to carry out management works on the bog, due to its fragile nature. Vehicles cannot enter the site in many places. This winter one third of the trees and scrub that have encroached on the bog have been cleared. CCW is hoping that the rest will be cleared in the coming years. There are also plans to fence the site to enable stock such as cattle to graze to control the scrub and purple moor grass.
In recent years the Forestry Commission have cleared the conifer plantations adjacent to the bog and have an on-going heathland restoration project. This has improved the area's hydrology dramatically. Pipes have also been placed under the FC track to enable more water to enter the bog.
A tribute to Geoff Mein, Usk historian and archaeologist
Small towns and villages often have people who are well known as ‘characters’ in their later years, regarded sometimes grudgingly, occasionally affectionately. Usk has recently lost one of its own. It is with great sadness that Usk Civic Society reports the death of AG (Geoff) Mein on 15th February.
Geoff was one of the longest serving members of the Society from almost its foundation in 1973. On retiring as Solicitor to the National Coal Board in South Wales, he took an active role in Society matters for over thirty years, serving as Secretary, subsequently as Chairman and latterly as Lecture Secretary. His knowledge and recall of events was second to none and his guidance and advice well argued even if not always accepted by his colleague Committee members.
For many years in the 1980s and 1990s he and his wife Pat were a formidable force and were successful in leading and influencing the opposition to some of the least acceptable building proposals in Usk. Perhaps chief among these was the proposed tower block on land near Usk Bridge which went to public enquiry. With the help of a planning consultant, they convinced the Planning Inspector that it should be refused. The site was subsequently and successfully developed as Usk Bridge Mews.
Geoff brought to the Society his considerable intellect as well as a long memory; and a lawyer’s rationale and logic. These he applied to his two favourite subjects, history and archaeology especially of the Usk area. He contributed articles to several learned journals but outstanding in his writing of history is his Norman Usk, now sadly out of print. It is a testimony to his facility for research into documents of the period, relating their content to the archaeological discoveries that he and others had made.
Shortly before his death he had finished the chapters he has contributed to the book on the history of Usk that is expected to be published this autumn.
In recent years his archaeological enthusiasm concentrated on the dig at Trostrey, near the church, where he and his fellow diggers revealed evidence of human occupation and activity from the Mesolithic period to the Middle Ages. His delight in giving talks on this subject was boundless.
He was much in demand for his illustrated talks on the buildings of Usk and claimed to have visited almost all that have some historical significance. He produced the Usk Town Trail for the Society and was looking forward to revising it from his recent discoveries about some of Usk’s buildings as well as removing some of the printing errors that somehow had crept in. Fortunately he left the new draft sufficiently clear for a revised edition to be printed in due course - typical of his conscientious attitude to all his endeavours.
The Priory Church of St. Mary in Usk was almost full for the service in his memory on 1st March, a tribute to the respect and affection in which he was held. A private interment at Trostrey Church followed, appropriately near his late wife Patricia and alongside the location of the archaeological site where they had both spent many happy hours.
The Society hopes that memory of Geoff and Pat will be sustained by the installation of a seat on the bank of the River Usk, with a plaque recording their contribution to the Society’s activities and to the life of Usk.
He will be greatly missed.
Bryn y Cwm - Yirga Cheffe link project update
The community link between the “Mountain and Valley” in Wales and the “Town in the Forest” in Ethiopia took a giant step forward last November when a team of five volunteers led by physiotherapist Jo Keen travelled out to Ethiopia and spent an intensive few days with the people of Yirga Cheffe.
The team were given a warm welcome in this remote corner of Africa where no BBC World Service broadcasts reach and no jet flight paths crossed the sky. They met with a wide range of groups in the town including two primary schools, the secondary school, the Muslim community, two Christian faith groups, several artisan co-operatives, the clinic, the Mayor’s team, farmers, women and youth groups. Each group showed what they did and gave their perception of the problems faced by their community. A very detailed report has been written since the team returned and copies have recently been taken out to Yirga Cheffe by members of the Gwent Health Care Link.
Before leaving, the Mayor and Jo Keen, on behalf of the two ends of the link, signed a Memorandum of Understanding which formally established the link and set out the basic terms of the relationship. Key points of this memorandum are the desire for friendship, mutual benefit and understanding.
This is one of five such links between communities in Wales and in African countries as part of the UN Gold Star Community Award Scheme. This Welsh Assembly Government supported scheme aims to make a contribution towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Africa.
Within the core link, the aim is to establish several subsidiary links between pairs of schools, faith groups and other organisations in the two communities. Already Cantref School has paired with Dilbetigil Primary School with its 3,169 tri-lingual pupils taught in 2 sittings per day in classes averaging 95 pupils. Llantilio Pertholey School has paired with Abiot Fire Primary, “Fruits of the Revolution” and exchanged albums with contributions from children and staff.
Apart from similarities in terrain and vegetation (Yirga Cheffe is in the forested highlands of central southern Ethiopia where coffee is the main crop grown organically and under shade) the team was struck by the similarity between the wet season weather out there and our typical summer weather in Wales – warm sunny mornings followed by downpours every afternoon.
The Bryn y Cwm group is now fully constituted with three sub-groups focusing on family/community/schools, trade/industry/agriculture/ and water/environment/housing. One of the greatest needs highlighted by most groups is a new town water supply. At present only 13% of the town population has access to clean water and there is a high prevalence of water-borne diseases. Unemployment is high, especially amongst young people, schools are overcrowded and poorly resourced, housing is in extremely short supply and there are environmental problems to be addressed. However, no decisions have yet been made concerning which projects should be given priority for fundraising.
Further information is available from Jo Keen email jo@jokeen.co.uk or the new chairman, Jenny Barnes on 01873 859095 or ffotojenic@ukonline.co.uk
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