Event Updates
Big Tidy Up – This was well attended, thank you everyone who helped. Seemed to be less litter, although may be because vegetation hadn’t died back yet.
Repair Café – Big thank you to Mike and his repairers and to Lisa. 50 – 60 items were fixed!
Terry’s Community Orchard – Sunday 3rd December at 10.30am. There will be a work party to do some pruning and replace some tree stakes. Thanks to Adam for all his work. There will be a follow-up planting session in January for trees in memory of Rob, Liz and Rosie. Details to follow.
Wedmore by Lamplight – Wednesday 13th December 6pm. It was agreed we would have a joint stall with the Village Farm. Cookbooks to be sold.
Warm in Wedmore 10th and 11th January. GW will be hosting please come along to either help, provide a cake or pop in for a coffee!
Group Reports
Mitigation
Transport
Still awaiting updates on the Pilcorn Street Footpath project.
Discussion about the level of school run traffic. It was mentioned that Lindsey has asked in IOW News for resident views and concerns to feed into Local Community Network. This is our opportunity to all raise issues (transport, access, planning environmental issues etc.)
Energy
It was reported that the Solar 1000 project has been re-publicised. There have been 6 new installs this month taking the total to 84. Currently generating 485kw and with more in the pipeline it will soon be up to 500kw.
Sunlit are donating a solar array to Wedmore Scout Hut and the scouts will be fundraising for a battery. Blackford village hall are applying for funding for their own install. That will mean all community buildings have a solar installation.
Wilder Wedmore
A follow-up meeting has agreed to run some one-off ‘pop up’ events in 2024, and revisit whether to do another festival in 2025. The group agreed a spend for a churchyard rewilding project at Theale. The butterfly corridor project plants have been ordered – 50 buckthorn whips will be given out to local landowners to encourage the Brimstone butterfly.
The eel legacy project continues. Recent meetings with the Drainage Board and the Somerset Wildlife Trust. Plans to upscale the eels in classrooms project next year. Eel Conference planned for 5th July at the Red Brick, Glastonbury.
Proposal to create a bursary fund for young people to apply with their own nature projects.
Adaptation
Steve mentioned an excellent Adaptation toolkit which he will re-introduce at a future meeting for workshopping.
Steve has met a local Green Wall installer and keen to explore possible options for Wedmore.
Resiliance
Food
The Wedmore Community Farm continues to progress, and a crowdfunder will launch shortly.
Worthington Woods – group met recently to look at ways to improve maintenance schedule. A shed to house tools to be installed. Plans to replace the sign and suggestions of more bug hotels and more wild flowers to attract pollinators. A date to be set to meet up over the Christmas period.
Next Meeting
Dec meeting will be a working meet up at Worthington Woods for 9.30-12.30 on Thursday 28th Dec, bring snacks
Thursday 25th January 2024 7:30pm at our new venue The Bluebird Café.
