Transition your skills

Hi Everyone,

Wishing you all a happy Bank Holiday Monday! Do you blog? Would you like to use blogging as a tool to promote your issue? This evening's Skillshare on the topic of writing for non-profits should be interesting and useful.  There's also the Food Group Meeting on Tuesday evening where we'll be planning (and salivating) in advance of the Eat Cambridge Festival, and at next Monday's Skillshare meeting you can help plan for the Repair Cafe. You may well ask, what's a repair cafe? It's such an ingeniously simple idea, it's amazing we didn't think of it sooner. Please read on for a wealth of great local events:

CONTENTS

Transition News and Events

  • Monday 05 May: Skillshare - Non-fiction writing for non-profits
  • Tuesday 06 May: Food Group meeting
  • Monday 12 May: Cambridge Skillshare meeting - planning a Repair Cafe
  • Monday 12 May: Energy Group Meeting
  • Saturday 17 May: Grow Your Own Session in Trumpington
  • Saturday 17 May: Eat Cambridge's 'The Main Event' - food and drink fair
  • Sunday 18 May: Mulching and munching at The Missing Sock forest garden
  • Thursday 29 May: Permies in Pubs 2014
  • Thursday 05 June: Transition Cafe - Let's talk about marketing
  • Saturday 14 June: Arbury Carnival
  • Events for your calendar

Other News and Events

  • Friday 09 May: Compost giveaway
  • 10-24 May: Eat Cambridge - festival of local food and drink
  • Thursday 15 May: Talk - '2050: Sustainable UK?' Do chemists have the answer?
  • Sunday 18 May: May Plant Swap at Trumpington allotments
  • Saturday 31 May: Trumpington Garage Sale Trail
  • Saturday 21 June: 'A Perfect Summer's Day' Skillshare and Repair

Transition News and Events

Monday 05 May: Skillshare - Non-fiction writing for non-profits

19:30-21:00, CB2 restaurant (upstairs room), Norfolk Street, CB1 2LD

The Transition Media group is organising a writing skillshare. We'll be discussing how to write a good blog post and will try our hand at writing one. This is a mutual skillshare: if you have time, please look up "how-to"s and hints on the Internet - we'll share and discuss these in the first 40 minutes. Bring a topic you might be interested in writing about or piece you've started, and a laptop if you can. The rest of the workshop we will be researching information of interest, practising writing, and discussing in pairs any pieces in progress that have been brought in. Contact Toni through the link below to say that you are coming and if you have any questions.

Tuesday 06 May: Food Group meeting

18:30-20:00, CB2 restaurant (upstairs room), Norfolk Street, CB1 2LD

The Food Group's fortnightly meeting to discuss and update on current projects and future events - including plans for Eat Cambridge in May, and Arbury Carnival in June. All welcome!

Monday 12 May: Cambridge Skillshare meeting - planning a Repair Cafe

19:30-21:00, Anna's house (off Coleridge Road)

At this meeting we'll continue to plan the Repair Cafe at the end of May - you can read more about Repair Cafes here. Everyone is welcome to get involved! Contact Anna for details of her address.

Monday 12 May: Energy Group Meeting

20:00-21:30, Judith's house

This will be our second meeting with a topic discussion: we will spend 30 minutes discussing LED light bulbs - How good are they now? Can they do everything we need? If you have some examples to show us that you can bring please do so. Ask Nicola for details of the venue. More details here.

Saturday 17 May: Grow Your Own Session in Trumpington

10:00-13:00, Trumpington allotments

Join experienced allotmenteer Dave Fox on his plot in Trumpington. Novices and experienced growers all welcome - this is a mutual sharing, not a lesson:) In the 17th May session we hope to plant the first tomatoes and other tender crops, sow more seeds, hoe for weed control on the annual veg beds and check the mulch in the forest garden - is it suppressing the weeds? Plus tea & biccies with Dave's mum at half-time. Join in here. More details here.

Saturday 17 May: Eat Cambridge's 'The Main Event' - food and drink fair

10:30-16:00, Corn Exchange, CB2 3QB

For one day, the Corn Exchange plays host to this large local food and drink fair, and Cambridge Sustainable Food City will have a stall (Transition Cambridge is one of the CSFC partners). There's a £2 adult entry fee, and there will be many stalls, plus talks on food-related themes. If you'd like to help out on the stall, please contact us by email. More details here.

Sunday 18 May: Mulching and munching at The Missing Sock forest garden

10:00-14:30, The Missing Sock restaurant

The Growing Spaces project and the Missing Sock forest garden invite you to join us for a cycle out to the Missing Sock, where we'll do some caring for the early-stage forest garden, learn about forest gardens, and share a lunch at the Missing Sock restaurant. We'll be leaving Cambridge on bike at 10am and aim to be back before 2.30pm. Everyone welcome! If you can, please let Toni know you are interested by Sunday the 11th, so we can book if there's lots of us. If you only read this last minute, do still give a shout - there may be space for you.

Thursday 29 May: Permies in Pubs 2014

19:30, The Six Bells Pub, Covent Garden, off Mill Road, Cambridge.

A chance for all those interested in Permaculture to meet up and discuss matters permaculture related or ask questions. All welcome from beginner to expert. We will be meeting in the small room just behind the main bar. We will have at least one or two permaculture books on the small table to make it clear where we are.

Thursday 05 June: Transition Cafe - Let's talk about marketing

19:30-21:00, CB1 cafe, 32 Mill Road, CB1 2AD

Marketing was once very product-focused - methods to sell more breakfast cereal (or cars or burgers or whatever). But can insights from marketing help us to communicate ideas about sustainable living to wider audiences and more effectively? What is best practice now, in an era of blogposts and social media? Our speaker Emma will share her experience of working in a variety of marketing roles and there’ll be time to ask her questions. So whether you’re involved with a community group with a message to get out, or have a pet project waiting to get off the ground, this evening is for you! There will also be a chance to share ideas and discuss what works. Hopefully you’ll gain some ideas and tips to help your group or project become more effective. All welcome, free!

Saturday 14 June: Arbury Carnival

11:00-17:00, Arbury Town Park, Campkin Road

Arbury Carnival is a regular summer event, all the fun of the fair, for all the family! Come and visit the Transition stall, find out about what we're doing around Cambridge. And if you'd like to help out on the stall, contact us by email More details here.

Events for your calendar

Other News and Events

Friday 09 May: Compost giveaway

10:00-15:00, Beehive Centre, near ASDA

To celebrate national Compost Awareness Week, Cambridge City Council will be giving away free compost to residents. The compost is made from the kitchen and garden waste that residents put out for collection in their green bins or brown sacks. All you need to do is bring your own sack. Recycling Champions will be on hand to give top tips on recycling and composting. Residents will also be able to pick up a free kitchen caddy to help them recycle their food waste. Can’t make this event? You can always pick up free compost from the AmeyCespa Waste Management Park in Waterbeach. More details here.

10-24 May: Eat Cambridge - festival of local food and drink

10:30-10:30, venues in and around Cambridge

Eat Cambridge is back for a second year. Fringe events, talks, debates, pop-up's, tours, cookery demo's and theatre performances - check out their website and find out what's on in the programme for the fortnight.

Thursday 15 May: Talk - '2050: Sustainable UK?' Do chemists have the answer?

19:00-20:00, Pfizer lecture theatre, Chemistry Department, Lensfield Road

Continued reliance on fossil fuels can only lead to planetary disaster. The alternative - organic farming and natural materials - cannot feed, clothe and house 9 billion humans by 2050, resulting in famine and scarcity. A possible third way based on Chemistry could provide everything needed for a modern lifestyle: secure food supply, clean water, transport fuel, healing drugs, polymers, and a comfortable home. Creating such a world will require dedicated young chemists to make it possible. But there is an elephant in the room… Leading science author, writer and broadcaster, Dr John Emsley, formerly of University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, will explore the possible solutions that science can offer, and explain how the UK might even set an example to the world and make it happen here. More info here. This talk is organised by the Cambridge & Great Eastern Section of the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Sunday 18 May: May Plant Swap at Trumpington allotments

10:30-12:00, Foster Road allotments trading hut CB2 9JR

Swap spare seedlings, plants and surplus seeds. Expand the range of plants you grow and meet other local gardeners. Come along even if you don't have anything to swap, just make a small donation if you take stuff. No admission charge. Everyone welcome! Directions here. We have another plant swap in June. Please display this poster. More details here.

Saturday 31 May: Trumpington Garage Sale Trail

14:00-17:00, Paget Road, Byron Square, Anstey Way, Foster Road

A variety of table top sales will take place at the Pavilion and in nearby front gardens. Include your address on the trail map for 50p and have a good clear out! Tables also available in the marquee at the Pavilion ( £1 ) For further details, or to take part, please contact Elizabeth Cox by 30th April

Saturday 21 June: 'A Perfect Summer's Day' Skillshare and Repair

12:00-16:30, Newnham Scout and Guide Centre (end of Chedworth St, Nr Newnham Croft School) CB3 9JF

This is one of Cambridge Carbon Footprint’s highlight events of the year and we are really excited about it. It’s a Greeniversity event and is all about learning new skills so you can set about both creating and mending those things that’ll prepare you for your Perfect Summers Day in Cambridge. The venue is a spacious wooden cabin set in some lovely grounds. It’s right on the edge of Sheep’s Green and Grantchester Meadows so we hope to head out for a bike ride sometime during the day to enjoy the fruits of our labours. A flavour of the workshops we hope to offer: bike maintenance; sewing bunting, kites and a picnic blanket; fixing electronics (radios, mobiles); making eco-friendly lotions, potions and suncreams; making cordials; foraging; making jams, pickles and other preserves; instrument repair; seasonal picnic foods; jewellery repair. More details will be published soon and we’ll start taking bookings then too. Save the date and please let your friends and family know about the day. The event is FREE! More details here.

All the best,

Hannah

Our Mission

Transition Cambridge aims to help Cambridge make the transition to ways of life that are more resilient in the face of rising energy prices and a changing climate.

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