MP, Sprouts and Winter Fair

Hi Everyone,

This week on Wednesday the Growing Spaces group will be meeting to develop gardening areas in Cambridge, and on Thursday you can take the opportunity to discuss Transition issues and their place on the political agenda with Julian Huppert MP. Also on Thursday, Feeding5k are urgently looking for sprout gleaners for a day on the farm. A highlight of the year for many, Mill Road Winter Fair this Saturday is a great chance to get some locally-sourced Christmas gifts or soak up the community spirit - remember to pass by the Transition stall and say hi, or volunteer some help on the day. Save the date of 17th December for the Transition Cambridge Xmas Social too. Plenty of other events coming up below...

CONTENTS

Transition News and Events

  • Mondays 10, 24 Nov + 1 , 8 Dec: Reading group for Naomi Klein's new book "This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate"
  • Wednesday 03 December: Growing Spaces meeting
  • Thursday 04 December: Discussion with Julian Huppert MP: How can we keep Transition issues high on the political agenda?
  • Saturday 06 December: Transition Stall at Mill Road Winter Fair
  • Saturday 06 December: Wildlife Wanderings - Mill Road Winter Fair
  • Tuesday 09 December: Food Group's Winter Social
  • Wednesday 10 December: Sustainability Hacking - first meeting
  • Wednesday 17 December: Transition Cambridge's Xmas social
  • Tuesday 13 January: Food Group meeting
  • Sunday 25 January: Big Garden Bird Watch
  • Saturday 31 January: Skillshare on composting
  • Building Biodiversity Gardens with ARU
  • The Growing Spaces project is looking for project organisers!
  • Events for your calendar

Community News

  • Affordable Housing
  • UFH aluminium plates

Other News and Events

  • Wednesday 03 December: How To Clean Your Home Naturally
  • Thursday 04 December: Urgent help needed for brussels sprouts gleaning this Thursday
  • Friday 05 December: "Climate, food & economic crises: symptoms of the demise of the fossil fuel empire"
  • Friday 05 December: A Vegetarian Christmas Cooking Workshop
  • Saturday 06 December: Mill Road Tree Walk - Mill Road Winter Fair
  • Saturday 06 December: Mill Road Tree Walk
  • Saturday 06 December: Cottenham Repair Cafe
  • Friday 12 December: Making edible decorations for garden birds
  • Saturday 13 December: CamLETS Christmas Trading Event
  • Monday 15 December: "Water and environment management" - GSI Seminar
  • Saturday 28 February: Volunteer for Cambridge
  • Are you a charity or community group and need office furniture?
  • Share things with your neighbours with StreetBank!
  • Events for your calendar

Transition News and Events

Mondays 10, 24 Nov + 1 , 8 Dec: Reading group for Naomi Klein's new book "This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate"

19:30-21:00, Grad's Cafe, University Centre (Granta Pl); 7:30 - 9pm

NOTE MINOR TIME CHANGE! After a very well-attended first meeting, here is the tentative agenda for the reading group: 10 November: please read Part One before the meeting; 24 November: please read Part Two before the meeting; 1 December: please read Part Three before the meeting. The book is available in hard copy, paperback, and kindle edition, as well as on the net as an epub. If you are interested, but unavailable to come to the meetings, or even if you do come to the meetings, there is also a Facebook discussion forum page. You can contact Tabby_Spence if you have any questions. Cake and tea (among other tasty delights) available for purchase.

Wednesday 03 December: Growing Spaces meeting

19:30-21:00, Toni's house on Victoria Road

Would you like to see more fruit and vegetables growing in Cambridge's public spaces? Join the Growing Spaces project as we start on designing spaces for next year and signage. Contact us if you're interested in the project in general and for a full agenda of this meeting, for details of the address, and any winter plantings. All welcome - the more of us there are, the more unloved spaces we can turn into something beautiful!

Thursday 04 December: Discussion with Julian Huppert MP: How can we keep Transition issues high on the political agenda?

19:30-21:30, Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge

It is essential that we work on all levels to reduce climate change and increase our resilience to rising energy prices. Transition traditionally works at the level of the community, but we also need to ensure that the government does their part. At this meeting with Cambridge's MP, Julian Huppert, we'll have the opportunity to ask him how to ensure that these issues remain high up the political agenda in central government. How can we best engage with our politicians to raise awareness about these issues and make sure that they represent our opinions at higher levels of government? Julian will give a short talk on the this topic and then we'll have a chance to ask some questions and discuss the issues further. Please book here to attend this event (which is free, but the room has limited capacity). More info here, including posters if you might be able to put one up somewhere - thanks!

Saturday 06 December: Transition Stall at Mill Road Winter Fair

10:30-16:30, Romsey Parade, Mill Road, near Sedgwick Street and Catharine Street (look out for the TC banner)

Transition Cambridge will be having a stall at the Mill Road Winter Fair - do come along to meet us and find out more about what we do! Helpers on our stall will also be very welcome - let us know if you'd like to help and for how long. We're still deciding on a theme for the stall, but Christmas biscuits are very likely to feature! Here's this year's Mill Road Winter Fair brochure including maps and lists of all the stalls and activities. (MRWF is one of the best events in the Cambridge calendar, including a procession, buskers, food and more - definitely an event to come along to!)

Saturday 06 December: Wildlife Wanderings - Mill Road Winter Fair

12:30-13:30, Mill Road Cemetery

This December, as part of Mill Road Winter Fair, we will be meandering through Mill Road Cemetery, discussing the activity of nature through winter and exploring the significance of cemeteries for wildlife. Wildlife wanderings is a friendly and informal gathering of local people who want to observe local wildlife and get to know their green spaces that little bit better. All welcome (including families). Meeting point 12.20pm: the Friends of Mill Road Cemetery stall in the Avenue of Limes. Email Jade if you have any queries

Tuesday 09 December: Food Group's Winter Social

18:30, Earl of Beaconsfield pub, 133 Mill Rd, Cambridge CB1 3AA

It's been another good year of successful projects, terrific events, productive partnerships and scintillating stalls...so to celebrate we'll be getting festive and socialising with a pint and a pizza at the Earl of Beaconsfield! We'll start off in the back room, across the courtyard, then move into the main pub by about 7.30. More info here - check out if they have your favourite beer...

Wednesday 10 December: Sustainability Hacking - first meeting

19:30-21:00, Reggie's home in King's Hedges

The sustainability hacking group is having a first brain-storming and show-and-tell to see what we would like to work on together. Has the christmas season made you want to dust off the Arduino you were given so long ago or is making you think of that script you thought of to predict your energy use? Come and meet like-minded folk! If you'd like to join us for this meeting or are interested in the group in general, contact Toni to say hi.

Wednesday 17 December: Transition Cambridge's Xmas social

19:00, Six Bells pub, Covent Garden, off Mill Road CB1 2HS

Join us for a celebratory drink as we round off the year in a jolly style! We'll be in the pool room at the back of the pub, and spilling over into the sitting room next door too... The Six Bells won 'CAMRA Community Pub of the year' in 2014; it also does food - check their website for details. All welcome - come along for a bit of festive fun! More details here.

Tuesday 13 January: Food Group meeting

18:30-20:00, CB2 cafe, Norfolk Street

New year, new plans! At this meeting we'll be making plans for 2015. Join us - all welcome!

Sunday 25 January: Big Garden Bird Watch

13:30-15:15, Romsey Community Garden

During the first hour the nature group will be recording the different species of birds visiting the community garden and sending the records to the RSPB to help them with the annual winter monitoring of British bird species (Suitable for teenagers and adults. Please bring warm clothes and some binoculars and a bird book if you have them. After that we will make some bird feeding fat balls to place in your garden to help garden birds through the winter. (Suitable for families). All materials supplied. Small donations welcome. Email Jade if you have any queries

Saturday 31 January: Skillshare on composting

10:00-12:00, Rock Road Library, 69 Rock Road, CB1 7UG

The ‘why, how and what’ of making your own compost and using different composts to grow your own veg, fruit and flowers. Lots of activities and freebies. Free, with optional donation for cake and refreshments. Can also buy hotlogs from Cambridge Wood Works to keep you warm over winter.

Building Biodiversity Gardens with ARU

Want to know how the Nature Group got on a Anglia Ruskin University, building biodiversity gardens, then read all about it here at our blog post. You may like to use the ideas in your own garden. And if you would like to get involved, send Jade a message and she will add you to the mailing list. More details here.

The Growing Spaces project is looking for project organisers!

Would you like support to start off a local Bus Stop project, see if doctors' surgeries are up for planting fruit and veg on their premises, or help turn Abbey's Margaret Wright orchard into an engaging forest garden haven? Would you like to work with artists, businesses or schools? If curious, contact Toni and Sandra or look up the existing spaces on our website.

Events for your calendar

Community News

Affordable Housing

We allow people who do great volunteering to live in homes that would otherwise be empty as property guardians. Would you or anyone you know be interested in 2/3 bed properties in Chesterton, Cambridge for £40-60 per person per week? Please do contact Clare at Dot Dot Dot for more information. 020 3005 2457 More details here.

UFH aluminium plates

I have about 25 aluminium plates left over from an UFH installation. They measure 1150x600mm and have 3 omega grooves for pipe 150mm apart, and can sit in pre-routed insulation. Available for free for collection near Newmarket. Email Jon

Other News and Events

Wednesday 03 December: How To Clean Your Home Naturally

20:00-21:30, Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane

Cambridge Carbon Footprint is delighted to offer a new green cleaning skillshare on how to keep your home and clothes clean and fresh using natural and non toxic ingredients. There’ll be ideas and demonstrations on cleaning all the rooms and surfaces in your home and a chance to make your own products. More details here.

Thursday 04 December: Urgent help needed for brussels sprouts gleaning this Thursday

09:30,

A festive glean for you from Feeding5k - gleaning brussel sprouts! Thousands of these treats would be going to waste on a farm in Norfolk. This Thursday we'll be going on a mission to save as many as possible for charity, and have an idyllic day out on the farm. All produce going via Ferry Project, Wisbech and FareShare to charities dealing with food poverty locally and around the UK. Travel expenses paid from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and nearby (just ask us first) and lift share arranged. Contact Vicki to volunteer or for more info. If you can't join us this time, sign up to the gleaning list to be the first to find out about our next gleaning day near you. More details here.

Friday 05 December: "Climate, food & economic crises: symptoms of the demise of the fossil fuel empire"

13:00-14:00, OPT 103 Cambridge, Anglia Ruskin University

Part of the Global Sustainability Institute Seminars Series, which cover a range of topics related to sustainability; their aim is to engage Anglia Ruskin students and staff, and members of the public, with the sustainability agenda. The speaker is Nafeez Ahmed, The Guardian. A free sustainable lunch is provided. Organised by the Anglia Ruskin Global Sustainability Institute, contact Julie-Anne Hogbin at 0845 196 5108 or visit GSI for more information.

Friday 05 December: A Vegetarian Christmas Cooking Workshop

18:00-21:00, Parkside Community College Cambridge, CB11EH

For most people in the UK, Christmas dinner is all about the turkey, the ham and the gravy. But what do you cook if you are expecting a vegetarian guest? Offering roasted veg with Bisto can be a bit dull but finding delicious alternatives to the traditional favourites can be a daunting prospect for some people. Cambridge Carbon Footprint to the rescue! Come along to our Vegetarian Christmas Cooking Workshop and we’ll provide you with ideas for starters and mains and cook some scrumptious recipes together! If there’s time at the end of the evening we will all sit down together to devour the food, if not, please bring along a container in which to take food home. There is a suggested donation of £10 per person and a limit of 10 people, so make sure you book quickly! To book, please email us with your contact details or call 01223 30184 More details here.

Saturday 06 December: Mill Road Tree Walk - Mill Road Winter Fair

08:30-10:00, Meeting point - Co-operative Chemist, Mill Road

Take a leisurely stroll before the Fair officially opens to enjoy the natural sights of Mill Road and some side roads. Facts and folklore about out local trees and their associated wildlife, and featuring trees such as ginkgoes ('living fossils'), mountain ash, London plane, tree of heaven, Judas tree, black locust tree, honey locust, Himalayan and silver birch, whitebeam, fig and more! Led by Keith Jordan, chairman of Romsey Garden Club. Meet outside The Co-operative chemist on Mill Road at 8.30am on Saturday.

Saturday 06 December: Mill Road Tree Walk

08:30-10:00, Meet under the Ginkgo biloba outside The Co-operative chemist on Mill Road for 8.30 start.

Take a leisurely stroll before the Fair officially opens to enjoy the natural sights of Mill Road and some side roads. Learn facts and folklore about our local trees and their associated wildlife. Led by Keith Jordan, chairman of Romsey Garden Club and featuring trees such as ginkgoes (‘living fossils’), mountain ash, London plane, tree of heaven, Judas tree, black locust tree, honey locust, Himalayan and silver birch, Nashi pears, Turkish hazel, whitebeam, fig and more! No charge – just turn up. Also, visit the Romsey Garden Club Stall at the Hope Street yard during the Mill Rd. Winter Fair.

Saturday 06 December: Cottenham Repair Cafe

10:00-14:00, Cottenham Communty Centre

Cottenham's first Repair Café in September attracted lots of interest. We repaired all kinds of things - from bikes to toasters to baby buggies, radios, computers, printers - even a garden umbrella! Now that you know what we can do - why not bring something else along to the next one? Or if you're a whiz at repairing things, come along as a repairer. Book via Eventbrite to let us know you're coming, and then please send us an email telling us what you're planning to bring for repair and what's wrong with it - or if you're a repairer, the kinds of things you're good at fixing. We can't guarantee that we'll be able to fix every item, but we'll be able to help find the cause of the problem and suggest the next step.

Friday 12 December: Making edible decorations for garden birds

15:15-17:00, Rock Road Library, 69 Rock Road, CB1 7UG

After school skillshare event at Rock Road Library, making edible decorations for garden birds. Free, for all ages. Part of making the library community garden more wildlife friendly. Also card and gift tag making with recycled materials from Scrapstore.

Saturday 13 December: CamLETS Christmas Trading Event

11:30-14:00, Lichfield Hall, off Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge CB1 3SL

CamLETS members will be trading a range of Christmas items for cams (local currency). If you are not a member, come along and meet other people and if you are interested, you will be able to join (and trade!) on the day. More details here.

Monday 15 December: "Water and environment management" - GSI Seminar

13:00-14:00, LAB 220 Cambridge, Anglia Ruskin University

Part of the Global Sustainability Institute Seminars Series, which cover a range of topics related to sustainability; their aim is to engage Anglia Ruskin students and staff, and members of the public, with the sustainability agenda. The speaker is Prof. Peter Matthews, Natural Resources Wales. A free sustainable lunch is provided. Organised by the Anglia Ruskin Global Sustainability Institute, contact Julie-Anne Hogbin at 0845 196 5108 or visit GSI for more information.

Saturday 28 February: Volunteer for Cambridge

11:00-16:00, The Guildhall, Cambridge

Cambridge City Council & Cambridge Hub is hosting a one day Volunteer for Cambridge fair. It will bring together organisations in the Cambridge community who work to create positive social and environmental change through volunteering. It will feature a marketplace of charities, voluntary organisations and student societies and programme of talks from both high-profile individuals and community groups. The fair aims are to get more people involved in volunteering, bring together organisations with shared aims and to break down the town/gown divide. A further aim is to engage “unusual suspects” in volunteering, inviting those who have not previously engaged in volunteering to attend. Registration is now open. To register for a stall or for more information.

Are you a charity or community group and need office furniture?

Cambridge County Council are downsizing and surplus items (furniture, equipment, etc.) will be made available to charities, free of charge, on WARP-IT.co.uk. Recipients must be a charity, social enterprise or community group to join. For more information or to browse the inventory, see the website. More details here.

Share things with your neighbours with StreetBank!

Want to meet your neighbours, get to know them, then borrow their stuff? Or do you have unused stuff you want to give a new home? If you answered yes to either question, then you need StreetBank. More details here.

Events for your calendar

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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