Sustainable Crediton

Core Group Meeting, by Zoom, Thursday 17th December 2020

(Dee Ross, Esther Mann, John Craythorne, Caroline Romijn. Terry Hadley, Gill Westcott, Danuta Karpinska)

1. Matters arising from previous Core Group meeting (10/11/2020)

a) Seed Share 2021. Provisional booking now in place for market square for Saturday 13/3/2021. Actions (1) Make decision on going ahead at next Core Group (21/01/21) (2) Seek help from CODS (or others) re prepping Risk Assessment for the Square.

b) Mel Stride. Still no response on meeting either face to face or on line.   Action: Caroline to draft letter to Courier to send early in new year.

c) Tree Planting. Caroline & John to meet Steve Densham (MDDC) early in new year, and to liaise with Eve Malster and Guy Cochran re planting projects.

1. Co-Cars update (John)

Publicity and event seem to have generated enough interested responses for Co-Cars to proceed, subject getting a car and negotiating a parking space.  

1. Website and Email management (John)
   1. Core minutes - accessible on website for those who sign in and follow link to Core Values.  Agreed this was okay.
   2. Email management: how avoid overloading the account? Actions: (1) Core Group to use personal Emails for 'internal' correspondence, saving Sus Cred E for external coms (2) John to work with our Web-Manager to confirm automatic redirection of Es on specific matters to agreed members of the Core Group.
   3. Pollinator Project (Dee)

A separate Pollinator Group meeting had been held on 1st December (regrettably with technical Zoom issues) but still useful to get together. Current position: 2 plots set up; 3 more in talks. Alison Orchard now has contact role for St Lawrence Green, where MDDC will continue tree care and mowing.

1. Waste Group - (Esther)

On hold

1. Food Group

a) Louise now has contact details for Richard Ward, to pursue planting plans for new surgery Action: Core Group seek update for January meeting

b) Schools - Yvonne Crone liaises with Haywards (with plan to plant one tree per child if space can be found. Action : Caroline to liaise with Lapford School (Dee's contact)  Corinne and Christina to see if we can usefully engage.

c) Dee liaising with  councils and statutory bodies re Grants etc. Has successfully applied for two new grants (1) from Crediton Town Council and (2) Transition Towns Network

d) Community Composting? Action: refer back to Alison Orchard

e) Grafting: Action - Caroline to seek expert to teach us.

f) Additional Planter in the Square? Louise now has contact details for Yvonne Crone. Action: Core Group seek update for January meeting

g) Village liaison: (Gill, Caroline Christina) Action: update at January meeting

h) Community Larder - still on hold. CAG/ Clare Groom will support if and when we have a lead volunteer to take forward

i) Tree suppliers: Action: Caroline to compile list including any suggestion from members.

1. Annual Plan

Agreed valuable to have an informal list of achievable priorities so we don't get diverted into sidetracks or feel overwhelmed by challenges.   Action: Attempt to compile 2021 list at January Core meeting; also attempt to schedule year's worth of meeting dates.

1. Feedback on "Climate Conversation" (Elizabeth Wainwright)    (Esther & Dee)

a) Excellent Crediton representation - Dee  & John, Esther, Laura & Gerald Conyngham

b) Interesting input from Dave Wood Tiverton Tree Team Action: Tree planting projects may want to seek his advice

c) North Devon "Pledge for Nature"- Action Esther will set up link on 'Crediton In and Around@

d) Interesting news of tree planting plans for new Culm Valley Garden Village.

e) MDDC has compiled/ is maintaining a list of plantable land including farmland, and holds info on funding (Steve Densham)

Action: Dee/ Esther produce item for January Newsletter

1. Contributions/ matters arising from additional attendees?

a) Terry - pleased to be with us but still feels 'new'

b) Danuta - happy to be involved with tree planting projects. Also keen to share info on Tree Sisters. Action: Send link to John for next newsletter.

1. Woodland Management  Group. Update from John

Continuing work at Moor Farm on agreed dates. Plenty of work to do there.

1. AOB : 

a) Dee still pressing for reactivation of Crediton Town Council Sustainability Sub Cttee; discussions ongoing.

b) New idea (Dee): Set up at display in a vacant High Street Shop? Agreed good idea. Actions (1) Dee to approach letting agent for possibilities. (2)Dee to approach council for stands. (3) John to sound out Jeanette about her display skills/ seek volunteer in next Newsletter? (4)Dee to contact Nicola (Governor at Haywards) to explore involvement of children (when things are slightly less fraught for schools) (5) Onto next Core Agenda.

c) Next meeting: Thursday 21stJanuary at earlier time of 7.00pm.  Action: John. Again publicise 'open' meeting to membership.