Blog

Update July 2015
Since the vision’s event at the White Rock Hotel we’ve been very busy and wanted to update you on our progress so far:
- We’ve started a Guerrilla Gardening group to look at which area/s in the town we could grow vegetables and flowers. This is partly ‘guerrilla’ and partly organized planting with the fundamental element of encouraging the targeted community to join in.
- We’re organising some Foraging Walks led by Ben Fairlight to learn what we can use around our countryside for food and good health. We hope to be walking, talking and enjoying a picnic partly made up of foraged food!
- We’ve arranged a visit to the Crowhurst Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) project (run by some of the original TT group) and usually there between 10-12 on Saturdays.
- We’re looking at visiting the Real Junk Food Café in Brighton soon. This is a project using left over food from shops etc, cooking it and giving it away! For everyone to enjoy and donate what they can….or nothing if they can’t.
- We’ve organised a talk on Energy Conservation & Alternative Energy Sources in Building by Ken Davis on 1st Aug at The White Rock Hotel at 11am-12.15pm, on a first come first served entry basis.
- Our Energy Group has met several times and has its next meeting on 30/7/15 at 7pm at Hastings Trust office at Silchester Mews, 17a Silchester Rd, St Leonards, TN38 0JB. All welcome.
- Next Core Group meeting is Monday 20/7/15 from 7-8pm at White Rock Hotel, and then from 8-9pm there will also be the first Local Economy Group meeting. Anyone welcome.
- Warrior Square Station Community Garden project. We have asked about the possibility of using the north side platform of St Leonards Warrior Square station for growing veg and flowers for the community.
Please get in touch if you want to get involved in any of the projects and activities.

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12th July 2015
Visit to Brighton Real Junk Food Project
© https://instagram.com/realjunkfoodbrighton/

Several members made a visit to the Brighton Real Junk Food Project with Hastings Matters. They intercept edible food and serve it on a pay as you feel basis. Find them Wednesdays at the Churchill Square market and Fridays at the One Church.

The visitors were really impressed with the organisation and are considering doing something similar in Hastings.

Here are some observations by Carol Ridge.

Set up
- Community Interest Company with six directors.
- Ten chefs who include people who prep.and cook. Three to four people hold Food hygiene certificates.
- Individuals are responsible for various tasks. Book keeping, Food collection etc
Volunteers

This group is from the community and includes anyone with a day to spare. It may also include people with mild learning difficulties. Volunteers are introduced a few at a time.

Food collection

Food is collected from supermarkets and shops/markets. Lidl supply a large proportion.

Venue

One Church in Gloucester place Brighton. Fully equipped kitchen with large ovens, work surfaces and dish washer. Crockery and utensils are provided by the church. Three shelves are allocated to the project in the pantry for “Dry stores”.

Diners pay as they wish but we saw many that did not pay at all. Biodegradable take away containers are provides for those who wish to take food home with them. There is also a small area where people may help themselves to items such as boxes of cereals, fresh fruit and snacks. It depends what is available each week. Any number from one to three hundred people are fed.

Diners from all sections of the community

The day we visited diners included the young and the elderly but on this visit there were more young people. The unemployed and the employed, the poor, the disabled, students, single mothers and their children and whole families. Even a group of international young people who were part of the “Couch surfing “organisation.

The atmosphere is so upbeat and positive.

Any unusable food waste is sent to SILO. This is a restaurant that has a super compost machine.

You can visit their website at http://www.realjunkfoodbrighton.co.uk/

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11th July 2015
A feature on Peak Oil in the Hastings Independent Press

Article on Peak Oil and a brief intro to Transition Town Hastings

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12th June 2015
Vision Day at the White Rock Hotel.
On Saturday 18th April 2015 we had our visions event at the White Rock Hotel, a fantastic afternoon when more than eighty people came together to contribute ideas for a more sustainable town. Here is a taster of some of the ideas discussed, including a few quirky ones:

Food growing
- Community Gardens
- Edible bus stops / guerilla gardening
- Garden matching schemes
Transport
- Car free days on the seafront
- Travel passes for integrated transport system (including new funiculars to the West/East Hills)
Economy
- Local currency
- Skill share/swap
Energy
- 100% renewable energy owned by Hastings Community
- Bio-digesters to generate energy from local garden waste
Housing
- Rent reform / Land tax control
- CPO / planning reform
- Eco-housing including Eco Open Houses
Waste
- Community composting
- Packaging-free shops
- Acknowledge the value in waste and use it.
Also, the presentations about Transition Town Lewes, Community Fruit and Veg Project, Trinity Wholefoods Coop, Energise Sussex Coast and a short film of a TED talk emphasised the power of community.

As such, it feels important to consider the following in the future work of Transition Town Hastings:
- work with existing community groups
- bring people together to create a friendlier and safer environment
- bridging age gaps through common activities
- developing Transition Streets
- encouraging broader engagement
We were excited to discover lots of people at the event had valuable skills to offer and we hope to see these in action soon.

On Monday 25th May at 7pm there will be a core group Transition Town Hastings meeting in the Notley Room at the White Rock Hotel.

This meeting is for those wishing to be involved in deciding the next steps. We will be looking at how we form and facilitate working groups, develop projects and raise funds. (Photos © John Cole).

Chris Rowlands from OVESCO

Visions session

Visions and ideas

Discussing ideas

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25th April 2015