NB. EcoChi have no planned Meeting at Crispins this Monday 5th August
Because many are going to the Materials Recovery Facility at Ford.
No doubt a few will still meet at Crispins for beverage and chat?
With thanks to Paula Chatfield: Visits to Ford MRF are limited to a maximum of 14 people, and our visit on 5th August was almost immediately fully subscribed. If you would like to organise your own group visit, or join a public group, or visit as an individual, please contact Jo Norman at the Education Centre (see link).
No bare arms, legs or open-toed sandals.
Paula welcomes questions to ask at the MRF.
The next EcoChi Meet-up will be the following Monday 12th August, 2019
Meeting at Crispins at 09:30 a.m.
Crispins, 46 East Street, Chichester PO19 1HX
Phone number 01243 533544
Calais Appeal Following is an appeal from Sue Gilson:
Hi all,
I am going out to Calais again from August 12 and 14 and want to take as many much needed items for refugees as possible.
I hope you will be able to donate the following priority items:
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Tents and tarpaulins
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Sleeping bags
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Roll mats
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Blankets (both thick and thin)
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Men's underwear – new small and medium only
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Thin dark socks
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30L backpacks
Clean and in good condition only please.
If you can help please email suegilsonhome@aol.com asap
Thank you
Sue Gilson
Saturday 10th August: Extinction Rebellion Chichester Action – Diary Date!
International Car Free Day Chichester
Urgently need Volunteers, Please?
Mark Record and others are putting a huge amount of work into making this Event a success – The Playing Out Order Application with CDC stipulates the need for a lot of people (Volunteers) for various roles.
Please email to Mark Record <recordm@btinternet.com> and myself Philip Maber <themabers@gmail.com> if you could be wiling to lend a hand on Sunday 22nd September, please? We need people to help with activities and as marshalls (for when part of South Street is temporarily closed to traffic).
Check out the website www.carfreechi.org.uk for more information and to see the amazing CarFree Chichester Paintings – all winners (With thanks to Pallant House Gallery and The Chichester Post, together with many generous prize donations).
Stagecoach buses have agreed to not run buses along South Street for the duration of the Event and are loaning a bus (to be parked on South Street).
I believe St. John’s First Aid Volunteers are organised, as are several attractions, including a Dance Troop from Chichester University.
Mark is currently applying for a Music Licence (amongst many tasks).
One measure of success will be an increase in footfall and takings amongst the many Chichester Shops that Open on a Sunday. Chichester Cathedral is being particularly supportive.
When we started organising this Event last Year, we didn’t know that CDC would organise a Chichester Street Party exactly one Month ahead of ours. (The Street Party is on Thursday 22nd August). This is on North and East Street.
Another measure of the success of Car Free Day Chichester in South Street on Sunday 22nd September will be promoting sustainable transport, a taste of reclaiming a bit of safe space for play and a localised improvement in air quality.
Climate Emergency:
There’s a lot of work going on at both Arun and Chichester District Councils towards implementing the Declared Climate Emergency.
Discussions at Chichester District Council, on 29th July, when a nine-point Action Plan was presented to the Environment Panel by Sarah Sharp.
Sunday 25th August: Brewery Field: At least 15 Stalls including EcoChi – Jenny Cole on Repair Cafe (without power), Sue Gilson on Swap Shop and Paula Chatfield Tree Warden. More Helpers needed.
and Friends of Centurion Way.
Family activities.
Meet and picnic with many friends.
See map and more info below.
Save our Harbour Villages
Link to Campaign Strategy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OWtXK1l0tyKNT0j5OHMldNzDOdkwl3Cs/view
XR Meeting with our MP Gillian Keegan on 29th July
Link to an article I’ve started that I hope to complete and send to the Chichester Post by next Tues 6th August: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S96WsiHVMbeGk62EL2oJBxaZ_JUokO-zYqKMdqYTCMw/edit?usp=sharing
This is a [edited] draft article written by Ann Stewart for the Chi Observer:
Gillian Keegan meets with climate campaigners.
Gillian Keegan met with 40 climate campaigners at St Pauls Church parish centre on Monday 29 July. She had been unable to meet a number of her constituents at the mass lobby in London in late June, but had agreed to meet them in Chichester instead. The lobbyist were joined by members of Extinction Rebellion, Eco Chi, Greening Westbourne, Save our harbour Villages, Christian Aid and other groups..
Campaigners raised many issues surrounding climate change. These ranged from the individual actions such as reducing the use of single use plastic to the problem of global greenhouse gas emissions and the need for global actions.
Gillian discussed numerous problems at Chichester level, especially the problems around the large increase in housebuilding, and the need to make new housing energy efficient. Some positive ideas raised such as using an empty shop in town for a resource and information centre for the public and Gillian visiting an example of a low energy Passivhaus in Emsworth and going to the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales to see their Zero Carbon Britain research project.were taken up by her.
Campaigners were keen to impress on her the urgency to take radical action to avert the catastrophic effects of climate change and were very concerned that the government have still not taken on board that this action needs to start now. While it is important to plan effectively this should not be an excuse for delaying action, especially as the government’s own Committee on Climate Change and many environmental organisations have already formulated detailed action plans. Gillian made a note of many individual points and promised to investigate them further and raise them in parliament. She also agreed to consider meeting again to explore and evaluate local actions and plans, as well as post reports of progress on her web site.' so people know where to look for updates.
Anti-Idling Campaign and Action: Valerie Briginshaw is leading leafleting and explaining to drivers why they should turn off their engines whilst waiting at the Level Crossing. Volunteers for even half an hour, please?
Email from Carrie Cort (Horsham):
Dear Sussex Green Living and Horsham Repair Cafe volunteers and supporters,
Don't forget the Horsham Repair Cafe on Saturday 3rd August, back in the lovely Quaker Meeting House as normal.
There are lots of stunning photos from our Share, Care and Repair Fair and Climate Action march in Billingshurst Carnival here.
We are delighted to share with you our Community Eco Ocean Art gallery here. Many thanks to all our wonderful volunteers who got involved in this project. Next week the ocean art trail is ending and select pieces of art are going on display in County Hall North – Horsham, County Hall – Chichester, Viridor/WSCC recycling facility – Ford and Biffa/WSCC site of the landfill – Warnham for the month of August.
Would you like to join us for a summer shared BBQ lunch on Sunday 25th August 1pm in our field in Coneyhurst, we thought a social might be nice if you are free. If you would like to come please email me and I will forward you our address.
For those who do not receive the South East Climate Alliance (SECA) newsletter I thought I would forward you some progress we have made. We now have 22 councils in the South East who have declared a climate emergency and the number is growing. 40% of local authorities in the UK have now declared an emergency. Learn more here.
At SECA we have 56 member organisations from environmental, community and faith based groups. Individuals are also able to sign up https://seclimatealliance.uk/. Our latest newsletter is below.
Finally please also pass though your networks the WSCC climate pledge https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/campaigns/make-your-climate-pledge, it takes 2 minutes to sign this pledge to take more action. You can download our 22 Pledges to the Planet flyer here, please print, put on your fridge, take action and share it!
Cheers Carrie, Jill and our green cavalry!
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