September 2010 Blog Posts (9)

Big Society - some questions

No-one in this milieu is likely to object to giving communities more power. But will the B S be structured so as to do that or rather end up with communities having some local decsion-making power but lacking the economic power to withstand pressure from larger commercial organisations when it comes to critical issues such as servcie delivery or planning. (and then there's all the global / local issues)

At the core of this appears to be the idea of groups operating in a framework… Continue

Added by Chris church on September 27, 2010 at 21:28 — 8 Comments

Big Society = Big Opportunity or = Big Con?

Dear all,

You really do wonder how cuts to the UK Government's CLG [Dept of Communities & Local Gov't] budget – allegedly 25-40% already agreed – square with the whole (or should that be ‘hole’!?) Big…

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Added by James Derounian on September 27, 2010 at 17:13 — 4 Comments

Upcoming conference: 'Faith in affordable housing' - using churches' land & buildings for affordable homes

See attached conference details, Penrith (English Lake District)

CHRC Booking Form (2).doc CRHT Flyer Final PDF.pdf…

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Added by James Derounian on September 27, 2010 at 17:00 — No Comments

A Common Rural Development Policy?

Over three hundred people from 23 EU Member States and 70 LEADER Local Action Groups met in Edinburgh last week for a European Cooperation Fair.

One of the requirements of the European Rural Development Programmes is that the LEADER groups – and there are over 2000 of them EU-wide – co-operate with other rural areas to create joint projects which tackle topics in rural development practice.

Transnational co-operation however is a challenging… Continue

Added by geoff brown on September 27, 2010 at 15:00 — 2 Comments

Getting the message across - any ideas?

Hi

Engaging with communities can be great - if you can find the right language. I tend to use similies and images to get messages across but am struggling to find a simple way of showing the pattern of decreasing natural resources leading to increasing prices. Not just the cost of petrol going up but all the knock on effects from that. Does anyone know of a schematic or a 'what if' scenario which could help me show people how these changes are cumulative and will affect… Continue

Added by Jane Cotton on September 22, 2010 at 23:11 — No Comments

FIFE DIET AGM

This Saturday sees our first AGM as a properly constituted group. It's a chance to reflect on the year before and figure out what life (if any) there is in a post-CCF world.

More importantly than that though it's a chance to eat bramble cup

cakes, drink wine and listen to Phil Hanlon.

Phil is Professor of Public Health at Glasgow… Continue

Added by Mike on September 14, 2010 at 13:17 — No Comments

Live Twitter Q&A With River Cottage Landshare Activists Incredible Edible Todmorden This Sunday

This Sunday the River Cottage episode featuring Landsharers Incredible Edible Todmorden will be screened again on Channel 4. If you didn't see the episode the first time around, make sure you catch it this weekend, when you can take part in a live chat with Incredible Edible Todmorden on twitter immediately after the program to ask them how they set up their scheme, and get tips for starting your own.

Pam Warhurst and Mary Clear started the initiative back in 2008 by planting edible…

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Added by Rebecca T on September 10, 2010 at 22:00 — 3 Comments

Zero Carbon Europe!

One of the most exciting ways to progress ZCB2030 is to get other models of the same transition, but from other countries. (We have already stimulated a zero carbon Australia plan!). To help seed this work in the EU CAT's Zero Carbon Britain team are working closely with the international forum for sustainable energy (INFORSE).

So I am now off to present in Paris at a meeting hosted by French All Party climate change group and chaired by leading green ex-minister Yves… Continue

Added by Paul Allen on September 8, 2010 at 7:27 — No Comments

Leadership for Sustainability - Inquiry about how we learn and improve our practice through being a member of the 'Fiery Spirits' community

Hello,

My name is Jonathan Emptage and I live in Shetland and work for the local authority here as 'Cleansing Manager' - my job is basically to keep the place clean and tidy.…

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Added by Jonathan Emptage on September 3, 2010 at 12:09 — No Comments