See the Lyme Regis News story here.

Download our leaflet to learn how the scheme works – pdf

To join the Garden Share scheme, either as a garden owner or gardener, please complete the questionnaire and return it to Tony Bartlett at ‘Eco-logical-You’, the shop opposite the Co-op in Broad Street, Lyme Regis.

Owner’s questionnaire - pdf.

Gardener’s Questionnaire - pdf.

A list will be compiled and displayed in the shop in Broad Street from which you can ring anyone may be  a good match.  Please call Tony Bartlett on 01297 443319 if you have any questions or email  lymegardenshare@googlemail.com. The list will also be available via email or on the web site.

Also 38 degrees (www.38degrees.org.uk) has some worthy campaigns.

350.org

To join in with the international Climate Change campaign to reduce carbon emissions to 350 parts per million (www.350.org) the beach saw a group of supporters face the wind and rain on 24th October 2009 to take 350 footsteps in the sand and sing a song of harmony.

Local Farmers’ Market

After lengthy discussion and research to find a suitable site for a farmers’ market, we are pleased that a trial market will be starting at The Town Mill Courtyard in May .  Let’s all support this event.

Tesco has said it would do much to support our efforts at becoming plastic carrier bag free but we haven’t seen evidence of that yet, despite senior level commitments.

You can now buy Turn Lyme Green bags at the new Eco-store in Broad Street, which will be setting up a community notice-board.

National Food waste reduction campaign – which operates in Dorset, and has collaborated with Turn Lyme Green.

www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/dorset

Land Share scheme – a website established by River Cottage to help find land where you can grow your own, or offer land in exchange for produce

http://www.rivercottage.net/landshare/

Community composting http://www.communitycompost.org

This Land is Ours – www.tlio.org.uk TLIO campaigns peacefully for access to the land, its resources, and the decision-making processes affecting them.

We welcome any more information you might have about other initiatives. Please send us the links in the box below. Thank you!

12th January 2010 - click HERE for minutes.

Garden share scheme – Launch

Tuesday 16 March – 7.30pm – Marine Theatre – Lyme Regis

All are welcome to attend the launch which will feature videos and more information about garden share.

Look out for more information on the web site next week.

As world leaders and campaigners met in Copenhagen recently to discuss official commitments to climate change, a small group of Turn Lyme Green activists met in the Royal Lion on Broad Street.  We know who makes more noise, but wonder if we can’t be the ones to make things happen?!

We are nevertheless delighted that ‘Welcome to Lyme Regis’ – our award winning animation made by Biggerhouse productions with St Michael’s Primary School – was screened at the ‘Development and Climate days Film Festival’ in Copenhagen. Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI1IokqmDi0

Together we can make a difference.

Transition Lyme Regis has merged with Turn Lyme Green to form one group. It makes sense to pool resources and energy! For more information about Transition Towns, see www.transitiontowns.org. We are collaborating with half a dozen Transition initiatives in Dorset to get a fundraiser who could help us all, based in Dorset Agenda 21 offices (www.dorsetagenda21.org.uk ).

Gardenshare scheme to be launched in the spring

Garden share scheme – Launch – Tuesday 16 March – 7.30pm – Marine Theatre – Lyme Regis

All are welcome to attend the launch which will feature videos and more information about garden share.

Look out for more information on the web site next week.

Joining in with global campaigns

We began the winter programme of activities by joining in the first International Plastic Bag Free day (September 12th) and raised a few pounds selling our cloth bags. We had massive support again from most independent traders, and the Co-op. Tesco has said it would do much to support our efforts at becoming plastic carrier bag free but we haven’t seen evidence of that yet, despite senior level commitments.  You can now buy Turn Lyme Green bags at the new Eco-store in Broad Street, which will be setting up a community notice-board.

To join in with the international Climate Change campaign to reduce carbon emissions to 350 parts per million (www.350.org) the beach saw a group of supporters face the wind and rain on 24th October, to take 350 footsteps in the sand and sing a song of harmony.

We are encouraging people to sign up to the 10:10 campaign which encourages individual as well as institutional efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 10% by the end of 2010 (www.1010uk.org ), and also 38 degrees (www.38degrees.org.uk)

Producing our own food

We have continued to work on local food and food production. We screened Rebecca Hosking’s film A Farm for the Future, followed by a discussion about permaculture and how to farm in a post-oil economy, led by local permaculture teacher Aranya. Most of the apple trees we planted in Anning road thankfully survived the initial vandalism, and we are now planting another six trees on Magna Housing land. We are still pursuing sites for a farmers’ market, and we are in discussion with a likely venue – watch this space!

Other activities

We are continuing to support efforts on recycling in Lyme, including the possibility of compressing the styrofoam used mostly by fishmongers – and takeaways – an idea initiated by Simon the fishmonger. We are researching the statutory household recycling facilities of other local authorities with a view to renewing pressure on our district authority.

We are arranging to show the film, Age of Stupid (www.ageofstupid.net ).

There will be a screening of Rebecca Hoskings’s BBC film, ‘A Far for the Future’ at 7:30pm in the Maconic Hall, Broad Street. Entrance is Free and a discussion will follow.

For POSTERS click HERE and HERE.

• WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
  1. The COOK-BOOK – Makeover your Leftovers.
  We need your recipes and ideas for our local food scrapbook. What do you do in your family to stretch the budget, to cut down on food waste? Everyone has a top tip – tell us yours! We would particularly like some illustrations for the SCRAPBOOK, so you could make your recipe and take a photo or BETTER STILL, draw a picture!
  Print out a form HERE.
  2. The SEED EXCHANGE - A VITAL part of growing and using local food is the seeds you start it all off with. We have a Seed Exchange stall at the event, where you can bring packets of seeds for any vegetables you grow well, and an idea of how you do that, and swap notes and seeds with other local gardeners. Type your ideas into the box below, OR POST to (Ecodeveloper Ltd) No 35, Coombe Street, Lyme Regis.

Everyone is at it! These are crucial, local issues, and we are in good company. Tavistock is urging the community to spend their money in local shops, and have worked out just what that means to people and businesses locally – see what they are up to HERE. Sidmouth are taking up the case with a food fair on Thursday evening this week, showcasing some of the wonderful food you can buy from local producers. For more details click HERE, and to visit the Vision for Sidmouth site, click HERE.

• 11/11/08 ‘Recycle Now’ have some useful information in their web site - see HERE – and if you’re wondering what the producers of all this packaging, namely the supermarkets, are doing to help, see HERE. There is, however, growing concers that, as the bottom has dropped out of the recycled materials market, councils are finding it increasingly hard to store what they collect and have asked the government if they can use MOD land. As we have only six and a half years before all our landfill sites are full, we must all check the good we buy are packaging free.
  
• 04/11/08 We are proud to announce that the ‘Welcome to Lyme Regis’ animation film made by the children of St Michaels, with help from Biggerhouse Productions, is to be shown in a film festival. Following that, it will tour the country at various events with other films and music. See HERE for more details. It was a highly competitive selection process – so VERY well done to you all!
• Some good news from Friends of the Earth:
  Together we’ve done it!
  A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us on our Big Ask campaign. Together we have finally got a strong Climate Change Law.
  Parliament voted on 28 October for the world-beating legislation after a 3 and a half year campaign by Friends of the Earth. The first of its kind in the world, the Law is a huge step in the fight against climate change.
  The Law commits the Government to 80 per cent cuts in the UK’s emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, including emissions from aviation and shipping, and with annual targets along the way to keep us on track.
  This really is an astonishing achievement. And you helped make this happen – thank you!
  www.foe.co.uk
  
• For further information and updates about the Tesco campaign, please click HERE.
  
• Please read the information on Transition Towns and let us know what you think. Click on the Have Your Say button and let us have your response.

Support Your LOCAL FOOD!

- Local food producers – Mary BAGWELL of Sidmouth Trawlers

+ Catherine BROOMFIELD of Blacklake Farm

+ Ruth HANCOCK of Fresh & Green Veg Box

will be talking about local food issues at All Saints’ Hall
7pm on Thurs 27^th November – Taste some local produce – LIGHT SUPPER provided

PRIZE RAFFLE + STALLS + INFO

Vision Group for Sidmouth – see their site HERE.

Food Action Group

Besides local producers speaking and us having the chance to discuss local food issues, there’s going to be quite a considerable offering of food stalls from local producers and retailers, including Four Elms, Otterton Mill, Basterfield & Son of the-apiary.co.uk, preserve-makers Cold Harbour Farm, Fresh&Green Veg Box and several others.
The prizes on offer for the raffle are also quite something. Local businesses have been very generous, including Trump’s, the Dairy Shop, Ganesha’s, Barazza’s, Long’s the Butchers, the food-stall holders themselves and many more.
There will also be a few organisations represented, including Sidmouth Help Link, the Gardening Club and Fairtrade Devon.
And during the break, a light supper of homemade soup and bread from local ingredients will be served.
So, it should be a full and interesting evening. Hope to see you there!
To get there: All Saints’ Hall is on All Saints’ Road (opposite the Post Office) and behind the church. Bus stop is opposite; plenty of carparking; space for bikes.

 So could this be the future face of currency for Lyme traders? (Substitute Fowles for Paine and the Cobb for the Castle perhaps…)

• 
• 20/10/08 Could we have a Lyme Green Tesco? Having talked about it, done some research and slept on it, we have the following observatons to make:
• It’s important we consider the point of view of all sections of the community, particularly those who are going to be most affected by the wider economic situation, people who may lose their jobs, people who have one car or no car at all, young families, older people on fixed incomes. On their web site, under Corporate Social Responsibility Tesco do address many of the issues which are worrying people in Lyme, such as sympathetic signs, quieter lorries, working to enhance local communities. If Tesco can respect the very special community we have in Lyme Regis, they could be a force for good which will support and enhance our efforts and success so far, the Gig Club, Candles on the Cobb, Turn Lyme Green, and the fledgling Transition Town movement to name but a few.                
• 17/10/08 Our initial response to the news that Tesco have bought the town’s largest retail site from Woolworths:

The announcement that Tesco will open a store at the Woolworths store was a big suprise to almost everyone, and brought many views and opinions to my attention. Some positive and some negative.

• From a “Broad Street employment” viewpoint, Tesco is seemingly welcomed. They are a reliable employer, providing good training and benefits. We certainly don’t need an empty shop there!
• From a “car journeys” viewpoint, they are also reasonably seen as positive. All Tesco’s existing customers in Lyme don’t need to drive to Axminster any longer.
• They do have a fearsome reputation for ripping out the heart of a shopping street, leaving many other food retailers in trouble.

However (having reflected on it for a few days) I think the bigger issue is about the Local Food Network, and the threat that a grocer such as Tesco brings. The recent exhibition “Farming in the Lym Valley” showed how Lyme Regis and the surrounding area used to be supplied with fresh food and veg by a network of small family farms and market gardens. In the past decades, many of these have ‘changed use’ – but others are still going strong, and it is still possible to buy “Lyme Regis Honey”, “Monkton Wyld Lamb” and “Bridport Apples” in our local stores. Our Town Mill bakery is the envy of many and together with the Wet Fish shop and several other suppliers and producers, can make up a good percentage of our food needs.

It is probably a reflection of Lyme’s infrastructure and local-focus that has still allowed these to thrive, whilst big-stores have been kept out by the simple logistics of not having a decent site!

The question is; Can we carry on supporting these excellent local food sources, when Tesco will undoubtedly have a ‘similar’ product 5p cheaper (and you get points too)?

If we continue to support our local shops and producers through the next difficult months, that is surely the best response to Tesco?

 Turn Lyme Green will continue to promote “Shopping Local” and encouraging the Local Food Network to thrive. As the business climate changes and people have to adapt, spending our limited grocery money on local produce from local traders keeps up to 80% of that money circulating here. Wheras spent in a supermarket such as Tesco it is more like 20%. The town then has to work hard to bring that money back via tourism..

Several initiatives are underway in this regard already, and more is being planned along with the Transition Towns group. If you would like to know more, please contact Mark on 444330 or Fran on 445078.

• 07/10/08 The Turn Lyme Green Vision statement is available HERE.

• Please contact us if you have a recycling opportunity or requirement.
• For instance Lymenet shred confidential documents and offer bags of shredded paper for packing materials or hamster bedding!
• We have also found someone who collects green milk bottle tops and used postage stamps.
• You may be collecting something other people are throwing out or throwing something out someone else can use.

Further information:

The car park recycling facilities are often full when you go to use them. Please help to keep them moving by phoning the following numbers if they need to be emptied:

Cans & Bottles (West Dorset helpline): 01305 252217

Water butts can be purchased online through recyclenow.com and subsidised compost bins are also available.

At Ganesha health foods in Axminster you can take empty Ecover bottles for them to re-fill – washing up liquid, washing liquid, toilet cleaner etc.

For comments and further information please telephone:

01297 444570 or email Irene@lymenet.co.uk

THE PLASTIC PLAGUE

The bad news:

• Plastic bags are said to be the most common manmade item seen by sailors at sea.

• A UN report in June 2006 estimated that on every square mile of ocean there’s 46,000 pieces of plastic debris floating.

• Greenpeace says that at least 267 marine species are known to have suffered from getting entangled in or ingesting marine debris. Nearly 90 per cent of that debris is plastic.

• Marine wildlife eat plastic bags because they mistake them for jellyfish.  Once in their guts, the bags cause intestinal blockages – which are deadly.

• Plastic bags become serial killers because they do not break down in the environment.  Once a creature which has ingested a plastic bag dies, it decays at a much faster rate than the bag.  When the animal has decomposed, the bag is released back into the environment, more or less intact – and ready to be eaten by another misguided animal or bird.

• Plastic bags threaten urban environments as well as natural ones: plastic bags in drains were identified as major factors in the severe floods in Bangladesh in 1988 and 1998.  This resulted in a ban on plastic bags being impose there in 2002.  India also is discouraging the use of plastic bags nationwide.

• Plastic bags are costly in money terms too, both to produce and to clean up.

• Plastic bags are made from ethylene, a gas that occurs as a by-product of oil, gas and coal production (all non-renewables), which is transformed into chains of hydrogen and carbon molecules known as polymers or polymer resin. After being heated, shaped, and cooled, the plastic is ready to be flattened, sealed, punched, or printed on.

• Over 99 per cent of plastic bags cannot be recycled. The ones that are collected must be disposed of in landfill sites.

• There are three main types of plastic shopping bags:

• light filmy HDPE (high density polyethylene), mostly used in food outlets
• heavier LDPE (low density polyethylene) ones from clothing stores etc
• very thick glossy ones made from linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE).

The good news:

• Manufacturers don’t need to use plastic for carrier bags.  There are now an increasing number of degradable alternatives to plastic carrier bags, including corn and potato starch (which can even be composted).

• More and more countries, states and towns are taking action to ban plastic carrier bags, including Australia, Bangladesh,  Botswana, California, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Philippines,  Scotland, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Ireland; UK towns include Modbury, Hebden Bridge and Stroud. 

• For more information, click here