INVITED
All Committee members: Neill (Treasurer), Lynn (Communications Officer), Jules , Helen , Fiona (Secretary), Jill
Others invited: Sue , Philip , Jane , Laurie , Allen
PRESENT
Neill (Treasurer), Lynn (Communications Officer), Jules, Fiona (Secretary), Allen
1. Committee membership
Lynn was appointed to chair the meeting. The Secretary clarified that the current members of the committee were Neill, Lynn, Jules, Helen, Fiona and Jill. The ‘Key Role Holders’ involved in other aspects of TDEG work, but not members of the committee, were Sue (Safeguarding Officer), Philip (Library of Things), Jane (Litter Picking), Laurie (Library of Things).
The committee unanimously co-opted Allen onto the committee. As we hadn’t heard from Jill recently, Fiona was asked to contact her.
Action: Secretary to contact Jill.
2. Apologies
Apologies had been received from Helen, Sue, Philip, Jane and Laurie.
3. Matters Arising
Sheelagh had met with the new manager at Derbyshire Dales Community Energy and her report had been circulated. No report had been received about the Nappy Library.
4. Hon officers reports
a. The Secretary reported that TDEG now had 522 facebook followers.
b. The Treasurer’s report had been circulated. The more detailed breakdown used this time was found helpful. The account balance was reported to the committee. Most of the available funds were the remainder of grants awarded to the Library of Things. It was important to spend this money as effectively as possible. Additional money for general TDEG funds was being raised every month by the Repair Cafe. There was sufficient to support new TDEG projects.
Lynn advised that the tree project funding could be grouped with the wildlife project funds.
TDEG now pays a monthly fee for banking services. Committee members were not aware of a bank that offered free banking to small community organisations that were not registered charities. The possibility of Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) status should be discussed at a future meeting.
Action: Secretary to prepare an agenda item on CIO status.
c. The Communications Officer reported that there were now over 200 hundred paid-up members. This was not the same as being a facebook follower.
Action: All to remind facebook followers, and other informal TDEG supporters, that it helps TDEG if they can also join us formally by filling in the ‘Join us’ form on our website.
Mailchimp were continuing to move towards paid provision for smaller users, but TDEG was still below the number of subscribers that triggered the fees. No action required for now.
The deadline for TDEG to get copy to the Village Voice for its end of March edition was 28 February. Lynn asked that we send images and copy to her by 21 February. There was a lot to cover, so content should be brief.
Action: All to send copy and images for Village Voice to Lynn by 21 February.
5. Project progress and permissions
A bumper edition of the newsletter, with project updates, was published before Christmas.
The Repair Cafe was continuing very successfully and it was planned to thank the volunteers for their hard work with a home-cooked lunch event.
Action: It was agreed that the Repair Cafe should use some of its funds to support a thank you lunch for volunteers.
The national repair movement had planned another event in Parliament in March. John Whitby was unable to attend due to a clash with the Environmental Audit Committee, of which he is now Vice-Chair.
The committee were excited to learn that Library of Things were planning a preview at the Repair Cafe on 21 February, and an open day on 7 March. Laurie and Phil had recruited volunteers to help them. The LoT team had not yet secured the insurance available through TDEG’s FoE policy. Lynn was waiting for content from them for a TDEG LoT web page.
Action: Jules to support the LoT team in securing insurance through TDEG’s FoE policy. Lynn to create an LoT web page.
Wildlife – our new ‘hedgehog champion’, Jane, is having to step back due to some serious family issues. Jane has made brilliant progress in just a few months. Lynn is seeking someone to take over the role. It was planned that the cubs environment badge event in March would still go ahead.
The wildlife group has recently been approached by the Community Land Trust (via Sheelagh) about proposals to create a new community woodland as part of their housing proposal’s requirements to address nutrient neutrality regs. The committee supported the idea and agreed that TDEG should join the CLT.
Action: Lynn to contact the CLT about membership.
The Rivers & Brooks project group was still without a permanent leader, but significant progress was being made by members of the project group, not least the planned talk Severn Trent Water later this month.
[Post Script. On 5 February, our MP, John Whitby, asked a question in Parliament about pharmaceutical pollution in Tideswell Brook.]
6. Whole Group Meetings
a. Severn Trent Water had confirmed earlier today that they would provide a speaker for a TDEG event on Wednesday, 18 February, on issues around Tideswell Brook and the STW 3Ps campaign. Lynn had booked Fountain Square Church. The speaker was not an engineer, and may be accompanied by a colleague from the education team. STW were thinking they needed to double capacity for storm water storage at the Tideswell sewage treatment works in order to reduce the number and hours of overflows of untreated sewage into Tideswell Brook (from more than 90 occurrences over 836 hours in 2024).
Action: Jules to ask Sheelagh to bring the tea box. Fiona to circulate a checklist and book the FSC projector. Lynn to liaise with STW.
b. The committee noted that the October meeting on ‘How do we futureproof Tideswell?’ had been well-attended. Attendees were mainly people who had been along before, and participation was strong.
c. The committee considered a proposal from Simon Daniel that TDEG should show a film about a unique campaign for solar panels on a London street. It would be important to coordinate any solar panel projects with local solar campaigns, which DDCE were not ready to launch at the moment.
d. It was agreed that the next whole group meeting should be in May, and subject to the support of the project team, should be on the Library of Things.
7. Tideswell Food Festival
TDEG had taken a stall previously and it was decided that it would like to do so again at this year’s event on Saturday 2 May, 10am – 4pm. Lynn, Fiona and Neill volunteered.
Action: Fiona to book a TDEG pitch and ask Suzanne for advice on an activity or game to run on the stall.
8. Mayor's Transport Consultation
The committee discussed the draft TDEG response circulated. It was agreed that TDEG should support HVCA’s ‘Mini Switzerland’ plan for integrated public transport. It was agreed that the response should be submitted to the Mayor’s office with the list of amendments proposed by Jules, and Lynn’s concern that 44 swimming pool members were Tideswell residents, but there was no direct public transport between the two villages.
Action: Fiona to submit the response to the Mayor’s Transport Consultation with the amendments agreed.
9. Any Other Business
Jules proposed that TDEG consider a Tideswell Terracycle project to collect and recycle difficult-to-recycle materials.
Action: Fiona to add Terracycle Project to next agenda.
10. Dates of future meetings
It was agreed that the next committee meeting would take place on 14 April and the next whole group meeting on 12 May.
