PRESENT: Lynn (Communications Officer), Jules, Jane U, Fiona (Secretary)
INVITED
All Committee members: Neill (Treasurer), Lynn (Communications Officer), Julia, Helen, Yasmina, Fiona (Secretary)
Others invited: Sue, Philip, Jane, Laurie
1. To appoint a chair for the meeting
The committee appointed Jules as Chair for the meeting. The committee noted its thanks to Yasmina for taking up the role of project leader for the Rivers & Brooks Group, and accepted her as a member of the committee.
2. Apologies
Apologies had been received from Neill, Helen, Yasmina and Sue. The proposer of the food-growing project was unable to attend but had sent a note describing this new idea.
3. Matters Arising
Further work was needed on finding a suitable indoor and accessible location for a Terracycle Box and on working out which type(s) of box would work best in Tideswell.
Action: Fiona to invite Helen to work as a Terracycle ‘thinking partner’ with Jules.
The committee considered a request from the church for its litter-picking volunteers to ‘weed’ the churchyard. The committee decided that this was beyond their remit, and contrary to TDEG wildlife project aims to encourage wildflowers and make space for nature in untidy areas, where possible.
Action: Jane to decline the request from the church for litter-picking volunteers to take on other tasks.
4. Hon. Officers Reports
a. The Secretary suggested that more frequent and shorter committee meetings could help increase progress on some of the new ideas. It was also noted that project reporting could be speeded up if short (a few bullet point) written reports were submitted by project group leaders, when there was anything additional to items already submitted to the Members Newsletter.
Action: Fiona to inform project group leaders that they would be asked to submitted written reports of anything not already covered by their newsletter entries.
b. The meeting discussed the Treasurer’s written reports for the Committee and the AGM, in his absence. The report for the AGM was approved.
The meeting discussed the offer of £400 from the Parish Council for the Library of Things. The committee decided that it could not justify accepting the money until it had seen the latest LoT expenditure plan. A decision would be made at the next meeting in October.
Action: Fiona to request an expenditure plan from the Library of Things project.
c. The Comms Officer reported that the number of facebook followers had increased to 580, and we had 250 full members.
The next Village Voice deadline was 31 August 2026, for publication and dissemination in October/November. This would mean we could not advertise our September meetings of the AGM, Dairy and the Environment talks or Repair Cafe and screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing.
The committee was grateful to Lynn for her hard work pulling together all the project reports and other information for the Annual Report. It came together as an impressive looking portfolio. The committee approved the revised document (20 August).
5. Project progress and permissions
a. Cycling projects. Helen’s report was noted.
b. The buying for good group was running smoothly with 21 members. Library of Things progress was report in the Newsletter and other issues had been discussed above. The 17 October repair cafe coincided with International Repair Day. It was planned to offer sewing machine maintenance training at a future event.
c. Our Swifts have now left for their return migration, and it had been a successful nesting season in Tideswell. There was a long waiting list for boxes, and the team were prioritising the most promising sites.
Lynn had learned about churches that have found ways to keep jackdaws out of their buildings without using netting which can be harmful to other wildlife. Butterflies, Swifts and Hedgehogs have all been seen in the church yard.
Action: Lynn to discuss opportunities to help wildlife with the church warden.
Lynn was supporting Jane A in development of the 2026 Hedgehog map. TDEG monies had been given in support of four nature projects for village children.
d. Rivers & Brooks
e. Food-growing project
The committee agreed that the project was a good fit for TDEG, and had strong potential for attracting grant funding. It decided that the food-growing project could use the TDEG bank account for grants awarded to the project.
6. Whole Group Meetings
The screening of the People Emergency Briefing was being held on 6 September as part of the Tideswell Cinema Group series. Attendees needed to register via TicketTailor – there is no charge. Jules and Sheelagh are sending invitations and organisating displays by local green businesses.
The next whole group meeting would be the AGM and talks on Dairy Farming and the Environment on 8 September. Fiona had circulated a checklist.
Action: Fiona to check need for wifi and book the projector. Lynn to post communications.
The committee were delighted to accept Sheelagh’s offer of a speaker from a Green Party member from the House of Lords.
Action: Fiona to liaise with Sheelagh for dates 24 November – 5 December.
7. Dates of Next Meetings
Saturday 19 September – Repair Cafe
Wednesday/Thursday 7/8 October – next committee meeting
Saturday 17 October – repair Cafe
24 Nov – 5 Dec – next Whole Group Meeting
