Seven TT Poole members attended the Transition Gathering in Dorchester today. Enthusiastic members from most of the 13 Transition Towns and Villages around Dorset were there, sharing great ideas, problems and aspirations.

Using Open Space meeting techniques, we debated lots of the issues around supporting and developing Transition across the county. Open space takes the idea that coffee breaks are the most interesting bit of many meetings – networking and exchanging ideas with others. Ideas for groups get promoted by individuals, and potentially combined. There is one rule – two feet. If you don’t find you have a contribution or the discussion is interesting, free to leave and find another group. Bees are people who pollinate ideas between the groups by wandering, and butterflies are those who can’t find a group, but luxuriate by the coffee pot, potentially having useful conversations.

Output from the Dorset-wide energy discussion

In the morning, I was in a group looking at Energy – reduction of consumption, and production by renewable techniques. The Beetroot backdrop to our summary was because we were in the ‘Beetroot’ corner of the room !

How to achieve efficiency in Transition groups

For the afternoon, I joined a group on efficiency (of core groups). Problems of burnout and bottlenecks of being a focal person in the movement. Some of the larger TT locations have resorted to a paid facilitator. The best idea in this session seemed to be to advertise, potentially on the website, jobs that need doing, thus empowering people to apply to get involved, and passing out work that needs doing, relieving pressure on the same individuals.

Would be interesting to look at the Transition Stroud website, they have apparently documented their various organisational forms, and struggled through the growing pains. TT Bridport have become a company limited by guarantee, with directors rather than trustees. This protects the directors from individual liability, and also protects the TT from people coming in for a topic and then departing, having voted money for their cause. Mark from Bridport is the expert.

Talked to the organiser of the Casterbridge Co-op (Dorchester group), they tend to buy every 2 months or so, 20 members in the group. Their 5% markup covers ensuring that the bank balance does not go negative, and cover some collaborative events – AGM and functions including barbacues. We’re tending towards no markup to see how it goes, but interesting to compare.

The Co-op Transition Town funding is very easy to go for, only 2 sides of A4.

The technique Weaving Magic was recommended – Nick Osborne, see School of Everything.

Transition Town Poole meeting 10 March 2010

Our Second meeting at Coffee, Cakes and Candy in Poole High Street

Facilitated by Cherry

15 of us met upstairs in the coffee shop, opened especially for us.

Went around the room introducing ourselves, and talking briefly about why we  are here.

Question of how Permaculture ties into Transition. Gary has been moved to produce a page explaining this http://transitionpoole.org.uk/?page_id=345

Ran through the list of 16 projects last time, in hope of pushing forwards on just a couple of these more rapidly.

Discussion around

Consumer co-operative

• Christine offered that she has some space in her flat in the town centre.
• Gwyn offered that he drives to Bristol regularly, and could perhaps bring back produce if they allow customers at the door.
• Someone had mentioned to Andy that the Dorchester group have some software to make it easy for people to highlight what they want from the  catalogue to build an order. Prepared to be involved to get the first order going.
• see http://transitionpoole.org.uk/?page_id=236

Abundance

Main topic of discussion – see http://transitionpoole.org.uk/?page_id=287

Cherry, Gwyn and Andy agreed to get together to try and map out what we need to do to achieve something this year. Lots of great ideas, but may want to pace ourselves to something deliverable.

Seed Swap / awareness raising

Tony Hamilton is happy for us to share the Poole Agenda 21 stand that is montly outside Sainsburys. Various people had saved seed, especially pumpkin and runner bean. Christine and Harriet  to design leaflets that would double as a seed packet.

Garden parties

People keen to adopt this idea, but nothing came forwards as a project to do. Either need a significant job that many hands make light work, or a skills sharing opportunity, with an excuse to have some food and drink to celebrate completion.

Crafts

Sue very keen to promote crafts, including but not restricted to Mors bags. http://transitionpoole.org.uk/?page_id=10

A Bun Dance

Following a snip in the film last night, Gwyn is  keen to organise a “50 mile” party where everything must come from within a 50 mile radius. Perhaps as part of the Dorset Food Week in October . Alternative to A Bun Dance is Scare City.