As 2022 draws to an end, ACE would like to wish you, the ACE Monmouth community a very happy Christmas and a green and wonderful New Year.
The ACE community group is growing in momentum and starting to bring about real change. As a little recap, in the last 12 months, ACE has…
• Become a Monmouth Town Council (MTC) Partnership
• Been awarded town council funding until 2025
• Created an Action Plan and project list and for its volunteers to get involved in
• Created a task list for MTC to review and address
• In response, MTC is creating an ACE working party (see below)
• ACE has hosted 4 significant community events in 2022, including Beictown
• It also hosted an additional 9 Repair Café Monmouth sessions
• Volunteers worked with local firm, Wye Media, to create new marketing material for ACE, Beictown and Repair Café Monmouth
• ACE relaunched its updated website at the Christmas party
• Several significant new ACE projects are now underway
• It has created even stronger links with Monmouthshire County Council (MCC)
MTC/ACE Action Plan
With ACE’s side of the action plan underway, it has been working closely with MTC to identify the areas councillors can address. To help with this process a Working Group is being set up. ACE volunteers are welcome to join this group, as is any member of the public. Keep an eye out for announcements of meeting dates in early 2023 (on the ACE website and its Facebook accounts).
UNDER ACE’S 6 THEMES…
ENERGY
In collaboration with other organizations, ACE is looking to bring Energy Surgeries to Monmouth towards the end of January / early February.
WASTE
Following in the footsteps of MCC’s pop up reuse shop in Usk last week, ACE hopes to bring the same to Monmouth in 2023.
NATURE
ACE will be joining The Heritage Seed Library in hosting the second Monmouth Seed Swap at Bridges on Saturday 25th September, 10am.
FOOD
Marianne Fisher, MCC’s Sustainable Food Projects Manager, will be discussing ‘Strengthening Our Local Food Systems’ at Bridges Centre Thursday 26th January, 7pm.
Food will also feature as a key theme at ACE’s next festival in late September 2023. Planning for the festival will commence at ACE’s next meeting on Thursday 19th January (see below).
TRANSPORT
Planning is underway to implement an air quality project around Monmouth. This will help identify key areas of poor air quality, with an emphasis on areas around schools. This will support current and future ACE anti-idling campaigns.
BUYING
ACE will be launching its rainforest Deforestation Free Monmouth campaign in early 2023. Working closely with the Wales-based charity, Size of Wales, its aim is to reduce the town’s impact on global rainforest destruction by examining the products we buy.
ECO PARENTS GROUP
If you are a parent with an interest in the environment, climate change and raising your family in a more sustainable way, then do join the next ACE meeting to explore ways of bringing like-minded parents together. It would be great to hear your views on what you would like to see happening in Monmouth under the ACE umbrella.
CHRISTMAS KNEES UP!
In other news, ACE’s Christmas gathering at Bridges was a well-attended and lively event! Thank you to all who came and also to the local, sustainable businesses that joined with stalls or provided refreshments. Such a good time was had that no one remembered to take any photos! Oops!
FACEBOOK GROUP
For regular updates on ACE activities, do follow ACE’s NEW Facebook Group. As well as project updates, volunteers give daily tips on more sustainable living.
YOUR TOWN, YOUR COMMUNITY, YOUR FUTURE
ACE wouldn’t be possible without the passion and enthusiasm of the local people involved. The ACE officers (Cherry, Rebecca, Haydn and Charles) would like to say an enormous thank you to all those that have been involved in bringing ACE to where it is now. This includes the Monmouth Town councillors and administrative staff for their continued enthusiasm and support. This energy is creating such positive change in the community and the future is looking very bright.
Date of Next Meeting
People get involved in ACE for different reasons, but a common theme seems to be that it brings positivity amid what is often very depressing global climate news. Change from within the local community makes a real tangible difference to peoples’ lives and the town we live in. If you want to be part of this change, join the next meeting on Zoom – Thursday January 19th, 7pm.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87564389270?pwd=eVRZN2ticTZNOGV1RXBuSURGbzVRdz09
Meeting ID: 875 6438 9270
Passcode: ACE
With our warmest regards
Cherry Taylor (Chair)
Rebecca Cunningham (Project Officer)
Charles Emes (Treasurer)
Haydn Cullen-Jones (Secretary)
