Happy New Year everyone! Let’s hope 2023 will be a cracking one with giant green leaps forward for Monmouth, copious amounts of community spirit and all round general harmony! Aim high, right!
ACE has a jam-packed first half of the year planned with lots of events and initiatives starting to emerge.
Monmouth Town Council
In line with the ACE / MTC partnership agreement, ACE met with some of the councillors in December to review and refine their side of the Action Plan. Two very positive and production meetings resulted in some real improvements to the plan and it was agreed at the subsequent Full Council meeting to set up a working group to drive the initiatives forward. Anyone is welcome to participate in MTC working groups. Please let ACE know (info@acemonmouth.org) if you want to join this one.
Website Launch
On the digital side of things ACE launched its revamped website at the ACE Xmas party in mid-December. Enormous thanks to one of the ACE volunteers, Charles Emes, for his expertise and patience with this. There is more content to add, but it is getting there…check it out here… ACE Monmouth.
Events program
The ACE open meetings will be help in the third week of every month (except August). The next one will be on Thursday 19th January, on Zoom (see below). ACE will aim to rotate these through the days of the week, and vary the time of day and whether they are face to face or on zoom, so as to maximize participation from the community. In the fourth week of every month, there will be an ACE event (speakers etc), and the program is firming up nicely. The next 4 events are:
• January (Marianne Fisher – Food Monmouthshire Talk – 26th)
• February (Monmouth Seed Swap – 25th)
• March (Nichola James – Deforestation Free Monmouth Talk – tbc)
• April (Averil MacDonald – Hydrogen Powered Life – 24th)
In addition, individual ACE initiatives will have their own events and activities going on, including the monthly Repair Café sessions, Energy Surgeries, Farmers Group farm visits and School bike activities. Do join the Facebook Group to find out more on these.
ACE Festival 2023
At the January meeting, the next festival will be discussed and an initial steering group formed. If you want to be part of this, please come to the meeting or let ACE know before it if you can’t attend but want to be involved.
School
ACE will be supporting Overmonnow primary school to run a Bicycle event this spring, with the aim being to deliver a repair workshop to teach pupils and staff how to check a bike is working properly i.e. correct seat height, tyre pressures, brakes, and also how to do helmet checks. It will also cover a Dr Bike session to perform basic repairs on the pupils bikes… all ready for more cycling to school in the warmer months.
Tropical Rainforests
The Size of Wales / ACE partnership is moving in a very exciting and positive direction, with specific organizations in Monmouth identified as potential ‘guinea pigs’ to become ‘Deforestation Free’. If saving the rainforests is something you are passionate about and want to get involved in this initiative, please let ACE know. And come along to the March talk about it.
Tempted?
If any of the following initiatives are something you would like to get involved in, please let ACE know.
Green Business Awards: ACE wants to create a Monmouth Green Business Award scheme in partnership with other local groups and the town council.
Monmouth Schools Group: A group to liaise with aPeople 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.ll the Monmouth schools to involve the youngsters in ACE.
Monmouth Farmers Group: A group for local farmers to share best practice and explore greener farming solutions.
ACE hopes to see you on 19th January. Until then – stay hopeful!
With our warmest regards
Cherry Taylor (Chair)
Rebecca Cunningham (Project Officer)
Charles Emes (Treasurer)
Haydn Cullen-Jones (Secretary)
Date of Next Meeting
January 19th 2023, 7pm, by Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87564389270?pwd=eVRZN2ticTZNOGV1RXBuSURGbzVRdz09
Meeting ID: 875 6438 9270
Passcode: ACE
