Here are the minutes of the last ACE Open Meeting.
Meeting Title: ACE Open Meeting
Meeting date and time: Wednesday 7th May 2023, 7pm
Venue Details: Zoom
Present: Rebecca Cunningham, Charles Emes, Nichola James, Laura Mac, Fiona Wilcock,Vivien Mitchell, Scout Astley Jones, Liberty Ashton, Katherine Pitts- Tucker
Apologies: Cherry Taylor, Clare Catto, Sue Parkinson, Martin Sweeny, Jem Jenkin Jones
Agenda and Notes
1. Welcome and apologies for absence
2. Introductions
3. Update on Chair
ACE is still looking for a new Chair following the resignation of Cherry Taylor last month due to work commitments. We welcome any interested persons to contact Rebecca at info@acemonmouth.org who will gladly answer any questions with regard to the position.
4. Review of Project Officer role
In September 2022 ACE Monmouth took on a Project Officer to work in a paid capacity part time for the group. Having reviewed the position, ACE’s projects and finances, it was agreed that this role would continue but would be reviewed again once a new Chair was in place.
6. Project Overview
- Climate Cafes – ACE is in the process of developing a Monmouth Climate Cafe – a space where young people can get together and talk about the climate and nature emergencies, openly discuss climate anxiety, alongside ideas and solutions. The next working group meeting will be in early June (date TBC) with a view for the first Climate Cafe session being held over the summer holidays. If interested do get in touch with Rebecca Cuningham at info@acemonmouth.org
- Energy Surgeries – Working in partnership with Citizens Advice and South East Wales Energy, ACE hosted its first energy surgery this month. Talking to U3A the three organisations discussed fuel poverty, energy saving and environmentally friendly solutions. Further surgeries to be arranged.
- Schools Group – Rebecca and Nicky James updated the group on the educational outreach programmes that ACE and Size of Wales and currently working on, both projects are primarily focused on primary schools at this time. Liberty highlighted the need to work with secondary schools to include outreach and green careers.
Action: Rebecca to invite Liberty and Scout to the next Schools Group meeting to discuss further. Nicky and Rebecca to explore possibilities of incorporating the school’s group into the ACE Monmouth Climate Festival.
- Farmers Group – Nicky spoke about the work ACE is doing with regard to regenerative farming. ACE has funded a walk around Regen Ben’s farm, created to enable local farmers to visit the farm and learn more about regenerative practices. Vivien highlighted the work that Transition is doing in partnership with Friends of the Lower Wye and the importance of engaging with farmers whose land runs adjacent to the Wye.
- Festival Update – Charles Emes updated the group on the progress of the festival, to be held on the weekend of the 23rd and 24th September. Further locations have been secured and with a street traders licence in place the festival can host local food and beverage stalls.
7. AOB
- Monmouth Museum – Rebecca updated the group on a new project Monmouth Museum is undertaking:
Participants sought for a workshop to identify ecological and climate change terminology for Monmouth Museum’s collection. Monmouth Museum is currently carrying out a Heritage Lottery-funded project: Dynamic Collections, opening the box. One of the project’s aims is to make the museum’s collections more accessible and usable to all. The museum is aiming to recruit ten people with climate change / ecological expertise, to participate in a workshop to identify current and key terminology in this area, that can then be used by the museum to apply to their object records in the Monmouth collection. The museum will identify objects from the collection with an environmental link to help spark ideas and thoughts from workshop participants, and the updated terminology on the records will enable users of Monmouth’s collections online to find objects that are related to the environment and climate change, making them more usable and accessible. Vouchers will be awarded to compensate participants for their time and to thank them for their contribution. The workshop is anticipated to take place in August. Please register your interest with Caroline Parkin, Collections Engagement Assistant, Monlife – carolineparkin@monmouthshire.gov.uk
- Next Speaker Event – Supermarkets – are they “grocers” grocers? .To be held on the 27th June at Bridges Community Centre. Please see the flyer in the newsletter for more information.
8. Date of Next Meeting
Tuesday 20th June, 7pm via Zoom.
