Meeting Title: ACE Monmouth Open Meeting
Meeting date and time: 25th June 2024, 7.30pm
Venue Details: Zoom
Present: Vivien Mitchell, Charles Emes, Simon Cook, Peter Davies, Tom Kirton, Sarah Read
Apologies: Carl Touhig, Liz Williams, Katherine Pitts-Tucker, Nicky James, Jem Jenkins-Jones, Chloe Constable
Agenda and Notes
1. Welcome and apologies for absence
2. Update from Fergal Sharkey meeting
Charles was unexpectedly invited to a meeting with Feargal Sharkey by Catherine Fookes.
Feargal is a keen fly fisherman and is taking the Environment Agency to court over the pollution in rivers in England. He was keen to come to Monmouth to encourage and support local community groups in their effort to clean up the River Wye.
The short meeting took place at Alex Gooch and included a visit to the river with Catherine and Angela Jones. Catherine pledged her committment to improving the water quality of the River Wye.
3. Bee Festival
This year’s Bee Festival was held on 22nd June at Nelson Gardens. Charles reported that despite it being downsized compared to previous years, it was a successful event,
4. Update from Repair Cafe
Unfortunately, the last Repair Café clashed with Father’s Day, so it was less well attended than usual. They still had a good session and are going from strength to strength.
5. Update on School Gardens project
Charles plans to give a presentation on the School Gardens project to MCC’s Local Nature Partnership and other community groups who are meeting on 2nd July.
He also gave a brief update on Redbrook and Osbaston Primary and Monmouth Comprehensive’s progress.
Trellech Primary have asked for more funding to purchase gardening tools, compost, seeds, plants, gardening books, wood for raised beds etc. (quotes have been provided).
It was agreed that an additional £250 could be given to Trellech Primary from the Viridor funding.
Tom suggested that the school could talk to Trellech Community Council as they may have some grant money available to apply too.
6. Monmouth Feast: Food for Thought event: 30th June
This event held by ACE will take place at the Girls School using the marquee erected for their ‘Habs Sustainability Fest’ (which some ACE members are also involved in too!). A school minibus will pick people up from Chippenham Fields to take them up to the event, as the carnival is being held in town on the same day.
Short talks will be given by local food producers, such as Square Farm, Monmouthshire Fayre and Cherry Taylor, and Sarah and Chloe will be talking about nutrition and making sustainable food choices as consumers.
Osbaston school children will be making a meal to showcase what they have been doing as part of Deforestation Free Schools. Monmouthshire Fayre will also be providing grass fed beef, and there is also a veggie option. Currently, 74 tickets have been reserved through Eventbrite and walk-ins are expected on the day.
7. “Wilding” film showing at the Savoy
On Saturday 3rd August there will be a matinee showing and on Sunday 4th August there will be an evening showing of Wilding, a film about rewilding on the Knepp Estate.
Charles suggested asking the Monmouth u3a to organise attending the showing, whilst Tom suggested promoting it via the Monmouth Town Council weekly Newsletter.
8. AOB
ACE has been invited to participate in the Monmouth Town Council Placemaking Plan, and Hayden has volunteered to represent ACE. Tom explained that the aim of placemaking planning is a hands-on approach to improve the town, inspiring people to collectively re-imagine and reinvent public spaces and have ideas in place for when funding becomes available. Peter suggested that restoring the Victorian water fountain by St Thomas’s Church could be one of those ideas.
Vivian pointed out that having young people represented within the planning group is important.
9. Date of next meeting
Wednesday July 24th, via Zoom, 7:30pm.
Opportunities for Action:
Doing small things together makes a big difference. This is your chance to take action on the climate and nature emergencies!
If you have an idea how ACE can get the local community engaged in actions that will help reduce climate change, please email info@acemonmouth.org