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GVEG  
Golden Valley Environment Group 

Annual Report 2006 / 2008
of the Golden Valley Environmental Group and Green Action c.i.c



Introduction
The group started with initial discussion in August 2006 with Patrick Dyke, Elaine Brooke and Vanessa Hembling.  The committee extended to include Charlie Westhead and Freer Spreckley in September 2006.

The first public meeting was attended by an amazing 50 people, a far higher turnout than expected.  Since then we have had 10 public meetings with topics ranging from house insulation to community supported agriculture.  On average we have 20 to 30 people at each meeting and we have an email list of over 55 contacts.  Membership is presently open to anyone who gives us their name and contact details.  Meetings are usually held in the Golden Valley Community Centre, but we have also used the Peterchurch Fire Station room, Clifford community Centre and members’ houses.

Structure of Group
The GVEG is a group of likeminded individuals trying to encourage sustainable living within and around the Golden Valley area.

Green Action CIC is a non profit making community enterprise set up to allow us to raise and receive grants and organise projects and to be a financial and legal umbrella for the GVEG, and for other local environment groups who do not have limited liability status but who wish to raise funds. The Green Action governance Statements is included with this report.

The GVEG has a current committee of eight people who have volunteered to provide organising and administrative support.  These are:
Sarah Morgan
Jane Neville
Greg Warwick
Vanessa Hembling
Freer Spreckley
Charlie Westhead
Bob Hilton
Peter Gunn Wilkinson

Green Action CIC has three directors, who are:
Charlie Westhead
Vanessa Hembling
Freer Spreckley

Achievements
  • Solar Panel Water Systems
    At an early meeting of GVEG we offered people with some practical plumbing experience a free course on vacuum solar hot water tubes.  Six people attended the course and this resulted in a local plumber expanding his business to include the fitting and installing of solar hot water systems.  It has been an extremely successful move for him, and we know of at least six new solar panels in local houses now up and functioning.
  • Micro Hydro Energy Schemes
    One of our members has a particular interest in this topic.  Two small hydro electric schemes have been installed locally and a third is in progress.  Several interested individuals have made contact via the group and have visited the small scheme in operation to consider whether it is a viable idea for them.
  • There has also been contact with the Herefordshire Hydro Power Group and we have attended several of their meetings, although their schemes are on a very much larger scale.
  • Website
    Our wonderful website was started by Patrick Dyke (and Charlie Westhead) and has been progressed and nurtured by Sarah Morgan. It is, we hope, a point of reference for all our members and for visitors to find out  information, but it also has Green Energy suppliers ,low energy light bulbs and alternative technology suppliers (windmills hydros, solar etc) it is updated regular by Sarah , to whom we owe grateful thanks. Please sign up for green energy, anyone who hasn’t already done so, the group benefits as well as the environment.
  • Hay Festival
    Thanks to Patrick Dyke and Elaine Brooke, we had a real presence at last year’s festival. Patrick (with the Wasteless Society from Bishops Castle) negotiated for Bio diesel to be used in the festival cars and a note in the vehicles explaining the situation (with GVEG and Wasteless Society given the credit for this idea).
We had a poster and leaflet on the Gaia stand with Elaine and plenty of people took details of the group away with them.  We should consider the benefit or otherwise of a presence at this year’s festival.
  • Community Support Agriculture
    Manu and Edie have started this project with their own land in Peterchurch. The idea is to involve the local community in tending the land, growing food, planting trees, etc.  Members of the group give a certain amount of time during the year to help and this gives them a proportional share of the available vegetables and other produce.  There are also community festivals and other shared occasions.  On the tree planting day in December, 21 people turned up to help, and now 850 trees have been planted. A fantastic achievement and a great start to this project. Freer Spreckley is looking for any possible grants that may be available to support this scheme.
  • Light Bulb Stall
    At the initial meeting for the GVEG we sold for £1 each 50 low energy light bulbs. On the strength of peoples’ interest in low energy light bulbs, we contacted a supplier and bought a sample of available different bulbs. One of our group then made a board to display these and set up a stall at a local market.  Bob now has really good green business selling light bulbs, and giving advice on lighting in shops, businesses and private homes in and around Hay-On-Wye. He has given a talk at Green Dragon events for the tourist industry in Wales, and is now an expert on low energy lighting in the home. A real green success story.
  • Green Suppers
    This is the “political wing” of the GVEG and so for we have organised a petition on the Climate Change Bill, which we presented personally to Paul Keetch M.P and to other government and shadow minister. This was covered with a press release in the Hereford Times which appeared January 3rd 2008. Our next project is to meet with our local parish councillors to encourage the inclusion of environmental issues in parish plans and to generally raise awareness on environmental issues at village level. This is particularly important in the present debate on school closures.
These suppers are great social occasions as well as political arenas, and the food is not only local but extremely delicious.

Project and Future Plans
  • Cycle paths
    Freer Spreckley is promoting the idea of cycle paths in Herefordshire. SUSTRANS the national cycling promotion group has just won a lottery bid for substantial funding so there might be some finance available. There is a dedicated cycle path officer at the Herefordshire Council and Freer is working with him/her to get some ideas for major cycle routes in front of the council. 
  • Community Wind Mill
    The idea of a community windmill under shared ownership has been put forward to the Co-operative FIRE Group, (financing renewable energy through the community).  We have a potential site with an agreeable owner, and this has been forwarded by FIRE for further investigation and funding.  “The FIRE Group aim to facilitate the ownership and operation of renewable energy projects by the community” We hope there might be interested community investors who might want to support a project like this, if it proves to be viable proposition.  The initial funding would come via Co-operative FIRE so this is now a real possibility.
  • Local Contacts
    The GVEG has regular contacts with other environmental groups.  We have visited the Wasteless Society in Bishops Castle and have attended several meetings at the Brilley Ecomountain Group.  We have also attended a Blitz Café meeting at Abbey Dore, run by Anu Van Warmelow. 
Ruth Morgan from Brilley and Anu have attended our meetings also.  Freer Spreckley and Vanessa Hembling have attended council meetings on environmental issues.  Vanessa has attended a workshop on Climate Communication run by Chance for Change, and also several Parish Council meetings in Dorstone and Peterchurch.  We have been requested to give an environmental perspective at two local Parish meetings.  As we gradually became known in the local area, we hope to increase this input (see Green Suppers)

As you can see it has been an extremely successful first year with plenty of enthusiasm for all our projects.  Now we need some funding to support them all, but we hope this will be forthcoming from grant aid in the near future.  There is a financial report included in this annual report

The GVEG would like to thank Patrick Dyke and Elaine Brooks for their initial help and support for the group.  They have both now resigned as committee members due to pressure of work, but their help and expertise have been invaluable.

A special word of thanks to Clare Rouse and Hazel Jones, our tea ladies, who uncomplaining and without fail, make tea, wash up and put away at every meeting.  Thank you very much indeed.  It is a very important part of our meetings.

A big thank you to everyone else who has attended our meetings phoned us, emailed, encouraged us or in any way supported our work.

Have a very happy and green 2008.



Report prepared by:     Vanessa Hembling, 22 February 2008

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