Banbury Community Action Group

BCAG  October 2022 Minutes

Chair:          Jim                      

Minutes:    Maria

Present:      Jim S, Lynda S, Chris M, Robin C, Lynne C, Dale H, Colin S

MINUTES

1. Agenda item I   Welcome, introductions and apologies                                                  Jim

A warm welcome to everyone.  Apologies from Zsofi B, Harriet J, Tila R 

2. Agenda item II   Matters arising from September meeting, 06/09                                       Jim

All matters arising are covered under agenda items.

3.  Agenda item III   BCAG admin                                                                                               Jim

Total hours spent on BCAG business and projects for September were recorded – thanks to everyone for putting in time.  Harriet to ask any core members not at the monthly meeting, for their hours.

4.  Agenda item IV   Treasurer’s report                                                                                Lynda

The balance stands at c.£11k, this mostly being grant monies allocated to BSCG projects, with a £2.5k contingency.  An amazing £95 was received in donations for the film shown as part of Big Green Week.

5. Agenda item V   Social media, Newsletter, publicity                                                     Jim

STATS:  Mailchimp: 220 Newsletter subscribers.   Facebook: BCAG 1063 followers, BSCG 528 followers.  The numbers continue to go up month on month! 

Leaflet update: thanks to Maria who has prepared a draft for a revised version.  She will discuss this with Lynda and Harriet for initial comments before circulating to the rest of the ‘core’ members.

6. Agenda item VI   Bridge Street Community Garden  BSCG                                          Tila

This year, Banbury Town Council asked if Bridge Street Community Garden could be part of the Canal Festival venues, 1st & 2nd October.  The dates coincided with the second weekend of Big Green Week, and the Garden was delighted to welcome to the Garden:

BCAG BATS, BCAG Biodiversity in partnership with Wild Banbury; Banbury Woodcraft Folk; Greenpeace; The Green Party; Global Justice Oxford; Banbury Trees.  Thank you all for coming.

The Garden proved the perfect venue for fun on-topic activities, and quality conversations about how we can work to protect the climate, the environment, and nature, through community action.

7.  Agenda item VII   Browning Road Orchard BRO                                                        Colin

‘Great Big Green Apple Day’, 25th September, part of BCAG’s Green Week celebrations was a huge success.  Busier than ever, just on 100 people joined in over the course of the afternoon, helping out, pressing apples and enjoying the company and refreshments.

It was very helpful to have the sturdy new press purchased in part with part of the grant from OCC / OxCAG for Big Green Week events.  Thank you too, to the Bloxham folk who loaned us additional presses, particularly since the existing lighter weight BCAG press is proving harder to mend than expected.

It would be useful if the ‘Apple Day team’ put together a summary document to help inform future events.

The event would benefit from a second scratter: the meeting agreed that this should be purchased for next year’s event.

Thank you to everyone who made the event happen and run smoothly.  £45 was made in donations.

There will be a winter work party for pruning, mulching and re-staking.  Colin will again take the lead on organising.  Harriet is discussing with Tila if this could be run as part of the BSCG outreach and training.

8. Agenda item VIII   Banbury Active Transport Supporters group                             Chris

It was great to have BATS involved in both the Green Fair and the Canal Day festivities.

Robin from Banbury Civic Society came to a recent BATS meeting and is in discussion with Steve K about improving signage at bus stops.  The ‘20’s Plenty’ campaign has been approved by the Town Council but has stuck at County Council level.

BATS are organizing an afternoon social walk from Bodicote, Sunday 9th October.

9. Agenda item IX     Biodiversity                                                                                       (Harriet)

Nice to have BCAG Biodiversity, in partnership with Wild Banbury, present in the Garden as part of the Canal Day festivities.  As a focus for further discussion, the group asked visitors to the Garden to chart the actions they were taking to help nature in their own patches.  It was encouraging to see the level of interest in helping wildlife, and the deep concern for the natural world.  Thank you to OCC / OxCAG for the grant towards the stand.  Data collected will feed through to the OCC Climate Action website.

10. Agenda item X     Climate Action COP26                                                                         (Zsofi)

The Great Big Green Week is organized to help and encourage people and organisations to act to help tackle the climate crisis, and to protect and improve our environment.

Fantastic that BCAG ran a full programme of events to mark Great Big Green Week. 

The pop-up Green Fair in the Castle Quay Community Space on 24th reflected this year’s theme of ‘energy’.  The family activity, put on with the help of Orinoco, made functional pin-wheel windmills which proved extremely popular.  We were delighted to have Gayle with us from OCC Climate Action, and pleased to display the informative Friends of the Earth panels.  BCAG members engaged visitors in discussions about energy saving measures and handed out energy monitors.  Thanks to CDC for providing the venue and for agreeing to have the Community Space open on a Saturday.

Sunday’s event was Apple Day at BRO (see above).

On Friday 30th, BCAG hosted a showing of the new documentary ‘Women against the Bomb’.  The event was well attended and the film excellent.  Thank you to Lock 29 for letting us use the Event Space, Castle Quay, foc, and to AndanaFilms for providing the film at reduced cost. 

Congratulations, Zsofi for arranging such great events, and thank you for all your time.

11. Agenda item XI     Autumn Give & Take                                                                        Lynda

This Autumn G&T has been booked for 15th October at The Haven.

12. Agenda item XII     Food action                                                                                  Lynne

Anaïs, OxCAG, Replenish and Good Food Oxford, is generously providing encouragement, expertise and offer of some financial support for this action.

Harriet, Lynne, Robin, Lynda and Sue S are firming up on the aims for a trial event, before bringing in Anaïs.  The URC is keen to work with us and kindly offers The Haven as a venue.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Lynne reported that the Clothes Swap run by XR, 1st October, went well.

It was agreed that the next meeting again be online

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

Tuesday 1st November, 7.30pm, Zoom.

Those present agreed that online meetings work well, there being plenty of opportunities now outside of the monthly meetings, to meet up at the Garden.  This decision will be reviewed on a month by month basis.