Banbury Community Action Group

Minutes of meeting 21/5/21

Text Box: 4th May, 2021
7pm
zoom

BCAG May ’21 catch-up                             

Chair:          Jim                       

Minutes:    Harriet

Present:      Jim S, Lynda S, Harriet J, Lizzie T, Jill B, Zsofi B, Dale H, Chris M, Mike P,  Colin S

MINUTES

1. Agenda item I   Welcome, introductions and apologies                                                  Jim

Apologies for absence received from Allie H, Kimberley D, Berenice W

2. Agenda item II   Matters arising from April meeting, 04/04                                            Jim

All matters arising are covered in agenda items below.

3. Agenda item VIII  Banbury Active Transport Supporters group (BCAG-led project)  Zsofi

The team have benefitted from Paul B’s help and experience to guide the next stage of the project.

Following the meeting on 27th April, the main routes have been drawn up using local knowledge and the Sustrans Blueprint.  Volunteers are signing up to carry out assessments of these, using prepared guidance and annotating maps either as hardcopy or online.

BCAG has joined the national 20’s Plenty campaign for urban areas.

ü Dale to find out the current timescales for Banbury’s LCWIP.

ü Dale to consider further the idea of a LCWIP-focussed event at BSCG.

4.  Agenda item III   BCAG admin                                                                                               Jim

Totals of hours spent on BCAG business and projects for April were recorded;. total hours are submitted annually to Oxfordshire CAG.

5.  Agenda item IV   Treasurer’s report                                                                                Lynda

Lynda applied for a grant from Banbury Town Council towards BSCG and was successful in securing the £300 requested: excellent news – well done and thanks.

CAG Oxfordshire will cover insurance costs for repair cafés this year.

ü Jim to see if there is interest in setting up a repair café.  

6. Agenda item V   Social media, Newsletter, publicity                               Harriet/Jim/Zsofi

Jim has done some further tidying up on the website.  Numbers of followers on Facebook continue to rise thanks to Jim and Zsofi keeping this lively; really nice to have the addition of wildlife content (eg focus on hedgehogs for national hedgehog week, and Swift Sundays).

The April Update and News was sent out 19th April.

Many thanks to Jane R for arranging the Banbury Guardian Seed Swap coverage.

The Seed Swap was also featured in a piece in Cherwell District’s ‘Connecting with Nature’ webpage: thanks due to Sue M.

7. Agenda item VI   Bridge Street Community Garden  BSCG                                        Lynda

The Seed Swap, held over the Good to Grow weekend 24th and 25th April, proved very popular particularly on the Saturday.  The visitors who came were very positive about the event and plenty of new contacts were made.   Pat M once again most kindly supplied lunch both days for the organisers: his generosity is much appreciated.

Lynda suggested another ‘swap’ for later in the month: agreed for 22 May, 10.30am-1pm.

BCAG also made seeds available for the Age Friendly UK, Seeds of Hope stall, 22nd April.  We continue to supply the Bodicote seed bus-shelter, and have a seed ‘depot’ at Nothing-but-Footprints.

Lynda is maintaining excellent links with the Oxfordshire growing community.

The water supply for the Garden is not yet solved.

Using the recent Town Council grant, Lynda has arranged for soil and for manure to be delivered.

Welcome to the new volunteers who are taking on beds.

ü  Lynda and Jake to consider the options for providing water on site, and to get an idea of cost for the various possibilities.   [OK, that’s not been a problem this May, but you never know…]

There is still a pressing need for some of the raised beds in the Garden to be repaired: scaffold boards are best for this.  The second shed needs emptying.

ü  Lynda and Jake to organize a work party for repairing beds and clearing shed.

8. Agenda item VII   Browning Road Orchard BRO                                                        Colin

With fantastic help from the Wild Banbury volunteers, the trees purchased for the orchard by the Town Council have been planted and mulched.  Two sessions were held, the main planting day being 9th April.

Colin is looking into the possibility of creating a wild-flower rich area in the orchard.  Harriet suggested the Orchard is a perfect site for Biodiverse Banbury-related activities and events. 

ü Harriet to see if we can tap in to wildlife expertise through Wild Banbury, BBOWT, CDC, or Wild Oxfordshire, to discuss the possibilities at the Orchard.

9. Agenda item IX    Biodiversity Project                                                                       Harriet

Chris M who heads the Cherwell Swifts Conservation Project and coordinates the Banbury swifts annual survey, met with Harriet to talk through the opportunities, and offered help, support and enthusiasm.  Ideas include jointly promoting swift conservation at events such as Banbury Playday, identifying town centre buildings where nest boxes would be appropriate so we can approach owners, and organizing a town centre walk/mini talk event in early July.

Good contacts continue to be made and there are various ideas to pursue.

We are looking how best to support Allie H’s campaign to ensure sensitive management of Green Lane to conserve the wildlife value of this surprisingly rich habitat.  Harriet has met Allie on site, and Tim J has kindly helped with some initial survey work.

BBOWT did not appoint for Wild Banbury and is re-advertising.

ü Harriet to continue to progress biodiversity and wildlife matters.

10. Agenda item X     Climate Action COP26                                                                      Jill

Jill has been active as our link with FoE Oxford – OCCA Oxfordshire Cop26 Climate Alliance.

There are lots of ideas in the making County-wide for the Great Big Green Week, Climate Coalition 18th – 26th Sept: Jill will identify opportunities for us to be involved.

ü  Jill to continue to take the lead on this; ideas from everyone welcome.

ü Dale is also involved with the Big Green Week and will share thoughts and resources with BCAG.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

a)  Time to think about a Give & Take event?  On the market June/July?

ü  Lynda to ask Lorraine how these events were organised.

b)  Cherwell Theatre Company production 5th June: Jim organizing support for this.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

Tuesday 1st June, 7pm, Zoom.