In addition to the ideas listed in the post below, the Brockenhurst Transition meeting on the 8th November generated lots of ideas. Many of these are just tentative at the moment and would require further exploration but I was asked to put them up on this site for all to see.........
Allotments, local vegatable growing and sharing etc:
- Residents providing part of garden to people looking to grow vegetables; beneifts to garden owner would be share of the crop and a neighbourly community; benefits to veg grower would be chance to grow own food.
- Someone to grow seeds in a greenhouse and then sell them as small plants for people who would like to grow veggies but can't get started (no greenhouse etc).
- Allotment for the schools to encourage children to grow their own food.
- Local primary school visiting allotments.
- Allotment at St Saviours Church for the Sunday School children to grow food.
- Excess fruit and veg produce. Currently allotment holders cannot sell excess produce (due to their terms and conditions) but presumably nothing stops bartering or exchange. May be possible to involve local greengrocer some how?
- Brockenhurst composting bins - particularly aimed at non garden owners, people who wouldn't normally consider composting. Providing help / info on effective composting etc. Doing a compost sharing scheme?
- Info, course and advice on permaculture.
- Encourage people to use the compost in their garden.
Poultry
- Chickens at the primary school.
- A poultry club to connect people with chickens and encourage local foods to be produced.
- Encourage people to keep hens and have their own fresh eggs.
- Get Priestlands School and Brockenhurst School involved.
- Teaching children some of the old values - cooking, life skills, gardening.
Buying locally
- Individuals to buy a credit-type card to last a year (e.g. for £20) and for that year have a 10% discount in all local shops (idea stolen from John Bird's wedge card in areas of London).
- How does Sway market work? Could we have a local monthly / bi-monthly market of produce, crafts etc.?
Car sharing
- Car sharing scheme for journeys outside Brockenhurst (less cars on road and reduced emissions, also save money on fuel).
- If everyone in the UK did one less trip to an out of town food shop a week, the UK's CO2 emissions would be cut by 13% - Felicity Lawrence 'Not on the Food Lakes'. Set up a website where people list when they are going to a large supermarket and offer car space.
Water saving
- There is a wasted opportuntiy for the collection of water from large farm buildings - encourage farmers to do this.
Renewable energy
- Increase solar panels on farm barn roofs for supply of electricity.
- Arrange a register of local cordwood merchants.
Saving energy
- Low energy -new developments to follow sodum lights?? LED lights, lights out at midnight? Heat sensitive lights for private properties?
- Computers etc operated by cycle power.
- Parish magazine and Brockenhurst Guide could be combined then only one would be delivered to every house.
Cycling
- Work for a better cycle network in the Forest. Bike drop offs/pickups in main villages.
- Cycle rickshaws at the station.
- Cycle track between Lyndhurst-Brockenhurst. Potential users - college students / campsite users / tourists / locals for railway station.
Bio-diesel
- Setley Ridge Vineyard bio-diesel production from household cooking oil. Will pay for oil in vouchers for local produce. Diesel will run tractors and our vehicles.
Recycling
- Refuse sacks. Are current ones provided by NFDC non-degradeable?
- Encourage council to extend the amount of packaging that can be included in the recycling sacks.
