Update on bits and bobs

The last week has been as busy as ever and I've not really kept the blog up to date - also lots of bits like following up on Scrutiny stuff, making recommendations re Planning Applications etc - but here is a taster of some bits which I've missed plus some other local items;

Photo: Todays' Transition Stroud Business and Government meeting

Transition Stroud - I've had a couple of meetings regarding the Open Homes idea (see my blog on 7th Jan for background info). However today it was the Business and Government Group - feedback from the Think Tank and a recent local businesses meeting - much discussion on how best to reach more people re climate change and peak oil - astonishingly around 50% of smaller businesses don't see climate change as an issue - thankfully in contrast most of the big businesses have it as their number one challenge and opportunity. There is also still a failure to understand we need to break away from business as usual - anyhow lots of ideas and a strategy is being developed. See more at links on blog: http://transitiontownstroud.blogspot.com/

Photo: Mike Gallagher, local photographer produced a local calender - ironically February had a pic of the old Whiteshill Post Office - it was also the month the Government announced all the latest round of PO closures.

Local Post Office meeting - I didn't get to this meeting - but you can see more here. Stroud Town Council are also looking at how Uplands might be saved - possibly looking at supporting them.

Safe Water Campaign for Gloucestershire - with the news full of the Government pushing fluoridation I met with other campaigners at the end of last week (see my comment here) - we plan an open public meeting for 1.00 on Saturday 17th May in Stroud plus we are putting together a detailed response to the Strategic Health Authority. The biggest and most immediate concerns are Southampton who are pushing ahead with water fluoridation (see comment here) - if they win then it will make it easier for others to follow - please join us via our blog site here: http://safewatercampaign.blogspot.com/

Photo: Photo shoot last week - Green councillors met at Ebley Mill to have our photos taken for the leaflet being put together for the May elections - already meetings taking place to decide how best to get the Green message across to locals.

Prayers for Our Earth - Randwick Church have cards at the back of the Church prepared by the Diocese of Newcastle on a whole host of issues from climate change to light pollution. I came across them through the Gloucestershire Churches Environment Justice Network and passed them on for those interested.

Earthquake - last Wednesday's quake, one of the UK's biggest earthquakes for 25 years, seems to have awoken most people in the night but caused little other concerns - although one parent at Randwick School said a squirrel fell out of the tree onto their house roof. The British Geological Survey said the epicentre of the 5.3 magnitude quake was near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire - and was more powerful than the 2002 Dudley earthquake that registered as 5.0 on the Richter scale.

Start Growing Your Own Food - a local woman will be running two 6 week courses starting 11th and 26th March daytimes - call Helen Pital on 762957 for info.

Cashes Green children's centre - Families had their chance to influence services at their new £360,000 children's centre at Cashes Green. A stream of potential users of the new centre apparently dropped into an information event to add their ideas. Sheila Gallagher, who lives in Ruscombe, will manage the centre - she said people were interested in toddler sessions and access to health visitors to family learning, a toy library and a Dad's group. Ms Gallagher also runs the Ofsted-graded "outstanding" Park Children's Centre in Stonehouse (indeed they could make no recommendations it was so good!), said the Cashes Green centre will serve a wide area with families and children at the Foxmoor, Callowell, Whiteshill, Cainscross and Randwick primaries as well as at Cashes Green School. Parenting classes, food for families sessions and first aid courses were all requested, as were creative play sessions, space for child minders' meetings, and access to speech and language therapists. The building was finished and handed over in November. It has a large playroom that can be divided, an office, kitchen and toilets.