Our AGM will take place 7pm Tue 20th Jan

This will be in-person in Wyesham so please RSVP so we have an idea of numbers.

#AGM #MembersMeeting

November 2025 – Meeting Notes

Transition Monmouth – Members Meeting

18 November 2025 at 7.30pm, 14 Ridgeway and via Zoom

Present:  Claudia Blair, Emma Bryn, Kelly Jackson-Graham, Sarah James (via Zoom), John Payne, Helena Ronicle, Sarah Swann

Introductions

Apologies for absence: John Harris, Bryan Miller, Sue Parkinson, Jonty Pearce

Note taker: Sarah Swann

Events feedback:

• Sat 18 Oct – Planting party @Wye Bridge Street Carpark 10am to Noon – This was the last project with a planting scheme designed by Vivien and Cheryl. 6 people attended with 3 beds planted. Two of the rowan trees have been lost (one due to the dry weather and a second has been vandalised), these will be replaced in the next few months, and Helena has some marjoram (part of the original plan) to be planted in the next few weeks.
• Sat 26 Oct – Open Garden @#11 The Gardens – Noon to 5pm – No one was present at the meeting who had attended.
• Sat 1 Nov – Working Party @St. James Square – 12.30pm onwards – Attended by Bryan.

Future events:

• Sun 30 Nov  – Clearance at the Farm @ Newcourt Farm, HR2 0AN – 10am-2pm – Harts of Monmouth are holding an event to sell off flood damaged stock.
• Planned for Tue 2 Dec – People, Planet and Pint @ Bar 125 – 7pm-8.30pm – This will be a quarterly get-together to talk about climate change, organised by Lisa Hicks from Snoap and Lorraine Allman from Party Without Plastic. TM have agreed to promote the event and to try to attend.
• Tue 23 Dec – Christmas Craft Fayre@ The Priory –TM have been invited to provide tea and coffee for this event. Helena and Sarah agreed to run the café from 10am-noon. Claudia, Emma and Kelly offered to bake. We think ACE have a display board to that could be used for promotion at the event. HR to look into.
• Sat 28 Feb – Seed Swap@ Bridges Centre TBC – Kelly, Claudia and Sarah have agreed to volunteer for the main stand, TM stand and kitchen. There are some seeds left from Waitrose, books for the sale and potentially flowers if available from M&S. There will be a request for volunteers in January to help out and supply plants for the sale.
• Sewage Works Visit – Awaiting WW response.

Updates/Actions:

• Wyesham Woodlands – ongoing
• Woodland bus shelter – a decision needs to be made how much TM is willing to spend so that Emma can feed this back to MCC; from this we can look at how many panels could be covered. Kelly asked if this could be paid for with funds from the Woodland Project. It was thought that panels with pictures of animals and the woodlands by school children (with a strapline), could promote the Wyesham Woodlands as well as brightening up the bus stop.
• Community Orchard – we are still to arrange a date for the winter pruning. Helena will speak to Anthea Dewhurst and Terry Christopher about the re-naming and to update the noticeboard, and Karin Chandler about the Wassailing.
• MTC Sarah James proposal – The Bee Friendly Group on the Town Council have created small patches of wildflowers and have had success in growing many species despite the small area of ground used. They propose to encourage participation with this idea, so that people can get involved, creating their own patches of wildflowers and perhaps plotting the patches on a map so that people might visit them. Monmouth Council and ACE are in support of the idea and a public meeting in January has been proposed. It was suggested that February or March might be a better time within the gardening calendar to engage beginner gardeners. Seeds need to be sourced to be given out. John suggested that his wife may be able to help. Monmouth Meadows, Ecohab Herefordshire and Emorsgate were suggestions also. Helena will provide a link for Sarah J. TM have agreed to support.
• Kitchen garden – Helena has been in touch with MCS and is awaiting a reply.
• Oak Crescent – awaiting a reply.

Any Other Business

• John led discussion around the recent flooding, and the impact of urbanisation and the A40. He suggested looking at detail at the connections between drilling, drainage and landslips and to consider tipping points for the local area from which things could worsen. He highlighted the need to direct people to reliable information and courses and there was discussion around vegetarian and vegan diets. There was discussion about the history of the town, the landscape and trainlines.
• TM Communications – it was raised that there is a need for a shared role in marketing and communication.
• Rebuilding following the recent flooding – Benthyg and the Community Fridge have been affected by the flooding along with the supply chain to the Community Fridge in M&S and Waitrose.

Benthyg – We will catalogue what has been lost, replacing frequently hired items with quality replacements. Those people with items currently on hire have kindly agreed to hold onto them until further notice. The clean-up has begun with dehumidifiers expected tomorrow. Everything will need to be checked and cleaned. A qualified volunteer has also come forward to help with PAT testing.

Community Fridge – All food, and the fridge and freezers have been removed, with one freezer being reused to create a solar garden. Claudia will look into prices for replacements for what was lost. Kelly, Claudia and Sarah have agreed to visit other community fridges to observe different practices and look at possible updates to paperwork going forward. Sarah will contact Environmental Health for guidance on cleaning for food businesses following a flood and will set up a cleaning log. Geraldine at Wyesham Warren is covering surplus food distribution whilst the fridge is out of action and is looking for volunteer support. Kelly will pass the details to the fridge volunteers to contact Geraldine directly. 

• There was discussion on Nature Connections and mindfulness in nature with ideas and suggestions for events such as wildflower walks and a walking tour around Two Rivers Meadow. Helena will contact Lucinda at Wye Valley Natural Landscape (WVNL) regarding community engagement. The importance of increasing awareness of the value of non-obvious flowering species such as grasses, was discussed and the importance of doing a local walk where people can learn to recognise the trees and plants in the places they regularly frequent.

Plant of the Month – No plant of the month this time.

Date of next meeting:

• Tue 16 Dec – AGM @ Local venue (to be decided)

#MembersMeeting

October 2025 – Meeting Notes

Transition Monmouth – Members Meeting

14 October 2025 at 7.30pm via Zoom

Present: Bryan Miller, Helena Ronicle, Emma Bryn, Claudia Blair, Sarah Swann, Rebecca Cunningham, Jem Jenkins-Jones, Kim Kaos, Jonty Pearce & Mary Boase

Introductions

Apologies for absence: Kelly Jackson-Graham

Note taker (& recording): Bryan Miller

Events feedback:

• Sun 14 Sept – ACE Festival @Shire Hall 11am to 4pm – The theme was ‘Make do & mend’ and project volunteers and coordinators promoted The Community Fridge and Benthyg Monmouth. It was felt the poor weather led to low public turnout but good engagement with those who came. It may repeat every other year.
• Sat 27 Sept – TM Plant Sale/Coffee Morning @Priory 10am to Noon – Good turnout for an autumn event and raised around £350 for central funds. Very much a social event and good engagement with visitors – many of which went away with armfuls of books and plants. The two stalls Fairtrade Tools and Tools for Self-Reliance were happy with footfall and seemed continuously busy. New TM branded aprons were used to full effect. We look forward to the spring ‘Seed Swap’ event for the same kind of atmosphere.
• Sun 28 Sept – Wyesham Woods Gathering @Woods Fire Pit 2pm – A successful restart of activities. We had an amazing first session back on Sunday in the woodland, a huge thanks to the 13 adults and 6 kids who carried out lots of tasks around the wood, including: cutting back around the fruit trees, cutting the nettles back and preparing the willow circle for this winter, (when we can hopefully start weaving it together), clearing the pathways of debris, building an awesome den,  a litter pick that got a bit competitive😜 The notice board was re-erected, rotten gate and broken fencing removed, and of course some cake and a social natter.  Next month we are looking at running the usual Halloween event, which relies heavily on help to make it a success – our next woodland get together should be on the 30th November. Helena has written a draft management proposal to Richard for possible future actions.

• Sun 5 Oct – Apple Pressing @Rockfield Community Centre 1:30 – 3:30pm – The turnout (100+) did not disappoint again at this fun family event. There was a bumper crop this year, so no shortage of apples, juice and bottles and we pressed continuously for the whole session and then some. It was tough work, but the volunteers did a marvellous job of keeping everyone happy and moving through the process. Donations were noticeably low (£35) so next year we intend to use better signage ‘Donations Welcome’ and improve layout to encourage more people inside towards the tea & coffee. Need further trugs/sieves/jugs for community pressings and bag for the small press (newly donated). Kim suggested a workbench to secure the small press.
• Fri 10 Oct – Talk – Global Challenges and Solutions’ @Usk Memorial Hall 7pm – A number of us attended this talk which questioned the prevailing doctrine of continuous growth. It looked from an economics perspective and explored wellness, sustainability and finite resources.
• Sat 11 Oct – Nearly New Sale @Bridges Community Centre 1 to 3pm – This sale of pre-loved items saw 121 adults and £1700 in sales, enough to sustain the event biannually and gain momentum from a regular cycle.

 Future events:-

• Sat 18 Oct – Planting party @Wye Bridge Street Carpark 10am to Noon – This was the last project with a planting scheme designed by Vivien and Cheryl, so let’s get out there and add the green touch to the newest car park in town. There are some unloved areas in need of attention, plenty of bindweed removal, along with potted plants to go in the ground. Come along with enthusiasm and appropriate clothing/tools – forks, spades & gloves – to make a visible improvement. We plan to bring hot drinks and some hi-vis vests. There is a plan to replace the two Rowan trees later – one died and one vandalised – and liaise with Community Champions for ongoing maintenance.
• Sat 26 Oct – Open Garden @#11 The Gardens – Noon to 5pm – John Cummings and family are opening the family garden which is testament to Cheryl’s skills in garden design and implementation. All are welcome to come along and remember Cheryl.
• Sat 1 Nov – Working Party @St. James Square – 12:30 onwards – Join the Town Council Amenities Working Group to get the site of the Monmouth War Memorial in top condition ahead of Remembrance Sunday. There is plenty of bindweed and thistle to remove, along with a good tidy needed around the gardens under the renowned Catalpa tree. The planting scheme here also has Cheryl and Vivien to thank.
• Tue 18 Nov – Members Meeting @Online – 7:30 to 9:30pm – This is where we come together and progress our projects and plan future events, always a warm welcome – link.
• Sewage Works Visit – Bryan to get back to Welsh Water with dates now engineering works (Phosphate Stripper) have completed. There was discussion about infrastructure capacity and discharge following rainfall. Friends of the Wye may be collecting data from the locality of the works.

Updates/Actions:-

• Kitchen Garden @Monmouth Comprehensive School – As this project has lost its champion in Vivien, we need to work towards getting an arrangement in place. Helena will approach the school to start this conversation, while Rebecca has offered to maintain it for now, with Penny and offer of support from Sarah. We discussed use by SEN children and fund raising for improvements e.g. water provision (could be a flat roof into water butt) and raised beds.
• Leasbrook Housing & Newton Court bats – Jonty attended the MCC scrutiny meeting and presented his finding on extensive bat activity in the area – 12 species, 893 Greater Horseshoe bats in August alone. This was rejected on the grounds it didn’t cover a full season. This will likely go on to the planning inspector and possibly judicial review.
• Wyesham Woodlands bus stop – this has had a good clean by Emma and Cllr Barrell and she reports MCC are providing the missing panels in painted steel. Bryan to discuss with Chillipepper the possibility of wrapping the panels (6off approx. 1m x 1m) with designs from local students in a woodland theme [TM to pay?].
• Community orchard – We considered renaming as the ‘Vivien Mitchell Community Orchard’ and installing a carved wooden sign or similar. Support for this has come from our local MP and others.
• Air Quality – Jonty has been looking at historical data from the IQAir unit at Dryrbridge Street – finding the average PM2.5 over the last year to be 9.9 ug/m3, which is double the WHO recommended level. People are encouraged to explore the IQAir website and see live data from around the world [currently 94 followers]. The mobile sensor developed by Make Monmouth has gone back to Matt for repairs.

Any Other Business

• Kim discussed the possibility of showing activist films in Monmouth. The Savoy costs £150 for private showing and Kim is considering a river activism film in January.
• The Fridge is about to announce its partnership agreement with MTC, securing the future for the next three years. Emma Drabble has approached the Fridge about developing the Borderlands project and looking for community representation. There is a further offer of making a film about Transition activities like the Fridge.
• A community group have formed to maintain the Osbaston orchard off Lancaster Way and we are happy to support them.
• Benthyg have started meeting as a county-wide group for better communication and problem solving between branches. Monmouthshire is different in that branches are run by volunteers, allowing flexibility in approach.

Plant of the Month – Helena

Stinking bob or herb robert – Geranium robertianum

One of the most common wildflowers in the UK, growing on all soil types It has a long flowering season (early March to October) and is relied on by 9 invertebrates. It smells of cat wee and has a flat flower for ease of access to the pollen.

Date of next meeting:

• Tue 18 Nov – Members Meeting @Online 7:30 to 9:30pm – Chaired by Helena with support from Kelly – link
• AGM – Potentially in person (pub suggested) in December

#MembersMeeting

It was great to see the #ThreadGroup Board of Directors gathered together for our face-to-face meeting in Stockholm, Sweden. Missed this #MembersMeeting? Make sure to sign up for the next one in April 2026!

#ThreadGroup #Meeting #IoT #Board

That's a wrap! Another successful #ThreadGroup Members Meeting has come to a close! Thank you to all who joined and participated in the sessions this past week. See you next year!

To learn more about #ThreadGroupMembership, visit https://www.threadgroup.org/thread-group#Membershipbenefits

#MembersMeeting #IoT #Thread

Day 1 of the #ThreadGroup Member Meeting in Stockholm was a success! Thank you to our guest speakers Musa Unmehopa from Signify & Damir Smrkovic from IKEA for joining us and sharing your perspectives on #Thread and the #IoT industry.

#MembersMeeting #SmartHome #SmartBuilding

Last chance to register for the Thread Group Fall Members Meeting in Stockholm, Sweden! Hear more from our Marketing, Technical, and Certification committees! See the link below to learn more about our member benefits.

https://www.threadgroup.org/thread-group#Membershipbenefits

#MembersMeeting #ThreadGroup #IoT #SmartHome

October 2025 – Meeting Agenda

Dear Transitioners

With lots of recent events and project activities ongoing, join our online meeting to see what’s happening and help plan these actions.

Tuesday 14 September, 7.30pm

Zoom Meeting Link

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85928179793?pwd=QEIePRFNRKN4HYXixkmUArtNBeJBK9.1

The agenda is below, along with notes of the last meeting;

AGENDA

Introductions

Apologies for absence

Note taker (& recording)

Notes of the last meeting and matters arising not elsewhere on the agenda

Events feedback

• ACE Festival – 14th September ‘Make Do & Mend’ @Shire Hall to promote Fridge & Benthyg
• TM Plant Sale/Coffee morning – 27th September 10am @Priory
• Wyesham Woods – Planning meeting 28 Sept 2pm @ the firepit
• Apple Pressing – 5th October 1-4pm @Rockfield Community Centre
• Talk ‘Global/local challenges and solutions – Degrowth’ – 10 Oct 7pm Usk Together

 Future events

• Planting Party – 18th Oct 10am – noon @ Wye Bridge carpark
• Sewage Works Visit – TBC

Updates/Actions

• Wyesham woodlands bus stop tidy & repair
• Kitchen garden – Monmouth Comp School
• Leasbrook Housing & Newton Court bats
• Renaming community orchard – signage

Any Other Business

Plant of the Month – Helena

Date of next meeting:  11 Nov (Helena)?

#MembersMeeting

September 2025 – Meeting Notes

Transition Monmouth – Members Meeting

9 September 2025 at 7.30pm via Zoom

Present: Bryan Miller, Helena Ronicle, Claudia Blair, Sarah Swann, Rebecca Cunningham, Jonty, Jem Jenkins-Jones

Introductions

Apologies for absence: Emma Bryn, Kelly Jackson-Graham

Note taker (& recording): Bryan Miller

Events feedback:

• Wyesham Community Woodland – Two wooden benches [Oak] were installed over summer and were well received by locals and other woodland users. Could add further benches according to needs/funds.
• Grub Hub – Free Pizza @ Kymin View – Sarah described the three sessions successfully run over the summer holidays and approximately 50 people who attended each – 140 pizzas, 115 juice boxes, 68 fruit cups & 30 salad cups.

 Future events:-

• Sun 14 Sept – ACE Festival @Shire Hall 11am to 4pm – The theme is ‘Make do & mend’ and the project volunteers and coordinators will be promoting our successful Community Fridge and Benthyg Monmouth. This is a community event for all ages, with live entertainment, events, stalls, food, cooking and fermentation demonstrations – link. We will also be promoting our upcoming events.
• Sat 27 Sept – TM Plant Sale/Coffee Morning @Priory 10am to Noon – This popular event brings together plant & flowers, coffee & cake, kids crafts, gardening books and tools. We are inviting people to socialise, swap gardening tips and maybe grab a new plant or two – link. We will be inviting volunteers from the Fridge and other projects for a catch up over a free tea and cake. Volunteers currently include Kelly, Sarah, Claudia, Emma & Helena. We would likely want the following; cash box (Benthyg), card machine (Benthyg), plants (all), books (Bryan), table covers, chalk boards (Benthyg) Transition feather displays (Bryan) and flyers for Fridge/Benthyg/Transition along with other events. Jed has been contacted for Tools for Self-Reliance and possible craft stall [note Bryan unavailable].
• Sun 28 Sept – Wyesham Woods Gathering @Woods Fire Pit 2pm – Interested people are invited to come along and join in the planning of future works and events in this community woodland – link.
• Sun 5 Oct – Apple Pressing @Rockfield Community Centre 1:30 – 3:30pm – There is always a good turnout at this fun family event. People can come long whether they have apples or not, as there is usually plenty to spare and it’s been a bumper fruit crop this year. On the day, we encourage bringing of clean bottles, e.g. plastic drinks bottles, to take juice away and have a go at pulping and pressing the fruit – link. Alongside this, we are promoting the community orchard in Monmouth where you can pick your own – link. We hope to offer refreshments at this event, so would be grateful for cakes & biscuits on the day. We need to work with Hanna Lineham to attract local Rockfield volunteers and spread the word
• Fri 10 Oct – Talk – Global Challenges and Solutions’ @Usk Memorial Hall 7pm – A number of us are attending this talk around the idea of ‘degrowth’, moving away from endless growth towards people’s wellness and sustainability – link. It is organised by Usk Together for the Climate with online booking – link.
• Sat 11 Oct – Nearly New Sale @Bridges Community Centre 1 to 3pm – This is a sale of pre-loved everything for bumps, kids and teens. A chance to buy and sell for growing families – link.
• Sat 18 Oct – Planting party @Wye Bridge Street Carpark 10am to Noon – There are some unloved areas within the new carpark in need of attention, mostly bindweed removal, along with potted plants to go in the ground. Come along with enthusiasm and appropriate clothing/tools to make a visible improvement.
• Sewage Works Visit – Bryan to get back to Welsh Water with dates now engineering works (Phosphate Stripper) have completed. Possible break into several groups if demand is there.

Updates/Actions:-

• Wyesham Woodlands bus stop – we discussed tidy and repair. Emma reports MCC are to provide the missing panels and we discussed ways for schools/art students to decorate these with appropriate themes. Until we see the material of the panels we are unsure of the type of paint or decoration required. A local resident has offered water access via a hose to enable cleanup of the remainder of the bus stop.
• Education around long grass/fallen fruit – we considered ways to better communicate the natural benefits of longer grass and less tidy areas. It was considered this should be led by MCC as managers of many of the ‘common’ parcels of land, with supported from us. Further to this we developed the flyer about the community orchard.
• Kitchen Garden @Monmouth Comprehensive School – We need to work with the school and get their involvement in this area of their grounds. As this project has lost its champion in Vivien, we need to work towards getting an arrangement in place. Helena will contact the school to start this conversation, while Rebecca has offered to maintain it for now. The meadow area should be maintained by MCC.
• Leasbrook Housing & Newton Court bats – Helena has provided advice and support over the summer and offered to read the report which has been released. An MCC consideration for planning is due shortly and further data is being collected.
• Community orchard – We considered renaming as the ‘Vivien Mitchell Community Orchard’ and installing a carved wooden sign or similar. Support for this has come from our local MP and others.
• Community book swap cupboards – We discussed feasibility, locations and funding for such an idea. It was noted that there will soon be a disconnected phone box at the bottom of Hereford Road. Jane Lucas could be approached on this matter.

Plant of the Month – Helena

Common or Black Knapweed – Centaurea nigra

Most arguments with other people over this plant, mistaken for thistle. Common plant of neutral meadows, late flowering, produces huge number of seeds to dominate hay meadows. Good for brown butterflies but no forage value.

Any Other Business

• We discussed 5 years of the Community Fridge and how we might celebrate.

Date of next meeting:

• Tue 14 Oct – Members Meeting @Online 7:30 to 9:30pm – This is where we come together and progress our projects and plan future events, always a warm welcome – link.

#MembersMeeting