Meeting Minutes 21 March 2023

Posted on | By Paul Johnson
  1. Welcome, purpose of meeting to look at upcoming projects brief summary of existing projects
  • Compost heaps working well. Need another bin
  • Recycling outside shop now has bins for foil, blister pack, milktops, and tetrapak and foil
  • Hedgehog  and bird box mornings well attended
  • Solar bulk buy – 35 attended meeting and 20 have applied for a survey from Wessex Eco Energy.
  • Heather and Paul have created a new GM website
  • 7 people are taking part in the Green Living Project. The meeting requested feedback on this
  • Dorset Community Energy have said they will revisit our proposal now it has obtained planning permission for the Dottery site
  • Discussion took place regarding the proposed solar farm at Friar Waddon. We are all encouraged to make our views known to our MP via his survey. 

  1. New Website

Now up and running, though still under construction. It is updatable with no space restrictions. Heather and Paul are administering it and welcome any relevant articles, news to post. They are also dealing with the facebook page.

Ideas from the meeting included:

  • What/where/how to recycle section
  • Children’s section. Heather to liaise with Jane about including hedgehog and wildlife topics
  • Home made cleaning products
  • Follow up articles on events/projects. Project coordinators requested to use the contact page to provide updates
  • Agreed to publicise website via V and V plus possibly a leaflet drop

  1. Projects:
    • Trees and Hedge Maintenance 
      4 Jubilee trees replaced. 25th March earmarked for mulching at 10am.  
      Help requested.
      Playground hedge has a watering rota and trees will need mulching once the Village Hall Committee have the paling fence in place.
    • River Winterbourne – Citizen Science study
      One kit now in use, 3 more ordered, 10 sites for monthly testing identified from Abbas to West Stafford. Request for volunteers – preferably 2 people per sample site. A risk assessment and testing procedures for each site will be in place. Volunteers so far are

Caroline/Frank, Paul, Jane, Lilly, Colin, Michaela, Nigel, Dave, Katie. Andy and Lousia will coordinate and arrange induction. Need to communicate results to relevant Parish councils

Liaison with Local Flood Authority and Village Flood group.
Jane reported on activities of the Flood Volunteer Group who have worked with Dorset Council and given views on the implications of new housing for sewage facilities. We are encouraged to put pressure on the Flood Authority, Wessex Water and the Environment Agency to get improved sewage facilities and less discharge into the stream.

  •  Great Big Dorset Hedge – volunteer surveyors and coordinators. needed. A meeting with John Calder and Nick Finding in April will firm up arrangements for surveyors and coordinators training. Colin – Coordinator
    Volunteers so far are Jane, Nigel, Sue, Louisa, Frank/Caroline, Sam and possibly Trilby
  1. Plant Sale –Put on hold –
  1. Garden Share Scheme

          Two shares are in operation – vicarage garden has availability for a small plot.

  1. Who’s been Using My Garden

Jane/Louisa/Trilby to take forward ideas for a wildlife survey of gardens/the village to enable targeting efforts to improve diversity of life and habitats. Named experts in relevant areas could be on the website and available to answer questions.

Trilby/Louisa/Jane to investigate possibility of a wildlife club for children and adults.– incipient idea for a Wildlife Project including a survey of the village and possible Wildlife Club for adults and children

  1. Graveyard Survey.

          Using material from Arocha agreed to carry out a survey around the week of  

          June 4-11th. Could be a possible start of a Wildlife club.

  1. Seed Swap in Phone Box

          Sue and Louisa are going ahead with this. Spare plants could be placed outside  

           shop and church.

  1. Other ideas and AOB
    • Annie Salmon has made bags from old/spare material and is offering material and a pattern
    • Dorchester Repair Café will be in the hall in June
    • Treasurer reported we have c. £1500 in hand
    • Coronation – plans for a gathering on the Green are at an initial stage. Agreed to approach D Corbett-Winder to see if planting a tree in the churchyard is a possibility.

Many thanks to Lilly for hosting the meeting.

Category: Members