Come and see the new Transition film at BedZED Pavilion, Hackbridge on Friday 18 May.  This inspiring film about worldwide community positive action takes the viewer through an emotional journey that charts the growth of the Transition movement from its origins in Kinsale, Ireland, to an international movement that now attracts the attention of politicians and world leaders.
Since the last Transition film four years ago the movement has evolved significantly. There are now around 1800 Transition initiatives across the world.  As Director Emma Goude says: “…this film is really international. We have stories from Portugal, India,US, Japan, New Zealand, England…Transition really galvanises everybody together in a sense that it is local and global, the force of numbers is quite empowering for people.”
The film captures inspiring stories of Transition initiatives around the world, responding to uncertain times with creativity, solutions and 'engaged optimism'.  See the trailer here.

Friday 18 May 7.30pm
BedZED Pavilion, 24 Sandmartin Way, Hackbridge, Surrey SM6 7DF.
For directions click here. 

The film will be shown again at the Energy and Transport Fair at Sutton Life Centre on Saturday 26th May – see calendar for details.

Wednesday 16th May 2012 is UK Inspire Day – a celebration of the London 2012 Inspire programme – a family of over 2,700 projects across the UK that have been inspired by the Games to do something special in their local communities.
To celebrate UK Inspire Day, BioRegional's One Planet Experience – an Inspire-mark project – will be giving away a free book and London 2012 UK Inspire Day Certificate to everybody that visits on Wednesday 16th May.
The One Planet Experience is an interactive exhibition based at the BedZED visitor centre in Hackbridge, which tells the London 2012 sustainability story to inspire greener lifestyles.
Visitors can find out what London 2012 is doing to be the greenest ever Games, and then try out the carbon calculator house to see how to reduce their energy bills, ride in the energy velodrome to see how many household appliances they can power, find out what happens to their recycling, and test their knowledge on the touchscreen energy and waste quizzes.
Opened last October by local paralympian David Weir, more than 1,000 visitors have passed through the door so far. Track cycling world champion and former Sutton resident Joanna Rowsell said “I have always been passionate about living in a greener way and I am very happy to support the One Planet Experience to inspire everyone to live more sustainably.”
Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games said: “UK Inspire Day is a celebration of the Inspire programme and more than 2700 exceptional projects like the One Planet Experience whose events and celebrations this summer will bring the UK to life. We encourage you to go along and experience the inspiration for yourself.”
For those who can’t make it on 16th May, the Experience is open every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11am to 4pm. For more information contact Stephen Edwards, 020 8404 4896.

16th May 2012 – 11:00am – 4:00pm
The BedZED Visitor Centre
24 Helios Road, Wallington, Surrey, SM6 7BZ   UK

Last year the roof of the All Saints Community Centre in Hackbridge was fitted with 16 photovoltaic solar panels as part of Sutton Council’s Low Carbon Zone initiative.  The centre is now reaping the benefits with 1000kWh of electricity being produced in the first 6 months and it is hoped that this solar electricity production will help to offset the centre’s large energy bills.
All Saints is one of six community buildings in the Hackbridge Low Carbon Zone (LCZ) that received free energy-saving measures and advice under the LCZ programme.  This has included cavity wall insulation, replacement boilers, energy-efficient lighting, smart meters and solar panels and the measures are expected to save around 20 tonnes of CO2 per year.

If you are interested to find out more about renewable energy come along to one or both of the following free events:

Saturday 26th May   12-4pm  
Energy and Transport Fair
at Sutton Life Centre, 24 Alcorn Close, Sutton, SM3 9PX.
Organised by BioRegional and Sutton In Transition, this free event will include stalls, exhibition displays, EcoLocal’s Home Energy Road Show, draughtbusting demonstrations, Smarter Travel Sutton’s Mobile Road Show, films, talks, workshops and Dr Bike cycle repairs.  No booking required – turn up on the day.

Wednesday 30 May  5.30-8.00pm
Renewable Energy Systems for your Home
at BioRegional offices, BedZED Centre, 24 Helios Road, Wallington SM6 7BZ
This free workshop will be presented by The Power Assessment and Training Centre to provide an overview of installing renewable energy technologies including solar photovoltaic, solar thermal and air source heat pumps and how to benefit from funding schemes. Please book in advance.

For more information contact Stephen Edwards, stephen.edwards@bioregional.com, 020 8404 4896
 

The Wandle Trust is running a series of workshops along the river for local people to discuss what you like about the river, what you don’t like, and what you could suggest to improve it and help you love it more.  These workshops will feedback into the creation of a Catchment Plan to identify how to secure a healthy future for the River Wandle so that it functions naturally and also benefits people.  Come along and have your say. The next workshop is on Friday 27 April 10.30am-12.45pm at Sutton Council, 24 Denmark Road, Carshalton, SM5 2JG.

The workshop is for everyone and you don't need to bring anything, just any thoughts you have about the river. The workshop will run for two hours, plus a fifteen-minute tea break.  Please help to spread the word by telling your friends and neighbours and encouraging them to get involved. More dates and locations for further workshops will be announced shortly. So if you can't make it this time, hopefully you can make it along to another one coming up soon.  Shortly there will be a questionnaire on the Wandle Trust website. So you can have your say from the comfort of your own home just by logging on and sparing just ten minutes of your time! For more information visit www.wandletrust.org or email Claire Bedford.

This free workshop gives a practical overview of how to improve your home’s energy performance and create a warmer, cheaper home. The vast majority of our housing stock (88%) was built before 1990 and around one fifth (21%) was built before 1919.  Generally, the older the house, the more carbon dioxide it emits, chiefly through space and water heating, with pre 1919 stock emitting on average twice as much carbon dioxide as post 1990 stock (English Housing Survey 2008). Refurbishment is therefore the key to achieving a low carbon built environment.

Find out about simple energy-efficient measures and more significant renovations, discover the energy and cost saving benefits you will get for your spend, and learn how to get the most out of funding schemes, such as the Green Deal, which is due to commence in October.

This workshop is presented by Russell Smith of Parity Projects, an award-winning, Carshalton-based retrofitting specialist company.  Russell founded Parity Projects in 2005 whilst carrying out an extensive eco renovation of his own home. He is passionate about low energy housing and sees it as a vehicle to improve lifestyles and energy bills as well as our collective environmental impact.

The workshop is funded and organised by BioRegional, a social enterprise based in Hackbridge that aims to demonstrate practical solutions for sustainability.  The workshop is free to attend and will take place at BioRegional’s office in the BedZED eco-village.

Refreshments will be provided.

Date: Wednesday 4th April,
Time: 6.00 – 8.30PM
Location: BedZED Centre, 24 Helios Road, Wallington, SM6 7BZ

Please book in advance either by email stephen.edwards@bioregional.com or telephone 020 8404 4896

Rachel Botsman, TEDx lecturer and author of ‘What’s mine is (y)ours’, gave an inspiring talk about ‘Collaborative Consumption’ at EcoBuild on Wednesday 21st March.  So what is collaborative consumption?  It’s the new sharing revolution that is taking place across the world, supported by the rise in social media, the economic recession and people’s desire to live in a more sustainable and community-minded way.  ‘Micro-preneurs’ are leading the way in setting up social enterprises and online resources that help people save money, reduce waste, build new friendships and community cohesion, and provide alternative employment and income.

DIY power drills are used on average for 15 minutes throughout their life and cars sit idle for an average of 23 out of 24 hours.  Our hyper consumptive way of life has lead to a gross underutilisation of the things we buy and this ‘idling capacity’ is now being seen as an opportunity to rent or share our personal/household goods and skills with others.

Many of us will know of ‘freecycle’, now with a world-wide membership of around 9 million people.   Another example is Airbnb – a global network of accommodations offered by locals, providing a cheap alternative to hotels and B’n'Bs using people’s spare rooms and underutilised spaces.  The average host is making $21k per year and Manhattan now has an Airbnb host in every block.  Closer to home, London’s ‘Boris Bikes' are providing people with easy mobility without ownership of stuff.

This is a growing movement which could well redefine our economy from one dominated by Hyper Consumption to one embracing Collaborative Consumption where, instead of ‘keeping up with the Joneses’, we will be ‘getting to know the Joneses’. Tell us about your favourite collaborative consumption experiences below.

Also see: http://www.oneplanetsutton.org/blog/whats-mine-is-yours/ and Rachel talking at TEDx, Sydney in 2010.

Fancy spending a weekend in nature – on Sutton Community Farm – exploring ways to grow and develop healthy, sustainable, economically viable ways of living in a changing and challenging world?
This two day intensive course introduces the principles and practices of permaculture.  Permaculture works with nature to make a better world for all.  It is a design system that addresses our needs of food, shelter, energy and community in ways that are healthy and efficient.

When: April 14/15, May 26/27 and Sept 22/23
Where: Sutton Community Farm, Woodcote Smallholdings, Telegraph Track, Wallington, SM6 0SH
Fee: £45 to £90 (sliding scale)

For more information and to book a place, go to:  http://growsouth.wordpress.com or contact: liz_darley@hotmail.com.

Sutton in Transition are showing food documentary 'PLANEAT'  – a film about three men's life-long search for a diet, which is good for our health and good for the environment. 

When:    Friday 16th March 7.30-9.30pm
Where: BedZed Pavilion. Train Hackbridge, bus 127 or 151.
Bring some veg or flower seeds to swap.

Scientists and doctors present a convincing case for the West to re-examine its love affair with meat and dairy while pioneering chefs display some of the best cooking you have ever seen.
This independent film was made with absolutely no funding.  It explores the link between diet and disease, how our food choices contribute to global warming and how the problems we face today can be solved without simply resorting to a diet of lentils.

Throughout March, residents in Sutton are being helped to save money on their energy bills and go green thanks to new government funding brought into the borough.

BioRegional has secured the funding to work with partners to promote free loft and cavity wall insulation and set up a solar panel bulk-buying scheme.  BioRegional is working with local community organisation EcoLocal who is running an interactive family friendly energy road-show to help local people find out what is on offer.

Joanna Marshall-Cook from the BioRegional energy team said:

“With energy costs rising year on year it’s becoming more important to be energy smart. We are really excited to have the opportunity to help people in Sutton reduce their energy bills, have cosier homes and go green. We hope lots of people will take up these benefits”.

EcoLocal’s energy road-show will travel to locations across the borough. All the family can take part in fun and interactive games and find out how to save money and keep warm at home.  There will be information on free loft and cavity wall insulation that is available to all Sutton residents for a limited period. Experts will also be on hand to discuss the new Sutton Community Solar scheme to help residents generate their own energy through bulk purchasing of solar panels to reduce costs.

Come and visit the energy road show at the following places and times throughout March:

For more information:

For the energy roadshow and the Sutton Community Solar Scheme contact:
Isabel Wreford at BioRegional on tel. 020 8404 4882, isabel.wreford@bioregional.com

For free loft and cavity wall insulation visit:
Energy Saving Trust or tel. 0800 512 012

Download our information leaflets in PDF format:

Insulation

Green Doctor

Solar Panels