Issue 134 Winter 2013
Feature: Create a community meadow
Quarterly news from the Community Council of Devon helping communities help themselves
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Community Council of Devon – Village Green
Contents
“Community Council of Devon’s vision is of active communities shaping their own futures with improved opportunity and quality of life for all”. Our Services Community Buildings Community Engagement Community Enterprise Community Planning Consultancy Fuel Poverty Health in association with Healthwatch Devon Local Food Parish Council Support in association with Devon Association of Local Councils
Playing Fields Poverty and Disadvantage Rural Housing in association with the Devon Rural Housing Partnership
Rural Services Rural Training Venue Hire
Issue 134 Winter 2013
Cover Image: Courtesy of Buglife
Feature: Create a community meadow
Quarterly news from the Community Council of Devon helping communities help themselves
President: Eric Dancer, CBE, JP Chairman: David Baker Chief Executive: Elaine Cook
Contact Details: Telephone: 01392 248919 Email: info@devonrcc.org.uk
www.devonrcc.org.uk Postal Address: Community Council of Devon, First Floor, 3 & 4 Cranmere Court, Lustleigh Close, Matford Business Park, Exeter EX2 8PW
1-5 Community Council of Devon News From the Chief Exec’s Desk Celebrating our achievements A Community Buildings Champion near you Connecting Communities Proving our Value Standing out from the crowd Become a member of Healthwatch Devon Devon Remembers
6 Training and Events Events Calendar Featured Event: Fund It, Build It
7-12 Features
Holcombe Community Orchard Help our bees and put the buzz into your community 10% of Devon households in Fuel Poverty Our annual Rural Futures conference: ‘A sense of place’ Celebrating Devon’s housing heroes Hallmark Awards
13-14 Updates and Information
Next stage for Broadhembury Memorial Hall Planning permission granted for eco-homes in Christow New National Empty Homes Loan Fund Launched Small grants for safer communities
15 Noticeboard
Join the Community Council team Community Grants Scheme deadline Office closure over the Christmas period
Membership: We welcome new members, whether you are an individual or organisation working within Devon or simply wish to support the work of the Community Council. For details of our membership scheme please visit the website: http://www.devonrcc.org.uk/c/27/membership. Advertise to our readers: Village Green has over 11,000 readers in organisations and communities throughout Devon. If you would like to advertise in Village Green please contact Grant Harrison at: Zara Media & Design, 14 Kingfisher Court, Venny Bridge, Pinhoe, Exeter EX4 8JN. Tel: 01392 201227. Email: info@zaramedia.co.uk
Registered Charity No: 1074047 VAT Registration No: 942 0496 27 Company Limited by Guarantee No: 3694095 Village Green is printed by Kingfisher Print and Design Ltd, Totnes. Telephone: 01803 867087. The contents of Village Green do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or the Community Council of Devon.
We want you to contribute to Village Green We welcome all contributions to Village Green but regret that we cannot guarantee publication and we reserve the right to edit for reasons of space or style.
Community Council of Devon – Village Green
Community Council of Devon News
From the Chief Exec’s desk Welcome to our winter edition of Village Green. This year there has been an exceptional harvest and at home my pear and apple trees have been laden with fruit. The Crab Apple tree has provided a feast of fruit which has been enjoyed by birds and insects and by my partner who has turned the fruit into my favourite crab apple jelly. Orchards have been disappearing across the country so it’s heartening to hear about how the Holcombe community has been recreating a new community orchard and the support that the Community Council, through its Hogco project, has been able to provide. More than ever we are recognising the important role
that insects play; not least in the pollination of crops. On page 9 you can read more about how to encourage ‘a buzz’ in your local area by creating a community meadow and helping pollinators to thrive. A sense of place is often linked to the local environment. For many years I lived in Wokingham, Berkshire where market gardening, particularly cherry orchards, had historically provided a sense of place. Our conference in September explored some of the challenges to Devon communities’ sense of place. In Devon the erosion of local identity has perhaps been slower than in other parts of the country
but the challenges of the economy, the presumption for development and the changing demography of Devon are all threats to the unique identities of many of local communities. Caring for and connecting with the environment is a theme that is recurring in many areas of our work. We have been doing this through long terms projects such as HogCO, alongside one off pieces of work such as the ‘Reconnecting People to Nature’ report we produced for Devon County Council last year, as well as our work on helping communities tackle climate change. We also have an ongoing involvement with the Local Nature Partnership, helping to put nature and the
environment at the heart of what we do. On behalf of everyone at the Community Council may I wish all our readers a very happy Christmas and every best wish for the coming year.
Celebrating our achievements On Wednesday 6 November, partners and guests joined Community Council of Devon board members and its staff to celebrate another successful year at our Annual General Meeting. We celebrated the event by combining it with a social evening for our
members and key partners in the organisations with which we work. The evening was an opportunity to showcase our services, discuss topics of common interest and explore new avenues of work to address the needs of communities across the County. The event was helped along with a feast of local food and drink, with the guitar of Steve Down providing an ‘easy listening’ background to conversations. The event also launched our annual review, ‘Devon Together’, highlighting our key achievements over the past 12 months and demonstrating the breadth of work that we do to support Devon’s communities. Chief Executive Elaine Cook said “Over the past year our staff team has been working hard with local communities and our public and voluntary sector partners to ‘help communities help themselves’. We will continue to
ensure that we are in the best possible shape to meet future challenges and opportunities. Despite a challenging year, the Community Council’s work continues to be informed by our care and concern for our communities and our determination that Devon should be a great place to live and work.” Chairman, David Baker said “This organisation has gone through massive changes in order to survive the current economic downturn. I thank all the staff, the board and our members for all their hard work and support in helping the organisation to continue to adapt, grow and flourish”. To download a copy of Devon Together, please visit: http://tiny.cc/devontogether If you would like a hard copy, please call the office on 01392 248919 or email info@devonrcc.org.uk.
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Community Council of Devon News
A Community Buildings Champion near you From December 2013 a cohort of Community Buildings Champions will be available to help support you with issues with your hall, providing additional face to face assistance in your local area. The Champions have experience of serving on a community building committee, and knowledge of key management and good practice issues faced by committees. They have access to key resources to assist with this task, and have completed an initial induction day to develop a uniform standard of support. For those halls that have received a Hallmark assessment by a ‘peer assessor’ you will have experienced the benefits of engaging with a peer who understands your role and the issues that you are facing.
What can Champions support you with?
Connecting Communities Connecting Communities was launched on 12 September at our annual conference. The Scheme offers an exchange of ‘how to’ information from people who have already been there and done it! The aim is to connect communities who live in West Devon and South Hams Local Authority areas with experienced individuals who will know about the issues that are likely to be faced; this could very well be Mentors from outside these areas. Our first support and networking session for mentors was held in Ivybridge at the Watermark Centre and explored with mentors and potential mentors what the role involves, managing time commitments and expectations, what on-going support Mentors can tap into (including financial reimbursement) and the code of conduct that’s expected. Our Mentor numbers are growing, so if you are looking for information on mentoring or need a mentor or advice for your project or community, please visit the website: www.connectingcommunities.org.uk
Local face to face support Basic information and support on hall issues Good practice Hallmark, promotion and reviewing Introduction to funding opportunities, support and training Community Council membership promotion, web presence Good practice Hallmark, promotion and reviewing Local linkage and sharing with other community buildings network of Community Buildings Establishing and supporting a local community buildings network Supporting regular meetings with external speakers and information
How to contact your local Champion? Initially this will be through the Community Buildings team: Email: davidk@devonrcc.org.uk and martin@devonrcc.org.uk Telephone: 01392 248919 ext*240 Champions will support and enhance the Community Council of Devon’s existing support service for Community Buildings. More details on the individual champions and their work will be circulated over the coming months.
Catalyst is the in-house consultancy service provided by the Community Council of Devon. The Catalyst team can help with: • Business planning • Fundraising strategies and bids • Community engagement • Stakeholder consultation • Governance and legal structures • Community owned assets • Neighbourhood Planning • Rural housing services • Training or mentoring For an initial no-commitment discussion, please contact Dawn Eckhart by calling 01392 248919 ext *170 or email dawn@devonrcc.org.uk
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Community Council of Devon News
Proving our Value The Impact of Social Purpose Organisations on skills and training in the Okehampton Area
As part of the Proving our Value project, run by South West Forum and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, the Centre for Rural Policy Research at the University of Exeter and Community Council of Devon designed a research project to test the Return on Investment created by Social Purpose Organisations engaged in training. We based the research in Okehampton, where there had been over 300 redundancies caused by the closure of 4 food processing factories in one year. We engaged three Social Purpose Organisations in the research and 50 trainees were recruited to take part in two interviews – one at the beginning of their training, and one a few months later. A bespoke interactive questionnaire was designed to capture the impact of their training and all responses were recorded in a database. Recruiting organisations and trainees inevitably brought some challenges since funding in the Social Purpose sector is variable and uncertain and people facing a difficult time in their life can often be hard to engage and maintain contact with. However, once we had managed to reach them, both the organisations and individuals we worked with seemed to appreciate being involved in research designed to gauge the impact of the training provided or undertaken. A key success for us has been in demonstrating that collaboration between an academic institution such as the University of Exeter and a 3rd Sector organisation like the Community Council of Devon can produce a tool which is both usable and beneficial to individuals taking part, and can yield useful data on impact of that service across a number of areas. It has also allowed us to make recommendations on the provision of future training in order to achieve the greatest possible social benefit.
Standing out from the crowd We always coach those seeking grants to ‘make their application stand out’ so that when all content and worthiness are equal, their application catches the eye. So presentation, layout, pictures, DVDs and testimonials are all ‘tools of the trade’. Faced with the challenge of raising funds to give the village hall a major upgrade, Rose Hitchings from Bridgerule came up with this cartoon to entertain potential donors. The original hall was a ‘self-build’ project and one suspects that, to locals, the faces and situations are recognisable. It works – money is starting to flow in.
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Community Council of Devon News
Become a member of Healthwatch Devon How do I become a member? Healthwatch Devon is the independent consumer champion for health and social care in Devon. We ensure that the voices of consumers and those who use services reach the ears of the decision makers and are taken seriously. Our vision is of better health and social care services through public involvement.
Membership opens later in December, but you can apply for membership now. For more information about membership and to make an application, please contact Healthwatch Devon. Call 0800 520 0640 or email info@healthwatchdevon.co.uk.
Image Š deanm1974 - Fotolia
You can also apply online at www.healthwatchdevon.co.uk/membership
Why should I become a member? By being a member of Healthwatch Devon you will belong to the only independent consumer champion for all health and social care in Devon. Membership is open to any individual or organisation in Devon who would like to see better health and social care services influenced by public involvement. Being a member gives you the opportunity to become actively involved in championing the rights of service users and holding providers to account.
0800 520 0640
www.healthwatchdevon.co.uk
As a member you will have the right to vote for Healthwatch Devon board members or to stand for election yourself. You also have the opportunity to become a key volunteer, trained and supported to speak and act in the name of Healthwatch Devon. We are independent, inclusive, and with a strong membership, can be powerful.
Get in touch Online: www.healthwatchdevon.co.uk By email: info@healthwatchdevon.co.uk Freephone: 0800 520 0640 By post: Healthwatch Devon, First Floor, 3 & 4 Cranmere Court, Lustleigh Close, Matford Business Park, Exeter EX2 8PW
Community Council of Devon – Village Green
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Community Council of Devon News
Devon Remembers Helping communities mark the centenary of World War 1 Communities across Devon will commemorate next year the contributions, commitment and sacrifice that families a century ago gave during World War One, 1914-18.
clubs, churches and even businesses.
More than 11,000 Devon men and women died in the Great War, and starting next year for four years, people young and old will be marking the centenary in their own personal way. Communities will also be coming together to discover stories about their shared past and forging new relationships for the future.
Devon County Council has announced that it is making available £150,000 to the WW1 war memorials project. Organisations, including Town and Parish Councils responsible for the maintenance of public war memorials can apply for grants of between £750 to £3,000, on condition that they contribute at least 25% of the total cost of the restoration project.
As part of Devon’s Armed Forces Community Covenant, Devon County Council has teamed up with a range of organisations - including the Royal British Legion, Community Council of Devon, Exeter and Plymouth City Councils, Torbay Council, 43 Wessex Brigade, Royal Navy, Exeter University, Devon Museums Group, Devon Arts in Schools Initiative, trade union groups and local history societies - to instigate, support and co-ordinate community projects across Devon that commemorate the centenary. The project is called Devon Remembers, and its focus will initially be on the restoration of public war memorials that commemorate WW1. There were an estimated 2,000 war memorials created in Devon at the end of the Great War, in local communities, as well as by schools,
While many memorials survive and are maintained, many have fallen into disrepair and lie largely unnoticed.
Restoration can be of any kind designed to make the memorial clearer and more prominent in the community. They may include stone crosses, monoliths, plaques, or statues, and the funding could be used to improve the landscaping surrounding memorials. The grant will be administered by the Community Council for Devon on behalf of Devon County Council. Councillor Roger Croad, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for communities says “This will be a four year project, which we hope will touch every corner and every community of Devon. “We will be inviting those responsible
for the maintenance of public WW1 memorials to bid for a share of the funding available to restore them for the centenary commemoration. “Where memorials have fallen into disrepair and there appears to be no one responsible for their upkeep, we’re hopeful that the local community will rally together to organise the restoration.” Research Fellow at Exeter University and author of Lest Devon Forgets, Dr Todd Grey, says “Devon erected some 2,000 war memorials at the end of the Great War. Each and every one is different and a reflection of the place it was created. “Nearly one hundred years has passed and the forthcoming commemoration of the war presents us with an opportunity to look again at these monuments. “We have become so used to seeing these that we have stopped looking but the memorials are a significant reminder of what was a very dark period in the country’s history and should not be overlooked or forgotten.” For more information or to apply for funding to restore a public war memorial that commemorates WW1, please visit our website: http://tiny.cc/devonremembers
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Training & Events
Events Calendar December
March
3rd- New Clerks Short Course
5th- Fund It, Build It
South Brent Old School Centre For DALC Members only.
South Brent Old School Centre If you are planning a capital project in your community building, avoid the common pitfalls and benefit from the experience of our community buildings team, meet support agencies, funders and other halls going through the same process.
3rd- Financing Your Community Enterprise Community Council of Devon, Exeter A one day course aimed at community and social enterprises and charities exploring the skills and tools for developing new income streams, business plans, trading ideas and more.
5th- New Councillors Short Course Community Council of Devon, Exeter For DALC Members only.
9th- Rising to the Challenge Community Council of Devon, Exeter For DALC Members only.
11th (TBC)- Fund It, Build It Beaford Village Hall If you are planning a capital project in your community building, avoid the common pitfalls and benefit from the experience of our community buildings team, meet support agencies, funders and other halls going through the same process.
May 22nd to 24th- Devon County Show Westpoint, Exeter For the second year running, we will have a presence at the Devon County Show, where we will be meeting the public and telling them about the work that we do, as well as helping to facilitate a ‘show shop’.
September 25th- The annual Rural Futures conference Exeter Racecourse In 2014, our annual Rural Futures conference will be looking at how communities can respond to reduced services from the public sector.
For further information or to book on any of our training or events please visit our website: www.devonrcc.org.uk/events. Alternatively please call 01392 248919 or email info@devonrcc.org.uk. Bookings for all DALC events are through their website: www.devonalc.org.uk. Bookings for Healthwatch Devon events can be made through: www.healthwatchdevon.co.uk.
Fund It, Build It An essential course for communities involved in capital works projects
featured event
If you are planning a capital project in your community building, avoid the common pitfalls and benefit from the experience of our community buildings team, meet support agencies, funders and other halls going through the same process. This course will cover: Capital investment – when do you need it, and where can it come from Are you investment ready? Developing your capital investment plan An opportunity to ‘speed date’ with funders and support agencies Image © Pixelbliss - Fotolia
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Boxing Day Turkey Curry with braised rice, naan, and Curry mango chutney Boxing Dayraita Turkey with braised rice, naan, Boxing Dayraita Turkey with braised rice, naan, and Curry mango chutney Serves 6 Method: large pan, add the remaining Turkey neck (uncooked) and Place the chopped, uncooked raita 1 and mango chutney chopped onion and soften, then picked, 6 cooked meat Serves 225g easy cook long grainand rice Turkey neck (uncooked) Serves 6 75g butter picked, cooked meat Turkey neck (uncooked) and 3 tbsp olive oil long grain rice 225g easy cook picked, cooked meat 1½ Spanish 75g butter onions, peeled and 225g easy cook long grain rice 3chopped tbsp olive oil 75g butter 1 clove garlic, peeledpeeled and chopped 1½ Spanish onions, and 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated chopped 1½ Spanish onions, peeled and 1 small red chilli, seeds removed clove garlic, peeled and chopped chopped mild curry powder 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped tsp ground coriander 1½small red chilli, seeds removed 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated ½ tsp ground cumin 1 tsp mild curry powder 1 small red chilli, seeds removed turmeric ½ tsp ground coriander 1 tsp mild curry powder garam masala ½ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground coriander 1½large tin of coconut milk tsp ground turmeric ½ tsp ground cumin 125g cheese ½ tspcream garam masala ½ tsp ground turmeric 1Handful large tinofofchopped coconutcoriander milk ½ tsp garam masala 2-3 mint sprigs 125g cream cheese 1 large tin of coconut milk ¼ cucmber, peeled and chopped Handful of chopped coriander 125g cream cheese 400g natural yoghurt 2-3 mint sprigs Handful of chopped coriander 1¼vegetable cube cucmber,stock peeled and chopped 2-3 mint sprigs 1 jar mango 400g naturalchutney yoghurt ¼ cucmber, peeled and chopped breads as required 1Naan vegetable stock cube 400g natural yoghurt 110g dessicated coconut 1 jar mango chutney 1 vegetable stock cube Handful of dried or fresh chopped Naan breads as required 1 jar mango chutney fruitdessicated coconut 110g Naan breads as required Handful of dried or fresh chopped 110g dessicated coconut fruit Handful of dried or fresh chopped fruit
turkey neck into a large bowl Method: along the with half theuncooked garlic and 1 Place chopped, Method: ginger, and of the olive oil, turkey neckall into a large bowl 1 Place the chopped, uncooked chilli, garam masala, coriander, along with half the garlic and turkey neck into a large bowl cumin, and curry and oil, ginger, allpowder of the olive along with half the garlic and turmeric. chilli, garam masala, coriander, ginger, and all of the olive oil, 2 cumin, Soften 25g of powder the butter and curry and chilli, garam masala, coriander, one chopped onion with the turmeric. cumin, curry powder and of the ginger 2 rest Soften 25g garlic of theand butter and in a turmeric. largechopped saucepan. Addwith the turkey one onion the 2 Soften 25g of the butter and neckof but the and cooked turkey. rest thenot garlic ginger in a one chopped onion with the Gently fry for five minutes on large saucepan. Add the turkey rest of the garlic and ginger in a a medium heat, addturkey. the neck but not thethen cooked large saucepan. Add the turkey coconutfry milk, cheese,on Gently for cream five minutes neck but not the cooked turkey. stock cubeheat, and cover withthe a medium then add Gently fry for five minutes on water. Bring a simmer. coconut milk,tocream cheese, a medium heat, then add the 3 stock Covercube withand tin foil and place cover with coconut milk, cream cheese, in the oven at 190°C/Gas water. Bring to a simmer. Mark stock cube and cover with 5 for an hour. cooked, 3 Cover with tinWhen foil and place water. Bring to a simmer. add the already cooked turkey, in the oven at 190°C/Gas Mark 3 Cover with tin foil and place mix well and put back into 5 for an hour. When cooked,the in the oven at 190°C/Gas Mark oventhe until the turkey is turkey, tender. add already cooked 5 for an hour. When cooked, 4 mix About 20and minutes before the well put back into the add the already cooked turkey, curry is ready, rinse the rice a oven until the turkey is tender. mix well and put back into the few times under cold water. 4 About 20 minutes before the oven until the turkey is tender. 5 curry Melt the rest ofrinse the butter in aa is ready, the rice 4 About 20 minutes before the few times under cold water. curry is ready, rinse the rice a 5 Melt the rest of the butter in a few times under cold water. 27 5 Melt the rest of the butter in a
6 76 6 7 8 7 8 8 9 9 9
add the rice and mix well. Add large pan, add the remaining salt and pepper, cover withthen cold chopped onion and soften, large pan, add the remaining water, to the boil then add thebring rice and mix well. Add chopped onion and soften, then turnand down to a simmer, put cold salt pepper, cover with add the rice and mix well. Add the lid bring on and for then 10-15 water, toleave the boil salt and pepper, cover with cold minutes. Using a fork, mix turn down to a simmer, putonce water, bring to the boil then to see it’sand cooked, the lidifon leavereplace for 10-15the turn down to a simmer, put lid if not and cook until done, minutes. Using a fork, mix once the lid on and leave for 10-15 then put aside. to see if it’s cooked, replace the minutes. Using a fork, mix once Sprinkle naan breads with lid if not and cook until done, to see if it’s cooked, replace the waterput andaside. warm in the oven. then lid if not and cook until done, Make a raita bybreads mixing the Sprinkle naan with then put aside. yoghurt, cucumber and water anddiced warm in the oven. Sprinkle naan breads with chopped mint. Make a raita by mixing the water and warm in the oven. Put the rice intocucumber a warmedand yoghurt, diced Make a raita by mixing the serving dish, take the turkey chopped mint. yoghurt, diced cucumber and curry out ofinto the oven and check Put the rice a warmed chopped mint. the seasoning. If it’s too hot, serving dish, take the turkey Put the rice into a warmed add a little double cream a curry out of the oven andand check serving dish, take the turkey spoonful of mango the seasoning. If it’schutney. too hot, curry out of the oven and check Serve the curry sprinkled with add a little double cream and a the seasoning. If it’s too hot, chopped coriander, mango spoonful of mango chutney. add a little double cream and a chutney, rice,with Serve theraita, currybraised sprinkled spoonful of mango chutney. desiccated coconut, chopped chopped coriander, mango Serve the curry sprinkled with dried or fresh andrice, warm chutney, raita,fruit braised chopped coriander, mango naan breads. desiccated coconut, chopped chutney, raita, braised rice, dried or fresh fruit and warm desiccated coconut, chopped naan breads. dried or fresh fruit and warm naan breads.
27 Love Food Hate 21/10/2013 10:27Waste.indd 27
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Features
Features
Community action and local heritage prove fruitful for Holcombe Community Orchard Holcombe Community Orchard was featured in Village Green in summer 2012. At that time, the orchard had just signed up as members of our HogCO project and was busy trying to get plans for the orchard off the ground. A lot has happened in the last year and a half thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Holcombe community volunteers and we thought it would be worth catching up with them to find out how it all happened. The inspiration for the orchard was taken from a short memoir from Bryan Weston’s book “Captured in Time” about Holcombe village, located on the South Devon coast between Teignmouth and Dawlish. The memoir was written by Beatrice Cresswell in 1902, shortly after Queen Victoria’s jubilee. She described: “Holcombe valley is bespread with orchard lawns. May is the month in which to see it, when all around is a mass of rosy blossoms and the white wild narcissus, ‘butter and eggs’, flower under the trees” The orchards Beatrice writes about so eloquently are long gone but it is hoped that the new community orchard will recreate some idea of Holcombe’s past. Looking back over the last eighteen
months it seems remarkable how much has been achieved in such a short time which is a tribute to the core group of volunteers who have made it happen. The project started with a professional survey of the land and an initial plan to work from. Then the back-breaking work started. The land was cleared to create space and light for the first phase; brambles, nettles, ivy, saplings were cut and dug out (see picture below), and a number of more mature trees felled (mainly sycamore and dead elm). Tree stumps were removed, the land was graded and an entrance ramp constructed through the generous assistance of Bovis. The stumps were piled close to the orchard area to create a ‘stumpery’ which hopefully will form a good future ecoenvironment for beetles and other insects (more on these little guys in our next feature). Once cleared the land was sown with a pasture mix and then…. the day arrived. Saturday 6 December 2012 saw the opening of the Holcombe Community Orchard in Smugglers Lane and the planting of the first tranche of trees. Around 30 people attended the opening and local councillor, Humphrey Clemens, planted the first of the trees,
The wild and unmanaged space prior to clearing
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phase 2 of planting which has now more or less been completed. 200 hedging plants were also gifted from the Woodland Trust to complete the boundary hedging to make the future orchard more selfcontained. And of course there are more trees to come – the plan is to plant the next phase early in December; another 15-20 trees with a mix of half-standard and dwarf varieties. Then in January will be the orchard’s first ‘wassail’ to drive out evil spirits from the orchard and encourage growth and fertility.
Community Council of Devon – Village Green
To further reflect Holcombe’s heritage a violet nursery bed at the foot of the orchard has been established, stocked with donations from a number of people in the village. The idea is to gradually populate the banks with violets as they once were 80 years ago. The orchard as it looks currently
a Conference pear (pictured below). This was followed by some celebratory nibbles and mulled cider. Fourteen trees were planted in total, eight apple, three pear and three plum varieties. A range of varieties were planted to allow them to make an assessment of which fared best in the location. The trees survived their first winter and
blossomed nicely in the spring with a small crop of first fruit which were, of course, nipped in the bud. Then came the hot months of summer and a lush meadow emerged with plenty of clover and an abundance of poppies carpeting one side of the land as well.
The orchard have also developed a continuing relationship with Teignmouth TRAIL (the trail of recycled sculptures which you may have seen along Teignmouth seafront this summer) and have acquired three more pieces. Come to the orchard and you will be confronted
by a giant grasshopper and bee, amongst other interesting pieces of art (see picture below). Making the vision of the Orchard happen could not have been achieved without the tremendous support of a lot of people. The orchard has received professional advice and financial support from our HogCO project, serious practical assistance from Bovis, professional advice from Charles Staniland and of course a lot of hard graft from a core team of volunteers. There have also been individual financial contributions to help in the purchase of the trees, bulbs and grass seed. We can but wonder if Beatrice Cresswell were alive now whether she would enjoy the small memory of a historic Holcombe. For more information about our Home Grown Community Owned (HogCO) project, please visit: www.hogco-devonrcc.org.uk or contact Nemo Shaw: T: 01392 248919 ext*171 E: nemo@devonrcc.org.uk
Work started in spring this year to clear the top half of the land in readiness for
Cllr Humphrey Clemens plants the first tree with community volunteer, Neil Howell
Interesting sculptures can be found in the orchard, courtesy of Teignmouth TRAIL
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Features
Help our bees and put the buzz into your community! Creating a Community Meadow is a great way to create a buzz in your local area. It is also a way to help bees, butterflies and other wildlife. Wildflower-rich grasslands are essential for bees, butterflies, hoverflies and other pollinating insects. These pollinating insects are essential for the health of our countryside, and for keeping us fed. Buzzing bees and other pollinators spend the spring and summer months collecting nectar and pollen to feed their young, and in the process pollinate our wildflowers, garden plants and crops. In doing this, they play a vital role in the production of the food we eat. Without pollinators we would have no apples, cherries, tomatoes, courgettes or strawberries. In fact, most plants need help from pollinators to produce their fruit. These busy insects also pollinate eight out of ten wildflowers so help to maintain the colour in our countryside. But, our bees and other pollinating insects are in trouble, their populations have declined drastically in recent decades. Some species are at risk of extinction, and even more common insects are much reduced in number. This has happened due
to changes in the way we manage our countryside. Since World War Two we have lost vast areas of wildflower-rich grasslands – around 3 million hectares - and we are now left with only 3% of what we once had. An increase in the use of agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, and the loss of wild habitats to development have also taken their toll. Put simply, our pollinators need our help. They need more space to live and thrive; they need more wildflowers in our countryside and urban areas. By creating a community meadow, you can provide exactly that – a place rich in wildflowers which will act as a haven for our wildlife. A Community meadow can benefit people too, creating one can bring a community together and the vibrant colours and buzzing sounds of summer can be enjoyed by all. Buglife, and The Co-Operative’s Plan Bee initiative, have produced a guide to creating a Community Meadow – everything from what to plant, how to plant it, how to fund your project, when to cut your meadow, to what amazing insects might move in. All of this is available to download from the website www.buglife.org.uk. Please take a look and see how your community can help our bees!
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Features
10% of Devon households in Fuel Poverty Fuel Poverty affects 10% of the households in Devon. That means a lot of the people you know can’t afford to stay warm and well this winter. What can be done to help? This summer the Government published a paper called Fuel Poverty: a Framework for Future Action (July 2013). In his introduction, Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, said “Fuel poverty is a real and serious problem faced by millions of households in the UK today. It is a problem that leaves many facing difficult choices about where to spend their limited income. It leaves many fearing for their health or the health of their children as they live in a home seemingly impossible to heat.” The document introduces a new definition of Fuel Poverty. The previous definition was fairly simple and said “A household
is fuel poor if it needs to spend more than 10 per cent of its income on keeping warm.” The new definition, which the Government thinks will give a more accurate position, although perhaps not as easy to understand, says: “A household is fuel poor if: • Their income is below the poverty line (taking into account energy costs); and • Their energy costs are higher than is typical for their household type.” Recalculating the 2011 figures for Fuel Poverty in England under the new definition reduced the figure from 3.2 million but still shows 2.4 million households as Fuel Poor with 49,000 of these across Devon. This equates to 10% of all households.
What is the Community Council of Devon doing? Energy Best Deal
The Devon Oil Collective
A series of presentations for individuals and support organisations aimed at:
Many people in Devon still rely on oil fired boilers to provide heating and hot water.
Making homes more energy efficient and reducing the amount of energy needed to keep homes warm. Ensuring customers get the best possible deal from their energy suppliers. Helping people to switch to a different energy supplier to get a better (cheaper) deal. Looking at the Government initiatives of the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).
The Devon Oil Collective is a membership organisation that bulk buys heating oil and keeps the prices low. So far this year we have ordered over 510,000 litres of oil for our customers and saved them an estimated £22,400. That’s an average of £44 you could save on each 1,000 litres of oil you buy.
Help us to help people who need help We want to talk to your community. Do you run clubs or groups that we could come and meet with? Can you bring people together so that we can come along and assist them? Do you want to find out how we can help each other? For more information or to organise an event please contact us on 01392 248919 or email info@devonrcc.org.uk.
You too can join the Devon Oil Collective through our website www.devonrcc.org.uk/c/63/the-devon-oil-collective or by calling 01392 248919 ext*290.
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Features
Features
Our annual Rural Futures conference: ‘A sense of place’ Sixty delegates from across Devon, representing local communities, organisations and service providers, attended this year’s Rural Futures conference at Exeter Racecourse in September. Entitled ‘A sense of place’ the theme examined the challenges to the individual identities of Devon’s rural communities. Recession, demographics and globalisation present challenges to the present perceptions of local identity. How could communities ‘helping themselves’ retain their sense of place? We invited a number of speakers to step up onto our soapbox and address the audience. We started the conference in philosophical mood as Rev. Dr. Adrian Hough mused on the premise that ‘difference’ was all in the mind. His thoughtful and provocative considerations stirred the audience and set a high bar for others to follow. Neighbourhood Planning is ‘new’ and is raising interest amongst Devon’s larger communities. Charlotte Dring from the Department for Communities and Local Government took the stage to paint the picture so far and to field some penetrating
more resources into frontline police work. He noted that communities could become more involved in their own security both as a way to strengthen their cohesion and to mitigate the impact of budget reductions.
questions from delegates. Catherine Prisk, Director of Play England (pictured above) came to take up the challenge of persuading rural communities to actively create and promote play opportunities, not simply to rely on the perception that the countryside is a good place to play. She emphasised the importance of play to learning and developing social skills and the importance of creating a balance between managed and creative play opportunities.
One of Devon’s proudest statistics is that it has the greatest number of community shops of all counties. James Alcock, Head of Frontline at Plunkett Foundation, acknowledged the work of our Community Enterprise team in helping local groups move their projects forward and get their enterprises up and running. His message was one of hope as very few community shops had failed and many
were increasing their levels of activity. The day concluded with a presentation from John Smith, Devon County Council’s Head of Services for Communities. He outlined the ‘life changing’ reductions in the County Council’s income that would exceed any more cost saving measures that the Council might achieve, meaning that a total review of the range and methods of service delivery is required. John reflected on the need for all the agencies to act together to give communities the best chance of responding effectively to a new era of ‘smaller state’ and on the urgency for communities to prepare themselves.
Celebrating Devon’s Hallmark housing heroes Awards Two successful affordable housing projects were awarded a Devon Rural Housing Award at the 2013 annual Rural Futures conference on 12 September.
Christow Community Land Trust won the Most Effective Community Award. The judges particularly wished to commend the tenacity of those involved within this project. Philip Wagstaff said “The complexity of this project was recognised from the start and the process was driven by local people (initially from the enthusiasm of an individual). Innovative processes are part of this project, as is seen by the Passivhaus concepts for delivery of low energy and therefore low running costs for residents.” You can read more about Christow’s ongoing success on page 13. Peter Roper, Parish Clerk for Slapton won the award for the Most Inspirational Individual. The judges were particularly impressed by the community-led nature of the project. “As Parish Clerk, Peter has a leadership role in the community. He has developed the team and has been able to liaise with statutory agencies in driving this project forward. He has showed great tenacity and leadership in keeping faith with this project seeing what it means for the people of the village.”
Hallmark 1 Buckland Chapel Trust Burrington Village Hall Meavy Village Hall
Hallmark 2 Burrington Village Hall
Peter Roper from Slapton, Simon Lee and Briony Falch from Christow
Community Council of Devon – Village Green
Congratulations to the awardees on their achievements!
The awards are organised by our Rural Housing Team who would like to thank Southwestern Housing Society, Cornerstone and Guinness Hermitage for sponsoring the awards this year. They would also like to thank the judges who were Rev Philip Wagstaff, Superintendent Methodist Minister in Devon, Matt Dodd from the Homes and Communities Agency and Richard Yarwood from Plymouth University.
Next year’s Rural Futures Conference will be held at Exeter Racecourse on Thursday 25 September, when we will be looking at how communities can respond to reduced services from the public sector. Further details will be available in the next issue of Village Green.
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After a busy year working on their Hallmark assessments, the following community buildings were presented with their certificates at the Rural Futures conference on 12 September.
The Award Ceremony took place at our Annual Conference with Devon County Council’s Head of Services for Communities, John Smith, presenting the winners with their awards.
We taunted the new Police & Crime Commissioner that the countryside was not getting enough policing. Tony Hogg responded by illustrating how he had required the Chief Constable to bring
Got a burning topic you would like covered at the 2014 conference? Let us know if you have any ideas or something you would like us to cover by emailing your suggestions to: haveyoursay@devonrcc.org.uk
The aim of Hallmark is to recognise the good and hard work undertaken by volunteer management committees and to encourage improvement and development. Hallmark acts as a signpost and a beacon to both the local community, partners and funders. It shows that committees are managed correctly and are meeting all their legal obligations.
If your community building is interested in undertaking this quality assurance scheme and influencing your users, partners and funders, please contact the Community Buildings Team on 01392 248919 ext*240 or email davidk@devonrcc.org.uk
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Updates and information
Next stage for Broadhembury Memorial Hall Broadhembury Memorial Hall has made it through to the third round of the Big Lottery Reaching Communities Buildings Grant Programme. This is an exciting threshold for the community who are really hoping to convince the Big Lottery that their project should be awarded the funding that they so dearly need to transform the opportunities in the Parish. If successful they plan to knock down their old dilapidated building and build a new purpose built community centre (see image right). The community have been raising funds and developing the ideas for the new centre since the Millennium as the existing village hall, which had been built and donated as a gift to the community by returning soldiers from World War I, had fallen into a state of disrepair.
group known as the ‘Broadhembury Community Centre Project’, who researched the options and worked with closely with the community to develop the idea. They also enlisted the support our Catalyst consultancy service, who helped with a detailed household survey, report and eventually took the lead on designing and writing the successful Stage 2 Lottery application. The new centre promises much better local facilities and enhanced services
To assist them in their mission, the Trustees of the hall set up a new sub
for this isolated community which will empower them to take a key role in designing and delivering services, assisting with maintenance and looking after the hall, as well as starting up new groups, clubs and societies. Catalyst have again been supporting Broadhembury on the third and final stage of this application process, but there are no guarantees and this is a highly competitive grant programme. So keep your fingers crossed for Broadhembury!
The proposed replacement Village Hall
Planning permission granted for eco-homes in Christow Christow Community Land Trust, along with its partners Teign Housing, has succeeded in gaining planning permission for 18 dwellings. All the dwellings will be built to very high energy-saving specifications and the majority will achieve full PassivHaus standards, the most exacting ecological standard available. Dartmoor National Park has granted full planning permission for the scheme which will provide affordable rented housing for 14 families and puts 4 more properties on to the market for intermediate housing for eligible people. The vote at the Planning Committee meeting on Friday 4th October was unanimous in support for the plan and Dartmoor National Park Members lined up to praise the development. The final details of the conditions under which the houses will be let or sold are still being finalised but the Community Land Trust and Teign Housing are confident that agreement can be reached with the National Park. Building work began at the end of November and the scheme will be completed by March 2015 at the latest.
Christow CLT Chair, Pamela Woods, said after the meeting: “This is a historic day. We have consulted widely with our local community every step of the way and we’ve had enormous support from the village for this development. These homes are urgently needed so that local people can stay in the village, ensuring that Christow remains a diverse community. What’s more, we believe that this will be the first PassivHaus development built in any National Park anywhere in the world, and the advantages for the tenants and the purchasers will be enormous. It costs less than £100 per annum in total energy costs to live in a PassivHaus property and in these days of high energy costs and fuel poverty, that’s very important indeed.” Support for the scheme also came from Christow Parish Council and through numerous letters from local people. The manner and style of the way in which the Community Land Trust involved the whole community in the development is being seen as a major step forward by Housing Associations and planners. This initiative has already won a Devon Rural Housing Award and is being regarded as a template for future developments in the area.
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Updates and information
New National Empty Homes Loan Fund Launched Four Devon Authorities are signed up to an innovative new scheme aimed at bringing some of England’s 710,000 empty homes back into use. There are more than 68,000 homes standing empty in the South West and the new scheme aims to bring some of the empty homes back into circulation to provide much needed homes within the area. Torridge, Teignbridge, Exeter and Plymouth councils are all taking part. In a joint initiative between the local authorities, the charity Empty Homes, central government and the Ecology Building Society, the scheme will provide loans of up to £15,000 to owners of empty properties to help bring them back into affordable use. Currently, owners of empty homes are often unable to access funds to bring the properties back into use, creating a vicious cycle of decline in areas with high numbers of empty properties.
Small grants for safer communities Community groups in Devon and Cornwall are been given the chance to apply for funding for work that focuses on reducing crime and making people feel safer. The Police & Crime Commissioner’s small grant scheme supports the pledge to put charitable and community organisations at the heart of policing. Mr Hogg promised to find new ways to help organisations to help themselves and the grant scheme aims to encourage this by providing grass-roots funding. Groups are invited to bid for grants of up to £5,000 for projects which will have a positive impact on crime prevention, safeguarding the vulnerable or community safety. The scheme has £200,000 to award in total with half that figure expected to be given in the first 12 months. The first deadline has already passed and the successful groups will be announced in the near future. The second round is currently open for applications and the deadline is 31 May 2014. For further information please visit: http://tiny.cc/PCC-SGS
The National Empty Homes Loan Fund (NEHLF), will enable access to secured loans at a fixed 5% interest rate, and will enable owners to renovate the property to Decent Homes standard. The NEHLF has been funded by a grant of £3 million from central government and is being administered by Ecology Building Society, a specialist mortgage lender that supports sustainable communities. It should provide funding for hundreds of properties and is available to individuals aged 18 and over who own a property that has been empty for 6 months or more. Councillor David Lausen from Torridge District Council said “We know that many empty properties exist within our area because owners simply do not have the money that is required to bring them back up to a habitable standard and this initiative will make a start on tackling this.” Individuals can either apply for the loan through their participating local authority or if their local authority is not yet a member of the scheme, directly through Ecology Building Society. Normal identification checks and affordability criteria will apply. Full details of the scheme can be found at www.emptyhomes.com and www.ecology.co.uk/emptyhomes
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Noticeboard
Join the Community Council team We have an exciting opportunity to be part of a diverse, dynamic & dedicated team delivering first class services to people & communities across Devon. The role of Senior Projects Officer is intended to be adaptable, focussing on a wide portfolio of activities to enable the Community Council to respond to the evolving policy and programme context for Devon’s communities. You should have experience of community development and project management, the ability to deliver technical advice and support and the capacity to operate strategically. The closing date for applications is midday on 16 December 2013 and interviews are scheduled for Wednesday 8 January 2014. For further details and to apply, please visit: www.devonrcc.org.uk/c/30/vacancies
Community Grants Scheme deadline The next deadline for applications to the Community Grants Scheme will be 31 January 2014. Detailed support in preparing your application is available to Full Members of the Community Council of Devon. For details on how to become a member, please visit: www.devonrcc.org.uk/c/27/membership For an application form and guidance notes, please visit: www.devonrcc.org.uk/c/37/county-grant-scheme-for-community-buildings
Office closure over the Christmas period The Community Council of Devon offices will be shut for the Christmas period from 5pm on 23 December and will re-open in the new year at 9am on Thursday 2 January. May we take this opportunity to thank you for all of your support over the last year and to wish you every happiness this festive season and into 2014.
Image © gunnar3000 - Fotolia.com
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