Yes spring is here and we’re coming out of lockdown!
Woooohooooo!
Thank you to everyone who's played a role in making Planet Purbeck the movement it is today. My personal highlights are being part of the Planet Purbeck zoom events, watching 150 + people from all areas of our community working together, enjoying each other's company and having fun.
I have also been amazed by how quickly the movement is growing with almost 500 supporters now, 60 active members on our teams, 150 people coming to our zoom events and new people joining everyday
We are a really open group of people and we always welcome new people and ideas! There is so much you can get involved with: festival & events, fundraising, media & marketing land use & wildlife, youth group and campaigns.
We want the future of Purbeck to have: Less Waste & Traffic, More Wildlife, Cleaner Air & Rivers, Food & Energy Independence and Tourism that works for all! If you want this too, come and join us! It's simple, just click HERE.
- Rob Waitt, Core Team & Events Coordinator
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Planet Purbeck Youth Group
An environmental voice and action group for young people in Purbeck! This group is run by young people for young people. It’s a place to share your voice, come up with ideas and make real change.
The group will be facilitated by Planet Purbeck, National Trust, Leeson House and Dorset Wellbeing. Experts from each organisation will provide advice and steering, but it is up to the youth to put in the work and make the difference.
If you know someone 12-16 years old who would like to get involved, please email Julia!
Contact:
- Julia Galbenu - julia.galbenu@nationaltrust.org.uk
Funding Team
The Planet Purbeck fundraising team is kicking off this month. We won’t always need money to make change happen, but it’s probably going to help! If you’d like to get involved in financing the movement and making a difference please do get in touch with Tom. If you have previous experience, that would be amazing!
Contact:
- Tom Clarke Funding Team Coordinator - tom.clarke@nationaltrust.org.uk
Media Team
Over the last month, we’ve been promoting our hugely popular open meetings on Biodiversity and Ecotourism, we’ve released a series of short films from the core team on what Planet Purbeck means to them and we’ve been making the front page of local newspapers and websites because of all this activity.
The Media Team has been increasing in size as new members contribute their ideas, skills and personal networks to the group.
If you or your organisation or business is making a positive contribution to the environment in our local area why not let us know about it?
Contact:
- Dean Storer and Heidi Florence Media Coordinators - media@planetpurbeck.org
Legal & Finance
We are a company! Planet Purbeck C.I.C. (Community Interest Company) has been established and can now undertake a number of activities, including entering into binding legal contracts with other companies and businesses, and responding in our own right to consultations such as the Dorset Local Plan, as well as lobbying the Council, MPs, Government etc. in our own name. We can build a brand, reputation and image around a clearly identifiable legal entity, which can establish its own voice in the environmental/climate crisis community, and with the assurance that the establishment of a registered company brings, we have a more credible proposition for sponsors, donors etc.
What's next?
We can set about opening a company bank account enabling the company to receive funds from sponsors, donors and its own fundraising activities. Work is also in hand on drafting the legal documents that will be required for Supporters of The Planet Purbeck Festival in September, as well as reviewing the requirements of Swanage Town Council.
Contact:
- Steve Hutchings and Greg Bemment Legal and Finance Coordinators - media@planetpurbeck.org
Campaigns Team (formerly known as the lobbying team)
Enormous thanks to everyone who contributed their time and effort to create the Planet Purbeck response to the Dorset Local Plan consultation, which was submitted by the deadline; an article based on that response will be available soon on the website. Planet Purbeck members also contributed to a User Friendly Guide for the Dorset Local Plan with Dorset Climate Action Network, which has been well received.
Two things you can do to help right now:
1. Sign and share THIS PETITION asking Dorset MPs to support the CEE Bill
2. Write to your MP asking them to support the CEE Bill - DETAILS HERE
A member of the team has also written to Richard Drax to ask for his support for the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill on behalf of Planet Purbeck.
Contact:
- Helen Sumbler & Dave Pratten Campaigns Team Coordinators - campaigns@planetpurbeck.org
Land Use Team
We are here to connect and support people living in Purbeck with projects that will make the land better for nature, climate change and people. We want to work with landowners to help them get the message out to the local community about restorative land use happening in our local area.
Two things you can do to help:
1. We plan to initiate a Purbeck hedgerow and linear woodland planting project next season, inviting community participation to bring back native hedgerows and trees to our countryside. We want to see blossom, butterflies, birds and blackberries along public rights of way as well as field boundaries. Let us know if you have any stretches of land that could be incorporated, and we’ll provide funding solutions and volunteers wanting to get their hands dirty.
2. Join Our next meeting at 7pm on Wednesday 12th May. We'll be making plans to visit estates, farmers and small landholders to share best practice and foster collaboration, in advance of ideally opening doors to the public during Planet Purbeck’s Environmental Week in September, to celebrate what is already being achieved.
Contact
Alexia Haysom Land Use Team Coordinator - media@planetpurbeck.org
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The Planet Purbeck Festival 20th - 26th Sept 2021
Our enthusiastic team reorganised the Planet Purbeck Festival for the week of 20-26th September 2021. It’s really happening!
Our new strategy for this year is to promote self-managed and self-financed community-led events all over the Isle of Purbeck. Our role will be to coordinate, communicate and publicise all these events.
How can you get involved?
We have organised three key planning meetings, please join us!
1. Festival Planning Meeting
Wed 31st March 7:00- 8.30pm + Bonus Virtual Café/Pub
Join HERE via Zoom.
2. Festival Showcase Meeting
Wed 7th April 7:00- 8.30pm + Bonus Virtual Café/Pub
Join HERE via Zoom.
3. Brainstorming Event
Wed 21st April 7- 8.30pm + Bonus Virtual Café/Pub
We want to hear your ideas about how we can make this Festival a success for everyone who loves Purbeck. Please encourage everyone you know to attend this event. The more voices we hear the better!
Join HERE via Zoom
Contact:
- Doug Skinner Festival Coordinator - events@planetpurbeck.org
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We are pleased to announce the Parish Council has now agreed to a Giki Zero Pro Pilot Scheme, and we are looking forward to empowering householders to reduce their carbon footprint and gathering anonymised data on their progress.
We are progressing with a number of exciting biodiversity projects, including creating a seed circle, an area for a tree nursery and hopefully some planting at Kimmeridge and St Edwards Church Lawns.
We’ve arranged a meeting with Dorset Council to seek some answers to general planning queries regarding solar panels in the parish.
Also coming soon “The Secret Field”.
Want to join us?
We meet monthly on the 2nd Thursday; to join or find out more drop us an email.
Contact:
- Josephine Parish, Helen Sumbler & Luke M Luke - corfecastlepc@aol.com
Our Purbeck Transport Strategy has now been submitted to Dorset Council and a summary provided as input to the Dorset Local Plan. You can contact Nick for a copy of the Strategy.
A Dorset '20's Plenty' campaign has been set up to support communities trying to introduce 20 mph limits. Contact dilysgartside@gmail.com if you would like to support this.
Contact:
- Nick Ward Chairman - nick.ward@myphone.coop
At Leeson House, we have been working hard to push forward with educating school groups/young people about the Climate and Ecological emergency. As part of this, we have almost finished creating a full day of educational workshops aimed at year 7s and 8s, which includes what they can do to help. We trialled one of the workshops with a Dorset school and it was well-received. We have also been talking to various people about tailoring these workshops for adult groups.
Please follow us on Twitter @LeesonHouse to stay up to date with what we are doing.
Contact
- Peter Boorman Field Studies Tutor - Peter.Boorman@dorsetcc.gov.uk
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It’s been a busy month for us at National Trust. We’re working on the prep to bring cows back into the Studland dunes, getting a license for our beaver release (you may have heard about it) and we’ve completed loads of habitat works out across the whole estate in time for the breeding season to start. We’ve removed lots of fences across the heaths in time for the single grazing unit to come in on the western Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve.
It’s very busy. We’re also trying to look after our resilience as we’re facing a very busy summer for visitors again this year… if you see one of my colleagues say something nice to them, they probably need it!
Contact:
- Tom Clarke National Trust Community Engagement Officer for Purbeck - Tom.Clarke@nationaltrust.org.uk
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Wanting to increase the amount of renewable energy produced in Purbeck, PEG researched how solar panels could be made more affordable. We came across the ‘Solar Streets’ scheme where bulk buying allows the installer, IDDEA, to offer discounts.
Two weeks ago Solar Streets Swanage launched with a presentation about IDDEA’s scheme followed by a Q&A. Even before the launch, there was lots of interest, with 8 surveys done and one installation completed!
You can find information about the scheme and a recording of the launch on the Solar Swanage website. Do your research to make sure solar is right for you and be sure to get quotes from other installers too.
For the moment the scheme applies to Swanage and surrounding villages, but the Wareham area may want to be next in line.
Contact:
- Lucinda Neall - lucinda@neallscott.co.uk
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St Nicholas Church, Worth Matravers has just earned a Silver Award in the A Rocha Eco Church scheme. The Eco Church project started 5 years ago and there are now more than 1000 UK churches involved. The project's purpose is to empower churches to care for God's world in worship and teaching, looking after the buildings and land, engaging with the local community and global campaigns and in the personal lifestyles of the congregation. It stimulates many questions from the seemingly mundane 'How green are our cleaning materials? Should we stop using Oasis in flower arrangements? (Yes!)' to bigger issues of choosing an ethical bank account, a renewable energy provider, or backing Dorset Council in their declaration of a Climate and Ecological Emergency.
A Silver award is great news, recognising the efforts that have been put in by the church and community, but we're going for Gold!
Contact
- Kathy Hollidge - media@planetpurbeck.org
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The Downs Local Nature Reserve online meeting took place this week. See our social media for updates and outcomes.
Greening project updates: 10 fruit and nut trees were planted at Prospect Green in early March and we look forward to seeing these trees blossom in the coming weeks. The next step is to lay out the meadow areas, the site will be developed with the community over a number of years and an information board installed soon.
Wildlife Surveys: Another big project for the summer at The Downs and other green spaces in the town, this includes a regular butterfly survey and monitoring swifts.
Active Travel: we have a new sub-group working on projects to encourage more use of walking and cycling with the aim to reduce cars on the roads. We are researching and working on several projects and campaigns including idling, promoting walking to school, co-wheels and bike racks.
Visit our website HERE. and follow us on Facebook ,Twitter and Insta.
Contact:
- Sarah Spurling - sarah.spurling@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
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These are exciting times as we move to the next phase of Greengage Community Garden Swanage. We are planning to increase the number of days we can open, increasing the scope of what we do and expanding our links with the community here in Swanage.
At the centre of the garden will always be a warm welcome, a safe place and somewhere where people can grow. The greenhouse will be full of plants and we continue to grow veg of all types, herbs, soft fruit and much more beside. When we can meet please come and see what we do... you will be very welcome.
When lockdowns are fully over we will, initially, meet every Friday from 10 until 3 but we are also planning a Facebook page which should give up to date information.
Contact:
Bob Walters
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Tues 19th Jan 7:00 - 9:00pm
Join the event HERE
Everyone is welcome to join the next monthly Dorset CAN meeting.
We've been busy getting ready for a county wide roll out of the Conservation School Award following a successful 3-year pilot programme. Please help us reach out to schools in Purbeck!
So we now want to start the Dorset roll out on our home turf by asking you to help us reach out to all the schools in Purbeck - every nursery, primary and secondary school to invite them to join the Operation Future Hope initiative.
We are aware that some schools are already doing wonderful things in their grounds to create a haven for nature, and we would like to help those schools do even more, and, most importantly, for all participating schools to have access to our new and dynamic ecological education programme. Our vision is to see all schools become places where young people learn to understand the primary importance of nature and become inspired to take action to restore and protect wildlife and the habitats they depend upon. If you resonate with this vision and can help us to connect with schools in Purbeck, then we would love to hear from you!
Contact:
- Lesley Malpas CEO and Founder - hello@operationfuturehope.org
Visit our website >
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The current focus is on drafting the 2021 Report. Opportunities to contribute to this and to provide case studies or evidence of current initiatives in the county that support the drive to zero will be open to everyone. Keep an eye out for workshop invites.
Contact:
- Mark Chivers - Co-founder & Project Lead: Zero Carbon Dorset - markchivers@zcd.org.uk
Visit our website >
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The GND campaign recognises that the climate crisis will not be solved without significant Government intervention and that solutions also must and can address our issues of social justice and inequality. The current Green Jobs For All campaign, with days of action on March 23rd and April 24th , aims to raise awareness of the specific jobs that can be created at constituency level in the climate, low carbon and care sectors if Government investment is focused on genuinely building back better.
Contact:
- Mark Chivers - Volunteer National Coordinator UK: The Climate Reality Project Europe - markchivers@zcd.org.uk
Follow us on Facebook >
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Reading/listening/learning this month
- Reading The Climate Commons: How communities can thrive in a climate-changing world.
- Catching up on the Q&A from our Beaver Fever event now on our website.
- Being inspired and taking action using this easy guide compiled by Planet Purbeck member and Greenpeace Speaker Doug Skinner.
- Listening to Ninebarrow, a Dorset-based folk duo named after Nine Barrow Down in the Purbeck hills who have planted a woodland. Watch them on BBC 1 at 6pm on Countryfile.
Purbeck Planet Is Here To Help YOU!!!
If you're part of an organisation or a local group, this is YOUR opportunity to get your message out to Purbeck residents, network and help achieve your goals, Planet Purbeck is here to help!
Together We Are Stronger
Thank you for reading
The Planet Purbeck Team
Copyright © 2021 Planet Purbeck, All rights reserved.
If you'd like to be included in our next newsletter or have any feedback please contact:
media@planetpurbeck.org
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