Tuesday 25th October, 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Herb Garden Café
Free admittance includes hot drink and cake served at 7pm.
All are welcome!
We invite you to a talk by David Edwards about the work of the Heart of Wales Line Development Company Ltd which is a Community Business Unit Trailblazer.
David's talk will explain the work of the company and describe some of its current schemes, such as their new caboose. The rail franchise for the Wales and Borders area is due for renewal soon, and David will also talk about how the company is working to get the best from that process.
About the speaker
David is Chairman of the Development Company. He started his career as a British Rail Management Trainee but denationalised himself and has worked as a trainer, management consultant and marketing specialist in a variety of sectors.
He now concentrates on the not for profit sector and is keen to ensure that the Heart of Wales line is used to maximum effect in aiding the regeneration of the businesses and communities along its route. .
You can download a poster to help promote this event.
Further information
A copy of David's presentation, "The Socially Enterprising Railway", is available to download.
Renewing the franchise for the Heart of Wales Line
David has provided contact details for any enquiries relating to the franchise renewal:
Transport for Wales This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Contact details of companies preparing bids for the franchise:
MTR This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Keolis This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (consultants acting on behalf of Keolis)
Abellio This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Arriva This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The above bidders have all now been approved and are working on their 'initial solutions'. Send in your suggestions for ways in which the current operation needs to be improved.
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Tuesday 27th September, 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Herb Garden Café
Free admittance includes hot drink and cake served at 7pm.
All are welcome!
We invite you to a talk by Peter Hughes about the Welsh Government Warm Homes Nest scheme.
Nest is open to all householders in Wales and provides advice on saving energy, money management, energy tariffs, and benefit entitlement.
In addition to free advice, if you own or privately rent your home and you or someone you live with receives a means tested benefit you may be eligible for home improvements at no cost. These may include a new central heating boiler, loft insulation, or cavity wall and solid wall insulation.
Over the last 5 years 85,000 householders have contacted Nest. 23,700 have received free home improvements and saved an average of £408 on their energy bills.
Come and learn about ways to reduce your heating bills and discover if you too could be eligible for free improvements.
About the speaker
Peter Hughes works with the Energy Saving Trust on the Nest Scheme as Partnership Development Manager for the Mid and West Wales area. His research experience encompasses behaviour change and environmental politics.
He has previously worked as Project Co-ordinator and Home Energy Coach with Ymlaen Ceredigion in the promotion of sustainable energy behaviours and community fuel networks.
You can download a poster and a leaflet to help promote this event.
Further Reading
Following the meeting, Peter has provided a number of useful resources:
A copy of the slides he showed at the meeting
The latest Nest Partner bulletin
The Nest FAQ document which deals with questions about the scheme which regulalry crop up
The Nest guide to E, F and G property energy efficiency rating
The Nest Home Energy Checklist which covers the information you will need when seeking support through Nest
Nest Consultation
The Welsh Government are currently consulting about a future demand-led energy efficiency and fuel poverty scheme to succeed the current Nest scheme.
You can respond to the consultation here. Responses must be received by 19th October 2016.
Energy Best Deal
Citizens Advice has been working on the Energy Best Deal public awareness campaign since 2008. The The campaign aims to:
- make people aware of the savings that can be made by switching fuel providers
- provide information about help available from energy suppliers and government for people struggling to pay their gas and electricity bills
- inform consumers about how they might save money by using less energy
Citizens Advice Powys carry out Energy Best Deal appointments throughout Powys. The contact number for the Energy Best Deal line is 01686 617667
More information on the Citizens Advice website.
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Tuesday 23rd August, 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Herb Garden Café
Free admittance includes hot drink and cake served at 7pm.
All are welcome!
The global climate system is under ever-increasing pressure from human activities and internal feedbacks are now beginning to accelerate the changes.
This is particularly true in the critical area of the Arctic. In 2012 northern sea ice fell to a spectacular new record low leading to dire prognostications and predictions of imminent collapse.
Although the worst-case scenario hasn't yet happened, the trends are growing clearer with each year and the news isn't what you'd call comforting.
This talk is an update on climate change, particularly regarding the state of the Arctic, and discussing where the changes are heading. It will also try to address what we can expect over the coming decade… and what we simply don't know and can't yet predict.
About the speaker
Joe Botting is a Llandrindod-based palaeontologist and naturalist, with a long interest in environmental matters. He certainly isn't a professional climatologist, but has been closely following what is going on for some years.
Given the message from this talk, you might be surprised to hear that he's not naturally a pessimist.
You can download a poster and a leaflet to help promote this event.
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Tuesday 26th July, 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Herb Garden Café
Free admittance includes hot drink and cake served at 7pm.
All are welcome!
Why are more and more people eating supermarket waste? … and why does our food system generate so much waste anyway?
We invite you to a talk by Charlie Spring about her research on efforts to feed surplus food to people. You'll learn about the causes of food waste throughout the food supply chain and hear about solutions for creating an environmentally sound and socially just food system.
Charlie will talk about research for her PhD on efforts to feed surplus food to people, from foodbanks to 'food waste cafes'. Her research has taken her from Manchester convents to anti-hunger activists and anarchist chefs in North America.
About the speaker
Charlie spent her teens in Presteigne and came back to mid-Wales in her mid-twenties to try living off the land.
She moved to Manchester to run a sustainability engagement programme at Salford University. She's now in her second year of a PhD exploring 'surplus food redistribution in the North of England'. She recently completed a Churchill Fellowship to the US and Canada to learn about their well-established history of food banking and anti-hunger advocacy.
You can download a poster and a leaflet to help promote this event.
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Tuesday 28th June, 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Herb Garden Café
Free admittance includes hot drink and cake served at 7pm.
All are welcome!
We invite you to a talk by Sally Owen about the properties and value of many common “weeds” that you can find growing enthusiastically in gardens, hedgerows and wild places.
Sally's talk will cover the history of herbal medicines, give you a few ideas of ways you might use herbs in your home, and why you should welcome herbs into your garden.
About the speaker
Sally Owen is a retired member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists. She practiced locally for 20 years and lives on a small holding near Builth Wells where she collects herb plants and encourages wild life.
Please download a poster and display locally to help promote the event
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