Category: Events

Our autumn energy advice and retrofit programme

By Kate Royston

Are you interested in energy saving and improving the energy efficiency of your home or business?

Come along to one of our events and have a chat …

You may be thinking about options for saving energy and improving the energy efficiency of your home (retrofitting), but not sure where to start.

Here at Tamar Energy Community we’d like to see what we can do to help. We’ve arranged a number of events to meet you and have a chat, with information stands to browse.

We’re kicking off in Great Big Green Week with an information display in Tavistock Library, available from Sat. 24th September through to Sat. 1st October. You can also find us on the 24th Sept at Tavistock Farmers Market (tbc) and the Okehampton Coffee Morning.

We’re going online on Fri. 30th Sep (19:00) with a discussion about retrofitting your home (or business) in practice. You can book via Eventbrite. Here’s the link: https://Retrofitting-Your-Home-In-Practice-Sep22.eventbrite.co.uk

Our first Energy and Retrofit Fair in Okehampton will be at the Ockment Centre on Sat. 22nd October (10:00-14:00). You can find out more here: https://tamarenergycommunity.com/okehampton-retrofit-and-energy-fair-2022/ ; and our annual Tamar Energy Fest will be at Butchers’ Hall in Tavistock on Sat. 12th November (10:00-15:00). You can find out more here: https://tamarenergycommunity.com/tamar-energy-fest-2022/

Do come along!

If you would like to host our information display in a community space local to you, get in touch and we’ll see what we can arrange. Email hello@tamarenergycommunity.com.

Tamar Energy Fest 2021 on Sat. Nov 13th

Tamar Energy Fest 2021 on Sat. Nov 13th

By Kate Royston

This year’s Tamar Energy Fest will be held on Saturday Nov. 13th in Butchers’ Hall, Tavistock.

The event is on the last day of the COP26 climate conference, so we feel its apt to embrace its theme of ‘Together for Our Planet’.

Find out more here.

If you’d like to get involved we’d love to hear from you.

We’re keen to hear from exhibitors able to share advice and support to for our journey’s towards low/zero carbon healthy homes, businesses etc. and/or support low/zero carbon lives.

We’d also love to hear from you if you’d like to help us organise and run the event and/or work with us in other ways.

You can download a Booking Form here as a word doc or here as a pdf.

If you have any questions or you’re able to get involved please email hello@tamarenergycommunity.com. 

Retrofitting your Home. What’s it all about?

Retrofitting your Home. What’s it all about?

By Kate Royston

We’re being encouraged to improve the energy efficiency of our homes. What does this mean for me in practice?

We held a Zoom talk in late September to discuss the topic and to learn more about the practicalities of retrofitting your home, and the importance of taking a whole house approach.

You can download the presentation here.

We’re working with Devon County Council and our Community Energy colleagues across Devon to launch a Retrofit Service for Devon in spring 2022. This will provide a ‘one front door’ approach for retrofit advice and support.

If you’d like to know more, please drop us an email to hello@tamarenergycommunity.com.

It would also be helpful if you could take a few minutes to complete this Retrofit Devon householder survey to help us understand more about about what the levels of interest in retrofit across the county. You can find it here: Retrofit Devon householder survey (typeform.com).

Great Big Green Week 2021

Great Big Green Week 2021

By Kate Royston

Great Big Green Week is all about local events taking place across the country as part of a national week to raise the profile of climate change and nature. Importantly, it’s to show why it is relevant to our community and to celebrate our local activity.

Across West Devon and the Tamar Valley we’re working with the West Devon Climate Forum, WDBC, Transition Tavistock, Tavistock Library and others to encourage individuals and communities to take part.

Moths to a Flame

As a unifying theme for Great Big Green Week in the Tamar Valley and West Devon, Art & Energy Collective, supported by Tamar Energy Community, invite groups to join in their inspiring Moths to a Flame project.

This involves hosting moth-making events or mini-installations where people can hang moths they’ve made (from milk bottles – instructions here!), before or during the week.

The installations will be collected up, during the first week in October, in plenty of time to be taken to Glasgow for a mass participation artwork to the COP26 climate summit. When you’re making your moths you can also record your messages and these will be shared online.

There are two online moth making sessions planned over the next few weeks, and subject to demand more could be added. It may be possible to arrange a session for specific groups as well subject to availability of team.

Once you’ve made your moths as a community, come together and hang them somewhere for everyone to see as part of a mini-installation.

On Saturday Sept. 18th we’ll be touring the area looking at your mini-installations and having conversations with you.

To let us know about your plans, get involved, find out more, seek support, offer help … please email hello@tamarenergycommunity.com.

This is an enjoyable opportunity for people to come together. We hope this can also provide a stepping stone to developing collective action to combat climate change across the area.

Other TEC Events during the week

The first of our evening supper talks will be on Thu. 23rd Sept at 19:00. The topic will be the importance of Whole House Retrofit. This first event will be via Zoom: ‘Retrofitting your home. What’s it all about?’. You can register here.

Meet us at Bedford Square, Tavistock on Saturday 25th September. We’ll be at the Farmers Market and look forward to discussing whole house retrofit with you between 09:00 and 14:00.

More events …

Transition Tavistock and Tavistock Library are planning a programme of displays and activities as well.

If you have an event, or ideas for an event please get in touch (see below) and/or sign up to get your own event on the map – anything from an open garden to a film showing. If your event is in West Devon, pick out “West Devon Green Week” from the drop-down list of area events to link to.

Transition Tavistock is aiming to pull together local publicity for Great Big Green Week activities in the Tavistock area. If you are running one, let us know on info[AT]transitiontavistock.org.uk by 6th September 2021, as well as listing it on the national site.

Climate Emergency into Positive Action – Fri. 6th March 2020

Climate Emergency into Positive Action – Fri. 6th March 2020

By Kate Royston

When: Fri Mar 6th, 18:30 for 19:00

Where: Lower Deck Cafe, United Reforned Church, Russell Street, Tavistock. PL19 8BD

We had a great evening with 50 attendees. Thanks everyone for joining us and very many thanks to Blue Skies Catering for the wonderful vegan Jambalaya which we all enjoyed.

TEC AGM: Ran from 19:00 to 19:30. Minutes will be available in April 20

The event: Thanks to our speakers for the informative presentations and for the lively and positive discussions. We will share a summary and the presentations soon including:

  • Art and Energy – building community support – with Jenny Ayrton (Art & Energy CIC)
  • What’s West Devon Borough Council doing? How can we help? – Cllr. Neil Jory (Leader, WDBC)
  • Let’s hear from Tavistock Town Council – Lesley Crawford (TTC)
  • Communities and the smart energy revolution- Ky Hoare, Regen
  • The future of 21st century housing – fit for the future – Kate Royston (Tamar Energy Community)
  • Our Community Share Offer launching soon – TEC
  • What can I do? – All

The participation: We had a number of participatory activities including a “What can I do” board. We’ll be publishing this very soon.

Read more about the event and the topics here

Tamar Energy Community Annual General Meeting – Fri. 6th March 2020

Tamar Energy Community Annual General Meeting – Fri. 6th March 2020

By Kate Royston

Formal Notice of Tamar Energy Community’s Annual General Meeting … Friday 6th March 2020.

You are hereby notified that the Annual General Meeting of Tamar Energy Community will be held on Friday 6th March 2020 in the Lower Deck Cafe, United Reformed Church, Russell Street, Tavistock. PL19 8BD.

Refreshments will be available from 18:30. The formal proceedings will commence at 19:00.

Agenda:

  1. Welcome to Members
  2. Apologies for absence
  3. Minutes and matters arising from the previous AGM
  4. Presenting our Accounts and Reports of the Board
  5. The Application of Profits
  6. Resolution 1: To apply the audit exemption
  7. Election of the Board
  8. Any other business
  9. Date of next meeting

It would help us plan the event including refreshments and seating if you could let us know if you’re planning to attend (Email hello@tamarenergycommunity.com).

The formal agenda will be followed by our interactive event “Climate Emergency into Positive Action” including:

  • Art and Energy – building community support – with Naomi and Jenny (Art & Energy CIC)
  • What’s West Devon Borough Council doing?  How can we help? – Cllr. Neil Jory
  • Communities and the smart energy revolution- Regen (TBC)
  • The future of 21st century housing – Community ownership? – TBC
  • Our Community Share Offer launching soon – TEC
  • What can I do? – All

Close by 21:30 with time for chatting and refreshments

Imaging Alternatives – Feast for the Future

Imaging Alternatives – Feast for the Future

By Kate Royston

We’ve been taking part in an initiative developed by University of Plymouth, Regen and South Dartmoor Community Energy called Imagining Alternatives – Feasts for the Future.

Building on the successful Community Energy Feasts Regen has organised in the past, the idea was to bring different groups together to reflect and celebrate together about what we’d like to see in our Utopian future of 2068.

Tamar Energy Community held its feast on Friday 15th February at the Lower Deck Cafe, URC, Russell Street in Tavistock and 28 of us enjoyed a Vegan Feast provided by Blue Skies Catering.

 

If you’d like to join us please book BY TUESDAY EVE- Feb 12th by registering here on Eventbrite.

An important aspect of the Feast was the shared table which has been handmade by Devon craftsman Barnaby Stone. Everyone had a chance to sit at the table and leave their mark by creating their own pattern. The table has been to five feasts and a different sort of wood was used for each.

We  used this occasion to celebrate our achievements so far, chat about the future, and in particular how we can contribute to the challenges of significant carbon reduction by 2030 … Twelve Years!

A summary of our ambitions will be available shortly.

 

Tamar Energy Fest 2019

Tamar Energy Fest 2019

By Kate Royston

This year’s Tamar Energy Fest will be held on Saturday, 23rd November in Butcher’s Hall, Tavistock. We’ll be open from 10:00 to 15:00 and look forward to seeing you there.

If you’d like to exhibit at the event and haven’t received an invitation, or would like to get involved in some other ways, please drop us an email (hello@tamarenergycommunity.com)

This year’s Energy Fest is focusing on Powering Change – we invite you to drop-in and find out something that can make a difference to your bills and sustainability at home /work and for the planet. It’s also about localising energy and the power of local people and communities to take more control over their energy use.

We’ll be showcasing our progress with our innovative OpenLV pilot, our Warm & Well Energy Advice Service, Warmer Bedford Cottages and our Community Solar installations.

Do come and join us … it’ll be a fun and interesting day for exhibitors, visitors and volunteers alike.