General Meeting – November 2022

Date & location

The Cross Keys, 7pm Wednesday 12th October 2022

Discussion of the need for a permanent BRACE information board for market days and any events. It would be good to get this ready for the next market season in the new year.
Maggie has a vinyl banner that we could potentially repurpose.
There was discussion of commissioning the Llanfyllin Shed to make something suitable.

Shan gave an update on the community fridge, which will be going ahead at the Cross Keys. This will be a join venture between BRACE and the Cross Keys.
There are meetings to come to decide further details, but there will be a trial week in November, collecting food and seeing how this goes. This will be end with a community meal to use the food, and coincide with the Cross Keys open mic night. This may become a regular fixture on the 2nd Friday of each month.
A budget, a list of committed volunteers and a list of food donors will follow in the coming weeks.
In terms of infrastructure, Izzie the butcher in Llanrhaeadr may have a glass-fronted fridge to sell, which would work well. We should also investigate a data logger for recording fridge-freezer temperatures automatically, as well as a plug-in electric metre to record energy use of the fridge-freezer so that the Cross Keys can be properly reimbursed.
A name was decided on of Community Pantri Cymunedol // Food Share. A logo and branding would be useful – the Hubbub documentation may specify colours that should be used. Shan had a designer contact who may be able to help with this.

A quick update on the community energy feasibility study from Alan. PAVO have confirmed that this is going ahead. We are waiting to hear more from them.
There was some discussion around making sure that the venues we have identified would all be included, and that we would approach them in advance when we know more.

It was agreed that we need to reprint the BRACE leaflets. Alan and Fi will organise this.
As part of this, it was also agreed that we should try to get the poster and leaflet translated into Welsh. We may have a subscription to Helo Blod, which would help with this. Diana said that she would double check.

Since the youth club will now be using the Cross Keys on Thursdays, it has been agreed that the monthly Thursday meetings will be dropped. It was agreed that we would keep the Wednesday meetings and only meet once a month, with project-specific, or special ad hoc meetings in between as required.
There was discussion about the usefulness of the regular meetings, and the need to bring in a wider audience.
There was a suggestion of a quarterly meeting focused on bringing in new members.
There was also discussion about making the monthly meetings more varied and interesting, with outside speakers, and more formal updates on individual projects from project representatives – which would also serve the purpose of letting new members know about what was going on, and who to speak to about each activity.
Various speakers were suggested, including Anja from the RSPB, Kirsty from the Wildlife Trust, the Young Farmers, and Imran from PAV Electrical.
Other ideas were suggested, such as film screenings with discussions, and regular meals and talks on Fridays, with more of a social element.

Maggie is organising a workshop on Gardening in a Changing Climate on Sunday 13th November, 10am-1pm in Llanfechain Village Hall.
Sue is organising a hedge-laying workshop with Alan Houseman at the Workhouse on the 1st weekend on December. Details are still being finalised, but Sue has asked if BRACE could help host and provide refreshments. Sue will organise the attendees.
An extra repair cafe date has been added in Oswestry in December. The next Llanfyllin dates are 13th November 2022 and 11th February 2023.

Alison suggested an event for the start of COP27 involving BRACE, the Wildlife Trust, CAT, Severn Rivers Trust and others.
The 12th November would be ideal for this, since lots of people are likely to be in Llanfyllin for various other events. The public institute might be available as an indoor venue.
Alison will put something in writing for Diana to circulate to PACE.