Monday, 15 April 2019

Annual General Meeting 2018 - 2019: Yearly Review

The review of our working during 2018-2019:

Plastics
  • Worked with Louise Haigh MP to support the Plastic Pollution Bil.
  • Planned a screening of “A Plastic Ocean” film with Festival of Debate.
  • Met with 65th Ecclesall Brownies for a talk and some activities raising awareness about the huge problem plastic waste.
  • Gave a plastics talk and activities with Year 4 pupils at Rivelin school.
  • Tried to organise a beach clean-up with The Deep in Hull but they didn’t want to work with groups.
  • Promoting the FoE plastics petition.
  • Written to supermarkets and shops about reducing packaging and plastic waste.
  • Contacted the council about local changes to recycling.
  • Contacted tetra pak regarding the lack of recycling facilities in Sheffield.
Members of Sheffield Friends of the earth with Louise Haigh MP

Air Pollution
  • Involved in publicity for the Clean Air Zone.
  • Graham has been building monitoring kits and has events planned for making more.
  • Involved with the School Streets campaign.
  • Richard has provided lessons with Year 5 students and a Clear Air school assembly.
  • A FOI request was turned down by Sheffield City Council. Sheffield FoE worked with National FOE to pursue this.
  • Worked with Client Earth.
  • Individual members contributed to the Supertram consultation.
Anti-Fracking
  • Supported the action outside HSBC near Chesterfield Market.
  • Supporting transport for a Peak District action planned for Mam Tor.
  • Sharon Wilson a Texan anti-fracking activist addressed a meeting in Doncaster hosted by Friends of the Earth. Sheffield FoE attended.
  • With Sheffield City Council we organised a talk by Dr Ian Fairlie and John Busby on the dangers of waste water and radioactivity associated with fracking.
  • Helped with a Sheffield Against Fracking stall at Sheffield Fayre in Norfolk Park and at Ecclesfield Gala with Frack Free Ecclesfield and Chapeltown..
  • Attend regional strategy meetings.
  • Met with the local Labour Party chair and identified some appropriate GMB contacts to try and mobilise Labour activism against fracking.
  • Supported other local anti-fracking groups financially and with campaigning.
Media
  • Sheffield FoE were in the local newspapers and on Look North regarding the Clear Air Zones.
  • Sheffield FoE signed a Brexit letter in the Yorkshire Post explaining that a non deal was bad for the environment.
  • We signed a letter to the Yorkshire Post about INEOS sponsoring cycling events.
  • Gave a radio interview about our anti-fracking exhibition at Museums Sheffield.
  • Helped many journalism students.
  • Responded to the Green Journeys press release. As a result of this Hallam FM interviewed us for the main news bulletin which went out at drive time.
Beatrice live on Look North talking about Clean Air Zones

Stalls and Events
  • High Storrs Eco Expo.
  • Peace and Craft fair stall.
  • Sharrow Festival (7 July) and the Stannington Carnival (14 July):
  • Went to base camp
  • We distributed some leaflets and displayed our banner at the school strikes.
  • Obtained new materials from national FoE including fracking and air pollution posters.
  • MoveGB wanted us to promote their reusable bottles but it wasn’t possible for us to get involved.
  • Publicised our meetings in Opus/Now then magazine.
  • Christmas meal in the Red Deer and celebrating Richard's birthday.
  • We met with Chloe Brown to participate in her Art video project by doing the “Wigan clap” in FoE and Clean Air t-shirts.
  • Taken part in interviews by Ana Laranjeira from Imperial College London for Just Transition to a low-carbon economy project.
Other
  • Simon Bowens (national FoE) introduced some ideas for developing the local groups and asked for feedback from the group.
  • Investigated the “Action Network” tool for creating petitions.
  • Bristol FoE contacted us about trees and we put them in touch with STAG and the Green Party