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Permission to Act for People and Planet denied: Planning Update for Climate and Community

I am a Trustee of Climate and Community, an environmental Charity in Swansea, I read with interest a recent report from the  UK Climate Adaptation Committee Report to Parliament 2025. The Chair Baroness Brown is very concerned that Climate Change adaptation is not being taken seriously across government and consequently not prioritised. This certainly reflects our experience on the ground. Most of us know Climate Change is happening and that government at all levels should allow reasonable projects on the ground to happen to fix the climate risks and consequences we are all facing in the public interest.

‘ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’’ Margaret Mead

But as you may have noticed; this permission for ordinary people to act on the ground by government isn’t happening so readily or with the seriousness or scale required to mitigate the famine that government and mainstream science tells us is coming. The closer science looks at these consequences the more serious they are and arriving more quickly. Ten years ago potential famine conditions in England and Wales were forecast by the end of the century, now it is predicted before mid-2060’s Impacts of Climate Change on Global agriculture Accounting for Adaptation. The government policy and action seems focussed on electricity supply and concerns about current economic growth. We do not eat electricity. Our Charity has been focussed on local sustainable food supply and emissions cuts. Surviving in the current economy while trying to change its values at the same time is not easy.

After being involved in many practical climate change adaptation land based environmental projects for over 25 years, in 2017 we set up Climate and Community as a registered Charity to implement a community environmental educational learning programme which focusses on the consequences of climate change and what we can practically do about it.

As founders of the Charity our experience and qualifications are wide. Bob Smith was a soldier and later a software engineer designing safety systems for UK nuclear power station control rooms, leaving the industry in early 90’s to re-skill in land based skills such as coppicing, hedge laying, greenwood working, carpentry, engineering and mechanics. Jules Wagstaff has a degree in Environmental science, a PGCE and reskilled in land based skills and teaches basketry.

The Charity first focussed on land based rural skills and climate education; after learning carbon negative food growing methods in the Gower using wood chip in 2017 and studying the Climate Change Assessment Report 2, Evidence Report detailing the progression and predictions on rainfall patterns in the UK and the projected loss of half to three quarters of the best arable land in the south east and east coast by the 2050’s (high emission scenario Cranfield study DEFRA and Exeter University 2019)https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336163244_Large_changes_in_Great_Britain’s_vegetation_and_agricultural_land-use_predicted_under_unmitigated_climate_change. We focussed on food growing and local food security. It seemed like a no brainer. These forecasts are little known by the wider public and even less is known by them on what to do about it.

As the Dalai Lama states: ‘Universal responsibility is the real key to survival (human adaptation); large human movements spring from individual initiatives. Therefore it is the individual working from the common welfare who makes the difference.’

It is Dharma that this project springs from, an attempt to remove self-interest to solve the problems in our community and have the courage to follow where it leads with resources you can obtain. As a small charity we set out  to implement a project informed by the science and Dharma, this got us into a lot of trouble with the current planning system.

What was the Plan

We proposed a popular public education programme in three parts: A  youth empowerment program, a wider messaging to the Swansea people starting a ‘Common Cause’ conversation and thirdly setting up a Climate Conservation Corps focussing on Carbon negative food growing on the peri-urban areas of Swansea. A location near to the city to attract volunteers to learn skills and be part of a practical climate change project. The rationale for this is the need for a visible climate focussed project in the area; which raises a profile in tandem with the public education. Where the climate connection and purpose is clearly explained via the demonstration plot where an opportunity to volunteer, re-skill and learn about climate change is accessible and at low or no cost. It was contained in a report we sent to all Councillors in 2020 after Swansea declared a Climate Emergency.

In 2020 the Charity was offered a 6 acre site to lease from a private landowner in the Gower after hedge laying on the village recreation green with local volunteers.

The charity began in 2020 to establish a temporary portable skills camp in the field in agreement with the landowner. COVID delayed our plan but we survived a challenging time. We began working on the infrastructure of the field and woodland to accommodate setting up a no dig carbon negative food growing project as an educational demonstration plot open to the public. The site had no secure structures for tool storage, no water supply, an unsurfaced  sloping 170m track to the road and numerous ash dieback trees requiring felling. It was hard work.

These practical issues took more time to solve as volunteers used appropriate technology and low fossil fuel methods. Portable structures such as military tents, yurts and 2 containers were used for tool storage and site workshop facilities. Creating a camp inspired by the Civilian Conservation Corps of 1930’s America set up by Roosevelt in the Great Depression. The New Deals most popular initiative which created camps in every state for 3 million men to implement emergency conservation projects including planting 2 billion trees. Roosevelt’s famous speech in 1933 summarised his inspiring plan ‘I propose to create a Civilian Conservation Corps to be used in simple work, not interfering with normal employment; confining itself to forestry, the prevention of soil erosion, flood control and similar projects. More important however than the material gains will be the moral and spiritual values of such work…it is not a panacea for all unemployed but it is an essential step in this emergency.’

Alas, as yet no such initiative for this emergency has been delivered or supported by Welsh Government. So we set up a low budget DIY version. We believed the temporary structures could be accommodated by planning law; but we knew we would have to eventually make that case.

On  November 15^th 2022 two planning enforcement officers visited our field and the real battle of permission began. How does the public interest, harm and loss of public amenity actually get assessed for any development said to be in breach of planning law? Considering that the majority of planning law was made more than 3 decades ago;  it cannot reflect the most severe current climate risks and their urgency to act.

By March 2023 the Charity was issued with a  Planning Contravention Notice, followed by a face to face meeting with two planning officers and 8 Charity volunteers. Any route to mediation was refused and only the complete removal of all structures was offered as a remedy. Hardly a remedy more a tyranny.  An Enforcement report was written in November 2024 contents unknown to the Charity and presented to a planning committee in private. By March 2024 an Enforcement notice was issued and the real work was to appeal the enforcement and discover the contents of the LPA case by securing a copy of the Enforcement Action Report (EAR) through a Freedom of Information Act. The EAR was the origin of the problem; a document which omitted any detail about the Charity and its charitable activity; sowed doubt at every opportunity that we were a bonafide charity and questioned the legitimacy of the Charity’s lease or its learning programme. There was no description of the project information we had supplied to the planning officers. But we were described as ‘Inappropriate, Unacceptable and unlawful’

The Charity appealed but was refused a hearing by PEDW counter to their own rules which recommend a hearing if it is requested . The Human Rights Act Article 6 requires that citizens have a right to a hearing. A written determination via a tortuous timetable of paper work ensued. The Inspectorate again denied us a hearing but upheld the enforcement on December 4^th 2024. Within 2 years the planning system had decided the climate adaptation project was harmful to the amenity and not in the public interest. Permission by the Government denied.

But What is the Public Interest anyway?

The planning system is not transparent or accessible, it requires legal agents with a high price tag to navigate its quasi-judicial process.  As trustees we did a lot of background research to represent the Charity ourselves.

The Royal Town Planning Institute Report: Serving the Public Interest 2019https://www.rtpi.org.uk/new-from-the-rtpi/serving-the-public-interest-uk-planning-services-in-an-age-of-outsourcing/ has helpful insights into the challenges of defining and applying public interest in planning. We find there is no one definition. Climate change risks and adaptation measures are considered; but the overriding political drive for economic growth and jobs dictates the decision making. In Wales the Future Generations Act 2015 and Sustainable Development policy try to define further the public interest; however these are not legally enforceable and  can be another tick box exercise if the will to apply them is absent and in practice the Local Development Plans over ride them.

Local Development Plans include some inclusion of Climate Policy. In Swansea LDP this was ER1 which was in brief ‘’To mitigate against the effects of climate change, adapt to its impacts ensure resilient development principles taking into account…. .’’ It appears that ER1 requires by the planner to understand the holistic and strategic nature of a proposed or existing development.

The tool of the planner to do this is the idea of ‘’balance’’ which represents the central structural component of the UK planning system applied by professional expertise and discretion. In recent times a number of changes in the planning  environment has bred up; as RTPI call the ‘austerity planner’ who works in more of a ‘private sector’ working practice and adopts and embraces the increasing box ticking, target driven proceduralism which undermines and shuts down reflective decisions made in the public interest. Threatening the headspace planners have to think pro-actively and strategically. Also undermining  professional discretion and judgement; to make decisions on material considerations beyond policy. In some instances creating a perceived fear of reputational threat if decisions are made outside of strict policy adherence. Political leadership is a strong driver in this. In practice a ‘soft denialism’ emerges in the planning approach. Hyper cynicism for emerging climate adaptation or what some call Transformative Adaptation.

Simply because outright climate change denial is unacceptable in government yet the solutions can be manipulated and massaged into meaningless messages and targets.

These influences are crucial to the decisions made with regards to changing climate projections and emerging adaptation projects. If a planner took climate science seriously, they may be making decisions outside of current policy and be accused of maverick behaviour. They wouldn’t last long.

Assessing the alleged ‘harm’

The planners assessing the Charity’s project did not ‘get’ what we were trying to do in the context of climate adaptation. And exercised great prejudice and pre-determination to fit a preconceived narrative which  redefined our ‘development’.

An Enforcement Notice described the breach as a material change of use of the land to a mixed use comprising residential and educational use (and associated erection of 2 yurts and tents and 2 storage containers). The Charity appealed this Enforcement by asking for planning permission for the breach, with the aim to regularise the situation. We  conducted the case with help from Planning Aid Wales. Our Advisor believed the creation of 3 off site carparking places and some other conditions on site use would be sufficient for us to continue our valuable work. We asked for temporary planning for structures which were to be dismantled after the expiry of the lease in 2030. In effect asking for 5 years temporary planning permission for portable structures for students and instructors. The structures represented 99% cuts in embodied emissions of accommodation and approximately 95% of ongoing emissions.

The main issues considered by Welsh Government Inspectorate were: Compatibility with regard to the Development Plan; effect on highway safety, effect on character and appearance and effect on the living conditions of local occupants in the area.

The charity also put forward an argument that the LDP climate change policies and the presumption for sustainable development support our planning case and outweigh any amenity loss or other harm and in fact balances the concerns of LPA with respect to place making and place management and development in the countryside.

Planning was refused on the basis that the project as an agricultural, forestry or rural enterprise did not pass financial tests for a rural business and the scale and reach of any benefits of the development to climate, biodiversity and wellbeing aims is likely to be limited. The harm to the countryside, policy integrity and highway safety set out is moderate. Therefore it was decided by the Welsh Ministers Inspectorate that the benefits of the development did not out-weigh the harm.

Our opinion is that the Swansea LPA and Inspectorate  misrepresented our project, and exaggerated potential harm; adhered to the LDP by defining us as a business which did not pass financial tests for rural enterprise and focussed on on-site education rather than all the education, we do to build a volunteer base and profile offsite in the community. Ignores that we had run our activities with no complaints or impact to the highway and had a workable route for volunteers to use via bus and bicycle for 4 years. The visual impact was complained about by 5 people, our closest neighbours. Ignored the 39 positive submissions because they were referring to training off site or Welsh organisations like Climate Cymru, and the Swansea Environment Centre which supports our work or local academics who approve and support our aims and methods.

So how can we defend the wider public interest?

We have learned first-hand from our initiative the barriers which hinder, slow down and stop adaptation. In practice the planners do not recognise what they see on the ground. Adaptation and mitigation projects are not all going to be shiny high tech. More likely small groups of people with forks and spades talking about wide scale coppice creation to facilitate fungal association growing beds. Not business suits and power point presentations.

In planning law the Charity had 28 days from the decision date to appeal to the High Court on procedural grounds. We used bias and predetermination and denial of a hearing as grounds for appeal. As Trustees it was the hardest bit of paperwork we had ever done. Exhausted we managed to get the application into the Cardiff Administrative Court only to have it sent back to us because we used the wrong forms.

The trustees have not given up the battle to get justice, a way forward and some kind of ‘permission’ from government as ordinary citizens to act on climate change. Using a portable skills model which is practical, economic and proven to work. We are writing another case for the high court to challenge the refusal to give us a hearing when requested; and denying us an opportunity to explain directly the rationale and benefits of this project. Without a hearing this was not a fair fight and the Human Rights Act as we understand it at least has something to say about that. Any one can help by writing to Rebecca Evans MS Energy, Economy and Planning asking that:

1. The Quashing of the Appeal Decision CAS-03398-QC1C8M9 dated 04/12/2024
2. The Ordering a new Enforcement appeal procedure to be conducted by way of a Public Inquiry for Enforcement Notice ENF2021/0467.
3. The Ordering of a stay in enforcement action under notice ENF2021/0467 while the claim is under consideration.
4. To support a Climate Conservation Camp Cymru as a Welsh Assembly initiative using portable skills schools in the field. 

A full template letter can be accessed here: https://climateandcommunity.org.uk/2025/11/24/template-letter-rebeccaevansms/

Miss Jules Wagstaff  BSc PGCE
Climate and Community (Registration Number 1172500)

Mob 07964530436

climateandcommunity@btinternet.com

C/O The Environment Centre

Pier Street, Swansea

SA1 1RY.

Bishopston Murton and Manselfield was and should be again part of Gower’s food growing heritage. Numerous market gardens thrived and fed local people through supplying local markets and in turn created livelihoods for thousands of people. We must set up this local food growing system again in a short window of time to mitigate the coming food crisis.

What Crisis you may ask?

A food crop of any kind requires adequate doses of fertility, sunshine and rainfall for a bountiful harvest. In the UK due to climate change rainfall patterns are changing.  According to our own government research  from Cranfield university (contained in the Climate Risks Assessment 2 Evidence Report) and Exeter University the most serious risk from climate change is the loss of half to three quarters of the best arable land (grade1,2 and 3a); in current crop production areas of the South and Eastern England and Scotland. We also checked this with Dr Iain Brown of Dundee University one of our leading Climate Scientists and coordinator of government climate reports. In effect some of the best cereal growing land due to drying and lack of dependable water supply for use on farms will no longer be able to bring crops to harvest. Imported food cannot be relied on as growers abroad will be facing the same issues as we are. Last summer was evident of this trend where we experienced a global summer drought.

We will need to grow more food locally but how do we do this? We cannot rely on artificial fertilizers and pesticides which use natural gas in their production due to the emissions, cost and availability: Russia is the biggest producer. GMO crops require harmful herbicides and are not the panacea frequently proclaimed. The issue of food security is not high enough on the agenda of government at all levels but what manifests proportionate and precautionary food policy now?

If we do the basic sums as our friends in Brecon Beacons have done as part of the Our food 1200 project we see that Swansea would need over 3000 acres of market gardens for very localised food production in its peri-urban districts. An estimate (on the low side) is that one person is required per acre to farm in a regenerative organic method. How do we make these numbers happen before food insecurity and potential famine dictates before it is too late. How will these people be trained, organised and access land for growing and living on? These are some of the questions Climate and Community a registered charity which leases a small field in Manselfield have been working on in detail.

In 2017 we set up an environmental educational charity after over 20 years learning, researching and setting up practical rural skills training projects aimed at providing a pathway for young people into sustainable rural skills. Coppice management, hedge laying, willow basket making and many ancillary skills were our main area. Later we worked with Ed Revill in Murton and learnt his pioneering methods using woodchip as a growing substrate for vegetable production. With the aid of fungal association in no dig beds; vegetable production and nutrient density are maximized by a chip based brown earth soil which draws down stable soil carbon. There are many forms of no till regenerative farming methods and this is just one of them however on a strategic level this growing system is beneficial because it requires no artificial fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides. However it does require a steady supply of woodchip, the most sustainable would be from the management of coppice (some exists already in the area but we need to plant much more). It is only the waste branchy material which would be needed for woodchip, the small round wood timber would be a valuable resource in itself. This closed system would need trained people to plant new coppice and bring into rotation existing neglected coppice as well as set up no dig market gardens.

The charity has been setting up a demonstration plot with volunteer workers in Murton. We began on the field in 2020, got hit by COVID restrictions for 2 years but we are now recovering enough to have capacity to start setting up the site infrastructure and create a portable skills school. This is to enable volunteers to work, train and volunteer on the field. The project is based on another important practical example in history the ‘Civilian Conservation Corps’ which was part of the New Deal in 1930’s America. The aim is to grow a food growing, woodland management hub which produces trained young people, a demonstration plot for others to learn from and most importantly food: fruit and vegetables we can sell at local markets. The charity is part of the current environmental networks in Swansea such as Swansea Environmental Forum, Swansea Climate Action Network and 4the Region. However this is not easy and we are all volunteers working with very limited resources. We need all the support from local people, community council and county council to have a chance of making this work. Currently planning policy is a major barrier to new entrants starting out in agriculture of any kind which is not attached to an existing farm head. Our set up does not have any need for permanent development. The skills camp is designed to work on an itinerary of work sites using military shelters and Mongolian yurts very low impact and locally made. It is quite exemplary for low fossil fuel use. This is a genuine response to the climate risks facing us and an attempt to help in overcoming the impending food crisis.

If you would like to know more, help, volunteer, donate please contact us at climateandcommunity@btinternet.com

It’s been hard work this year on the field, but we have achieved a lot. What do they say: you cant see the wood for the trees. We organised over 50 volunteer days, organised craft sessions, open days and  focussed skills days over the past year. Hedgelaying and scything continue to be popular as traditional skills that are relevant and enjoyable to do. Newly trained volunteers scythed half the charity field and cleared a third of the field boundary of dense bramble, felled two trees on the field boundary which were suffering from Ash dieback and processed branches for woodchip on site and firewood. Volunteers also completed another 50m of hedge on Murton recreation ground. Two of our volunteers have accumulated enough skill and confidence to teach on their own and with support: Nick Bingham instructs hedge laying and Nicole Yardley instructs basket making.

In July we decided to hold our first camp to be part of the Great Big Green Week an event promoted UK wide to highlight climate action among community organisations. Using all the renewed infrastructure and volunteers recruited over the last 18 months we were able to offer a climate camp. We also ran our first crowdfunder to promote and fundraise for the camp totalling £1,960. The camp ended with live music and a facilitated discussion by Climate Cymru a Welsh campaigning organisation who visited as part of their Green Tour of Wales. 40 people visited over the week, 10 people camped. There was a lot to do but it was great in the last weekend to welcome new people to the camp; share a meal cooked on the fire shield and hear the views of real people trying to make sense of this massive problem called climate change.

We have a long way to go to build a camp similar to the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1930’s America. A massive effort launched as part of the New Deal where nearly 3 million enrollees between 1933-42 lived in camps and did emergency conservation work in the face of an economic depression and widespread environmental degradation.

What we are trying to do is create a seed project in the field which at the right time can be expanded and resourced to recruit thousands of young people needed to re-skill and rebuild our farming and forestry in the face of challenging conditions. It may be the difference between food or famine.

This November world leaders will gather at the UN Climate Summit, COP26, to decide the next steps for us to change and avoid the worst effects of climate change.  The national Climate Coalition promoted the Great Big Green Week between the 18th-26^th September. Communities all over the country organised environmental themed events to highlight the upcoming climate change talks including Swansea. This included a Repair Cafe at the Environment Centre, Swansea Community Growers network  event: Skills  for Future Resilience, Bat walk at Penllegare Valley woods to name a few. Climate and Community organised a Climate Cafe and film show here in Murton on Saturday the 25th, outdoors in their field and under canvas.

The main documentary shown was about the Civilian Conservation Corps, but what was that and why is it relevant to the current Climate Emergency? From 1933-42 3 million volunteer enrolees signed up to live in rural camps and carry out emergency conservation work. This was part of Roosevelts’s New Deal. The economic depression had created high unemployment levels especially in the young. America was suffering from vast areas of environmental degradation in the form of soil erosion and flooding caused by intensive farming methods and deforestation. During those 9 years over 1 billion trees were planted as well as a whole range of practical land based environmental work. The lesson to be applied from the CCC related to the practical response to a massive social, economic  and  environmental problem. It took young people out of the city housed them in camps and trained them in sustainable skills. The outcome was positive for the people and the planet. Climate and Community would like to build on networks in the community so that we can start facilitating a Climate Conservation Camp for the current Climate Emergency.

Climate and Community will be having a regular Green film event, in the field under canvas, our film archive is diverse including shorts from a 100 years of cinema so please email or message if you would like more information, also check our facebook page.

The Scythe is an ancient tool with a wooden handle and curved blade designed for mowing grass and other tough field vegetation. Once you have acquired the technique, a scythe is a joy to use and is an important tool for people and planet.

Climate and Community is an environmental educational charity working in Bishopston. In 2019 volunteers began clearing bramble and bracken to make space to plant trees, a community willow bed and pollard existing trees to create a more biodiverse parkland habitat on a local green space called Mansel Green. We need to regularly scythe this area to keep ‘knocking back’ the invasive bracken and mow grassland species at the end of the season to encourage new wildflower growth the following year. We follow the recommendations of Plant life a national charity that manages meadows and campaigns for better management of grassland meadows and roadside verges.

In August the charity organised a one day scything workshop tutored by Mathew Collinson (Swiss Valley Meadows). To teach a group of volunteers the scything technique, how to mow a field and maintain the blade. This was kindly paid for by Lyndon Jones the local County Councillor. Lyndon said ‘I am happy to encourage the learning of these important skills and their contribution to improving our wilder green spaces.

We need more volunteers to join a team to scythe the green. Nick Bingham who lives in the village has taken this job on but needs some help! Nick says ‘Over the 2 years I have enjoyed the scything and to see how effective it has been at bringing back the beautiful wildflowers and grassland species. It has been really satisfying work’.

Scything versus Strimming?

The Austrian Scythe is an efficient cutting tool when used properly has:  no vibration, no emissions and no noise pollution. It is a very sociable tool to use. Not only can it mow a field but clear in smaller garden areas, around trees, and hard to reach spaces needing more care. Something we should be looking at more seriously with regards to Climate action in our communities. Other greenspace groups in neighbouring districts have organised scythe workshops this summer: Incredible Edibles Carmarthenshire, Kenfig nature reserve (Plantlife) and Dyffryn Tywi Project indicating a growing trend in picking up on this amazing tool.

The charity owns 6 Austrian scythes, which can be used by volunteers.

Those interested in learning more and helping as volunteers,   please contact us

In May we held basketry skills sessions on Mansel Green next to the newly planted willow bed which in November we will harvest. In the mean time we have bought materials from a commercial grower in Somerset to supply the project.

The plan is to introduce and teach willow weaving skills to any person or group who is interested in learning and may have an interest in helping to harvest and teach others. I have found the best way to develop your own skills is to pass them on.

Nicole and Shan attended 3 sessions, Nicole has built up her skills in a number of classes and has decided basketry is something she enjoys and is good at but needs the discipline of a class to focus on practice time.

Working in a group is an ideal way to do this, as others motivate and help you overcome your own inner tyrant who is over critical. Others seem to love our work better than our selves, because we see all the faults and they see all the beauty!

Nicole completed a Finnish bilberry basket, a small berry picker traditionally made by nuns to collect bilberries and the like. Small, built by using scalloms around a hoop, the base uses side stakes woven backwards and forwards to form the base. It is a perfect forage basket for a child.

Shan is a beginner who was eager to learn and prepared to listen intently which always helps when learning new skills. She decided to make a round cauldron shaped shopper. An interesting first project which included learning pairing, waling, French randing, slewing and a 4 behind 1 rod border. As well as how to fit and wrap a handle bow.

Students often wonder why they are exhausted after a day’s basketry, the brain when learning new things has to build new neural pathways and this takes energy. A process which is also incredibly good for your health and wellbeing.

On the second Friday we were  visited by the Swansea Women’s group and their children who brought their own film crew (two capable ladies) to film Saba, who organises the group. She is in the running for a reward from Chwarae Teg for all her hard work organising events. Fingers crossed for Saba.

The women made Catalan platters, spiral bird feeders, and a garden trug. We hope to invite them back again as they enjoyed themselves. The children were very well behaved and interested in just being on the green. One of the little philosophers wrote a message on the blackboard we should all heed.

The following Friday we invited the Murton Youth group to attend. Andrew Walker brought six children to have a talk about the project and to do something practical. In less than two hours we had an interactive talk about climate change, using the Schlesinger graph, and relating climate changing timescales to the age of an Oak tree (it can live for over 500 years if it is lucky). We showed them a coppiced Hazel and a pollarded Willow, an efficient form of management which prolongs the life of the tree and produces harvestable materials and finally the willow bed.

Each form of management produces local materials in the short term: annually coppiced basketry Willow, medium term: coppiced Hazel every 7 years and the long term: pollarded Hornbeam, every 10-20 years.

The children had time to make a small willow item for the garden; their more ambitious ideas would have to wait for another visit. It ended with sharing a home-made sponge which was lovely. We hope to welcome them back again in the coming weeks and months.

We will be organising another skills session on Saturday June 29th. If you are part of a community group or individual interested in an introductory skills session please get in touch.

WORKING AS A VOLUNTEER MEANS YOU ARE NOT WORKING FOR A WAGE, BUT WHAT ARE YOU WORKING FOR?

Working as a volunteer means you are not working for a wage, but what are you working for?

The Mansel Green plan relies on people volunteering their time and energy to implement appropriate local action on climate change. A true demonstration of generosity, but why do it?

On the regular Wednesdays and Saturdays we have run for the last month  our volunteers have included asylum seekers, ;local residents some regular, some a one off and charity trustees.

What are our day to day motivations? Here is an attempt to summarise the main drivers:

socialising, making friends, teamwork

This is the most obvious and common motivator to attend, getting things done in a group and sharing experience is enjoyable and addictive. We are social animals and it is natural to work in groups. We can get a greater work load done and that feels good, a collective good. It motivates hard physical work. Working with and talking with the asylum seekers opened my eyes to how dangerous the world is and how important it is to listen to other people’s personal accounts and experience. I certainly know more about the political situation of Kurdistan and Sudan. Working with local village resident Nick gives me a perspective of village life over decades and helps me understand Bishopston better. We can also enjoy working with like minded people which reduces our isolation by demonstrating how much we need each other.

experience, training, CV building activity

Learning new things can be exciting and challenging. Boredom is often characterised by too little stress, learning new things stretches and works your mind and provides healthy levels of stress. Especially when you learn skills and share knowledge while not even realising it. Building experience increases our confidence and transferable skills we use elsewhere, including the work place.

shared purpose bigger than our selves.

As a motivator this cannot be under estimated. When it works it contributes to our personal wellbeing and wellbeing of wider community and the natural world. It is bigger than our selves, a letting go of exclusive personally driven behaviour. This is summarised by a young volunteer Rhian who said ‘I felt it was better to do some work on a collective project rather than a private garden’. We feel good about ourselves.

Understanding why we do something is paramount to this process. Tom Crompton in his work on communicating climate change and engaging people to take action. It illustrates that we should assume the majority of people wish to do something positive about the environment but how that is translated in our practical actions is at times complex and multifaceted. The key is to keep it simple, do the deadly obvious and be consistent without being obsessed with what others think of you.

I am reminded by the beautiful film ‘The Man who planted trees’. A fable where a single man plants trees every day to re-populate a windswept valley. Over decades of consistent hard work he creates a diverse home for nature which includes the happiness of the humans. At the beginning of his journey locals either ignore him or think he is an eccentric. The story is told by one young man who helps him for a short while and returns many years later. The man had the faith of his convictions even though he had to work most of the time on his own.

All this can be summed up as lessons on interconnection

A delicate process of engagement, combating doubt, apathy and despair

Dealing with these internal emotions and beliefs are a very real barrier for each of us to act. At different times we all experience these feelings; it is the ability to overcome them which makes the difference to all beings.

The last few months have been hard work, carrying out ground work for planting a willow bed and 100’s of trees on Mansel Green. We have received 450 trees in total from OVO Energy through The Conservation Volunteers (TCV). We have been planting on the west side of Mansel Green opposite Murton recreation ground, starting at the top end from the Northway corner. This open side is being planted with Hornbeam, Oak and Beech in the dryer parts and Alder in the wetter parts. As well as a mix of Guelder Rose, Crab Apple, Field Maple, Wild Cherry, Bird Cherry, Birch, Dogwood and Rowan.

The drainage is variable over the site and must be observed for suitability of species. We had time to pollard some sprawling Grey Willow on this side which when cleared has allowed us to plant up more trees and expose young self seeded saplings such as Oak, Hazel and Hawthorn. This has given a clearer view down the west side. We also used an old method to dry up a muddy dip in the path near the pollarded willow; this involves digging a ditch and burying hardwood brash, covering the trench with soil creating a slight mound. This is hopefully going to dry the wet dip in the path for a while.

Each tree has a c. 1m diameter circle dug out, removing grass, bracken rhizomes and anything which will compete with the young tree. This will also give us space to scythe around the trees to control the bracken.  Any competition in the first 3 years will reduce its growth and so we must put in the extra work and give the trees the best possible start. Many trees get planted in community green spaces which do not receive the aftercare needed. Any planting will always have a failure rate, but good planting and after care will cut this down by a lot. Tree planting will carry on until the end of April.

We are also running a community willow bed project which involves in the first stage the planting of a basketry willow bed for community use.  This project is funded by the Peoples Postcode Lottery and will run for 1 year March 2019-March 2020. We ordered c.28 varieties of willow suitable for fine basketry as well as larger varieties to use in living willow structures. Names such Dicky Meadows, Light Dicks, Golden Rod, Grissette Noire and Oxford Violets roll off the tongue. The varieties vary in size, colour and texture. It is said that each species can differ in colour and characteristics particular to location so it will be interesting to see how they perform. Hopefully it will become a beautiful space for people and wildlife as willow is loved by bees, insects and other wildlife.

A diagram has been drawn to show where all the varieties are, there isn’t anything more frustrating than losing the identity of willow varieties, because some are easy to identify but many are very similar to each other. Basketry Willow varieties come from four main species Salix Viminalis, Salix Triandra, Salix Purpurea and Salix Alba. The Genus Salix readily crosses and creates hybrids; there are many hundreds of basketry varieties because local growers selected varieties which grew best in their areas. I have favoured Purpurea because they are more tolerant to acid soil and harsher conditions. Now the rods are in they will have every chance to grow roots before the hotter part of summer arrives. We were a bit late planting but it looks ok as of April 2019. We set the geotex mulch for south westerly winds so a few weeks after planting a blustery east wind arrived to lift the mulch mat and knock off a few shooting buds. Jules attended to it with more wood to hold the geotex down.  Each crop of rods must be cut annually and the plantation will not be fully producing until the third year. As for the project, the next stage is to run basketry skills workshops to attract volunteers interested in learning how to manage the willow bed. An essential part of any craft is learning about the materials they use: how to grow and prepare them for optimal performance and beauty. Dates for workshops will be made public at the Mayday festival in Murton May 4^th recreation ground.

Volunteers

 

 

 

 

We are all volunteers. We also have groups of Asylum seekers who kindly help us on Wednesday and Saturdays. Najad, Meman and Cameron are Kurdish, Faris, Hassan and Muhammad are Sudanese. They work

really hard and we have learnt alot from each other, certainly about the dangerous and unsafe conditions happening on other parts of the planet. Nick also joins us 3 days a week and is a resident of Bishopston. We originally met Nick through the hedge laying course on Murton recreation ground. Nick continued to volunteer

by helping to lay the Murton hedge the following year. Nick enjoys outdoor work and described a common experience of trying to find a reasonably paid job working outdoors when he was young but gained employment elsewhere and took another path. He certainly now is an accomplished tree planter: excellent at choosing sites and preparing the ground for baby trees.

On volunteer days we put up a shelter, provide refreshments, biscuits and light lunch. These volunteers have been extremely helpful in how much progress we have made in planting trees and digging the willow bed.

We invite anyone to come and join us and have some tea, chat and plant some trees and help please. As the season changes will be moving on to scything bracken and Japanese Knotweed, path improvements and drying shed construction (for storing willow).

We are facilitating village and town communities to grow, maintain and use their own materials; and in the process learn the relevant essential skills. We are beginning with setting up a community willow bed in Bishopston, Gower.

Weaving  has been with us from the beginning, early stone age man had already mastered weaving plant fibres to make nets , cloth and carrying baskets. Need is the mother of invention and the technology continued to evolve into fish traps, animal traps, armour, hats, bee hives,, hurdles and wattle and daub for shelter. The list goes on. Materials used are diverse and depends on the regional plants growing local to the maker. In the UK soft materials such as Rush are used as well as harder materials such as willows (the Salix family). The techniques have evolved over centuries to make  containers which are biodegradable . In manufacture or disposal no harmful bi products remain in the environment. This is the hallmark of a sustainable fibre, modern materials have their uses but also their cost.

We need to re-invent the use of biodegradable containers and  re-invigorate the craft industry which sustains it.

Think Global, Start local

The professional and country style basket making tradition existed together. In the rural districts most farm heads had their own withy bed; a patch of basketry willow which was cut every year for use on the farm. The farm workers would spend a window of time in the calendar year to make the baskets needed for the coming year. The skills were passed on between workers as and when necessary. You do not need to be a professional basket maker to make baskets for yourself and your local community. With basic skills, useful baskets can be made, used and sold. This is about utility not perfection.

The willow craft community is an attempt to build this tradition back up and base it in a wider community like a village or small town. First we need to learn to grow the materials, and secondly community members need to learn a basic set of skills and baskets which can be learnt and passed on. Baskets which are relevant and useful to our lives today and those which help to change the way we live our everyday lives. Changes we need to make so that we can live with nature and not against it.

Let’s bring back our local indigenous baskets! Baskets used in food growing, serving food and transporting food.