Minutes of the Ynys Mon fei cluster Group Meeting, Gerddi Haulfre, Llangoed, 8th May 2013 Present
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| Minutes of the Ynys Mon FEI Cluster Group Meeting,
Gerddi Haulfre, Llangoed, 8th May 2013 Present: Simon Hunt (Chair, Coed Cymru), Rebecca Pritchard (Treasurer, Menter Mon), Karen Rawlins (Minutes, Natural Resources Wales), Ceri Williams (Oriel Mon), James Carpenter (SyrcasCircus), John Pritchard (Cyngor Sir Ynys Mon), Dee Walker (Independent), Manon Keir (Red Squirrels’ Trust Wales), Delyth Owen (Age Friendly Communities) Apologies: Catrin Owen (Secretary, Natural Resources Wales), Amber Jenkins (Communities First) - leaving the group. 1. AGM: Simon Hunt was nominated and confirmed to continue his role as Chair of the group. Catrin Owen was nominated and confirmed to continue her role as Secretary of the group. Becca Pritchard bowed out of her role as Treasurer due to uncertainty over her current post in Menter Mon, and Ceri Williams agreed to take over with Becca’s help during the transition. The group members gave their thanks to Becca for her many years’ service, and to Ceri for volunteering to take over. It was agreed that Simon, Catrin and Becca remain as bank signatories for the group, and Ceri be added. The group broke even last finacial year, and there is £8609.07 (including Seed to Shed Project Funding) in the bank as at 8th May 2013. Progress made last year is reported in the Cluster Group Minutes for the period. 2. Matters arising: Action to Simon to apply for funding for Climate Action Week – not requested. Menter Mon funding for last years’ Woodland Festival has now been received. All other matters are covered in the agenda. 3.Projects: Seed to Shed Project: This has been successful in obtaining funding from the FEI fund. The focus is on using the woodland for education, with local schools keen to be involved, including Ysgol Llanfair PG, Ysgol Pentraeth Primary schools, and Ysgol Bodedern and Ysgol Amlwch Secondary schools. Coleg Menai students have also already been involved with work at the site, and there are plans to involve local WI groups, and to run days which will be open to the public during the summer holidays which will be advertised via social media sites and more conventionally with posters etc. The project will need to submit a report of work to the FEI to claim funds by the end of November. Cluster Group Training: A proposal for the £200 Small Project FEI Fund was put forward by Ceri Williams. She was recently impressed by outdoor den-making facilities at Tatten Park and the Greenwood Centre, where materials and interpretation panels are provided for children to make dens. She would like to set up similar facilities available at Melin Llynnon and proposed a training session which would be open to the FEI cluster group members. Den-making and open access play is becoming increasingly popular, with Play Rangers rolling facilities out to schools and community groups. Recycled materials are usually stored on site in containers. Instead of an interpretation panel at Melin Llynnon, fliers could be handed out at the centre, and amended if necessary. Materials might be provided in the area near the car park. It was agreed that this is a worthwhile project, and that training, provided by James, could be tagged onto the next FEI Cluster Group meeting which will be held in the Melin Llynnon round-house on 8th July. 4. Events Spring Time Forest Fun Day. An Easter event was held at Oriel Mon on the 28th April with activities and support from James, Simon, Manon, Dee, Ceri and Karen. Simon obtained £380 funding for this from the Family First Play Scheme which was paid in advance of the event, and Simon has sent on feedback forms which were completed on the day by families attending. It was a very cold day, so the picnic and outdoor activities were less popular than the indoor activities for all but the hardiest folk, but some 30-odd children registered, and feedback was positive overall. Open Day at Coed Llwynonn. James has applied for a £300 grant from Llais y Coedwig/Community Woodland for this – the date in July is to be confirmed. Age-Friendly Community Workshops. Delyth informed the group of 9 workshops (for a maximum of 20 participants) on Wild Food foraging delivered by Jules over the summer on different habitats including forestry, coastal, hedgerow and on-your-doorstep. Delyth informed the group that although Age-friendly Communities comes to an end in March 2014, this project will continue. Adult Learning day at Carreglwyd, 22nd May. The FEI Cluster Group will be supporting this event, possibly with a Woodland Treasure Hunt. Learning Journey Celebratory Event, Oriel Mon, 24th May. Following on from the success of last year’s event, there will be an event celebrating the achievements of the Adult Learning Group. Plant! 5 Year Celebratory Event, Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones, 16th May. The Plant! project was launched by the Assembly in 2008 to fund the planting of a tree for every child born in Wales since that date.Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones is the location of a Plant! Woodland established by Simon and the school children. This event celebrates 5 years of the project. Activities will be held at the school between 11am and 3pm, with den-building (James), fire-making/marshmallows (Catrin), elderwood jewellery (Karen) and a treasure hunt (Simon). Royal Welsh Spring Fair, 17th May. This festival celebrates small-holders and gardening and James is attending on behalf of Llais y Goedwig with a stall in the Green Horizons section. Menai Seafood Festival, Saturday 31st August. Graham updated the group and will keep the group informed of any new developments. Only a one day event is now proposed, with plans for a Cookery Demonstration Tent, Woodland Activities in Coed Cyrnol (although it may be more practical to use the small area of woodland under the bridge where the standing stones are), and Anglesey Farmers’ market stalls along the road, with the traffic management company GT&M being paid to divert and manage traffic. This proposal is yet to go to the Council for approval.
Despite enthusiasm for holding the Festival in on the east of the island for the first time, significant concerns have been raised about the proposed location for this year’s festival. The original plans for the FEI group to rent the field have been put aside as the land has been let to a local farmer so we would have to negotiate removal of stock. Also, the practicalities of managing the traffic to the proposed site have been questioned; even with a park and ride scheme using the rugby pitch and next-door field, it is felt that unless the local community were completely on board, there might be unmanageable incidences of locals accessing the site using back roads and inappropriate parking causing traffic disruption. Paying for a police presence and traffic management is not feasible as funding only just covers the event itself (Simon currently has £4000 from the AONB Sustainable Development Fund, and £2500 from Age-friendly Communities). Other possible sites were discussed, and Mona was proposed as a very practical, if not as pretty, alternative. Delyth suggested reduced rates could be negotiated with Aled of the Anglesey Agricultural Society, along similar lines to the Children’s Festival previously held there. Simon, Delyth and James agreed to meet up at the site on Monday 13th to discuss its potential. It is also proposed to split the Education days off from the Festival dates, and possibly hold them at another location. October/November might suit schools better, and Coed Llwynonn might be used as a location.
Manon Kier said goodbye to the group as she is leaving her job with the Red Squirrels’ Trust for a post with the RSPB in Bala James/Ceri? suggested sending invites to all the participants in the Active Woodland Wales Workshop held recently in Llangefni, as they are like-minded people who may want to be involved.
Catrin is putting all the meeting minutes on the website, which members agreed is very useful. 7. AOB: John Pritchard discussed a possible open day at Bro Ddraenen Woodland enhancement site, Amlwch, and invited group members to consider the site for as a resource for use in any fieldwork/outdoor activities. Rosie Barrett has made good progress getting local schools involved in using the site. 8. Date of next meeting: 8th July, meeting at 10am at Melin Llynnon, to be followed by Den-building training between around 11am -3pm. Dress for outdoors and bring your lunch. Group Member Contact Details:
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