Quick Navigation
- Attendees
- 1. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
- 2. Together for Tomorrow Project — Rachel Payne, Libraries Unlimited
- 3. Update on Follow-Up to the DCE x Carbon Trust Workshop
- 4. AOB
Attendees
- Emily Reed Devon Climate Emergency (Secretariat)
- Doug Eltham Devon County Council (Environment)
- William Jackson-Nichols Devon Climate Emergency
- Mark Burton Southwest Net Zero Hub
- John Amosford Public Health Devon
- Adam Williams South Hams and West Devon Councils
- Alice Gent Exeter City Council
- Collete Germon Devon Partnership NHS Trust
- Louise Sawyer Devon and Cornwall Police
- Jacqui Warren Torbay Council
- William Elliot Teignbridge District Council
- Rachel Payne Libraries Unltd.
- Catherine Causley East Devon District Council
- Lewis Connor East Devon District Council
- Helen Vines Resource Futures / CAG Devon
- David Rose South West Water
- Amy Brett-Schneider Exeter City Council
- Clare Jones Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Donna Sibley North Devon and Torridge Councils
1. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
Actions Reviewed:
- Jacqui shared her council prioritisation tools and methodology in the chat.
- William Elliott is drafting a brief on transport planning collaboration; still in progress.
- Emily Reed is exploring a formal link between the Devon Climate Emergency (DCE) Partnership and the County Combined Authority (CCA); discussions ongoing.
- Jacqui to share case studies from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) — pending.
- Mark Burton shared the Community Energy Fund link; agreed to reshare in the chat.
Minutes Approved: No amendments raised; minutes accepted.
2. Together for Tomorrow Project — Rachel Payne, Libraries Unlimited
Presentation Summary:
- Funding: £1.5 million secured from the National Lottery Climate Action Fund over 5 years.
- Lead Organisations: Libraries Unlimited and Resource Futures (represented by Helen Vines).
- Project Aim: Empower communities across Devon to take meaningful climate action through libraries as accessible hubs.
- Scope:
- 54 libraries across Devon and Torbay.
- Focus on community engagement, social inclusion, and climate resilience.
- Activities include seed swaps, uniform exchanges, food fridges, and eco days.
- Year 1 Goals:
- Establish 20 new in-library climate activities.
- Recruit a new project team including a Program Manager and Community Outreach Officers.
- Focus areas: Barnstaple, Paignton, Tiverton, and Exmouth.
- Target Audiences: Older adults, families with under-5s, people with poor mental health, socially isolated individuals, and refugees/asylum seekers.
- Partnerships: Includes Devon Community Foundation, Active Devon, Honeyscribe, Ride On Cycling, and CAG Devon members.
- Opportunities for Collaboration: Open to integrating additional partners and activities (e.g., water resilience with South West Water).
Discussion Points:
- Doug Eltham and David Rose expressed interest in integrating water-saving initiatives.
- Jacqui Warren offered support in Paignton and highlighted ongoing retrofitting at Paignton Library.
- Donna Sibley emphasised the need for coordination with other lottery-funded community development projects in North Devon.
- Recruitment: Libraries Unlimited and CAG Devon are recruiting for key roles; links to be shared.
ACTION: Helen Vines to share job ad for Project Partnerships Lead.
ACTION: Rachel Payne to share contact details and project overview for partner newsletters.
ACTION: Rachel Payne to identify any existing climate ambassadors in Torbay.
ACTION: Rachel to coordinate with Jacqui Warren and Torbay Climate Partnership for collaboration in Paignton.
ACTION: Rachel and Helen to follow up with South West Water’s outreach team for potential collaboration on water resilience.
ACTION: Rachel to provide information of the Discover Libraries website green/climate tag to allow a search for events and encourage local engagement.
3. Update on Follow-Up to the DCE x Carbon Trust Workshop
Emily Reed’s Update:
- Workshop findings paper was shared with the Response Group, but the meeting had low attendance due to half-term.
- The paper will be re-presented to the Response Group this month.
- Proposals include:
- Strengthening the Response Group’s strategic role.
- Creating thematic sub-groups (e.g., Retrofit) to focus on priority areas.
- Enhancing communication between groups and improving monitoring and evaluation.
- Shifting the Tactical Group’s focus to knowledge sharing and networking, possibly with a rotating chair model.
Feedback:
- Doug Eltham and Donna Sibley supported clearer differentiation between Tactical and Response Groups.
- Concerns raised about:
- Losing the Tactical Group’s strategic influence.
- Ensuring delivery oversight and progress tracking.
- Capacity of senior leaders to attend Response Group meetings.
- Suggestions:
- Alternate Tactical Group meetings between networking and strategic updates.
- Maintain annual reporting and progress reviews.
- Consider merging groups or ensuring dual representation (senior + practitioner).
- Develop a clear structure diagram for feedback.
ACTION: Emily Reed and Doug Eltham to draft and circulate a proposal diagram for group structure.
ACTION: All members to provide feedback on the proposed structure.
4. AOB
Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS): Disappointment expressed over its cancellation. Members encouraged to keep projects “oven-ready” in case of future funding.
CCA Climate Advisory Group: Potential for this group to contribute to an autumn statement funding ask. Members emphasised early engagement to avoid last-minute pressures.
ACTION: Emily Reed and Doug Eltham to coordinate with the CCA on input for the autumn statement.
ACTION: Members to keep PSDS-related projects prepared in case of future funding announcements.
ACTION: Emily and Doug to consult with Meg and David regarding CCA engagement and practitioner involvement.
