Banter 86: 10Sep25 Norwich Eco Hub, with Steve Wiseman
Steve introduced us to the wide-ranging activities that have spawned from the initial setting up of the Eco Hub in Norwich, including their work with local groups, solar panel installations, partners.
Video Timeline:
00:00 - 15:48 Presentation
15:48 - 36:38 (end). Q & A
Presentation:
You are welcome to download the presentation; a marked down copy is available at the bottom of tis page for the AI Search Engine
Meeting Summary:
Sep 10, 2025 11:52 AM London ID: 834 5460 8536
Quick recap
Steve presented an overview of Norwich EcoHub's various community and environmental initiatives, including their work with local groups, solar panel installations, and educational programs. The discussion covered the organization's evolution and current projects, such as their partnership with Reimagine Norwich and support for community-led energy-saving initiatives. The meeting also addressed environmental challenges like eco-anxiety, the importance of practical solutions, and the varying levels of community engagement in urban and rural areas, concluding with observations about changing public perceptions of the natural world and environmental legislation.
Next steps
Steve to find more volunteers to help with the EcoHub newsletter as the current person has indicated they've had enough.
Steve to continue organizing the series of events planned for October to attract more volunteers for Norwich EcoHub.
Stuart to follow up on the Esme Fairburn application for Green Essex at the Great Collaboration meeting at 3pm.
Graham to share examples of solar panel installations on heritage buildings to help address planning issues with listed buildings.
Steve to potentially gather actual figures on solar panel adoption in Norwich from Norwich BID if requested.
Summary
EcoHub Presentation Technical Issues
Steve presented a PowerPoint on EcoHub, but due to technical difficulties, the presentation mode was not properly set up. Despite this, the participants were able to read the slides. The meeting was recorded, and Steve mentioned that he had to leave at 5:30 for another physical meeting. Graham noted that attendance was lower than usual, possibly due to post-holiday workload.
Norwich Equal Hub Community Initiatives
Steve described the establishment of Norwich Equal Hub as a community interest company focused on building a resilient local economy through cooperation and environmental protection. He explained their efforts to coordinate various environmental and community groups in Norfolk, including those focused on permaculture, mental health, and food issues. Steve highlighted their work in finding premises for environmental groups in Norwich, leading to the establishment of Norwich Unity Hub, a charity that repurposed a former social services building.
Environmental Initiatives and Partnerships
Steve discussed the evolution and current status of various environmental and community initiatives, including Norwich Unity Hub, which has become independent but still involves some EcoHub directors. He mentioned a new project to design an escape room focused on climate change awareness, which is in early development. Steve also described their partnership with Reimagine Norwich, which operates under the Donut Economics Framework, and their support for Aurapower, a community-led energy-saving initiative that has become independent.
Norwich EcoHub's Community Initiatives
Steve discussed Norwich EcoHub's various initiatives, including rooftop solar projects, community gardens, and educational programs for schools. He highlighted their work with universities on ecological citizenship and anxiety projects, as well as their regular newsletter and monthly sessions on climate topics. Steve expressed interest in expanding their work to other counties and developing an "Imaginarium" center in Norwich to celebrate the city's radical history and envision future improvements. The organization has supported about 20 volunteer groups and attracted around 200 volunteers over the years, with upcoming events in October aimed at increasing community involvement.
Eco-Anxiety and Practical Environmental Action
Steve discussed the prevalence of eco-anxiety and mental health concerns among young people, particularly regarding climate change. He noted that while this anxiety is justified given the environmental challenges, it can sometimes lead to immobilization. Steve emphasized the importance of showing practical ways people can make a difference and highlighted how volunteering and seeing tangible outcomes can alleviate anxiety. He also touched on the political aspects of environmental issues and shared insights from his work with an international development charity about the impacts of climate change in Africa.
Community Engagement in Rural Areas
Cllr.Stuart and Steve discussed the challenges and opportunities for community involvement in both urban and rural areas. They explored how smaller communities might be more successful in coordinating and bringing together various local initiatives, such as gardening and climate change efforts. Steve suggested that geographical factors, like distance and community size, play a significant role in determining the effectiveness of such initiatives. They concluded that smaller communities might be better equipped to foster a sense of shared responsibility and collaboration among residents.
Solar Panel Adoption in Norwich
Steve discussed the progress of solar panel installations in Norwich, noting that many businesses and heritage buildings have embraced solar energy, though exact figures are unavailable. Graham and Tristram highlighted the challenges of educating local authorities and overcoming their resistance to solar panel installations on listed buildings. Steve emphasized the importance of addressing environmental issues inclusively, aiming to engage a broader audience beyond the usual activists. Tristram and Graham shared their experiences with community engagement, observing varying levels of interest and participation in environmental initiatives.
Nature's Rights and Environmental Shifts
Steve discussed the growing concern for the natural world and how it has become a priority in recent surveys, highlighting the shift in public perception over the past decade. He shared insights from his experiences in New Zealand and Ecuador, where rivers are legally recognized as entities, emphasizing the importance of legislation that considers the impact on nature. Graham and Steve also discussed the decline in wildlife and changes in seasonal patterns, noting the migration of species and the earlier arrival of spring, which gardeners and farmers have observed.
Chat:
No entries in the chat for this sessioin
Audio Transcript:
86 00:08:26.880 --> 00:08:31.820 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Well, if you'd like to go ahead, Steve, please, the floor is yours. Please go ahead and.
87 00:08:31.820 --> 00:08:36.749 steve wiseman: Okay, well, I'll just share… I just prepared a brief PowerPoint, which I'll,
88 00:08:37.419 --> 00:08:42.139 steve wiseman: find, seems to have disappeared at the moment.
89 00:08:42.140 --> 00:08:43.790 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Yeah, these things do.
90 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:46.380 steve wiseman: Yeah, it was on there.
91 00:08:46.770 --> 00:08:47.840 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: Oh, no.
92 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:52.160 steve wiseman: Right. Mate, I'm just gonna have to reopen it again, just a second.
93 00:08:52.340 --> 00:08:52.960 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Yup.
94 00:08:59.610 --> 00:09:03.659 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: I'll probably come around the other side, because I've got a bit more leeway to get through, don't I?
95 00:09:04.990 --> 00:09:05.680 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: Yes, sir.
96 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:09.340 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: I'm just gonna mute you, Gary, there's the sounds coming in from outside.
97 00:09:09.340 --> 00:09:14.930 steve wiseman: It's funny, because I tested this on my own Zoom, and now on your Zoom, it's not… doesn't seem to be coming up.
98 00:09:14.930 --> 00:09:18.380 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Are you getting the green share button at the bottom of the screen?
99 00:09:18.380 --> 00:09:20.680 steve wiseman: Hang on, here it is, it's come up now.
100 00:09:20.680 --> 00:09:21.080 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: No doubt.
101 00:09:21.080 --> 00:09:25.440 steve wiseman: Okay, right.
102 00:09:27.280 --> 00:09:30.889 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: People sometimes like to go into the slideshow mode, Steven.
103 00:09:33.050 --> 00:09:33.760 steve wiseman: Yep.
104 00:09:36.100 --> 00:09:38.360 steve wiseman: Can you see… can you see things now?
105 00:09:38.360 --> 00:09:43.150 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Yes, we can see things, but we're seeing you in, sort of.
106 00:09:43.310 --> 00:09:46.709 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Your edit mode, as opposed to being slideshow mode.
107 00:09:46.710 --> 00:09:49.109 steve wiseman: Yeah… Okay, let me go…
108 00:09:49.110 --> 00:09:55.010 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Maybe that your slideshow menu is covered up by the share button.
109 00:09:55.230 --> 00:09:56.960 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: It's irritating at times.
110 00:09:58.710 --> 00:09:59.470 steve wiseman: Right.
111 00:10:00.070 --> 00:10:01.390 steve wiseman: Can we say it now?
112 00:10:01.680 --> 00:10:03.550 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: We're still in your mode?
113 00:10:04.740 --> 00:10:05.480 steve wiseman: Right.
114 00:10:05.480 --> 00:10:09.590 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: But it doesn't… it doesn't matter, it's fine, it works… we can certainly read it, it's nice and large.
115 00:10:09.790 --> 00:10:20.389 steve wiseman: As long as you can read it, that's… So, we're just starting off of EcoHub. I actually joined Norwich EcoHub. It was already set up as a kind of…
116 00:10:20.390 --> 00:10:23.320 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Mockley crew of people, as always, you know.
117 00:10:23.320 --> 00:10:33.889 steve wiseman: John… Adrian Ramsey, who's now become an MP, was one of the member… members. It was just… it was around Lockbone, and for a long time, we didn't meet the people involved.
118 00:10:34.180 --> 00:10:51.080 steve wiseman: And, kind of, we set up, and then I helped them establish as a… well, first we tried to establish as a charity, but there'd be… we encountered a few problems there, so we set up as a community interest company, which is… seemed to be the best way forward. And the mission we developed was
119 00:10:51.080 --> 00:11:07.010 steve wiseman: I set out here, to build a resilient local economy based on cooperation, fairness, wise use of resources, and respect for the living world, which is a pretty standard thing. We were aware that there were so many small groups around our part of Norfolk.
120 00:11:07.010 --> 00:11:14.060 steve wiseman: that were doing their own thing in particular areas of environmental concerns. For example, permaculture.
121 00:11:14.130 --> 00:11:17.139 steve wiseman: Mental health anxiety, equal anxiety.
122 00:11:17.940 --> 00:11:21.919 steve wiseman: issues around food, and so… so we thought, well, it'd be great to try to
123 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:30.049 steve wiseman: coordinate them and enable information sharing to take place. So we've got… we've got these core aims,
124 00:11:30.330 --> 00:11:46.150 steve wiseman: Which is basically to kind of bring people together, a bit of education, maybe a bit of campaigning if we have time. We're all volunteer-based, so it's whatever time we can fit in, kind of addressing some of the underlying issues around environmental protection.
125 00:11:46.680 --> 00:11:48.020 steve wiseman: And also help…
126 00:11:48.260 --> 00:11:57.319 steve wiseman: Because part of my role professionally is to help to develop community groups through applying for funding, that kind of thing, so…
127 00:11:57.560 --> 00:12:03.329 steve wiseman: part of our role here, I think, and I've been instrumental in that, is to help community capacity building.
128 00:12:03.380 --> 00:12:18.520 steve wiseman: And just to kind of become aware of what's going on in the wider world in terms of environmental protection and carbon emissions, that kind of thing. So it's kind of, I would guess, pretty standard of what everybody is doing, really.
129 00:12:20.940 --> 00:12:32.980 steve wiseman: And we… as I say, it's a recognition that we shall be joining forces more, because there's so many people in silos, and that's still going on, but we're hoping now, gradually, to bring people together.
130 00:12:33.390 --> 00:12:44.620 steve wiseman: Our aim when we started was to create a central hub for all these organizations, and include some of the business committee, in one particular base, so we could collaborate more.
131 00:12:45.090 --> 00:13:02.259 steve wiseman: that kind of evolved into something else, which I'll tell you about in a moment. So we didn't actually… I think, in fact, because we wanted to do that, that was one of the reasons we struggled to get charity commission recognition, because we were involving the business sector, and they didn't want us to involve the business sector at that stage. Anyway.
132 00:13:02.970 --> 00:13:14.000 steve wiseman: Where we've moved on now to is… I've categorized the projects we deal with as parenting projects, partnerships, and direct delivery.
133 00:13:14.400 --> 00:13:16.600 steve wiseman: When it comes to parenting.
134 00:13:16.890 --> 00:13:35.750 steve wiseman: the project we're best known for in the Norwich area is getting together… because we were looking for premises for various environmental groups, we kind of expanded our brief a bit, and we got quite a wide range of groups wanting to find premises in Norwich, because they…
135 00:13:35.750 --> 00:13:44.190 steve wiseman: They were facing enormous, kind of, costs with their landlords, and the rent, and all the… all the utilities, etc.
136 00:13:44.330 --> 00:13:56.400 steve wiseman: But… and also, we were well aware that in Norwich, like all towns, cities, lots of derelict buildings that formerly retail office blocks and whatever, that could easily be repurposed.
137 00:13:56.540 --> 00:13:59.409 steve wiseman: So we spend quite a bit of time
138 00:13:59.730 --> 00:14:08.679 steve wiseman: with our… among our volunteers and trustees, our directors, searching for premises in Norwich and trying to negotiate space.
139 00:14:09.220 --> 00:14:16.700 steve wiseman: Something called Meanwhile letting, which is short-term letting, which benefits landlords because it saves them on business rates.
140 00:14:16.730 --> 00:14:29.869 steve wiseman: And also, enables, the property to be used, fully used, rather than falling into disrepair. So it took some time. Eventually, North City Council came into the fray and decided to.
141 00:14:30.150 --> 00:14:44.670 steve wiseman: offer us a building, called Norwich Unity Hub. We formed a charity called Norwich Unity Hub. It's a former social services building. And then we've handed it over to them. So that is the parenting bit, really. Having set everything in motion.
142 00:14:44.670 --> 00:15:03.080 steve wiseman: bringing together these environmental and various groups together. We've now… some of our… I actually became a director of this new group, Norwich Unity Hub, but I'm no longer there now, because I just had too much on my plate. But some of our EcoHub directors are still involved with Norwich Unity Hub.
143 00:15:03.130 --> 00:15:14.210 steve wiseman: So… so basically, in terms of parenting, that's a child that's grown up, and now it's doing its own thing, and it's thriving, but we're really proud of it. But there is still a shortage of,
144 00:15:14.870 --> 00:15:16.560 steve wiseman: opportunities for
145 00:15:16.710 --> 00:15:30.130 steve wiseman: for groups in Norwich to come together, so we'll probably need another… another space in Norwich, at least, and probably other parts of Norfolk, because there's a great benefit from people coming together under one roof, because of the creative synergy.
146 00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:33.670 steve wiseman: To be gained, and also cost-saving, of course.
147 00:15:33.710 --> 00:15:51.760 steve wiseman: Another thing we're parenting, which is very early days, because some of the people got together, they… they want to design an escape room. Obviously, escape rooms are very… all the rage at the moment, but something that mimics climate change, so to help people raise their… to raise people's awareness
148 00:15:51.800 --> 00:15:56.439 steve wiseman: Of all the issues affecting the planet, but… but also, maybe.
149 00:15:56.580 --> 00:16:08.300 steve wiseman: having a kind of sense of adventure, having fun, that kind of thing. So we got… we got a small team of people designing puzzles to try to make that happen. I think there are similar schemes around,
150 00:16:08.300 --> 00:16:18.660 steve wiseman: the world and in Britain, but we thought we'd try for one in the Norwich area. So that's something… we're kind of open to parenting projects and providing our expertise and letting them
151 00:16:18.660 --> 00:16:27.139 steve wiseman: go on with it. And then maybe, especially with Knowledge Unity Hub, they'll eventually leave us. I think Escape Room will eventually become an independent
152 00:16:27.230 --> 00:16:29.219 steve wiseman: thing as well.
153 00:16:29.220 --> 00:16:52.120 steve wiseman: Now, we also partner with groups. We're partnered a group that's been set up, and we're actually… I suppose we're parenting it. I'm not sure if they'll ever break away. It's called Reimagine Norwich, and it's based on… you've probably heard of the Donut Economics Framework, which is looking at all the aspects, the environmental, say, the planet issues, but also issues around social justice.
154 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:58.740 steve wiseman: So that's a separate group in Norwich that's been company, but… but we do all the backroom work for them.
155 00:16:58.740 --> 00:17:06.909 steve wiseman: So, for example, All the administration side, bookkeeping, paying,
156 00:17:07.060 --> 00:17:21.289 steve wiseman: making any payments. If any funding is achieved, it has to come through us, that kind of thing. And we also have Our Power, you've probably heard of that. It's a community-led energy saving initiative, and that's been getting funding from local authorities and a few
157 00:17:21.300 --> 00:17:38.479 steve wiseman: charitable trusts as well. Now, that's… that's become independent, so really, that should probably now come under parent. Some of… some of the… some of these partners become… come under parenting, and they're like children that go off and do their own thing, really. But our… our power is,
158 00:17:39.310 --> 00:17:40.590 steve wiseman: basically.
159 00:17:40.750 --> 00:17:51.010 steve wiseman: going around house to house or community meetings to raise people's awareness of how they can save on their energy bills. And that's very… obviously very popular because of the
160 00:17:51.120 --> 00:18:15.399 steve wiseman: people want to save money, but it also is a chance to kind of raise their awareness of the wider issues around environmental protection. And it's kind of getting to an audience that you… sometimes it's hard to reach, because there are people in… often on low-paid jobs, who haven't really got the time to consider these sorts of issues, but we… we can enter into conversations with them. So that's a good point, and that's thriving, and that's run through
161 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:20.240 steve wiseman: an organization called Norwich Climate, CIC.
162 00:18:20.670 --> 00:18:22.369 steve wiseman: So, then we have Norwich…
163 00:18:22.670 --> 00:18:33.000 steve wiseman: Sorry, I'm jumping on it. Norwich Soda System is something that I was involved with a couple of years ago, and that's through Norwich BID, Business Improvement District, and that was,
164 00:18:33.610 --> 00:18:48.269 steve wiseman: to kind of consult with local businesses to create a rooftop solar farm project in central Norwich. And we had a lot of consultations, a lot of feedback. It raised awareness among the business community as to what was possible, and
165 00:18:48.270 --> 00:19:08.060 steve wiseman: overcoming their original skepticism, and it kind of led to quite a lot of collaboration, going on. And I know we have lots of mini-projects around Norwich, so that's going great, Guns, and I was pleased to take part in that, help with the… basically, collaboration with… with the businesses, breakfast meetings.
166 00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:18.989 steve wiseman: And, doing a bit of research on… on what they were saying to us, really, and trying to overcome the barriers, as they saw it, in terms of installation of,
167 00:19:19.130 --> 00:19:38.069 steve wiseman: solar panels, that kind of thing. So I think that helped. I'm quite proud that that's moved forward. A couple of research projects we've been involved with as well, because we kind of get invited to these from time to time. One is embryonic Ecological Citizenship Project through Middlesex University. We've made a bid on that, and that's all about,
168 00:19:38.410 --> 00:19:41.670 steve wiseman: Trying to address some of the problems with the
169 00:19:41.670 --> 00:20:03.290 steve wiseman: VCSE sector in terms of addressing environmental issues, because often they haven't… they're often one or two people banned, and they haven't got time to address these bigger issues in the way that the corporates have. So it's kind of looking at ways forward for them on the environmental front. And Anglo Rusting University is more about equal anxiety. There was a project a couple of years ago
170 00:20:03.290 --> 00:20:08.969 steve wiseman: That involve raising awareness and… A lot of young people, it's one of their top
171 00:20:09.070 --> 00:20:23.130 steve wiseman: sources of anxiety is the fear that the planet's coming to an end, you know, and it's obviously all down to the earlier generations, but it's a lot of… and there's an arts project, but it was funded… it was a research project.
172 00:20:23.130 --> 00:20:34.519 steve wiseman: looking at how behaviour change has been affected by climate concerns. So that's quite an interesting project. So they're… they're projects we're partnered on, and then on direct delivery.
173 00:20:35.410 --> 00:20:42.720 steve wiseman: We've had a lot of small prog… small funding for projects from time to time. There's a great one in the summer a couple of years ago, where
174 00:20:43.380 --> 00:20:47.280 steve wiseman: Schoolchildren were asked to come up with… with a…
175 00:20:48.100 --> 00:21:01.920 steve wiseman: little projects which help to raise their awareness on environmental issues. There's a community gardens festival that came up last… earlier this year, where we could show… showcase green spaces,
176 00:21:02.070 --> 00:21:13.439 steve wiseman: Some of which were private, a lot of them were publicly owned, some of them were quite small, and it gave… made people proud of what was available, and made them maybe more aware of what's possible, what… what… what you…
177 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:22.849 steve wiseman: what's there, and appreciate the natural world in urban areas. We also have a regular newsletter that comes out,
178 00:21:23.190 --> 00:21:41.740 steve wiseman: Although we are… we… that is… as I say, most of our work is… well, all our work is volunteer-based, unless we can get funding for one-off projects, and the newsletter, we are certainly looking for more volunteers to help with that, because as ever, if ever you want anything done, you ask a busy person, but the busy person that's doing that, I think there's no…
179 00:21:41.740 --> 00:21:49.220 steve wiseman: She'd say, I've had enough now, so we need… we need to find someone else to take that on, and that… because that's great, because that's a very great way of getting…
180 00:21:49.300 --> 00:21:51.820 steve wiseman: sharing information across Norwich.
181 00:21:51.910 --> 00:21:54.540 steve wiseman: and, and parts of Norfolk. And,
182 00:21:54.640 --> 00:22:10.940 steve wiseman: We… in the past, we've run monthly sessions on various themes, where we can get… where the funding is available. We've… we've covered areas such as biodiversity, recycling, energy, climate, anxiety, you name it. We've covered so many different areas and topics
183 00:22:11.130 --> 00:22:14.500 steve wiseman: around… climate change.
184 00:22:14.690 --> 00:22:21.450 steve wiseman: So, looking ahead, we obviously want to do more. We… that's what we're quite… we're enthusiastic about developing
185 00:22:22.060 --> 00:22:29.970 steve wiseman: possibilities for Norfolk as a whole, expanding our facilitation and knowledge sharing, And,
186 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:48.660 steve wiseman: just moving forward for Norfolk in the way that we've been looking at for Essex and other counties. So it's really looking for funding, really, and I'm pleased that the great collaboration has been supported with that. Another thing which some of our members are very keen on is something called an Imaginarium. I think there's one in Cambridge.
187 00:22:48.660 --> 00:22:56.220 steve wiseman: And it's basically looking at the past history of a tone, and in this case, Norwich's radical history, where lots of people have made
188 00:22:56.220 --> 00:23:00.450 steve wiseman: Really, kind of, constructive changes, positive changes for the future.
189 00:23:00.620 --> 00:23:09.949 steve wiseman: And we want to sort of celebrate that, and then imagine how Norwich could be improved in the future. So I think that kind of concept
190 00:23:09.950 --> 00:23:28.760 steve wiseman: where people can come together and imagine a better future, whether it's just climate change or the bigger picture, is something that quite a few towns are doing, and I think that also fits in with this dominant economics thing. But the Imaginarium potentially could be commercially a viable thing, because it could be a center where people can
191 00:23:28.760 --> 00:23:36.979 steve wiseman: turn up… appreciate the past, what's been achieved in the past, and what could be achieved in the future. So that's basically
192 00:23:38.290 --> 00:23:49.819 steve wiseman: well, I've got a bit more. Yeah, why this matters, I think we're all kind of familiar with this. It took… it tackles climate and ecological breakdown. It helps with
193 00:23:50.250 --> 00:24:06.100 steve wiseman: It helps to address the issues that we're all concerned about, the fairer, greener Norwich. Increasing… it also increases opportunities for volunteering and collaboration. It attracts quite a wide demographic, a lot of young people, but also older people as well.
194 00:24:06.100 --> 00:24:10.759 steve wiseman: Sometimes it's the people in the middle that… because they haven't got the time, I guess.
195 00:24:10.940 --> 00:24:22.970 steve wiseman: That, that are less involved, but… so we have, we have, quite a lot of events. We've got, quite a few events coming up in October to attract the general public, really, and that's often our source of volunteers.
196 00:24:23.210 --> 00:24:32.739 steve wiseman: And people like to get involved, because it reduces… helps address isolation, mental health issues as well. So there are benefits to individuals as well as to the wider community.
197 00:24:34.350 --> 00:24:36.829 steve wiseman: So, so far, we're… we'd say rough…
198 00:24:37.230 --> 00:24:45.569 steve wiseman: we haven't really done a count recently, but it's about 20 or so volunteer groups have been supported. I think we're… over the time, we're…
199 00:24:45.730 --> 00:24:54.900 steve wiseman: we've had 200 or so volunteers. I think it fluctuates the numbers of people, depending on availability, but it's definitely increasing.
200 00:24:55.080 --> 00:25:05.520 steve wiseman: And lots of people have been involved in our workshops, schools have been involved in the expeditions, which we mentioned, the climate awareness adventure things, and
201 00:25:05.520 --> 00:25:25.119 steve wiseman: we've had a… we've developed a good partnership with local authorities and Norwich Bid and local artists, so we tend to be… if… if they want… if they can think of a project, and they can… well, we can actually take it on, that we're… we're like a receptacle for certain… quite a wide range of projects we're taking on, as we can see there, from time to time. So.
202 00:25:25.120 --> 00:25:31.529 steve wiseman: I think I'm proud of what we've been doing, but we're all… we've all got our day jobs, so it's just finding the time to,
203 00:25:32.120 --> 00:25:34.740 steve wiseman: to do stuff. But we're helping to,
204 00:25:35.180 --> 00:25:45.260 steve wiseman: we've got a series of events in October, and we're hoping to attract more volunteers. So that's basically Norwich EcoHub, and that's where we are at the moment. So,
205 00:25:45.710 --> 00:25:49.730 steve wiseman: I don't know if anyone's got any questions.
206 00:25:50.120 --> 00:26:05.490 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Steve, thank you very much, and I'll certainly be keen to start the ball rolling, because you see things in towns and cities that we don't see so much in the country, and I was very struck by the number of
207 00:26:05.620 --> 00:26:19.670 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: at times in your show that you mentioned the word anxiety, or eco-anxiety, or mental health, and particularly, you mentioned children. Do we have a lot of issues with people being very worried about the climate?
208 00:26:19.910 --> 00:26:21.680 steve wiseman: Well, anecdotally.
209 00:26:21.820 --> 00:26:33.549 steve wiseman: a lot of the… what they call the Gen Z people, and people are concerned, I think it's because of a lot of information that's come out from various sources, but people fear
210 00:26:34.010 --> 00:26:40.809 steve wiseman: That is one of the top fears among a lot of young people, that it's all a bit hopeless, and what's been done about it, you know?
211 00:26:40.920 --> 00:26:51.870 steve wiseman: So it's definitely… but it is anecdotal. I think there are… there is research into this. I probably should have found that, but there's… there is research, but certainly lots of people talk about
212 00:26:51.880 --> 00:27:05.119 steve wiseman: their kids having these fears, and young people themselves. So the movement, the environmental movement, has attracted a lot of young people and doing various things, so I think it's fair to say that it's a lot of angst
213 00:27:05.150 --> 00:27:13.010 steve wiseman: Around the issue, which is obviously justifiable. But in some cases, it goes a bit too far, and people are really worried about
214 00:27:13.010 --> 00:27:26.249 steve wiseman: And it kind of immobilizes some people, I think. So what we have to try to do to show that there is hope for… there are ways forward, and not… it's not all… all lost, but it's kind of,
215 00:27:26.940 --> 00:27:30.680 steve wiseman: Been a lot of politics involved with this as well, of course, yeah.
216 00:27:30.840 --> 00:27:38.090 steve wiseman: And are people responsive? Do they sort of cheer up a little if you share… Well, I think, I think that if you can involve people.
217 00:27:38.170 --> 00:27:56.330 steve wiseman: and they can see it's… it's make… it's a practical difference they're making. It kind of energizes them, and they can… I think it doesn't… I think we always think that the volunteering side alleviates the anxiety, because a lot of people just say, well, what can I do, you know, and they feel a bit helpless with it.
218 00:27:56.730 --> 00:27:59.590 steve wiseman: And they see what's happening in other parts of the world, and I think
219 00:27:59.760 --> 00:28:16.889 steve wiseman: although Britain's had its ecological disasters, and it's obviously in the North Norfolk coast, it's quite evident, really, but I don't think they're seeing as much, and they're just getting in the news at the moment of what's happening in other parts of the world. I'm involved with an international development charity, and I know the effects of,
220 00:28:16.890 --> 00:28:28.149 steve wiseman: the droughts going on for many years in parts of Africa, which then let… result in enormous flooding, which… so a lot of the traditional agriculture
221 00:28:28.340 --> 00:28:45.440 steve wiseman: industries have declined, and affected livelihoods. So all that I'm well aware of, and I think, there's a fear that that's just what's starting in global south countries is now becoming more evident in other parts of the world. So, so I think,
222 00:28:46.800 --> 00:28:53.149 steve wiseman: you know, I think… so people get stuff on the… on the news, obviously, and people have their experience, but a lot of it is…
223 00:28:53.710 --> 00:28:55.529 steve wiseman: fear for the future, I guess.
224 00:28:56.200 --> 00:28:59.719 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: And affecting them locally, as opposed to what's happening in Africa.
225 00:28:59.720 --> 00:29:03.650 steve wiseman: Yeah, well, that's right, they can see examples locally. I'm not, obviously,
226 00:29:04.760 --> 00:29:08.800 steve wiseman: You know, there's a lot of political stuff going on as well about,
227 00:29:09.750 --> 00:29:11.469 steve wiseman: About the whole issue, isn't it? Yeah.
228 00:29:11.880 --> 00:29:14.519 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Thank you very much. Over to you, Stuart.
229 00:29:14.910 --> 00:29:18.489 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Hi, I'd just like to say thanks, Steve. It's…
230 00:29:18.860 --> 00:29:24.269 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: quite an amazing piece of work, really. I'm just a little bit,
231 00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:33.839 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Not worried, but, wonder how relatable all this is to… Smaller towns, parishes.
232 00:29:34.200 --> 00:29:38.830 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: I don't know what the population of, Norwich is.
233 00:29:39.010 --> 00:29:44.260 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: But I presume it's, I don't know, over 100,000, maybe?
234 00:29:44.260 --> 00:29:48.390 steve wiseman: Yeah, it's about 100… 160,000, I think, yeah.
235 00:29:49.400 --> 00:29:58.550 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: So, do you think the actual number of people available to get involved in this is an important factor?
236 00:29:59.280 --> 00:30:06.219 steve wiseman: Yeah, I guess so. I suppose in a village, say, you're gonna get…
237 00:30:06.840 --> 00:30:16.879 steve wiseman: I don't know if there's more… more people… it's a more intense thing, isn't it? You might… you might get more people involved through peer group pressure than you would in a… in a city, because,
238 00:30:17.270 --> 00:30:24.360 steve wiseman: people thought they feel they're in it together more, whereas in… in Norwich, it is,
239 00:30:25.820 --> 00:30:31.849 steve wiseman: people pick and choose things, don't they? Whereas maybe in a smaller community.
240 00:30:32.030 --> 00:30:36.300 steve wiseman: people feel more… more obligation. I can't really comment on whether
241 00:30:36.940 --> 00:30:43.030 steve wiseman: I mean, there's lots of examples in villages where people are doing loads of sterling work, and as,
242 00:30:44.190 --> 00:30:44.700 steve wiseman: Azure.
243 00:30:44.700 --> 00:30:51.420 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Yeah, I think most of these are groups strongly focused on one particular thing.
244 00:30:51.580 --> 00:31:01.560 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: We have quite vigorous, sort of, arts groups, dance groups, gardening groups.
245 00:31:01.820 --> 00:31:06.169 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: But they're all focused just on that sort of one thing.
246 00:31:06.350 --> 00:31:15.899 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: And from what I've gleaned from you, you've got a much wider, sort of, spectrum of activities and involvements there.
247 00:31:15.900 --> 00:31:35.239 steve wiseman: Well, I think… I think in Norfolk, we… we certainly have this problem as well, that people have in their… in their silos, they're in there doing different things. But often, when you get them together, they realize there's a big connection going on here between various things, like the gardening group is a good example, mate. It probably connects with,
248 00:31:35.240 --> 00:31:46.240 steve wiseman: the wider issues of climate change, because they can see that… in fact, gardeners of all people can see this, can't they? So, I think maybe having a coordinating group that shares experience, which is exactly what Grain
249 00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:50.229 steve wiseman: Great collaboration's doing, and it's certainly what we're trying to do locally.
250 00:31:50.700 --> 00:32:05.649 steve wiseman: I think… I think that… and that's what… that's what Green Essex would presumably do. Bringing together the… these various angles, and… and getting people to say, well, this is your experience, but you can complement your experience by what… what's going on with…
251 00:32:06.460 --> 00:32:10.199 steve wiseman: In other areas. So, for example, gardeners, wildlife.
252 00:32:10.360 --> 00:32:15.339 steve wiseman: That, that obviously links, links very well. So I think… I think there are creative ways
253 00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:23.600 steve wiseman: coordinating and bringing things together. And I think the same should apply whether it's rural or urban, really, or suburban.
254 00:32:24.970 --> 00:32:31.660 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Yeah, I think travel and distance probably pays quite a big role in some of these things.
255 00:32:31.660 --> 00:32:32.460 steve wiseman: Yeah.
256 00:32:32.460 --> 00:32:41.150 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: So, if we have something, say, set up in Chelmsford, which is our nearest, like, well, city now.
257 00:32:41.460 --> 00:32:46.250 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: A lot of people would view that as being a long way away, and…
258 00:32:47.060 --> 00:32:49.840 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Wouldn't want to travel that far.
259 00:32:50.230 --> 00:32:52.859 steve wiseman: Well, this is the problem with Norfolk, because,
260 00:32:53.770 --> 00:33:11.610 steve wiseman: it's a… it's a county boundary that's been set up many years ago, but people living in Kingsleyan, they don't really associate with anything at Norwich at all, and I think Yarmouth considers itself separate as well, so it's really hard to unite. I mean, when we have the unitary authorities, they're probably…
261 00:33:12.680 --> 00:33:25.980 steve wiseman: cover larger chunks, because the county council will probably disappear. So… but I agree, size and geographical spread is a factor, and in fact, the closer your community is, whether it's a rural
262 00:33:26.310 --> 00:33:28.520 steve wiseman: Or an urban. I think Norwich has got quite a…
263 00:33:28.890 --> 00:33:32.960 steve wiseman: Quite a close community, really, in terms of you can walk into the city.
264 00:33:33.420 --> 00:33:37.080 steve wiseman: And the chances are, you'll see someone that you know from somewhere.
265 00:33:37.220 --> 00:33:44.499 steve wiseman: walking down the street, you know, so it's kind of just the right size, it's not too large. So I think…
266 00:33:44.690 --> 00:33:56.069 steve wiseman: But if it's something really large, like London or something, it'd be really difficult. You'd have to break it down into smaller components. So I'm probably… I'm probably heading towards saying, yeah, the original question, the smaller…
267 00:33:56.280 --> 00:33:59.200 steve wiseman: The smaller communities, probably, in the end.
268 00:33:59.700 --> 00:34:03.569 steve wiseman: Are where… where they're going to be more successful, really.
269 00:34:04.840 --> 00:34:06.030 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Okay, thanks.
270 00:34:06.660 --> 00:34:07.290 steve wiseman: Yeah.
271 00:34:07.790 --> 00:34:18.560 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: I was struck, Steve, by your wonderfully grandiose title of Norfolk Solar System, as opposed to the rest of the world, Solar System.
272 00:34:18.560 --> 00:34:24.950 steve wiseman: So that… that was Norris… that was Norris Bee. They were… they spent a long time trying to come up with a suitable,
273 00:34:25.090 --> 00:34:39.790 steve wiseman: label for this, and then they've got… they seem to… they have a marketing person, so why not call it Norwich Silver System? I said at the time, it sounds a bit pretentious, but they… they… they seem to like it now, so that's… that's now all of their website now, so…
274 00:34:39.790 --> 00:34:56.449 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: So I wanted to ask, because I know this is something that Tristram is working on, is what percentage of the rooftops in that area went solar, and did you generate a substantial percentage of your needed electricity, or…
275 00:34:57.330 --> 00:35:09.819 steve wiseman: Well, I haven't… you need to talk to an RHBID to get the deed, because it's a bit of an ongoing project, but I know that a lot of… a lot of companies have now got solar on their roof, they didn't have before, and
276 00:35:09.970 --> 00:35:15.619 steve wiseman: ecclesiastical buildings. They… when they… when it was… when we set up, they were very…
277 00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:26.220 steve wiseman: they didn't want to… and they didn't want to put anything on their roofs. They thought it might damage the look of the roof and everything. And then the church changed its view on it.
278 00:35:26.220 --> 00:35:45.220 steve wiseman: And St. Peter Mancroft, which is a famous church in the center of Norwich, has now got them, and they're really proud of them, they're promoting it. So I… and a lot of heritage buildings in Norwich, and I know the planning… the planning, people are changing their attitude, because for a long time, it was quite difficult to get solar panels on heritage buildings.
279 00:35:45.550 --> 00:36:03.939 steve wiseman: I think we were led by the example of Kensington, the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which decided to give unilateral permission for all… because they've got loads of heritage buildings on the installation of solar panels, rather than doing a one-by-one assessment each time. So as long as it's within the keep… within keeping of the actual grandiose
280 00:36:04.100 --> 00:36:06.480 steve wiseman: the grandiose building, then,
281 00:36:06.510 --> 00:36:25.810 steve wiseman: it can be done. So I think progress is being made. It's slow, but I think a lot's gone… a lot's, like, a lot's moved on in terms of the last three years, but I can't give you, actually, actual figures, but, Norwich Speed could certainly do that, I'm sure. We talked to, Martin Blackwell, who's the
282 00:36:25.910 --> 00:36:27.420 steve wiseman: The main guy, they're all…
283 00:36:27.570 --> 00:36:35.119 steve wiseman: or Michael, there, but if you, if you would like, I could try and get the information for you, but, I'm sure.
284 00:36:35.370 --> 00:36:46.440 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Well, I'm just… I'm interested because so much of what we're doing seems to involve educating ignorant or very narrow-minded people in.
285 00:36:46.440 --> 00:36:46.850 steve wiseman: Yeah.
286 00:36:46.850 --> 00:36:49.930 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: grand positions, and I'm sort of thinking that…
287 00:36:50.050 --> 00:37:06.779 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: I live in a listed house, and we have a lot of trouble with the planning people on putting solar panels on the roof, because you can't have that in a listed building. I'd like to throw at them the example of Gloucester Cathedral. I mean, that's only 1,300 years old.
288 00:37:06.780 --> 00:37:14.459 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: So, it's got a long way to go yet, but they covered it in solar panels because, as you say, the ecclesiastical people changed their minds.
289 00:37:14.800 --> 00:37:16.609 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: And I'm hoping…
290 00:37:16.610 --> 00:37:17.469 tristram cary: I think things…
291 00:37:17.800 --> 00:37:26.400 tristram cary: Yeah, I think things are getting better. From our experience, county… local authorities and district councils are tending to say they'll put
292 00:37:26.520 --> 00:37:40.040 tristram cary: They'll, you know, allow solar panels as the rule, but… so our local district heart has done that, but actually there's still… it's still very difficult to push stuff through, so getting it implemented is something else, again.
293 00:37:40.200 --> 00:37:46.820 tristram cary: But I think the attitude of councils towards allowing solar as a sort of standard thing is improving.
294 00:37:47.140 --> 00:38:03.019 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Yes, I find myself developing techniques to work with Neanderthals, because they're so far back in the Stone Age around here that, you know, you've got to develop a new language to say, have you noticed that we're in… we're a quarter of the way through the 21st century?
295 00:38:03.140 --> 00:38:05.580 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: And a lot of them haven't noticed.
296 00:38:05.580 --> 00:38:06.710 steve wiseman: Yeah.
297 00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:21.500 steve wiseman: Yeah, unfortunately, we're planning so much depending on local authorities, and there probably should be more government sort of ruling. I know there's been some changes on planning, but I think there should be some sort of general parameters introduced to
298 00:38:21.620 --> 00:38:24.209 steve wiseman: To stop local… some local authorities being…
299 00:38:24.320 --> 00:38:33.150 steve wiseman: basically prejudiced against the solar panels, and others are doing… others are moving on quite well now. Norwich has slowly adapted. They were difficult…
300 00:38:33.190 --> 00:38:50.199 steve wiseman: That was one of the barriers presented by businesses, that local authority was going to be difficult, but I think we're gradually working on them. And as I say, Kenston and Chelsea are kind of a sighted example of where they came up with this unilateral policy, so I think that's great.
301 00:38:50.440 --> 00:38:54.190 steve wiseman: It's very much changing, but it's very… but because we… we have
302 00:38:54.310 --> 00:38:59.830 steve wiseman: Because of localism, which is good in many ways, it's resulting in a patchwork at the moment.
303 00:39:01.880 --> 00:39:02.440 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Stop.
304 00:39:02.720 --> 00:39:08.730 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Well, we have examples of, More, more, conservative thinking.
305 00:39:09.110 --> 00:39:10.240 steve wiseman: Yeah. Down here.
306 00:39:11.440 --> 00:39:18.049 tristram cary: Steve, can I just ask about your… the fairness? You've got as one of your goals, fairness.
307 00:39:18.340 --> 00:39:28.119 tristram cary: And I'm wondering how… is that… is that a central part of what you do, or is… are you… everything you do is aimed towards getting, you know, improving lives and access to clean energy?
308 00:39:28.120 --> 00:39:45.120 steve wiseman: Yeah, yeah, we've thought… we've thought, really, that we're just concerned that environmental stuff isn't just a concern of the middle classes, and it affects a lot of people in so many walks of life who wouldn't normally engage. And, some of it is to do with the…
309 00:39:45.170 --> 00:39:58.840 steve wiseman: the way… the way the systems are run, so we… we're trying to look more closely at, issues around equality, for example, and look at project… I mean, it's always a… it's always an issue, a problem, because we can run events.
310 00:39:58.840 --> 00:40:17.710 steve wiseman: And it's always the same old people turn up, the environmental activists, young people, and older people have been in concern for some time, but just getting ordinary people in their working lives to sort of be concerned about this, and to do stuff, that's always a struggle. And we… in terms of fairness and equality, we…
311 00:40:17.770 --> 00:40:34.860 steve wiseman: it's an ambition, really, to get things more… donor economics helps… gives us a framework to help adjust… adjust to this, because it's got in the frameworks, it's got… it says, what about health services? Then we have to think about, well, how can health services be improved? It's a big undertaking.
312 00:40:35.190 --> 00:40:35.670 tristram cary: Hmm.
313 00:40:35.670 --> 00:40:39.379 steve wiseman: But yeah, but I think we've got a structure that tries to address that.
314 00:40:39.690 --> 00:40:44.639 steve wiseman: But how far we get with it is quite… quite hard, but it's a consciousness, at least.
315 00:40:48.170 --> 00:40:50.069 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: See, when you say that,
316 00:40:50.630 --> 00:41:05.009 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: hundreds of people have been involved with you, or helped, or so forth. When you hold one of these, public sessions in a city like Norwich, how many people tend to show up? Are we talking in the high tenths, in the low.
317 00:41:05.010 --> 00:41:09.419 steve wiseman: We promote them, it depends what it is, but we've had events where
318 00:41:09.970 --> 00:41:15.790 steve wiseman: There's been about 30 or 40 people turn up, you know, and it's been… And we…
319 00:41:16.260 --> 00:41:22.819 steve wiseman: we had an event, fairly recently, it was through Reimagine Norwich, but it was looking at our…
320 00:41:22.940 --> 00:41:39.149 steve wiseman: of a current, you know, the… you've heard of the Lewis… the Lewis pound, and these local currencies? Sure. We had… we had a really instructive session by a guy who was involved in a Tottenness pound, and we had about, I would say 20 turned up for that.
321 00:41:39.250 --> 00:41:48.059 steve wiseman: And that… so it was something a bit different, and it kind of attracted people. Having said that, some of them were the familiar faces, so…
322 00:41:48.210 --> 00:41:50.160 steve wiseman: There were a few new people.
323 00:41:50.390 --> 00:42:01.630 steve wiseman: But this perpetual issue we've got, is how to get other people involved, really. But yeah, attendance… Norwich is the sort of place where people tend to come to these things, a bit like.
324 00:42:02.110 --> 00:42:13.039 steve wiseman: a bit like, certain other towns in Britain, you know, but I think grow… I think there's a growing interest in these… the bigger picture. I'm… I mean, sadly,
325 00:42:13.180 --> 00:42:25.939 steve wiseman: the world is becoming a bit more… a bit binary at the moment, and it's manifesting itself in Britain, isn't it? Where it's… people are on one side or the other, and there's less of a unity of purpose, but,
326 00:42:26.920 --> 00:42:31.050 steve wiseman: I think, at the moment, people are coming together with a common concern, you know.
327 00:42:32.680 --> 00:42:37.180 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: I found in, in Somerset, in a small parish, that the…
328 00:42:37.460 --> 00:42:56.209 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: degree of interest shown in creating a nature reserve has been phenomenal, and we sort of… we held a meeting where we said, we're going to discuss this with people, and we came to the conclusion the meeting would be a success if 20 people showed up, and we got 120, which, from a village of 500 people, is not bad going.
329 00:42:56.770 --> 00:43:05.330 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: I think… I think more and more people are concerned. They're not necessarily addressing climate change per se, but they're concerned about the natural world, and .
330 00:43:05.710 --> 00:43:10.859 steve wiseman: And they want to protect it, and it can't… it's coming from all sorts of sources, but…
331 00:43:11.670 --> 00:43:24.799 steve wiseman: And that's why, in the recent survey, that great collaboration survey, parish council, it came up top, then the biodiversity came up top, which I don't think would have been the case, say, 10 years ago, so people are beginning to question the.
332 00:43:25.280 --> 00:43:27.789 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Tarmacking everything in the… the… the…
333 00:43:27.790 --> 00:43:35.110 steve wiseman: Everything… Motorways everywhere and all that stuff, so they're looking… they're looking at the… bigger picture now.
334 00:43:35.310 --> 00:43:40.619 steve wiseman: It's quite interesting. I went to New Zealand a couple of years ago, as mentioned, and
335 00:43:40.640 --> 00:43:57.390 steve wiseman: the Maoris regard the river as a person, and the river has got the same rights as an individual would have. And that thing about the rights of nature has been replicated in various countries. Ecuador is another example, and that… I think that's quite a good policy to give.
336 00:43:57.610 --> 00:44:02.670 steve wiseman: To have a… a river, rivers, given that kind of legal…
337 00:44:03.450 --> 00:44:12.280 steve wiseman: legal recognition, because that means all legislation has to be… has to be mindful of the effect on a river or on a particular natural
338 00:44:13.080 --> 00:44:30.120 steve wiseman: part of the natural world and how it's affected by… by changes. So I think… I think that's probably quite a good thing. But we… we have to learn from our past sometimes, you know, and there's other civilizations, that was just an example of Marley, but there's other civilizations that… that seem to have much better affinity
339 00:44:30.930 --> 00:44:34.270 steve wiseman: and respect for the natural world, then…
340 00:44:34.450 --> 00:44:40.000 steve wiseman: Than we historically have had in recent years, but… so it's good that if it's returning, that's good.
341 00:44:41.540 --> 00:44:49.390 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Well, I think certainly the older people amongst us are being more and more reminded of how much has changed, so…
342 00:44:49.390 --> 00:44:50.410 steve wiseman: Yeah, that's right.
343 00:44:50.410 --> 00:45:02.469 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: It's a very, very long time since I had to wipe my car windscreen clear of midges and insects and things, whereas back in the 50s or 60s, you were doing it after every trip.
344 00:45:02.470 --> 00:45:03.940 steve wiseman: That's true, actually, yeah.
345 00:45:03.940 --> 00:45:19.760 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: And of course, if they've gone, then all the, sort of higher level predators that depend upon them have gone as well, so they're… Yeah. You know, how long since you last saw a thrush, or even sparrows nowadays seem to be few and far between. Very weird.
346 00:45:19.990 --> 00:45:21.130 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: I'm finding.
347 00:45:21.960 --> 00:45:35.120 steve wiseman: It is, yeah, that's right. And there's been a migration of certain species to Britain. Like, I remember doing a tour of the Broads last year, and these birds were turning up that hadn't been seen on the broads before.
348 00:45:35.250 --> 00:45:39.849 steve wiseman: Which… which was damaging the habitat of the… of the existing birdlife, you know?
349 00:45:39.850 --> 00:45:40.969 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Oh, the natives, right.
350 00:45:40.970 --> 00:45:42.080 steve wiseman: Yeah, yeah.
351 00:45:42.180 --> 00:45:54.600 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: And back to your question about the gardeners, they certainly notice that everything is happening earlier and earlier. You know, spring starts 3 weeks earlier than it did, and the farmers are planting many weeks earlier than they used to, so it goes.
352 00:45:54.870 --> 00:45:55.330 steve wiseman: Yeah.
353 00:45:55.330 --> 00:45:56.280 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Fascinating.
354 00:45:56.580 --> 00:46:03.379 steve wiseman: Yeah, and the rivers… a lot of rivers drying up as well, aren't they? That's… that's another very visible thing, the effect on the rivers, yeah.
355 00:46:05.330 --> 00:46:08.919 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Let me just check if anyone else has any more questions for you.
356 00:46:09.610 --> 00:46:12.729 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: And I see a large amount of nothing.
357 00:46:13.330 --> 00:46:20.350 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: So, Steve, thank you so much. That was actually very interesting. I did enjoy it, and thank you for your time and the work in putting it together.
358 00:46:20.350 --> 00:46:32.349 steve wiseman: Well, thank you very much. I'm glad you've written all this out, because that reminds me, because sometimes you forget what's been achieved, so it's kind of reminded me of it. Anyway, okay, thank you. Nice to meet you, and see you at the great collaboration meeting. Take care.
359 00:46:32.350 --> 00:46:36.020 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration: Cool, and we'll see everybody next week. Take care, bye-bye.
360 00:46:36.020 --> 00:46:36.989 tristram cary: If you're from a…
361 00:46:36.990 --> 00:46:37.760 Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Alright.
Markdown copy of Steve's presentation (for AI Search engine)# Norwich Eco Hub Presentation
## Slide 1
Norwich Eco Hub
Building a resilient, fair and sustainable Norwich
## Slide 2
Who We Are
- Community Interest Company (CIC)
- Mission: Build a resilient local economy based on cooperation, fairness, wise use of resources, and respect for the living world
## Slide 3
Our Core Aims
- Educate about interconnected challenges: inequality, climate breakdown, community health
- Promote community capacity-building and resilience
- Advance environmental protection and sustainable development
- Celebrate and coordinate sustainable living
## Slide 4
Origins
- Recognise need for individuals from local sustainability groups to join forces
- Adrian Ramsey a founder
- To develop a central hub for VCSE and business sectors for workshops, events, and collaboration
## Slide 5
Key Projects: Partnering, Parenting and Direct Delivery
## Slide 6
Parenting
- Norwich Unity Hub
- Repurposed community space for groups and artists
- Sourcing premises, negotiating space, forming Norwich Unity Hub as a charity
- Escape Room
- Team developing this to mimic climate change issues
## Slide 7
Partnering
- Reimagine Norwich community-led energy saving and decarbonisation
- Norwich Solar System ecological citizenship project
- Anglia Ruskin University quests for young eco-adventurers
- Community Gardens Festival 2025 news and updates in Norwich area
- Monthly public sessions on biodiversity, recycling, energy, climate anxiety
## Slide 9
Looking Ahead
- Norwich Imaginarium expanding facilitation and knowledge sharing
## Slide 10
Why This Matters
- Tackling climate and ecological breakdown
- Growing a fairer, greener Norwich
- Increasing volunteering and collaboration
- Reducing isolation and eco-anxiety
- Improving mental health and wellbeing
## Slide 11
Our Impact
- 20+ volunteer groups supported in Norwich
- 200+ existing volunteers, aiming for 30% increase
- Hundreds engaged through workshops, expeditions, events
- Strong partnerships with councils, Norwich BID, artists, and businesses
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