bognor-regis.org Made with Xara © A White 2011 Greener Bognor Network By Dave Barton The Greener Bognor Network is an informal, inclusive and loose network of local people wanting to see a greener Bognor Regis. We have chosen a deliberately wide definition of ‘greener’, in order to include as many environmental and related social and health objectives as possible from increased biodiversity, better walking and cycling spaces, more productive and beautiful green spaces, more ‘green’ jobs, greener homes etc. The Greener Bognor Network was set up in the Summer of 2010 in response to several local people expressing an interest in getting together to share ideas and finding out what is happening ecologically across Bognor Regis and the local environs. Also more importantly what could we do together by folk with shared visions being encouraged and empowered to introduce new initiatives. Local residents Dave Barton and Jo Brooks chose an informal pub setting for its initial meetings along the lines of the strangely titled “green drinks” network www.greendrinks.org, You won’t be the first to make a comment about absinthe or crème de menthe! Green relates to the subject matter not the beverage. Having previously been a regular attender at London Green Drinks, and more recently Chichester green drinks and having set up Brixton Green Drinks in the early ‘noughties’  I recognised the benefit of an informal and inclusive meeting in a sociable atmosphere of a pub setting for gathering people with an interest in any aspect of environmental issues. The Green Bognor Network builds upon this heritage and is designed to be more intentional with a view to helping initiate ‘green’ project in Bognor Regis, that is the town itself and the wider area, encompassing all the communities from Pagham  to Elmer. Of course anyone interested outside of the area is also welcome to come and join in discussions. In fact the network enjoys a good relationship with Transition Chichester www.transitionchichester.org , with some folk active in both. Having been a co-founder, I am keen to work on the ‘Transition’ principles (and those of Permaculture) and to further develop good working relationships with our local Transition town. So what of the future of this network? This is entirely dependent upon the wishes and energy levels of those involved, but already some small groups are considering particular projects. In fact it is hoped that the network would serve the town in many ways, including: • as a seed-bed for ideas to be nurtured and developed • as a ‘match-making’ service for those with similar visions • as an eco-sounding board for consultation on new initiatives from other groups, communities and organisations • a launch pad for new projects (with specific groups set up for each initiative) • as an environmental voice (or more likely a collection of voices) for Bognor Regis A good example of a small-scale local project is Bersted Brooks which as a partnership between Arun District and the local community,  has seen hundreds of trees planted of different species by a mixture of volunteers and professionals on some old farmland. Benefiting the beauty, health and biodiversity of the area, this type of project demonstrates what could be achieved in partnership elsewhere. Early indications from the formative weeks of the Greener Bognor Network show a shared interest in community orchards and gardens, improved cycling paths, joining up of green spaces and a specific Pagham-wide group to take forward specific initiatives. October 2010 You can also find us on Facebook.