FEAR for bees Farmers back green payment plans Waveney Green Party newsletter as sugar beet SPRING 2021 for , , Local farmers have welcomed a new Government and surrounding villages pesticides ban farm management subsidy scheme which will help protect wildlife in the region. is lifted For years, farmers in the Waveney Valley have been GREENVIEW paid subsidies under the EU’s Common A major new threat to bees and other plant Agricultural Policy for their land under production, pollinators has emerged with the lifting of the ban on a dangerous pesticide used on sugar known as basic payments. The payments have beet crops - just as County Council mostly been made regardless of what farmers grow rolls out a hard won Biodiversity campaign to and how they grow it. Thanks for the protect our local wildlife. But since 2016, thirteen farmers from Norfolk and GETTING WAVENEY VACCINATED! Last December, leading Green councillor Green campaigner Annette AbbotT Suffolk have been part of an experiment to try out great service Elfrede Brambley-Crawshaw convinced all new nature-friendly models of funding support, Patients have heaped praise on the seamless political parties at to working with DEFRA. Instead of being paid for their Saints villages resident and Green Suffolk service they encountered at local vaccination support her landmark Biodiversity motion, acreage, they have been funded for measures such County Council candidate Annette Abbott is centres, despite the large numbers attending for designed to get Suffolk County Council to as hedgerow improvements, habitat creation, and outraged. “It is beyond any scientific doubt that their Covid-19 protection jabs each day. develop and embrace biodiverse land even growing crops designed to offer birds food neonics devastate our wildlife. They not only management strategies. during winter. Many have journeyed to the Sole Bay Health wipe out bees, but a wide variety of insects Centre for their jabs. Michael Imison from But even as this is being enacted by the which birds and other animals in the food Crucially, farmers are not forced to follow a strict Halesworth was very pleased: “I was ushered council, Environment Secretary George chain depend on. Only 5% of the chemical rule book, but are rewarded for using their own straight in for the vaccination, then I had to wait Eustice sanctioned the emergency use of protects the sugar beet, the rest ends up in experience to make these projects successful on 15 minutes to see if there were side effects, but previously banned Thiamethoxam, following our soils and ultimately in the River Waveney their farms. no one seemed to suffer any. Things all moved lobbying by the sugar industry and the NFU. where it causes further havoc with freshwater quickly but without any sense of hurry. All the life,” she said. Most people involved report that these trials have volunteers seemed to know exactly what to do. Thiamethoxam is a dangerous neonicotinoid been a huge success, with some farmers even com- Dr Annette Abbott and nurse Janey Lawrence who are vaccinating housebound people in the area Amateurs were stepping up to unfamiliar roles pesticide banned EU-wide in 2018 because John Sanderson, who farms in South peting amongst themselves to see how many new with the wartime spirit of commitment and of devastating effects on bees and other Elmham and grew 16 hectares of sugar beet wildflower species they could record. As a result, the Green campaigners Dr Annette Abbott and into action immunising. ‘It is really crucial that we cheerfulness.” pollinators, so dangerous that then Environ- this year said: “We stopped using neonic-treat- Dr Andrew Eastaugh are two of the many GPs, take this on, so regular doctors and nurses can get on Government have announced a new Environmental ment Minister Michael Gove said, “the weight ed sugar beet seeds many years back, when nurses and volunteers who have come out of with the rest of general practice, otherwise we’ll have For many it was the Land Management (ELM) scheme which will soon of evidence now shows the risks neonicoti- we realised the damage it was causing. We’ve retirement to help with the unprecedented even more problems,’ she said. first trip out after noids pose to our environment, particularly to actually found our beet yields are far more begin phasing out basic payments for all farms, COVID-19 vaccination effort in the Waveney Valley. I have come out of retirement and will gladly continue nearly a year of self bees and other pollinators which play such a affected by recent droughts than by the virus replacing them by 2024 with nature-friendly farm by Dr Andrew Eastaugh, retired GP to help for free because the people deserve so much isolating. They were key part in our £100bn food industry, is greater yellows disease.” subsidies of equivalent monetary value. better than the often shameful shambles created by very relieved to see than previously understood. We cannot afford It has been remarkable for me to witness first hand politicians, contributing to the loss of over 100,000 effective social “Insect populations have crashed - butterfly Biodiversity campaigner and SCC candidate Annette to put our pollinator populations at risk.” the dedication and huge effort from local NHS citizens and causing misery to many more. distancing and Abbott of welcomed the numbers have halved since the 1970s, for teams helping to achieve the Government’s target sanitisation in The success of this vaccination campaign is due to However, according to the Department of example. These toxic chemicals are being change: “The new ELM scheme is hugely positive of vaccinating all at risk groups against Covid-19 in place, and not sur- the heroic effort by the scientists who have designed Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), used to grow more sugar for use in processed news for the wildlife of Norfolk and Suffolk, and Waveney by the end of February and the rest of the prisingly, it was very the vaccine, the companies who make and distribute sugar beet yields for this crop widely grown foods. It’s utter madness and has to stop,” we’re all looking forward to more details being UK population by the summer. emotional for some, in the Waveney Valley, were estimated down Annette Abbott said. announced by the Government. Since 80% of farm- it, the NHS staff and volunteers who administer it to suddenly see so and the patients who patiently have waited for this around 25% in 2020 compared to previous ers say they are concerned about biodiversity losses, Due to stringent requirements to keep the Pfizer many people again. Candidate Annette Dunning Meanwhile, a legal challenge is being vaccine at very low temperatures until just before and now come out on cold wet January and February ready to help out years, and many are pointing the finger at a and 64% want to make tackling climate change threatened by the Wildlife Trust. use, the vaccination has been given at specially days with gratitude and relief. Volunteers from the community have been virus carried by aphids. more of a priority, if the scheme is properly run, both Join the campaign at equipped centres. South Waveney patients are being keen to help out. Fiona from Wrentham, one of The most at risk group to Covid-19 are people in their https://wildlifetrusts.org the region’s farmers and wildlife will benefit.” vaccinated through Sole Bay Health Centre., while 20 volunteers helping with car parking at Sole 80s and 90s who have lived through the war and can other vaccines are being rolled out through surgeries Bay Health Centre, said it was wonderful to be remember how it was before there was a National and some community pharmacies. out doing something positive. “It was the first Health Service. They are expressing huge relief that anniversary of my partners’ death and it really Can you help? Green View is delivered by residents like you in It’s a huge logistical challenge. No new staff have at last there is some light at the end of the tunnel helped me by being involved,” she said. been hired and the whole programme is dependent and some hope of coming out of a year of lockdown on existing staff fitting extra work around their usual induced isolation. Halesworth Green candidate Annette Dunning your area. If you can spare a couple of hours, please get in touch. job, giving up days off. Most vaccinations are carried was asked to help organise volunteers for the out by ancillary staff, the lower pay grades who new Sole Bay vaccination centre in , Locks, Stocks and Barrels having supported the Beccles Medical Centre instagram.com/waveney green party/ [email protected] facebook.com/wavgp have worked throughout the pandemic, who often get overlooked and deserve an equal mention to the There’s before Christmas organising patient appoint- ments to James Paget Hospital. doctors and nurses. They are supported by a band of still www.waveney.greenparty.org.uk 07717 314171 @WaveneyGreens volunteers from across the community, retired health She continues to support the great team of care workers, and retired doctors like myself and time to medics and volunteers in Reydon utilising her many others. buy experience with those older and socially isolated your within our communities. Annette said being able The sense of relief about being able to help fight the to sit and talk with the many who had been shares! pandemic is also motivating other retired GPs to get isolating at home for so long had been a Printed on recycled paper with bio-degradable ink by Anglia Print back to work. Dr Annette Abbott, who was in practice see page 2 pleasure and a privilege. Limited, 5b Moor Business Park, Road, Beccles NR34 7TQ. in Halesworth until early last year, has sprung back Promoted and published by Toby Hammond on behalf of Waveney Green Party, both at Wainford Mill House, Pirnhow Street, Bungay, Suffolk NR35 2RU DELIVERED BY ROYAL MAIL DUE TO COVID GUIDELINES People’s Forum examines WAVENEY GREEN PARTY Pulling together to limit Local support for PEOPLE’S FORUMS town floods social isolation YOUR VOICE CAN BE HEARD hungry families Thanks to everyone that came Tackling loneliness exacerbated by the Covid pandemic lockdown was the topic Our People’s Forums offer a safe and The inadequate food boxes provided to families needing free school out over Christmas and helped informed platform to discuss issues meals and the increase of food poverty in the area has led to the under discussion at the Social Isolation People’s Zoom meeting organised in fill hundreds of sand bags and January by the local Green Party. important to our communities. Held on the third community stepping in to make sure no-one goes without. Monday of the month at 6pm on Zoom, they got them down to Beccles quay Please don’t go hungry, there are many ways of accessing support if The meeting drew in ideas from across the area. Annette Dunning, Halesworth town councillor, are open to any members of the public from and other areas at risk from you live locally. told of her work with the Rural Coffee Caravan (https://ruralcoffeecaravan.org.uk/) . the Beccles, Bungay, Halesworth and flooding. This charity exists to counter loneliness in rural settings by ensuring people are connecting with districts. Beccles Parish St.Michael’s & St.Luke’s are supporting the community Elfrede Brambley-Crawshaw, local support services. by offering a brilliant pop up shop on Saturday morning 9:30-11am at Monday March 15th: Peggy McGregor and Caroline St Luke’s Church. Anyone can go along and fill a bag with food for £2. She added that through her role supporting the vaccine roll out she had talked to people arriving Refuse collection, Fly tipping and Recycling: Topping were overwhelmed who had not socialised for nearly a year, and that it was important to engage with these over 80s. What’s happening to all the throw-away PPE with the support from residents, Our food banks are very busy supporting a record number of people. face-masks and gloves? This is a subject the Town Council and local Beccles has three food banks run by Waveney Foodbank. If you need Members of the public spoke about how isolation affected them and what was needed to address coming up for scrutiny by East Suffolk Council. this help a box of food will be given to you. the issue: Keri gave good examples of ways to communicate - her keep fit classes on Zoom, walks businesses. Please bring your questions - some of which we The food banks are operating as follows: with a friend, doorstep drops and checking on your neighbours - which all embraced elements of may be able to answer and those that we can’t “Rachel Betts who owns C.C. Peggy McGregor patrols the quayside socialisation and conversation as well as helping stay fit and healthy. BECCLES we can email to the Officers. Betts & Son rose to the occasion as St Lukes (Rigbourne Hill) on Monday and Friday 2-3pm A Beccles resident noted that most programmes to alleviate isolation were aimed at the over 65s, usual,” Elfrede said. “I felt pretty bad knocking on her door on Boxing Day to Monday April 19th: Hungate Church Friday 10.30-11.30am neglecting younger people who might have disabilities or mental illness which prevented them ask if she’d help with sand and straight away she dropped everything and Flooding and house building - Baptist Church on Station Road Wednesday 10.30am. from working or otherwise engaging with the community. Beccles Councillor Caroline Topping opened her shop to find sandbags and let us use her sand which was com- Long term strategies: said funding for projects was available from the Community Partnership (CP) scheme using pletely depleted. A resident later popped into the shop to pay for the sand so BUNGAY It’s been the wettest and most flooded winter funds from Council. For example, in Beccles an orchard had been funded, it was a very heartwarming story.” The Community Centre, 50 Upper Olland St, Bungay NR35 1BH here in the Waveney Valley for some time. and in Halesworth a Friendly Bench scheme was proposed. The public were invited to put forward Tuesday 10-11am and Friday 1-2 pm. Why are we building on flood plains and Peggy McGregor who is keen to help develop the town’s resilience to ideas to their local councillors for the CP scheme which they felt would help beat social isolation HALESWORTH water meadows (Pilgrims Way in Bungay for flooding said, ‘I was really pleased to hear that as a result of our actions East within the community. St Mary’s Church, Steeple End Wednesday 10.30 -11.30am. example)? Where does the effluent water from Suffolk are looking at how they can better support the community, and will The Community Larder is open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday One issue is isolated older people who are wary the new houses go to? The water table is higher be engaging with the Environment Agency to make sure that everything is 10.30-11.30am in St Mary’s Church Hall. of technology and could benefit from coaching on than it has ever been! being done to prepare our communities for the future.’ their own or loaned equipment. Caroline said East For more information or help telephone 07771 556 391. You are also welcome to make suggestions for Suffolk are trialling lending out 24 Grandpads, tablets The whole community was pulling together in Bungay too, which was future People’s Forums. In Beccles, , North-Cove and Barnby your local Green made easy for the elderly, together with training. Five heavily flooded along Pirnhow Street and Ditchingham Dam on Christmas Councillors Caroline Topping and Elfrede Brambley-Crawshaw have are still available (https://www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/). Eve with many homes evacuated by the fire service. To learn more or to register, email us at funded children’s meals at the Town House cafe. Send the Town House [email protected]. A Barnby Parish councillor and COVID volunteer Cafe a message on FB if you need this help. We will send you a link for each Zoom meeting. co-ordinator said that a poor broadband signal Love your greens? • If you need emergency food email adversely affected isolated people in her community. Test your environmental knowledge with our online quiz [email protected] This was important to note as broadband connections Go to www.waveney.greenparty.org.uk [email protected] or was set to be the subject for February’s People’s Buy The for your chance to win a local produce voucher [email protected] and we will organise it for you. Forum where it will be discussed further and actions ? recommended. Locks Inn A final suggestion was to contact the Eden project If you would like to donate a laptop you can contact Campaign Builds Tom at the Fauconberge Trust, [email protected]. outreach scheme which aims to promote community despite floods Donate a laptop to help a child involvement. Caroline said: “We are really proud of the Fauconberge Trust for stepping CANDIDATE Annette Dunning talked about her The lockdown has meant (https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/) work with The Rural Coffee Caravan The recent floods haven’t put a dampener on the up and supporting schools and parents. The Trust has a long history of schools and parents taking on campaign to turn the Geldeston Locks into a community supporting children in Beccles to access education and continues to do so the task of home schooling pub, with shares selling well. in these difficult times.” children, but not every family There was 12 inches of water inside the bar at the pub has the laptops or tablet The Beccles Academy school is taking laptops and anyone interested in Halesworth District Surgeries over Christmas, but this was shrugged off by resilient computers needed. Members supporting can contact them directly. We are pleased to introduce Annette Dunning as our Halesworth Candidate for Suffolk County Council. landlords Jodie and Frank Barratt who live on site. of the Beccles community “The pub is used to being flooded’, says Jodie, and is have been in touch with us to A few laptops are being collected locally to support Annette and her team have arranged a series of open Zoom surgeries during March and April to give easy to dry out again thanks to the tiled floors.” see how they can help. parents who have been unable to get help. Edge residents the opportunity to meet her. She hopes there will be further opportunities to get together on Computer shop has kindly agreed to refurbish these at village greens or even in pub gardens in the future. Meantime, Annette would like to know about and Councilllor Graham Elliott, Chair of The Locks Inn Caroline Topping, a reduced rate. If residents are interested in supporting understand any ongoing issues in each community and would welcome the opportunity for you to get to Community Pub said, “We are delighted with the Sarah Plummer and this with a donation please get in touch. know her too. response to our share issue so far but we still have a Elfrede Brambley-Crawshaw Sarah Plummer, who has been involved in setting up These meetings will take place on Saturdays between 11.00am and 12.00 noon. long way to go. We urge people not to be complacent are members of the Sarah Plummer makes a collection the scheme and personally donated a laptop, said: If you wish to attend please send an email to [email protected] for the Zoom login details. and to come forward and invest in our iconic pub. It is a Fauconberge Trust which has once in a lifetime opportunity to be a founder member been supporting the Leman School by providing some new laptops and “As a retired teacher it really worries me that some Should you miss a date please let us know and we will arrange for Annette or one of her team to contact of this amazing community project.” collecting laptops from the community to deliver to the school. The school is children won’t have access to their school work just you directly. then able to clean them and make them ready for students. because they don’t have the right equipment. The Schedule and Timetable 20th March Holton, , The community share issue closes on 15 March. Shares Government are providing a limited number of laptops 6th March , 27th March Brampton with , are £50 each with a maximum investment of £50,000. The Fauconberge Trust helps children from financially disadvantaged families but it is taking a long time for these to be delivered 13th March Wrentham, , 3rd April with Henham If you love The Locks, head to www.savethelocks.com access education. and they won’t reach everyone that Caroline Topping needs them.” donates a laptop or phone 01502 714661 to find out more.