Attention Conservation Notice: Grudging and belated admiration for Friends of the Earth’s innovation in its formatting of a meeting, and plug for its upcoming AGM and pub grub.
Manchester Friends of the Earth holds monthly public meetings. We even made a video about a recent one. So why is this all news? Well, they … innovated.(1) In early-November (Tuesday 6th, to be specific) FoE did something different, and there was a palpable buzz in the room.
Meeting as usual at the Greenfish Resource Centre (Oldham St), they did away with everyone sat around a table listening to one person at a time for longer-than-you’d-expect followed by another, repeated… Instead, there extended mingling (and nibbles and wine – not that has in any way influenced the journalistic coverage). After a brief welcome and intro, knowledgeable members of Friends of the Earth then explained to all and sundry what campaigning activity was going on – in food, transport, climate, biodiversity etc. This gave everyone a chance to judge quickly whether they would be interested in that sub-group’s activities, what they might do and learn if they got involved. After these brief spiels, everyone was free to find out more about the specific campaigns that were particularly attractive to them, or simply to mingle and chat.
At 8pm, things turned practical, with the opportunity for people to make some good practical work on banners, bee costumes and seed bombs.
Should every meeting be like this? Clearly not, but it was good to see something different being done! (And recently, Action for Sustainable Living had taken similar adventurous steps.)
So, how can you get involved in Friends of the Earth? If you’re reading this within a day or so of Monday 26th, you just about have time to book for their post-Annual General Meeting meal. See below –
Tue 4 Dec: MFOE Annual General Meeting and Xmas Social, The Angel
Our AGM and Xmas Social, is next week, so don’t miss out on a great night out- with a delicious vegie meal prepared by the Angel pub’s kitchen and, of course, great company!
This year we are heading to The Angel Pub on Tuesday 4th December. (http://theangelmanchester.com/index.php)
6.30pm – 7.15pm AGM. Our AGM will be held in the restaurant and all are welcome to attend this whether or not you wish to stay for a meal – there is no charge to attend the AGM.
7.30pm onwards meal / Christmas social. We will stay in the restaurant to enjoy a two or three-course meal for a set price of £15 and £20 respectively.
We do need to select our menu options this week, so please make your choices as soon as possible. Payments to be made on the night, although a deposit has been made for each place, so do let us know if you book and later discover that you can’t make it.
Please use the Survey Monkey link below to let us know whether you will be joining us for the AGM, the Xmas meal (or both) and select your Christmas menu options.
You can book via this link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QMZFM6X
For more information please contact: Cat cat@manchesterfoe.org.uk
Disclaimer: MCFly co-editor Marc Hudson is currently a member of Friends of the Earth. And may well continue to be so, as long as he is allowed to pay cash.
Marc Hudson
mcmonthly@gmail.com
Footnotes
(1) It’s almost as if someone had sent them a snottygrumpy email about meetings charters and things, but who cares the reason.
Photo credit: Pete Abel
