Wellbeing kit donations needed for London rebellion

International rebellion begins Monday October 7

Donations are needed for welfare kits for rebels at the next rebellion.

We’re making up some kits, if you can, please donate an item or two.

Our rebels require the following items:

  • Large backpacks x3
  • Camping/yoga mats x9
  • Space blankets x12 (or more)
  • Small rolled up fleece blankets x12
  • Torch & batteries (and spare batteries) x6
  • Whistles x3
  • Sunglasses x3
  • Umbrellas (telescopic) x6
  • Warm hats x12
  • Incontinence pads/pants
  • Rescue remedies new bottles x6
  • Snack bars (vegan please) – as many as possible
  • Water bottles x6
  • Flasks x6
  • Small notebooks x3

Collection points

  • The Beacon – Monday to Saturday during opening times
  • The Old Convent – Wed 11th, Wed 18th (at 7pm)
  • Landsdown hall – Sunday 22nd (all day)

Cut off date for donations is Sunday 22nd September. Thank you.

Meeting notes for 4th September 2019

Announcements

Come make boats with us on Saturday 7th at the Beacon 11-12:30pm. Pallet boats and cardboard boats we can use for upcoming Earthstrike!

XR Legal Crowdfunder will be going live and is to support arrestees Glos wide. To cover costs including court fines/legal fees etc. This is a try out and will be up for 30 days. There is a £3k target hopefully rising to £10,000 if possible. People are asked to share this information. We’ll post the link to this when it is ready.

Disrupt business as usual before the climate crisis does. Join the global climate strike 20th September

Earthstrike – 20 Sept. – Stewards are much needed. The Earthstrike group have been busy enlisting local businesses to sign up to strike on Friday 20th Sept including Derbyshire Framers, Star Anise, Moonflower, many still in the process of deciding.T his strike is for all adults to join supporting the Youthstrike. Meeting at the Archway at 11am. Bring banners and placards/flyers.

Earthstrike international logo

Offer of self care sessions at Frankie’s Yoga Centre on 15 Sept at 12.30 – Contact us to find out more.

Last Saturdays leafleting group around town and markets went well (reported Nicola). More leaflets will be kept at the Beacon for people to pop in and take. There is de-escalation info on the leaflet.

Nicola also talked about setting up a Shamanic Journey group. Contact us for more for more info. A supported space for young people is happening at the end of Oct post rebellion for teens to 25yrs.

Liz (Wellbeing Coordinator) is holding a session at the Beacon from 2-3.30 on Fridays.

Register if you are going to London form on Facebook to complete giving XR Central information about who’s coming. There are also opportunities for volunteering and what your skills are.

Val is due to do more printing at the Beacon every Thurs evening until the rebellion 7-9pm. Come along and get printed up.

Ames did a call out for people to sign up to the outreach team. There is a short induction and you can do a lot to grow XR in Stroud by joining.

Equinox ceremony on 21 Sept on the west side of Rodborough 7ish. This is also on the Stroud FB page.

Sam Povey who has relaunched the Stroud Instagram page has some of her photographic postcards for sale at the Beacon.


There is now a legal Whatsapp group – contact us for info. If you are interested in becoming a legal observer, or want to get involved in arrestee support which is a valuable role if you are not going to London you can welcome and give lifts to arrestees returning. There is zoom legal training online and on FB.

Effect of Climate Breakdown leaflet is being printed (1000). The idea is for everyone leafletted their own area and recorded this in a book at the Beacon it would be a good way to spread the word!!

Banners & Signs painting session at the beacon on Fridays 2-6pm. For Youth banner session on Sat 14th Sept. 11-2pm

Red Rebel Brigade will be supporting the youth action in Glos on 21 Sept. If you would like to be part of this come to the workshops at The Old Library (The Old Library/Lansdown, Stroud GL5 1BU). A full technical rehearsal will be held on 19th Sept. Contact Stroud Rebel Brigade on Facebook for more information. Rebecca also did a shout out for chaperones for the RRB to talk to public about the actions as RRB don’t speak during performance and this can be misunderstood. Chaperones can hold bags, be their security, talk and leaflet public. They are also looking for someone to livestream the action on Sat 21st. This is an important role to keep RRB safe and supported.

Learn the Earthstrike songs – an Earthstrike choir! Sat 14 Sept at the Beacon. 11am for an hour.

Sharing Circles at the Beacon Mons 2-3pm and Fridays 10-11am. To share thoughts and concerns.

Mental Health Support group for arrestees for anyone struggling after their arrest and is afraid to ask for help. Contact Gerry and Lyndon. Local therapists have offered their time and experience for free to support this group. A black book for Rebel Support can be found at the Beacon.

Core Team needed to hold and organise meetings at the convent inc. facilitators and food organising.


Training Day at the Lansdown on Sun 22nd Sept for all Glos groups. On FB. Including NVDA training, know your rights, NV communication training.

Two days before the Rebellion on Sat 5 Oct there is the XR FUNDRAISING party at Stroud Brewery from midday to 11pm with an after party nearby at Studio 18. Over two floors there will be an Auction extravaganza including offers of holiday cottage, roundhouse stay, therapies and much more. A variety of local bands, outspoken word, poetry, comedy, children’s activities and family area, drumming, mask making, storytelling workshop, a fantastic art exhibition, singing, Ecocide stall, afternoon tea, pizzas and loads of fun in readiness for 7th October. All soon on FB. Please offer help towards the time to make this an amazing day.


Sharing circles. This space is for all feelings arising from the climate and ecology crisis, not to mention the social, economic and political turmoils that impact on us indirectly and directly. We are all interconnected.

The circles will take place at 10-11am on Fridays and 2-3pm on Mondays at The Beacon in Kendrick St, Stroud. Cost per circle: donations £2-4 sliding scale to cover costs.

The Sharing Circles last an hour, gathering in a mutually supportive and confidential Circle space. The Circle structure is simple, sharing time is divided equally with your choice to share as much or as little as you need. The Circle mutual agreement will be explained and each person present agrees to the structure and intention to connect to what we are sharing together.

We attempt to accommodate people as they are but we need to care for the conditions that support this kind of listening space, where interruptions affect the feeling of safety and focus in sharing. We will begin at the start time and any late comers will be invited to enter quietly and join the circle. Please plan to be on time to support the sharing space.

Meeting Notes for 23rd August 2019

Multicoloured clothes drying on a drying rack
Multicoloured clothes drying on a drying rack

Banner-making 30 August, at the Beacon. Children welcome.

Outreach group is starting regular Saturday leafleting around the town and the market, followed by Q&A.  First session Saturday 31 August to meet at 10am at the Beacon to gather for a briefing which will include de-escalation training.

Affinity Group forming will be the main business at next Wednesday meeting, 4 September.

Heading for Extinction talks: 5 September, Stroud Brewery, 7.30pm.

Rising Tide, South-West Rebel Fest, 6-8 September, starting 6pm Friday, Tapeley Park, Devon EX39 4NT. Ticket details on facebook

Paint the Streets will be taking place from 14 September, leading up to the Earth Strike. More details on Facebook.

Printing workshop every Thursday at the Beacon, 7-9pm.

All day preparation for Rebellion on Sunday 22 September at the Lansdown Hall. Anyone willing to join a core team to organise, please contact us.

Website is now up, please visit xrstroud.org and start clicking to lift up search engines!

An illustration of a skeleton showing into a extinction rebellion megaphone.

Auction for XR Party gathering some wonderful offers. If you have any offers you could add, please contact us.

Wellbeing and Regen group now has a google group. Please pm Emily on the Facebook group if you want to join.

Gerry reminded everyone again that there is now a Whatsapp group for Stroud arrestee support.  Please contact us to find out more.

Policemen gather on the green in Westminster.

We are launching a crowdfunding appeal specifically to support Stroud arrestees with fines. Watch this space for more info.

Call-out for help at the Beacon with carpentry and painting and decorating. Please contact Marcus or Tracee at the Beacon. NB! The Beacon is entirely run by volunteers and offers space and resources to a wide range of environmental activist groups and causes. XR benefits hugely from this so please pitch in and lend a hand.

XR Stroud now has its very own Instagram page, courtesy of Sam Povey.

Finally – if you haven’t already seen this – the Climate Emergency Fund have promised to match fund Extinction Rebellion if a certain amount of money is raised before the end of August – please see and donate here!

Meeting Notes for 21st August 2019

Three t shirts hang with act now written on them, papers and a blaock stamp in the foreground.

Announcements

Please use our contact form if you are interested in any of these announcements.

21 August – Sign making organised by Greenpeace at the Beacon 14 Sept 10am-1pm for the Youthstrike/Earthstrike.

Gerry is new Coordinator for legal and is setting up arrestee support group. Can be contacted at XRLegal@gmail.com.

29 Sept – Heading for Extinction Talk at Chalford.

28 Sept – Grief Circle run by Mari Winkleman & Peter Gill at the Stroud Community Agriculture roundhouse.

Glos Recycling Centre at Horsley takes electronics and devices to reuse/recycle. The Stroud Valleys eco shop also takes laptops and mobile devices for recycling.

There was a Glos County XR meeting at the Beacon on Monday 19th attended by Cheltenham, Glos, Nailsworth and Forest of Dean XR members to discuss the way forward for the county and how to work together towards Earthstrike and 7 October Rebellion.

Sun 22 Sept – Midday onwards – There is a Rebellion Training Day at Lansdown Hall including training and affinity group building, ready for the October actions. More info coming soon.

The Red Rebels are part of the Earth Strike on the 20/9/19. We are taking part in an action on the 21/9/19 as part of the XR youth action in Gloucester. They need a livestreamer and support person. Please contact Rebecca in the Facebook group if you can help.

XR Bristol are planning to produce an XR free paper and are looking for local distributors and coordinators. Contact Senan.

Sat 24 Aug this weekend – Training the Speakers for the Heading for Extinction Talk is now full. There will be further NVDA training coming up.

25 October – Ecocide event at the Sub Rooms £20 Stop Ecocide!

Clothes Swap – organised by Esme at the Beacon. Val will be printing onto clothes and there will be some upcycling of garments ready for the Rebellion.

28 Sept – It’s Judy’s birthday and she has invited all XR at the Scout hut off Parliament St. Pete the Temp is entertaining and the suggestion is to wear something interesting on your head!!!

Sat 31 Aug – There will be leafleting about the Earthstrike on Sat 31st at the Farmers Market. Many hands are needed to bring this to the attention of people and their employers.

21/22 Sept is the Autumn Equinox – Ames is suggesting a get-together on Swifts Hill.

Thurs 5 Sept – Heading for Extinction talk will take place at Stroud Brewery with Jo Robins and Sarah Lunnon at 7pm Small groups. There will be leaflets produced for this to distribute.

Sat 5 October XR fundraising – will include an auction of a variety of pledges, i.e. massage, dinner for 2, therapies, art, wine tour, boat trip etc. However, we are still looking for some special donations. If you know someone with a caravan, boat, cottage etc. who would be willing to offer a trip, weekend stay please get in touch. We need to raise some serious money for the rebellion! Please contact us if you have any donations for prizes.

There is a SW training weekend in Barstaple, Devon on FB before the Rebellion.