November 2009

The FREdome-YEA 60-second video message to world leaders won the public vote in the 1MinuteToSaveTheWorldVideo competition, run by WeCan in partnership with organisations such as Greenpeace and the Guardian. Our short film achieved the highest average rating, the most votes and most comments.

We received the following statement of support from Vancouver-based Severn Cullis-Suzuki, who has been a leading environmental campaigner since her childhood:

“I can’t tell you how much it means to me that so many years after the Earth Summit in Rio your young people have taken up the call and are fighting for your future. The voice of youth is even MORE important today as we go to Copenhagen.

The Climate Change battle is an example of intergenerational injustice, as it is the young and future generations who have not created the problem but who will feel the full effects of the consequences of Climate Change. I hope your message gets through to those in power. I’m so proud you are fighting for the future: until our leaders change their ways it is, unfortunately, up to you. Remember that luckily, you are not alone.” — Severn Cullis-Suzuki (13th November 2009)

Watch Sev’s moving challenge to the UN at age 12 in 1992: The girl who silenced the world for five minutes

We also received this Facebook message from Yoko Ono, wife of Beatle, John Lennon:

“Dear Greg & FREdome-YEA, UK

Congratulations for now having officially won the public vote for what you have been and are doing.

It is very important that the world will know what has been accomplished by the young people strongly believing in their work to resolve climate change and resource depletion, salvaging the future for them.

I hope the independent panel of judges will understand how important it is that this film will reach the public.

In brotherhood and love, yoko”

October 2009

Greg Peachey met with the chain that owns most of the nightclubs across the UK. We are proposing that they insert one additional under-18s event per year at all their venues in support of our cause, keeping half of the proceeds. The benefits to the nightclub chain would include additional annual revenue, engagement of a new, pleasantly-behaved section of the U18 market, very positive national publicity for their brand, enhanced standing in the community and improved reputation with the community & police and, most importantly, the fulfilment of supporting an improved future for the under-18s dancing in their Club venues.

We continued to canvass support for our one-minute video message to world leaders at Copenhagen. Our message unites many causes, including Peace, Climate Change, Starvation, Water Shortage, Land Scarcity leading to Territorial Conflict, Extinction of Species, Modern Disease, The Energy Crisis, Waste, Pollution and Economic Collapse. There are currently hundreds of groups dedicated to each of these causes. Further, there are scores of other social networks with similar groups. We therefore invited many of their administrators to a new group to link as many as possible together: “Group Leaders – World Causes.” If we can heal this fragmentation and our teams work together towards shared objectives, we will have a much stronger voice and really start to change the world for the better.

We also posted a comment on Yoko Ono’s Facebook wall: “War COULD be over! We have given Peace a chance! Let's not miss it.... Our young team have a chance to ask world leaders for a period of world peace to free massive resources to tackle hunger, climate change and resource depletion.”

September 2009

FREdome-YEA is putting to the test whether a group of young people CAN change the world for the better. They have made a 60-second video message to world leaders, and entered it into an international competition. It calls for a period of world peace or reduced conflict, to free up the resources to recover arid lands and re-enable nature to convert excess greenhouse gases into the very things that the world is running out. The proposed mechanism for diverting defence resources into world recovery is a declaration of Climate Change and World Resource depletion as universal threats to national security. If the film wins, this message will be screened not only at the Copenhagen Climate Conference, but also seen all over the world.
http://www.1minutetosavetheworld.com/2009/11/stop-global-war-ming/

FREdome-YEA (“Youth Encouraging Adults”), have been awarded just over £4000 to put on a hip-hop variety show at the Watford Colosseum on Saturday 20th March 2010.

Yoko Ono accepted our Facebook friend request and asked us to send her information about our work: “Dear Greg, if you have any committee in which you wish to have my name, please let me know. I want to show that I am with you.” We despatched the information immediately.

August 2009

A team of community volunteers took over the running of the St Michael’s Catholic High School greenhouse over the summer.

FREdome-YEA held a programme of summer youth events, including clubbing nights featuring Mz BRATT (“Be Real And Teach Truth”), Meleka and MC Versatile, from Crazy Cousinz.

Because of the peace-linked nature of our work, we also joined Yoko Ono’s peace group on Facebook and invited her as an online friend.

We have written to a local philanthropist explaining that we are looking to establish a sustainable organisation to continue our work of (a) helping young people, including the disadvantaged, to achieve small and great things, gaining work experience in the process and qualifications to support applications for higher education or employment; With the support of these young people: (b) Building peace and well-being from the ground-up: engaging and uniting diverse communities and empowering them to work as teams, implementing their own best solutions to their own identified shared needs; (c) Campaigning for international peace, or reduced conflict, to release the means to tackle climate change and resource depletion, which threaten the future of these young people, all our children, grandchildren and generations to come.

July 2009

FREdome was invited by WeCan to submit a one-minute video into a competition for screening to world leaders at the Copenhagen Climate Conference due to take place in December.

We will build on the speech that Severn Suzuki made at age 12 to the UN in 1992. She and three other young people raised their own funds to travel 5000 miles from Vancouver to the Earth Summit in Rio, where she gave one of the most moving speeches of all time: “…I am fighting for my future… I am here to speak for all generations to come… What you do makes me cry at night. You grown-ups say you love us. I challenge you; please make your actions reflect your words.” Severn also said: "If you don’t know how to fix it, please stop breaking it! …I know that if all the money spent on war was spent on finding environmental answers, ending poverty and finding treaties, what a wonderful place this Earth would be."

Speaking 16 years later she said, "The most striking thing is that a 12-year old could give that exact same speech today." ie, nothing has changed! We are trying to contact her, in order to ask her to have a look at our solution, and if she thinks it is worthy of consideration by the world, we would like to ask her assistance to arrange for our young team to present it to the UN, encouraging the nations of the world to divert defence budgets into the necessary research, development and implementation.

As a child Severn was effectively ignored by the adult world. Now that she is the adult, we feel sure that she will support children who come to her with the same message, enhanced by a suggested global solution.

To generate support for this activity FREdome set up a Facebook group named “THE ONLY GROUP THAT MATTERS?” to reflect the priority of resolving the greatest threats to humanity.

June 2009

FREdome was given a platform at an event organised by Environmental Population and took part in the West Herts College Environment Day.

Nicole, from St Michael’s Catholic High School has submitted an application to the Youth Opportunity Fund to enable a major youth talent / hip-hop Show at the Watford Colosseum, involving young people across the county of Hertfordshire, and spreading a message of awareness of world issues, but hope and optimism about the future in the light of our potential solution.

May 2009

The Watford & West Herts Chamber of Commerce devoted its May 2009 Networking Breakfast to the subject “How Can Herts Turn the World Around?” It was an “Extraordinary” meeting, organised by the FREdome Visionary Trust, exploring how local businesses might pull together in order to tackle the current interrelated resource, carbon and economic crises.

The current global situation was clarified and a practical proposal for joint local action was made, aimed at:

• attracting investment into our area;
• making smart use of resources under-utilised during the downturn to create new, environmentally-friendly, sustainable industries and customers;
• becoming seen as the leaders in a recovery which can then be rolled out on a much broader scale.

Speakers/panel included global expert Professor Bill McGuire, Greg Peachey, founder & chair of the FREdome Visionary Trust and C-Green Solutions, and Cllr Rupert Read, lead candidate for Green MEP for the East of England.

Watford’s third annual celebration of its diverse cultures, faiths and talents, took place at the Watford Colosseum on 25th May, attracting around 3,500 people. There was a variety of musical entertainment, dance, stalls and kids’ activities. Food for thought with interfaith dialogue at the Sacred Space and loads of fantastic free food was generously provided by our communities for hungry tummies.

April 2009

Trendsetting youth group FREdome YEA continue to astonish with their energy and ambition for their fundraising events. Their first ever club night in Hemel Hempstead took place at Lava and Ignite on Wednesday 8th April. This under 18’s only alcohol-free event featured DJ Danny Dutty Mix-B and live local unsigned bands. These events are much more challenging to fill as the venue is in a location that is less popular and accessible to young people.

The Mars Patrol, the indie band that supports our cause, played a free awareness-raising gig at a London Club venue – O2 Academy 2 Islington on Monday 6th April.

Year 7 student Tobias of Townsend School produced a short video documentary for BBC School News Report on the school’s involvement in the C-Green Project. This was part of a BBC initiative where schools across the UK took part in a News Day, simultaneously creating video, audio and text-based news reports. Go to www.townsend.herts.sch.uk, click on “BBC News – School Report” and play the media file, “World Problems Solved by Toby.”

March 2009

A community ideas workshop on the economic situation was held on Thursday 19 March in the media suite at St Michaels Catholic High School. Members of the community commented and gave their views on the current economic crisis. These will be taken forward to a FREdome Watford Chamber Breakfast scheduled for May

The greenhouse experiment to grow food and algae in dilute sea nutrients is taking shape at St Michael’s School in Garston. A number of parties have expressed interest, including 3Counties Hydroponics, Biogen-Greenfinch of Bedford, Oceangrown, and the National Oceanographic Centre.

February 2009

FREdome-YEA held its final awareness and fundraising event, an under-18s Valentines “Partaay”, at Area Nightclub in Watford, attracting, as always, over 1000 young people to a safe, enjoyable and beneficial youth event. The manager who supported FREdome’s charitable work for the future of the young has left the nightclub, and so we will have to seek an alternative venue.

January 2009

The FREdome Youth section FREdome-YEA (Youth Encouraging Adults) has exceeded an astonishing 20,000 supporters online. Their local club nights to raise awareness and funds for their world recovery cause have become legendary. Young people in neighbouring towns, would like similar events in their areas.

Orchard Recruitment is joining FREdome in a ground-breaking initiative to offer voluntary work for a managed team of job seekers in Watford to create new employment in sustainable ventures to attack the root cause of the current crisis.

FREdome’s next event aimed at the business community will be held at Watford Chamber of Commerce in May. The theme will be “New Optimism on Energy, Climate, Food and Economy.”

FREdome’s second Community Workshop, “How can we survive the credit crunch?” will be held at 2-4pm on 19th Mar 2009 in the media suite at St Michael’s Catholic High School. If you are unable to attend, please submit your ideas beforehand.

December 2008

A principal objective of the fund which declined our application is: “stronger communities, with more active citizens working together to tackle their problems.” The main reason given for the rejection was that we had not shown the need for our project as clearly as some of our competitors. We pointed out that not only was the resolution of needs an integral part of the design of our project, but their fund objective was a perfect description of our project: Our proven method of building stronger communities is actually to engage people by bringing them together to celebrate their rich diversity, and then empower them to work together on their OWN solutions to their OWN needs.

Enquiring further, we have discovered that the principal reason for rejection was that we did not conduct in-depth surveys of the initial target 20 areas across the UK (17 across England). We pointed out that representatives of these particular areas came forward in the first place because there are no comparable activities in their areas, and it was self-evident that residents of any area would welcome a day of free international food, performances and stalls, followed by sessions which sought to discover and help implement what they would like to see happen locally and in the world. We proceeded to prove that this was self-evident by conducting sample surveys of residents of those areas, who became quite amused at being asked such rhetorical questions. However, this could not be taken into account, because the unnecessary step had not been taken at the time of the application! We commented that funding assessment processes that do not take account of what is self-evident are liable to miss the obvious.

We have demonstrated the success of our approach through a project funded by this very organisation, whose intended direction is: “Where possible we will fund applicants who come to us with evidence of what works and who have a track record of working in the field… We will have to take a risk of funding something new if we are serious about wanting to make a difference.” Unfortunately, however, we have applied with the CURRENT processes in force, and a decision made in accordance with existing processes is apparently irreversible.

Our discussion also highlighted that, rather than taking the best part of a year to admittedly “routinely turn down high-quality applications” – around 80% of those that even reach the shortlist – this proposal would enable a centralised funder to direct those applications to a system which could provide them rapid access to local resources. We asked if they could at least link us up with other rejected applicants who may be interested in working with us. This request was not answered.

Finally we asked whether they saw the likelihood of resolving the greatest threats to humanity as an exceptionally compelling opportunity. Astoundingly, for an organisation acting in the public interest, the answer was “No!”

November 2008

The first ever full working model of the FREdome community project in action was demonstrated at the Global Peace Festival at the Excel centre in London. The Global-Eco carbon cycling system being launched by C-Green Solutions was exhibited there in public for the first time. The exhibition formed an integral part of the two day festival which hosted 3000 visitors and speakers including British and European Members of Parliament, representatives of major world faiths, top performers and community cohesion workers.

Young people representing a number of schools (including Townsend School and Verulam School in St Albans and Egerton Rothesay School in Berkhamsted) visited Hart to witness the work his team is doing, for which funding has been obtained from the Global Peace Festival.

The numbers of teenagers attending our events at Area Nightclub continued to rise by 200 at a time to over 1100. The youth leaders presented a cheque for £5000 to Harry Hart, to begin to process the Global Eco research repository. The total cost will be £120,000. We hope that their energy will inspire humanity to muster approximately the average salary of ONE doctor to fund FOUR specialists for a year to unlock 1000 person-years of research, constituting a blueprint for world recovery!

We have just heard the outcome of a major funding application. Representatives of 20 areas across the UK have opted to host the local community programme and recommend support of a wider, joint initiative to resolve shared issues. Beginning in these areas, the proposal was to tackle divisions between sections of the community, inadequate youth nutrition, the hunger and poor health of the homeless and destitute, and on a larger, target scale, resolve global problems, such as climate change, the food and fuel crises, starvation, disease, pollution and economic failure. The assessors decided that the needs were not clearly shown! We will, of course, be challenging that conclusion…

October 2008

Practical work continues on growing plant life in seawater, in a manner that can be scaled up using marine algae to reclaim deserts, turning excess CO2 into food and fuel. Harry Hart, of Global Eco, has successfully grown, for example, tall tomato plants, in nothing but brackish seawater. The BBC Newsnight team visited Harry Hart at his Bury St Edmunds home and interviewed him there. Newsnight Science Editor, Susan Watts, reported that Hart is “ahead of the curve.”

St Michael’s Catholic High School has constructed a greenhouse in the school grounds. The sea nutrient experiments which were started in the summer by the students at Rothamsted with funding from Nuffield Science will be continued there. In partnership with the school, FREdome is producing a “Table Top Demonstration” of the world recovery process for the Global Peace Festival in November at the ExCeL Centre in London.

The ongoing series of alcohol-free club nights for young teenagers under 18 continues with gathering momentum. Promoted entirely by the Youth section of FREdome – FREdome-YEA (Youth Encouraging Adults) through social networking groups such as WeCare, events in Watford are attracting a growing crowd. Each night has a relevant theme raising awareness and funds for FREdome, and the global solution presented by the C-Green Solutions project.

Attendance has grown from 550 at the first event in March through to 940 at the last event in August. The good natured vibe and civilised behaviour of the positively-motivated young clubbers has impressed the management of Area nightclub to such a degree that they are now proposing to replicate the format in their other outlets in Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds and Sheffield.

The reputation of these nights has led to a commitment from Watford Pubwatch to adopt FREdome as their charity this Christmas – promoting socially responsible behaviour and enjoyment among young people.

Other youth groups have been inspired by the success of FREdome and the “WeCare” Area club nights and are aiming high with similar events: 16-year old Jasmine and Paige are working on a dance event hopefully at the St Albans Arena and 1200 youngsters have formed a social network on MySpace aiming to grow ‘world-saving’ concerts to raise funds and awareness among the general public.

Extended Schools are helping FREdome/ Area Nightclub publicise the next youth awareness fundraising Halloween party event flyers to all secondary schools in the area and co-ordinating places for school students to come on a school bus trip to see Harry Hart on 23rd October.

September 2008

BBC News Night visited Harry Hart at Bury St Edmunds and interviewed him about his Carbon Cycling system, spending several hours looking at his experiments with growing crops in sea nutrients and hearing about his world recovery system.

FREdome Visionary Trust founder Greg Peachey gave a presentation on FREdome and its local community project C-green Solutions carbon cycling to an audience of members of the U3A (University of the Third Age) in Watford. The event was held at the Vue cinema and attracted an enthusiastic crowd who were all impressed by the progress of the project toward finding a solution to low carbon local food production, and the much wider global aims of the project: reversal of desertification, reduction in C02, climate change and food shortages worldwide.

August 2008

An experiment was hosted at Rothamsted Research, investigating the possibility of utilising prolific marine algae to resolve climate change, the energy crisis, the food crisis, disease, the credit crunch - all in one go. The experiment, being supervised at Rothamsted Research and funded by Nuffield Science Bursaries allocated by SETPOINT Hertfordshire, is being conducted on behalf of the FREdome Visionary Trust by three enterprising students from St Michael’s Catholic High School, Garston.

The project received an unexpected publicity boost when the Herts Advertiser reported an uncontrollable growth of algae blighting St Albans’ famous Verulamium Lake.

St Albans City & District Council and their contractor John O’Conner Ltd have agreed to provide a regular supply of the harvested algae to the FREdome experiment. The algae completely re-covers the whole Lake within a space of a week. FREdome is currently seeking a source of funding to procure a biogas digester and a piece of land on which to pilot the process.

This project is managed by C-Green Solutions - a carbon cycling project based in Watford Hertfordshire UK supported byFREdome. The aim of C-Green Solutions Carbon Recycling is to provide a means of removing carbon from the atmosphere and recycling that carbon to produce fertile land, healthier crops and, eventually, should our trials succeed, start to reclaim desert land.

July 2008

Supplemented by the proceeds of youth events at Area Nightclub, a donation made by the Franciscan Friars through the Spread Charity, the Global Peace Festival is providing some funding for Harry Hart to develop a simple kit so that people can grow their own high yield, high-nutrient vegetables in nothing but dilute sea water, using the “flood & drain” hydroponic method.

He is starting to experiment with algae, but will need a bit of trial and error to get the growing conditions right.
GPF are also paying for some publicity for what he’s doing, and to take 3 separate mini-buses of young people to see:
(a) Harry’s practical work, and understand how it can be scaled up to solve all these global problems.
(b) the results of the Rothamsted experiment, funded by Nuffield Science Bursaries;
(c) St Michael Catholic High School’s implementation in the greenhouse they have had built so they can grow food all year round for themselves + hampers for the local destitute.

June 2008

3500 young people support FREdome online

The FREdome Youth team, incorporating the C-Green Solutions team at St Michael’s is using social networking on Bebo and MySpace to spread the word about FREdome and the C-Green project. Since early January a jaw-dropping 3500 friends have joined the group WE CARE set up by FREdome Youth Representatives Jasmine, Sophie and Beatrice. See http://www.myspace.com/fredome_yea

Fingers crossed for the Big Green Funding opportunity

On June 10th, the FREdome Founder, Greg Peachey and a fantastic bid team submitted an application for the Big Green Challenge – a £1m prize fund set up by NESTA for carbon-reducing community projects in the UK. The C-Green Solutions/FREdome Project was selected to go forward to a semi-final 100 contestants from among 350 projects. As part of the bid, the plans for C-Green Solutions are being reviewed by experts at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Other interesting and exciting funding opportunities are being identified as the combined oil crisis and food shortages Greg warned us of have finally hit, and national agencies are looking to fund more sustainable solutions to costly imported and transported food.

Small-scale experiment

This summer holiday a small team of students from St Michael’s Catholic High School & Specialist Humanities College will be supervised on paid work experience for up to 8 weeks at Rothamsted Research in Harpenden. The purpose is to prove under scientific rigour:
1. Whether growing vegetables in sea nutrients improves nutritional quality, flavour and yield
2. If growing micro-algae in dilute sea water improves the rate of multiplication
Around one acre of waste/agricultural land is being sought for a mid-scale demonstration of the algal growth.

June 2008:

FREdome got through to the final stage of its application to the National Lottery to scale up to a national operation in order to support the 17 areas across the country who are ready to adopt their own community programmes based on the FREdome model. The remaining 4 areas in the UK will have to be funded by an alternative source.

May 2008:

FREdome-YEA, organised its second awareness/fundraising party at Area Nightclub. The number of youngsters who attended grew from 550 to 770. Not a single problem.

The second Watford Celebration event was held at the Watford Colosseum. Greg Peachey chair of FREdome also chairs the core organising team for Celebration.

April 2008:

C-Green Solutions project was short-listed by NESTA in the semi-finals of the Big Green Challenge. If it is the outright winner, it will receive a prize of £1 million.

March 2008:

FREdome-YEA (Youth Encouraging Adults) organised its first party at Area Nightclub, to raise awareness and funds for C-Green Solutions – a single solution to climate change, the energy crisis, starvation and disease. The Mars Patrol headlined the live music. 550 youngsters took part. All had a brilliant time and the whole even went without a hitch. See the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kwu0QNrnzw

February 2008:

Up and coming indie band, The Mars Patrol, managed by Dave Prowse (“Darth Vader”) and tipped for the top by the News of the World, partnered with FREdome, running a campaign based on their new song “Take a Look at the World”. Listen at www.MySpace.com/TheMarsPatrol

February 2008:


STOP PRESS - New music fun event for Watford youth?

FREdome Youth is keen, organising a fundraising/awareness-raising music event at Area Nightclub in Watford on 25th March 2008. We will bring you more news soon.

January 2008:


FREdome Visionary Trust in Paris - On the 26 January Greg Peachey travelled to the Meridian Hotel Paris, to pitch the FREdome concept to the Best Western hotel chain annual conference. The CEO of Best Western, David Clarke, introduced FREdome as a Corporate Social Responsibility project that hoteliers could adopt on an individual basis.

Enthusiastic response - 20 hoteliers then came forward to Greg expressing interest in adopting a replica model of the FREdome concept in their own areas of the UK. Some of them were highly enthusiastic about working with him and understood exactly how the FREdome approach - combining events, workshops and a local website - could benefit their own businesses by appealing to a huge range of local people . Greg has to contact each of the hoteliers individually to establish a dialogue.

Aiming high - funding from the Lottery has to be won in order to cover the administrative costs of the next stage. Greg is now confident the application can be put together as all the required pieces are in place: "Crucially , we can show the measured benefits of the FREdome model and a proven track record of success in creating tangible results from previous grants" says Greg.

Our young people are amazing: The FREdome Youth team, incorporating the C-Green Solutions project team at St Michaels college has used social networking on Bebo and MySpace. Since early January a jaw-dropping 1572 friends have joined teenage Youth Representatives Jasmine and Sophie in their quest to start a world-wide movement to pressure adults to support research into Carbon Cycling - FREdome's most successful community-changing project to date. "The girls are screening the applicants - most of whom are between 14 and 16 years of age". says Greg. "We can't publicise the site to adults, but any young people can contact me if they want to find out how to join."

It's Our World too Jasmine, Sophie, St Michaels School and a number of FREdome supporters and sponsors have been involved in a big effort to raise £5000 for the C-Green Solutions science project. The team recorded a one-minute video called "It's Our World too" and have entered it for the Bebo 60 Second Challenge - an online competition for funds for youth-led community project ideas. The closing date is Feb 18th. You can view the FREdome entry at www.bebo.com/60seconds The WeCareFREdome team will face a panel of "Dragons" if they get into the final. A fantastic effort - well done all.

November 2007:

On Friday 9th November 2007, young people from St Michael’s College joined Watford business leaders and representatives of the FREdome Visionary Trust gathered at the Best Western White House Hotel in Watford to launch C-Green Solutions - our revolutionary project in support of Global-Eco’s carbon cycling process. The ambitious project aims to eliminate or even reverse the carbon footprint and promote sustainable living, initially by growing high yield, nutritious vegetables in water not soil. The experiment is being promoted by the FREdome Project to raise awareness of the benefits of hydroponic growth, and – with the support of the local community, entrepreneurs and government – to implement hydroponic growth on a scale that will benefit the town's young and destitute. The ultimate aim is to scale up and convert carbon from the air and sea nutrients cyclicly into world resources using the fastest available natural process – photosynthesis by marine microalgae in dilute seawater – on land. Over fifty people attended the event including young people from the school, teachers, representatives and sponsors from the local business community.

The afternoon was introduced by Charlie Kenny, Business Network International plc - Regional Director for Herts & Beds. He called the project “A launch pad for the community’s most beneficial idea.” Jasmine, FREdome Youth Leader gave a young person’s perspective on the world problems that the project sets out to resolve. Greg Peachey recounted how the young people at a community workshop selected and adapted this as the idea with the best potential to tackle the world issues that their generation will otherwise inherit. He went on to explain the concept itself. Harry Hart, the 77-year old originator of the Carbon Cycling Process, travelled from his home in Suffolk to give the details of the process, answer questions, meet the young people and wish them well. Hertfordshire-born Harry, has accumulated a huge amount of research data which he hopes to be able to pass onto the young people.

Summing up his impressions at the close of the evening, Tony Poole, Chair of Watford Borough Council, said, “This is an idea that attacks problems that are becoming ever-more urgent. If this research can bear fruit then it can make a real difference, but you will have to overcome the natural suspicion that it’s too good to be true.”

For more information about the project, visit www.c-greensolutions.com

October 2007:
At a FREdome management meeting, the top community project was formally planned:
“C-GreenSolutions – Carbon Recycling Project” (See www.c-greensolutions.com) This aims to convert atmospheric carbon and sea nutrients into world resources using the fastest possible natural processes. It will start at a local level with a global outlook. Initially it will involve local young people (especially the disadvantaged) improving their own nutrition and growing nourishing foods for the local homeless and destitute, at the same time proving a process to tackle climate change, world starvation and the energy crisis in one go. There is a person-millennium of research behind this (30 qualified individuals working for 30+ years).

Great Stuff Hydroponics offered to donate the initial equipment required, and Ocean Grown offered to donate the initial sea nutrients. Top Position is following the project and publishing series of media releases. Dr Tony Miller of Rothamsted Research will provide practical guidance.

September 2007:
A presentation was held at Watford Campus to report back and thank sponsors of the Celebration event and follow-on community programme. Elected Mayor of Watford, Dorothy Thornhill, presented the sponsorship certificates.

On 01 Sep 2007 the interactive Ideas Website was delivered to St Michael’s Catholic High School and Specialist Humanities College for internal trials.

August 2007:
During the Summer Holidays a group of young people met twice to exercise the interactive FREdome Ideas Website.

The FREdome Visionary Trust took a stall at the Family Fun Day held at Stanborough Park, WATFORD to feedback the latest FREdome news to the local community.

July 2007:
THURSDAY 12th JULY 2007: AGM, 7-9 PM AT THE HOLYWELL COMMUNITY CENTRE, TOLPITS LANE, WATFORD WD18 9QD

On 7/7/7 Greg Peachey of the FREdome Visionary Trust took a stall and ran the Belief Systems thread of the workshop at Thursday’s Child – an interfaith peace event in response to the 7/7 London bombings, initiated and organised by Vivienne Woolston. The session was attended by Hindu and Christian representatives. It explored shared values, joint action, areas of uniqueness, and reflective listening in silence. The Hindu and Christian representatives received uncannily similar “messages”.

June 2007:
The first local Community Workshop (or “Ideas Melting Pot”) following the Celebration event was held at the Holywell Community Centre in Watford. It principally stimulated ideas based on the themes identified at the pre-event workshop: Environment, Leisure, Prosperity, Safety, Transport and Youth. There were three interconnected threads: Arts, Practical and Belief Systems. People particularly appreciated the good planning, the creative brainstorming, the structured small-group discussions, the respect, the friendliness, the enthusiasm, and, of course, the music and food!

The young people at the workshop picked up on the work co-ordinated by Harry Hart of Global Eco (see below), as representing the most promising solution to many world problems which their generation and those to follow will bear the brunt of. The project was later to be named C-Green Solutions – Carbon Cycling Project..

May 2007:
On Bank Holiday Monday 28th May 2007, despite horizontal rain and a fallen tree inhibiting access to the venue, an estimated 2,500 people of diverse nationalities, ages, abilities, beliefs and cultures gathered at the Watford Colosseum for Celebration 2007, co-ordinated by Greg Peachey of the FREdome Visionary Trust. There was a dazzling array of performances, traditional costumes, ethnic foods and faith/culture sharing. All the communities represented bonded enthusiastically and had a brilliant time. The organisers, the volunteers behind the scenes and in fact the whole community really did more than was expected of them and pulled together, so that it all went off like a dream. (Visit www.watfordcelebration.org for a description of the event, and to see the photos click here)

April 2007:
Invited by Sponsorship Co-ordinator Fitzroy Williams of Rhythm Masters Entertainments: Waterworks Productions became FREdome’s first Gold Sponsor. Their sponsorship includes the making of a DVD documentary, recording the Celebration event, preparations and follow-on community programme. Chalfont Art & Framing, based in Amersham, Bucks became FREdome’s first Silver Sponsor. They pledged funding towards the community programme, which will follow the May Celebration event at the Watford Colosseum. Two-thirds of this will go directly towards the projects identified and selected by the local community as a whole, and a third towards the local infrastructure required to implement those projects.


March 2007:
The first pre-event community was workshop held at the White House Hotel in Watford. The purpose was to kick off the process of discovering the community voice, with a view to identifying priority projects to be implemented in partnership with authorities and business. Twenty-two groups attended, including members of the public, community groups, businesses and public services: Afro Caribbean Community, Age Concern Hertfordshire, Avaline (publisher of the flea magazine), BNI (Herts & Beds Region), Coll Heath Computer Services, EPM (Every Person Matters – co-presenter), Europcar, Forever Living Products, Herts Fire & Rescue Service, Holistic HR, J.Watson Photography, La Bilbaina (Traditional Spanish Cuisine), Latter Day Saints, Neways, Pass With Parv, SchoolsPlus Extended Schools Consortium, SPOKES (Cycling in South West Hertfordshire), United Sang Soo Do School of Martial Art Discipline, Watford Interfaith Association, Watford Senior Citizens Forum, Youth representatives (aged 11-15). Delegates undertook to survey 10 Watford residents each. Further groups, such as the North Watford Scouts, will also help conduct this initial survey. These starter results will be presented at the May Multicultural Celebration event, to stimulate further interest, ideas and participation.


February 2007:
Business sponsorship presentations were held at a Watford & West Herts Chamber Breakfast meeting in Moor Park Golf Club, and at the Best Western White House Hotel and Park Inn Watford.


January 2007:
The first presentation to potential business sponsors was delivered at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel in Watford.


November 2006:
£10,000 was awarded to the FREdome Visionary Trust by the National Lottery, Awards for All programme, in support of the Multicultural Celebration event at the Watford Colosseum, and a follow-on community workshop/action programme, designed to be a force for good - identifying and backing the best ideas from the community, be they artistic, cultural, spiritual, social or entrepreneurial.

Greg Peachey, Chair of FREdome, was invited to speak after dinner at the Rotary of Amwell.


October 2006:
Greg Peachey, Chair of FREdome was invited to speak after dinner to the Lions in Hitchin.


September 2006:
Greg Peachey, Chair of FREdome, addressed a meeting of the University of the Third Age, Watford, and was invited to speak to a meeting of the Bedford Lions.


June 2006:
A public meeting was held at 2 pm on Saturday 17th June in the Multi-Racial Community Centre, 70 Durban Road West, WATFORD, Hertfordshire WD18 7DS to form the FREdome Visionary Trust as a community organisation, with a publicly approved constitution and democratically elected management committee.


May 2006:
Consortium of companies and social enterprises (Computer Work Shop, Currency Exchange Corporation, Framework for Democracy, Base Creative, Kip McGrath Education Centre (Watford West), Pentland Group, Practical Quality Research, Simpson-Gray Associates, St Thomas' Pre-school Playgroup, Tangible Innovation and Wheeler PR) contribute seed funding to kick-start formation of community organisation and formal fundraising programme.

All-day Community Cohesion event at 1000-capacity Watford Colosseum planned for 28th May 2007 Bank Holiday in partnership with Watford Interfaith Association, Women's Federation for World Peace - Bridge of Peace, Multi-Racial Community Centre and Herts County Council. Venue hire kindly sponsored by Elected Mayor Dorothy Thornhill's Watford Borough Council department. Event will involve the arts, education, commercial, social and faith communities.