Reskilling

Reskilling is a transition town term to describe those skills we can all learn in order to promote our self-sufficiency.  Many are recently 'forgotten' by the population at large, but can form an integral part of an energy descent plan in response to the triple crunch of peak oil, climate change and economic downturn.

There are myriad benefits for us as individuals, ranging from the enjoyment of learning new skills, gaining a pride in our handiwork, to saving money.  Communities benefit through coming together in various ways, including taught courses, skill sharing and producer groups.  These latter enable activities that are often beyond most of us as individuals because of restraints of time, knowledge, money or resources.

The skills that can be easily re-learned are many and varied, but fall into three main categories:

• Creating, i.e. artwork, basket weaving, beeswax products, dressmaking, eco-building, furniture, household products, knitting, soft-furnishings, spinning, weaving
  
• Maintaining, i.e. bicycles, buildings, cars, darning, furniture, gardens, wild spaces, woodland

• Sustaining, i.e. baby/toddler food, bee keeping, bread making, brewing, cheese making, chicken keeping, composting, foraging, fruit tree growing, permaculture, preserving (chutney, jam, marmalade and bottling/canning), seed saving, vegetable growing

Sustainable Bungay aims to be a hub for local skill sharing.  We shall do this via the exchange, a directory of those willing to pass on their knowledge and a forum for requesting skills.  So if you have any ideas of what you would like to learn, have skills to share (either as a taught course or on a more individual basis) or know someone who may be able to help others learn, let us know here.

We would love to hear any ideas you may have about how to move forward, so please let us know!

See what Lewes are doing here