News
A Climate Change Poem a Day
Tue, 16 June 2015Carol-Ann Duffy, the UK’s Poet Laureate, has curated a collection of 20 poems about climate change: www.theguardian.com/environment/series/keep-it-in-the-ground-a-poem-a-day
Community Energy Group Survey
Tue, 16 June 2015Carbon Co-op have launched a survey to find out more about the activities of community energy groups across the UK in delivering energy efficiency and retrofit projects. Carbon Co-op are one of the leading organisations offering whole house retrofits and energy efficiency improvements in their area and they’d like to help other groups to do similar things by developing a set of online tools. The survey is designed to understand the state of the sector, the relative interest in carrying out energy efficient retrofit and to understand some of the barriers to this.
Funding for Urban Community Energy Projects.
Tue, 16 June 2015The Urban Community Energy Fund (UCEF) funds community energy projects through their development phase, to determine viability, and get them ‘investment ready’ – i.e. a sound proposition for bank or other financer to take the project through the construction phase. A grant of up to £20K and a loan of up to £130K are available. The loans are ‘contingent loans’ meaning they won’t have to be paid back if a project can’t proceed to construction phase. There are deadlines to apply for funding every other month. The next is Friday 31st July.
www.gov.uk/urban-community-energy-fund
UCEF compliments the Rurual Community Energy Fund, which provides a similar service for projects in rural areas: www.wrap.org.uk/content/rural-community-energy-fund
One More Eco Building Left to Visit
Thu, 28 May 2015The Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Eco Open Homes event isn't over... yet!
Every day until Sunday, 10am-4pm, the Derbyshire Eco Centre will be opening it's doors to the public. The Centre has been constructed using sustainable methods, materials and technologies including local stone, a living green roof, rainwater harvesting, air source heat pump and solar panels.
The centre and the surrounding landscape were built to gain an 'excellent' standard from the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Measure. A second phase is planned to provide further sustainable technologies with the aim of making the site self sufficient in energy.
The building is the county hub for courses and activities focusing on education for sustainable development. It supports Derbyshire County Council’s work to address climate change issues, promotes creativity through the arts, and teaches skills to help conserve the natural world and to live healthy lifestyles. The centre is an all–weather facility to deliver heritage building skills, sustainable technologies, rural crafts, arts, environment and energy saving courses.
Depending on staff availability someone will often be able to show you around for 15-20 minutes. There are also laminated sheets for each part of the building to allow people to do self-guided tours, and you can view climate change display boards installed in December 2014.
If you would like a more in-depth group tour and talk lasting 90 minutes please contact the centre to discuss your needs. There will a charge for in-depth group tours.
www.everybodys-talking.org/ecohomes/events/derbyshire-eco-centre-nr-wirksworth
Sustainable Hayfield Secures Funding for Community Minibus
Thu, 28 May 2015Hayfield Sustainable Transport’s (HSTL) community share offer to help fund a community minibus has been a success. Thanks to the generosity of local supporters together with a grant promised by the Department of Transport, HSTL has raised a grand total of £50,000 to buy a second bus.
The two minibuses will be used in the day by seven local schools to transport classes on educational trips, at a cost sixty per cent less than hiring a coach. In the evenings and at weekends the vehicles will be used by local community groups, as the current minibus presently is – but with more scope!
If you would like to become a volunteer driver, contact Roland Strube on rolandtsrube@gmail.com or 01663 749062.