News

Abundance is Back in Chesterfield!

Tue, 24 September 2019

A project which harvests unwanted fruit and distributes it is looking for help this autumn. Abundance is a Transition Chesterfield initiative which sees volunteers pick apples and other fruits from the gardens of householders who don’t want it or can’t harvest it, as well as from other spaces. It is then donated to organisations including Chesterfield Food Bank and Grassmoor’s Big Local Community Centre.
 
If you can spare some time in September or October please get in touch with Alison or Polly via: abundance@transitionchesterfield.org.uk

Does Your Community Want to Go Net Zero?

Mon, 9 September 2019

Marches Energy Agency (MEA), the charity which provides this website, is considering making an application to the Climate Action Fund.

The fund launched this summer. If you watch the short video at the link above you’ll see that MEA was invited to attend and Caroline Harmon, one of our staff, was interviewed in the video. Our Fantastic Home, a mobile energy efficiency, domestic renewable and climate change exhibition which has toured the area covered by this newsletter for 10 years, was chosen out of thousands of environmentally-themed projects The National Lottery Community Fund has previously funded to showcase at the launch.

We’d like to apply for funding to help communities in the Midlands to develop Community Net Zero Carbon Action plans. These plans would help your community understand your options for eliminating your community's contribution to the climate change. The plans would be community-led with help from MEA. There is the potential that we could then apply for a larger grant from the same fund to help implement these plans and make Net Zero Carbon communities a reality in the area.

If you are interested, please send us a short email with:

  • Your name
  • The name of any community groups you are involved in
  • A brief description of any work you’ve already done on reducing your community’s carbon footprint (it doesn’t matter if you haven’t)
  • Why you’re interested in in getting involved in this project

Dropping us an email doesn’t commit you to anything but it will help us to ascertain if there is likely to be enough interest in the area covered by this newsletter (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire) to go ahead with an application to the fund. We won’t apply if it isn’t something communities want to do, so it’s important that you tell us if you are interested.

Please reply by Friday 20th September.

Emails should be sent to: caroline.harmon@mea.org.uk

Carbon Literacy Course - ONLY A FEW PLACES LEFT

Mon, 9 September 2019

Saturday 5th October, 10am-4:30pm
Sherwood Community Centre, Nottingham 
£15* (includes accreditation)
Bring-and-share lunch
JUST A FEW SPACES LEFT - Book a place

We're excited to announce that the Community Climate Action Network is running its first Carbon Literacy course. This one-day course will equip you and your community to bring about the rapid reduction in carbon emissions required in the next few years by the climate emergency.

It is suitable for:

  • Interested individuals
  • Community groups members
  • Elected members and staff of Parish and Town Councils

This particular course has been created specifically for people living, studying and/or working in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham & Nottinghamshire.

Carbon Literacy is defined as "An awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis.”

The Carbon Literacy Project offers a day’s worth of accredited learning, covering:

  • Climate change science
  • Carbon footprints
  • Social equity in relation to climate change
  • What you can do to act - both as an individual and at a community and organisational level
  • Strategies and skills for communicating action on climate change
  • A chance to reflect on the impact climate change is and will have.

In order to achieve accreditation you will need to:

  • Attend the course (6.5hours)
  • Do some work at home ahead of the course (1.5 hours. Involves watching a documentary and completing an online carbon footprint tool)
  • Complete a short written assessment during the course. This will be submitted to the Carbon Literacy Project (CLP). CLP accredits the course and will check your assessment before issuing certificates.

Book a place

We are also planning a course in Derbyshire in November and hope to be able to send out details very soon.

*This course is being funded by the Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Local Authority Energy Partnership, a partnership of 18 Local Authorities in the area, and provided by Marches Energy Agency, a Midlands-based charity. The fee charged is simply to cover the cost of accreditation, which will allow you to receive a certificate.

Free Energy Advice Available by Phone in Derby & Derbyshire

Mon, 9 September 2019

Warmer Derby & Derbyshire (WDD) is a new free energy advice phone line for residents living in Derby & Derbyshire. The phone line offers impartial advice on fuel debt, issues with fuel bills, problems with meters, energy efficiency measures and behavioural change to cut energy use. In some case a follow up home visit is available. At the moment the scheme is particularly helping people to apply for Warm Home Discount (£410 off energy bills for eligible households) ahead of winter and to access funding for broken and faulty boilers to be replaced before autumn arrives.

WDD is a partnership between Marches Energy Agency and local authorities in the area. It is funded by the Energy Redress Scheme, which collects fines from energy companies that have breached rules.

If you or anyone you know might struggle to heat their home one winter arrives, call 0800 677 1332 or email wdd@mea.org.uk

Buses Make All the Difference During Nottingham’s Rush Hour

Mon, 9 September 2019

Bus lanes, bus access roads and traffic light priority have all been introduced in Nottingham to make sure that bus journeys are as quick and easy as you would expect them to be. A full double decker bus can carry up to 80 people and only takes up the same amount of road space as two cars, so buses are one of the most effective ways of moving people. This why bus lanes are important as they help move large numbers of people around the city without causing tailbacks.

Mansfield Road in Nottingham is a great example of how this works in practice. In the morning rush hour (7.30am-9.30am) buses make up just 5% of the traffic but carry 48% of the people. Plus, over 80% of the cars on their journey in are only carrying one person, so it’s a very inefficient use of the road. More on why bus lanes matter: http://bit.ly/2GJAueA