LATEST
LEAF project weekly update -
- free household energy assessments available
CFB’s energy efficiency project funded under the DECC Leaf fund is under way. We are now drawing up our programme of free energy assessments of 20 houses. These will be representative of different housing types across the Bradford community area, with the requirement that some neighbours with similar houses are also involved so that information can be shared. If you live in Holt, Monkton Farleigh, Limpley Stoke, South Wraxall, Staverton, Westwood or Winsley, and would like a free energy assessment please contact us on CFBLEAF@gmx.co.uk giving the age of your property, and saying where you have problems with heat loss or which parts of your house are cold. We would particularly like to hear from people with houses built between 1945 and 1985 in these villages or in Bradford itself.
Our technical expert has looked at the two community buildings and is providing a detailed proposal of work. The majority of work will be carried out in the Friends Meeting House, and the Guides HQ will have an energy assessment and plan for later action. Work has started on CFB’s approach to drawing up a list of good local energy efficiency installers, and on evaluating what has been achieved with our previous projects such as the energy efficiency measures carried out in community buildings under Green Streets.
Seedy Sunday is almost here
Sunday 12th February, 2012 11.00 - 1.00 in St Margaret's Hall.
Seed envelopes are available around the town, including TIC, corridor outside ‘Who Cares?’, the library and schools (and also at St Mgts. Hall on the day). You can also use your own envelopes - please remember to label them with the name of the seeds!
Tree planting postponed
Please note that tree planting at JJs has been postponed until 11th March as the ground is too hard for planting.
Household energy funding success
Climate Friendly Bradford on Avon has received just over £60,000 of funding from the government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (LEAF funding). We’d love to see every neighbourhood and every street throughout Bradford and villages working together to find the best ways to save energy in our homes. The money is to help us work out how to do this, and provide the support to be even more active in the future. It will support:
· Better communication, with improved website, displays, leaflets and more. We’ll be asking how we can best encourage people to talk about what they are doing to save energy, and tackle any problems together.
· Finding out how best to involve people at a very local level. We will provide a small number of detailed household energy assessments, including feedback and advice in putting recommendations into action. We’ll also take thermal imaging photos of streets throughout the area, so you can see how your house compares to others like it.
· Finding good local energy efficiency installers. It’s not always easy to find a reliable person to do any work required. CFB’s solar PV recommended installer project has shown just how useful a group approach to this can be.
· Installing internal solid wall insulation in the Friends Meeting House and the Guides Headquarters. There will soon be grants available for people living in older homes, built before the 1920s, to do this. We’d like to see for ourselves what it involves and how effective it is.
· Developing a long-term plan for the future. To do this, we’d like to find out more about what we’ve achieved so far – successes and problems!
So how can you get involved?
It doesn’t matter if you’ve got lots of time or just a few hours to spare, we’d love to have your input. Time is short: the work has to be done and all the money spent by the end of March this year! We need help with organisation, leafleting, taking thermal imaging photos, research, monitoring, energy advice and follow up, and much more besides. The money will pay for some of the work to be done, but to really make an impact we need the volunteer enthusiasm and energy for which CFB is so well-known! We’ve listed a few ways you can get involved, but that’s just a taster. For many opportunities, it would also be great to have people who would like to be involved as volunteers in the long-term.
Please get in touch to find out more at CFBLEAF@gmx.co.uk or phone 07507 782523. We’ll also provide fortnightly email updates, more frequently than the usual CFB email newsletters, so let us know if you’d like to be on the email list for this. We’ll also put the updates on the website, so you can check there if you prefer.
Ideas to get you started
· Arrange for your house to have an energy assessment and invite a couple of neighbours along. We’ll provide chocolate cake or a bottle of wine to help the discussion. And ask around for anyone else who might be interested.
· Arrange for your street to have thermal imaging photos taken. This will involve leafleting (so people can opt out), and then hosting a feedback event to look at the photos and talk through the results. Or learn to take thermal imaging photos yourself so we can build a thermal map of the community area.
· Help with behind-the-scenes organising, anything from masterminding streets to be leafleted to responding to enquiries.
· Get some free energy efficiency training so you can give talks or advise others in future.
Interim 2050 progress report
At the January Full Town Council meeting, we will be presenting an interim report about the progress we have made towards our Carbon Neutral 2050 aspiration. You can read the report here and a report on the Green Streets programme here.
Successful hedge planting day at Holt Primary School
The hedge planting project was successfully completed at Holt Primary School on Sunday 27th November. Around 20 adults and children from the school and CFB planted 500 tree whips along the edge of the school field creating a further, valuable addition to the CFB Biodiversity Group's mission to introduce wildlife corridors in the area.
The work was done in two stages, preparing the ground early in November 2011 then completing the planting on Sunday. It was a great example of co-operation between CFB and the school, is a fantastic wildlife addition to the already environmentally rich school field and has created 100 metres of new hedging in the school grounds.
Schools' EcoEvent a great success
On Friday 14th October more than 100 school pupils and invited guests packed the Trinity Hall at St Laurence School to find out what the local schools have been doing to reduce their impact on the environment. Read more about it here.
CFB Community Interest Company
CFB is now up and running as a not for profit Community Interest Company, limited by guarantee, which gives us a solid legal basis for future projects we may wish to carry out. 28 members have already signed up, which is good news. If you would like to become a CIC member it's very easy to do and will only cost you a one off membership fee of £5.
Currently we have six directors, Jill Johns, Mike Andrews, Peter Mann, Maureen Wood, John Effingham and Richard Craft. All six are very active in Climate Friendly BoA in a variety of roles and are committed to furthering the aims of CFB.
There is a vacancy for one more director and if anyone is interested in filling this role please e-mail: climatechampions@gmail.com. and let us know any specific skills you will be able to offer us. You will need to be passionate about what we are trying to achieve, be fully in tune with our aims and ambition to become carbon neutral by 2050 and live in the BoA Community Area.
You can read the Articles of Association if you'd like to find out more. If you'd like to become a member you can find out more about membership and download an application form here.
St Laurence School is the latest Carbon Neutral 2050 Declaration sign up
Richard Craft, Chair of CFB presents the school's Carbon Neutral 2050 Declaration, signed by the Headteacher James Colquhon, to Freya and Dan of the school's KS3 Sustainability Group. St Laurence held a special Green Day on 17th June to raise awareness of sustainability issues and to encourage students to take a more active role in reducing their own carbon footprints.
BoA Community Agriculture
Find out more about BoACA's exciting work on their new, solar powered website. Their field is really developing well with lots of produce growing on it, masterminded by Nicola and Cally, the 2 part time growers.
There are regular drop in sessions and anyone is welcome to go along to see what's happening or join in. Please support them, it's a great initiative and a big step towards getting even more locally grown fruit and veg. into the BoA area.
The waste group is looking for new members- could you help?
Their next meeting will be after the summer holidays on Tues 27th Sept at 7.30. at 2 Rosemary Walk BOA. If you are interested please phone Jean Maitland on 01225 863063 .
Buildings don't use energy, people do!
A safer route to school
Please sign the petition to support the construction of the very first link in the BoA Cycle Network. When in place it will enable families from Fitzmaurice School to walk and cycle to school much more safely from the Southway Park and Baileys Barn area of town, as well as encouraging more parents not to use their cars. Just click on the link and it will take you straight there; it'll only take a minute to fill in. Thank you. If you have trouble clicking through try Googling "Baileys Barn footpath".
www.ipetitions.com/petition/baileysbarnfootcyclepath/
Latest news - we now have 138 signatures already and our target is 200, so please sign if you haven't already and encourage your friends to do so.
Also, through the Fitzmaurice School's Travel Plan the project has been awarded some funding to carry out a feasibility study, so we are making progress.
Update on the Green Deal
The Green Deal, due to start in 2012, is a new way of allowing home-owners and private landlords to make major energy efficiency improvements to homes without paying costs upfront. Instead, the costs can be paid back through a charge on the energy bills. The Green Deal will require the involvement of accredited assessors and installers with other safeguards built in to protect householders.
The Green Deal proposals, a cornerstone of the Coalition Government’s green agenda, were published as part of the Energy Bill in December 2010.
As the Bill is still subject to amendments (it is currently progressing through the House of Lords) the above gives only a flavour of the proposals and not the definite version. For more details see the Department of Energy and Climate Change website.
Fitzmaurice Primary School's polytunnel is now open
The Grand Opening of the BRAND NEW POLYTUNNEL at Fitzmaurice Primary School, Bradford on Avon on 22nd January 2011.
Opened by Duncan Hames MP and Isabel Martindale, Mayor of Bradford on Avon.
Action 2011
An interesting and thought provoking evening.
Sun powers classrooms at Christ Church Primary School.
Solar panels, installed on Christchurch Primary School in Bradford-on-Avon under the British Gas Green Streets programme are reducing the school’s electricity bills. The photovoltaic panels will also give a yearly cash boost of approximately £1,600 to the school through the Feed-in Tariff. A further 20 panels are to be fitted over the summer so the school will have enough solar capacity to power just about all 14 classrooms.
Free trees - Woodland Trust tree packs
The Woodland Trust is asking community groups to apply for free tree planting packs where the community groups are looking to plant trees themselves on land that everyone in their area can enjoy and benefit from. For more details, check out the Woodland Trust website – currently go to the Plant Trees section and follow the links.
