Futureproof Cumbria

Month: April 2022

  • Over £19,000 awarded to locals tackling climate change

    Over £19,000 awarded to locals tackling climate change

    Two local projects have been granted funds to combat climate change in Cumbria following a special meeting of the Cumbria Sustainability Network (CSN).

    Local sustainability projects were invited to apply and present their ideas to reduce carbon emissions to the CSN and to the public for a chance to be awarded the grants of up to £10,000.

    An audience of over 60 people voted on their preferred local projects that targeted the areas of energy use, land use, waste, and transport.

    The first ‘winning’ project was the Ulverston Food Waste Project, which received £9,815 to aid in their effort to ensure that food at the end of its shelf life goes to people who will make good use of it.

    An additional £9,700 was given to SENS from Staveley to develop their pilot electric-bike hire scheme that will enable locals to access sustainable transport.

    Linden Grieve from the Ulverston Food Waste Project said: ‘We were overjoyed to be successful in our bid for funds to make sure that we can continue to save as much edible produce as possible from disappearing into landfill. It was an amazing moment when we realized that so many people had voted for our project! I’m so pleased that we can continue to build and grow our project to benefit people in Ulverston as well as the planet.’

    Alistair Kirkbride from SENS said: ‘e-bikes are a great carbon-neutral way of getting out and about for short journeys, and a really effective option to replace short car journeys. Our pilot will enable local people to use this fun and convenient mode of travel day-to-day without having to commit to buying a bike.

    ‘We are aware of how hard it is for young people to access work or other services without a reliable, frequent bus service, and we want to encourage people of all ages to keep their cars parked up as much as possible or even replace their cars with their own e-bike.  We hope to include a pay-as-you-do cargo bike as part of our offer, and we hope that local business will pick up on this as an alternative for deliveries.’

    The funding for the grants came from the National Lottery Climate Action Fund, as part of the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership’s (ZCCP) ambitious emission reduction programme to make Cumbria carbon neutral by 2037. The grants are awarded by CAfS on behalf of ZCCP.

    Coordinator of the CSN Helen Attewell said: ‘The Community Climate Grants are an excellent way of encouraging new methods of tackling climate change by raising awareness and cutting carbon emissions.

    ‘Although the large grant programme is closed for now, we are still allocating grants of up to £2,000 for small and medium amounts so it remains a great opportunity for community-based groups to take action in support of a Zero Carbon Cumbria’.

    Community groups interested in finding funding for their sustainability projects can find more information on our page on Community Climate Grants.

  • Vote against climate change in local council elections

    Vote against climate change in local council elections

    At the local elections on May 5th 2022, Cumbrians will be voting for the councillors who will decide the priorities and policies of the two new Unitary Authorities for Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness.

    This is a historical moment for Cumbria and a unique opportunity to put action on climate change at the very heart of local government. Whilst directly responsible for only around 2-5% of local carbon emissions, local authorities can have a big influence on over more than 30% of local emissions through their policies, partnerships and funding streams.

    Action on climate change can bring many benefits to individuals, communities and businesses eg cleaner air, more active travel, warmer, drier homes, lower bills, more choice of local food, less road congestion and much more.

    We urge people voting and the candidates who are standing to ensure the critical issue of climate change and the benefits of acting on it are acknowledged and prioritised.

    How climate change affects Cumbria

    We are already experiencing the effects of climate change in Cumbria. As carbon emissions continue to rise, we will see:

    • more and more extreme weather events such as storms, high winds and floods
    • sea level rise combined with storm surges leading to more coastal flooding.
    • hotter, drier summers with increased risk of heatwaves and wildfires.
    • damage to landscapes, habitats, buildings, infrastructure and the Cumbrian economy.
    • interruptions to food and water supplies.

    The key sources of carbon emissions in Cumbria

    A report on the Carbon Baseline of Cumbria by Small World Consulting identifies that in 2019 Cumbria emitted greenhouse gases equivalent in impact on climate change to 7 million tonnes of CO2 from the following sources of greenhouse gas emissions:

    • the burning of coal, oil and gas in Cumbria (excluding from vehicles travelling on the M6 over which Cumbria has little influence)
    • the electricity used in Cumbria (whether the power is generated in Cumbria or elsewhere).
    • the food we eat and the stuff we buy (regardless of where the goods have been produced).
    • resident and visitor travel to and from and in and around Cumbria (excluding international visitor travel).
    • the impact on emissions from different forms of land use, which may be positive or negative.

    What the new Unitary Authorities need to do

    Local authorities have a crucial role to play in achieving Cumbria’s target of net zero carbon emissions by 2037. The new Unitary Authorities need to show strong and ambitious leadership on climate change.

    The Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership, which comprises around 80 Cumbrian organisations working together to plan the pathway to net zero including the existing local authorities, has already adopted 2037 as the science-based target for net zero.

    The new Unitary Authorities should do the same and set out net zero action plans with clear deliverables, targets and resources – both for their own operations and for the geographical area they cover.

    For their own operations, they should:

    • Consider the carbon impact of ALL decisions made by the authority and align all policies, services, functions and funding with the net zero carbon by 2037 target.
    • Ensure the right resources are available in the authority – both staffing and skills
    • Ensure there is a Cabinet position with responsibility for delivering climate action.
    • Ensure local authority buildings are low carbon
    • Ensure council vehicles use low carbon fuel
    • Minimise, reuse and recycle waste.
    • Act to reduce the carbon emissions from transport used by local authority service users.
    • Reduce staff commuting.
    • Manage local authority owned land to reduce carbon emissions, help to sequester carbon through peatbog restoration and tree planting and also benefit wildlife.
    • Influence supply chains by requiring contractors and suppliers to take action to reduce carbon emissions
    • Ensure pensions and other investments are climate friendly
    • Ensure understanding of climate change and solutions is embedded through the whole authority with ‘carbon literate’ employees and elected members
    • Where carbon emissions are irreducible, identify options
    • Be accountable – report on operational carbon emissions annually

    For their area of influence, they should:

    • Communicate, engage and consult with local communities and young people on priorities for action on climate change, through initiatives like citizens juries and people’s panels
    • Use their powers in relation to planning to ensure that developments are net zero.
    • Use their powers over infrastructure development to enable people to ditch motorised vehicles in favour of safe walking and cycling
    • Influence the availability of public transport
    • Encourage electric vehicle use and increase publicly available EV charging infrastructure
    • Ensure street lighting is low energy and wildlife friendly
    • Improve domestic and commercial waste reuse and recycling services
    • Ensure that people are supported through the transition from high carbon to low carbon jobs with help for training and skills development
    • Fund local climate groups to help get energy saving messages across to friends and neighbours
    • Champion community owned renewable energy generation
    • Embed climate change and biodiversity in school curriculums and encourage practical climate action by young people
    • Support local sustainability groups which are building community resilience
    • Be transparent – report on carbon emissions for the area annually.

    Further reading and references:

    https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/learning/weatherandclimate/factsclimatechange

    https://cumbria.gov.uk/planning-environment/climatechange.asp

    https://cumbria.gov.uk/elibrary/Content/Internet/536/671/4674/17217/17225/4414012219.PDF

  • Young people in Copeland make their voices heard on climate change

    Young people in Copeland make their voices heard on climate change

    Young people are highly aware of the threat to their futures from climate change yet are rarely able to influence the ‘gatekeepers’ of climate emissions – those decision makers in Cumbria whose strategies and plans can most affect our carbon emissions. To help address this we worked with Shared Future (a local not for profit organisation) to fund and create interactive sessions with youth groups which explored their views on climate change and shared their ideas with people and organisations across Cumbria.

    In total 62 young people aged from 11 to 19 years took part in the workshop sessions which were co-designed and led by youth workers in Seascale, Millom, Frizington, Cleator Moor, Distington and Mirehouse and Woodhouse in Whitehaven during summer 2021. The participants focused initially on identifying their vision for their local area and then explored the issue of climate change and carbon emissions.

    In parallel to these youth sessions, Shared Future also ran a Copeland People’s Panel on Climate Change with the help of funding secured by CAfS from the National Lottery’s Climate Change Action Fund. This Panel brought together 30 randomly selected local people who, over the course of several weeks, heard from experts about climate change and the actions that can be taken to tackle it. The Panel then debated and agreed its recommendations for action.

    The parallel initiatives of the youth sessions and the People’s Panel were brought together by the presentation of the outcomes of the youth group sessions to the People’s Panel just before the latter drafted its recommendations. This had a significant effect on the Panel which said ‘We have been inspired by the work of young people in youth groups across Copeland and our recommendations echo what many of them have said.’

    The outcomes of the youth group discussions have also been presented more widely and directly to key decisionmakers across Cumbria through the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership – which is a group of around 80 organisations including local authorities, community groups, businesses and other influential bodies that are collectively planning Cumbria’s pathway to net zero.

    The young people of Copeland want to see better, more affordable and reliable public transport, electric cars and chargepoints and walking and cycling encouraged, along with more recycling. They want more solar and wind turbines and energy efficiency improvements at home. They want their local environment to be cleaned up and they want more jobs, especially low carbon jobs, with training.

    The Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership is committed to ensuring young people have more opportunities to speak, to be heard and to influence action now which affects their futures.

    A report detailing the youth group process and the findings in full is available here Youth-Group-Report-Draft-10.pdf (cafs.org.uk).

    The recommendations of the Copeland People’s Panel are available here: Copeland-report-v0.4.pdf (sharedfuturecic.org.uk)

    For more information about the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership see our project page.

    For more information about CAfS youth engagement programme see our Youth Climate Action project page.

  • Job: Home Energy Adviser

    Job: Home Energy Adviser

    Closing date: 9am on Tuesday 3 May 2022.

    We’re looking for an experienced and knowledgeable individual to help vulnerable people improve their home energy efficiency, giving advice through in-home visits, over telephone and at events. You will be tasked with helping implement our Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria service across districts within the county and providing excellent customer service to our clients. You’ll have excellent communication and accurate coordination skills, supporting our pool of contractors and advisers.

    Application & Interview Process

    Please apply by completing the application form below. Please do not send a CV. Guidance for submitting your application is included in the form.

    CAfS Application Form

    Closing date for return of applications is 9am on 3 May 2022.

    Interviews will be held via Zoom on Wednesday 11 May 2022.

    Job description

    If you prefer to download the job description and person specification, please use the link below:

    Home Energy Adviser – Job Description

    BENEFITS: CAfS offers an excellent working environment, with benefits ranging from flexible working to a pension contribution. Find out more about the benefits of working at CAfS >

    EMPLOYER:  Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) 

    LOCATION:  Contractually based at our office, Eden Rural Foyer, Old London Road, Penrith, CA11 8ET, however we are open to flexible working patterns and blended home, site and office working. 

    REPORTS TO:  Project Manager – Cold to Cosy Homes 

    HOURS:  22.5 to 30 hours a week, with flexibility to work across 3, 4 or 5 days. The working times are flexible but must include core office hours of 10am-3pm unless agreed otherwise. There may also be occasional need to work evenings/weekends for event or meeting support. 

    START/END DATE: Start as soon as possible. Fixed-term contract to 30 April 2023. (with potential for extension subject to funding) 

    SALARY RANGE:  £21,336 to £25,400 per annum full-time equivalent, (£17,068, to £20,320 for a 30-hour week) depending on skills and experience.  

    LEGAL RIGHT TO WORK: You must have a legal right to work in the UK as CAfS is not in a position to act as a sponsor.  

    APPLICATIONS BY: Apply using the CAfS application form. CVs will not be considered. Application forms must be received by 9am on 3rd May 2022. 

    INTERVIEWS: Interviews will be held on 11th May 2022.  

    Interviews will be via Zoom. The interview process will also involve one or more tasks relating to the role. Candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted by 17:00 on 6th May 2022. 

    ABOUT CAFS: 

    Our vision is a zero carbon Cumbria, and we strive to bring about a better way of life, in balance with our environment.  

    Our mission is to empower and enable people, communities, and businesses to live and work more sustainably by sharing our knowledge, practice, skills, networks, and practical experience. We manage and deliver events, advice, training, and practical projects across the county as well as providing specialist consultancy services to enable individuals, communities, businesses and local authorities to drive a shift towards a Zero Carbon Cumbria. 

    We are expanding our Cold to Cosy Homes service to deliver more free home energy advice support across all districts of Cumbria. The service supports vulnerable people who may be living in cold, draughty, or damp homes and includes:  

    • Advice about home energy efficiency by telephone and in-home by trained CAfS employees and contractors.  
    • Events and training about home energy efficiency for householders and volunteers. 
    • The installation of energy measures such as draughtproofing, low energy light bulbs and insulation by professional installers. 

    We also increasingly offer a range of commercial services to householders for energy audits and advice.   

    This job description is not exhaustive but is provided to assist the postholder to know what the main duties are. It may be amended from time to time without change to the levels of responsibility appropriate to the grade of the post and in discussion with the postholder. 

    MAIN PURPOSE OF ROLE: 

    This role is to: 

    • Provide home energy advice in clients’ homes, by telephone and through events to clients across Cumbria. 
    • Oversee the day to day running of energy advice related projects across Cumbria. 
    • Help deliver growth in our Cold to Cosy Homes service. 

    KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS: 

    • Implement the Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria project across districts in Cumbria. 
    • Delivering energy advice in clients’ homes, by telephone and through arranging and delivery of advice at events throughout Cumbria. 
    • Provide a high quality of customer service, building a friendly rapport with clients and a strong and credible reputation for the advice service and CAfS. 
    • Oversee energy advice related projects that support the delivery of our Cold to Cosy Homes service.  
    • Manage relationships with specific stakeholders to develop the Cold to Cosy Homes service, for example Electricity North West. 
    • Manage the reviewing and learning from our service to inform developments 
    • Develop and support our team of professional energy advisers to provide telephone-based advice and visits. 
    • Develop new ways to support our clients to save energy and afford to heat their homes. 
    • Contribute to the ongoing work of CAfS generally, including attending appropriate networking meetings, team meetings and training sessions. 

    Person Specification 

    Essential skills and attributes: 

    • Knowledge of domestic energy saving, the domestic energy market, tariff comparisons and switching, renewable energy and other schemes to help people save energy and afford their energy bills.  
    • Experience of project delivery. 
    • Good knowledge of the issues that vulnerable people can have in heating their homes. 
    • Demonstrable skills and experience of providing high-quality customer service. 
    • Strong team player and capability to work cooperatively as part of a small team as well as on own initiative without day-to-day supervision.  
    • Excellent communication skills, to network and reach out to communities and organisations supporting vulnerable customers and to provide clear energy-efficiency advice. 
    • Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of sustainability issues and an interest in the objectives that CAfS seeks to deliver. 
    • Ability to deliver workshops and speak confidently to small groups.  
    • Good written communication and Microsoft Office skills. 
    • Ability to work to tight deadlines and juggle multiple priorities. 
    • Ability to work flexibly including evening and weekend working by agreement. 
    • Ability to travel independently throughout rural Cumbria.  

    Desirable criteria 

    The following attributes are desirable but not essential: 

    • Experience of providing energy saving advice. 
    • Experience of working in or with local authorities, housing association tenants or organisation supporting households. 
    • Experience of providing services to vulnerable households. 
    • A qualification in providing energy advice – such as City & Guilds Level 3 Energy Awareness. 
    • Experience of working with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, including vulnerable individuals and community groups. 
    • Experience of working in a dispersed team and using Microsoft Teams or similar.  
    • Practical experience of improving energy efficiency in domestic settings.  
    • An existing network of contacts in Cumbria or demonstrable ability to build networks rapidly. 
    • Additional experience / qualification in energy auditing/thermography. 
    • Budgeting and project management experience. 
    • Experience of securing grant funding and tenders. 

    If you would like more information about the role, please email: [email protected]