Futureproof Cumbria

Month: June 2023

  • Job: Customer Services Administrator

    Job: Customer Services Administrator

    An excellent opportunity to play an important part in supporting Cumbria householders with their energy use and the cost of living crisis. 

    Our team of Customer Administrators play an important part in delivering Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria, as well as other services we provide. The role is the first point of contact for customers when they enquire about and apply for services. 

    The successful candidate will assist the Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria team to deliver energy advice and access our paid services. All training will be provided, as well as our award-winning Carbon and Climate Literacy course.

    To apply, please email your completed application form to us by 9am on Wednesday 19 July 

    We are planning for interviews to be held in week commencing 24 July 2023 via Zoom.

    The interview process will also involve one or more tasks relating to the role.

    The important stuff

    • SALARY RANGE: £21,500 – £26,000 (FTE)

    • LOCATION: Based in our office in Penrith, some home working can be arranged, plus occasional meetings.

    • HOURS: 22.5 – 37.5 hours a week, negotiable hours and days. Core office hours are 10 – 3.

    • START DATE AND DURATION: Fixed term to 31 March 2025 with potential for extension.

    You’ll love working at CAfS

    Working at CAfS comes with great benefits. You’ll be joining a friendly and supportive organisation, and your wellbeing and work:life balance are hugely important to us. As well as flexibility around your working hours and location, you’ll have 22 days of paid annual leave pro rata, plus bank/public holidays. We pay an employer pension contribution of 6% from day one of employment.

    What a job at CAfS offers you…

    • The opportunity to be on the frontline driving action on climate change as part of a respected organisation that is making a difference.

    • Collaboration with dedicated colleagues, communities, local authorities and other organisations who are striving towards the same goal.

    • A dynamic working environment in which we continually innovate to achieve the best outcomes for employees, communities and planet.

    • A consultative working culture where staff are encouraged to contribute to new developments.

    Our work culture and benefits…

    • We are a friendly and supportive team of colleagues and board of trustees

    • We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in all that we do.

    • We will provide the equipment you need to do your job.

    • Employee wellbeing is very important to us. We do what we can to help colleagues achieve a great work/life balance.

    • We have a flexible working policy and we use it. Most staff work part time so we are accustomed to managing different work patterns. Staff can also work at home where possible.

    • We invest in learning and development and encourage people to develop their skills and commit time and resources to development.

    Find out even more about the benefits of working at CAfS >

  • Community Climate Champion (Volunteer)

    Community Climate Champion (Volunteer)

    This opportunity is now closed – if you are interested please contact [email protected]!

    We’re looking for new volunteer Climate Champions in the Copeland area. Through CAfS’ accredited Climate & Carbon Literacy Course, provided free to successful candidates, you’ll increase your knowledge of climate science, solutions and practical actions. Then, using your new found knowledge, and with full support from CAfS’ Climate Champion Coordinator, you’ll organise events – like discussion groups, film nights, quizzes, and reading groups – all in your own area to share your knowledge and enthusiasm with others. Even having conversations with people about climate change that you wouldn’t have done before the training will count!

    Being a Climate Champion could enable you help drive the implementation of the Copeland People’s Panel recommendations – ensuring green priorities set by Copeland residents are carried out, or generate more climate action in West Cumbria through the new ‘Westogether’ initiative. It might give you an entry route into a green career, or help embed climate change into the agenda of your local parish council, and in fact we’d especially love to hear from Copeland parish councillors.

    You’ll receive training to deliver sessions in your community, including a one-day comprehensive, accredited Carbon Literacy training course and induction and ongoing support from CAfS’ Climate Champion Coordinator. We also hope to arrange a one day Zero Carbon Britain training (Centre for Alternative Technology) as an optional extra for those who wish to attend. This is a fantastic opportunity for our community climate volunteers to develop new skills, as well as bringing benefits to your community and playing a really important part in tackling climate change.

    Please complete the expression of interest form either online or offline. Please don’t send a CV!

    Ongoing recruitment – apply now!

    You’ll get…

    • Induction

    • Free Climate & Carbon Literacy training

    • Full support from CAfS Climate Champions Coordinator

    Organise events…

    • Reading groups

    • Film nights

    • Climate quizzes

    You will…

    • Create an entry route to green jobs

    • Generate more climate action in West Cumbria through the new ‘Westogether’ initiative.

    • Help ensure green priorities set by Copeland residents are carried out

    This opportunity is open to people over the age of 18. If you’re under 18, please do keep an eye on our website and social media, as there’ll be opportunities for youth volunteers at a later date. 

    We wish to support diversification of the voices in the Cumbrian climate movement and particularly welcome applications from individuals on a low income, individuals in areas without an existing sustainability group or from anyone who feels that their voice, or the voice of their community is under-represented. 

    • LOCATION: Home-based and in the community

    • REPORTS TO: Clare Taylor, Community Climate Champions Coordinator.  She will induct, train, support and guide the champions. Please email Clare with any questions.

    • TIME COMMITMENT:  Roughly 5-10hrs per month until Feb 2024, including induction and training. Your activities will start when you’ve completed your induction. It doesn’t matter what form your activities take – what matters is reaching people and making an impact.

    • DURATION: Your induction will take place in September. Your sessions will be delivered from October ’23 to February ’24 and beyond if you’re able!

    Funded by

  • Cumbrian communities set to benefit from £40k support for renewable energy projects

    Cumbrian communities set to benefit from £40k support for renewable energy projects

    Community groups and town and parish councils across Cumbria are set to benefit from a total of £40,000 of funding to initiate or progress renewable energy projects in their area.

    Our Low Carbon Communities team have produced a comprehensive report which explains what community renewable energy is, and details different models. It covers key considerations and challenges and gives examples and mini-case studies of a wide variety of existing projects already in existence across the county.

    CAfS Low Carbon Communities Programme Manager, Molly Hogg, said “Our research and report gave us real insight into the help groups need to develop renewable energy projects in their area, and we’ve used that information to guide the support we’re now able to offer.”

    Three levels of support are available, starting with 30 minutes of free advice. Groups can then apply for consultancy support, and subsequently two groups will receive a grant of up to £10,000 each to progress their projects further.

    Molly continued “We’ve got experts experienced in delivering renewable energy projects in local Cumbrian communities on hand and ready to give advice from an initial advisory phone call, right through to obtaining grant funding to get projects implemented and generating.”

    To share more information about community renewable energy and the support available, two free online events are being held. The first, hosted in partnership with the Cumbrian Association of Local Councils (CALC), is at 19:00 on Thursday 29 June. With five expert speakers, this event will introduce the concept of community renewable energy, and attendees will hear about the role of local councils, and also find out about the projects already installed in Cumbria. The event will also introduce the support available, including the package of support offered by CAfS. A follow up event hosted by Cumbria Sustainability Network will be held on 6 July, which will give attendees an opportunity to discuss community renewable energy.

    To find out more, click here. The support project has been organised by CAfS as part of the Zero Carbon Cumbria programme led by a partnership of over 80 organisations from the private, public and third sectors working towards net zero by 2037, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.

  • Our latest newsletter – 20 June 2023

    Our latest newsletter – 20 June 2023

    Read our latest newsletter for details of our new community renewable energy support project, the presentation of our platinum Carbon literacy award, climate champions in Copeland, The Big Photo Challenge and more!

    We send our newsletters every couple of weeks. We’ll let you know about our forthcoming events, webinars, and courses; top tips for cutting your carbon footprint, our services and projects. To get this direct to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter!

    Follow us on social media for
    the most up to date news!

  • An award winning evening with the Carbon Literacy Project

    An award winning evening with the Carbon Literacy Project

    This Thursday saw CAfS in Manchester for The Carbon Literate Organisation awards. As a Carbon Literacy platinum award winner we were there to receive our award from The Carbon Literacy Project and to celebrate our experiences with other award winners, learning from their success and challenges!

    These inspirational awards featured stories from around the world. From Australia to the UAE, Carbon Literacy accredited courses are being adapted for different cultures and different audiences globally.  Currently there are 62, 184 carbon literate citizens across over 23 nations and with over 4100 different organisations involved. And the different sectors. It was eye-opening to see the different sectors represented, from tractor manufacturers to universities – and larger government organisations such as the Environment Agency. The reach was impressive and can only mean good things for the effort to reduce carbon emissions.

    And for CAfS? We continue to work to develop our Climate and Carbon Literacy courses – ensuring that we provide a local context to an international crisis, whilst at the same time reaching out to the many sectors, organisations and individuals that make up our unique county. We were thrilled to be one of only 8 platinum Carbon Literacy award winners! If you want to join us in our carbon literacy journey – you can find our latest courses here.

     

     

  • The Big Photo Challenge: snap, share and support our planet’s future.

    The Big Photo Challenge: snap, share and support our planet’s future.

    Join our photography competition this June. 

    We’re looking for engaging and positive photos which best demonstrate how our work has supported your climate projects here in Cumbria.  

    The competition is open until noon, Wednesday 28th June. Great Big Green Week is the perfect time to get involved.  

    We are looking for inspiring images to share on our social channels and website that raise awareness of the broad array of climate action that we have supported in Cumbria. We will showcase the best photos on our website. At the end of the competition we will choose our three favourites to enter into The Big Photo Challenge for the chance to be featured on The Big Give site. 

    Our favourite will receive a subscription to Ethical Consumer Magazine.

    Your photo could win us a cash prize from Big Give support us to deliver our local climate action projects. 

     Terms and Conditions: 

    By submitting images to CAfS each entrant confirms that: 

    CAfS have permission to use all imagery for their marketing and can submit them to The Big Give’s Photo Challenge.  

    They own the copyright and any other intellectual property rights of each image, and have given provided full credit of the image owner; 

    They have permission of anyone pictured in the image (or, where the image shows any persons under 18, the consent of their parents / guardian) for the usage rights required by Big Give and CAfS and will indemnify Big Give and CAfS against any claims made by any thirs parties in respect of such infringement.  

    They have received any necessary permission from the owner(s) of objects, including buildings including in submitted images for the usage rights required by CAfS and Big Give.  

    Digital adjustments are acceptable and will be taken into account.  Cropping is allowed.

    You can read The Big Give’s Terms and Conditions here: Salesforce 

     

  • Our latest newsletter – 6 June 2023

    Our latest newsletter – 6 June 2023

    Read our latest newsletter for info of all the 50ish Great Big Green Week events happening across the county, including three from CAfS, a report from our event celebrating our three year partnership with Shed One distillery, Climate & Carbon Literacy courses, plus more events and job opportunities.

    We send our newsletters every couple of weeks. We’ll let you know about our forthcoming events, webinars, and courses; top tips for cutting your carbon footprint, our services and projects. To get this direct to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter!

    Follow us on social media for the most up to date news!

  • Boost for Cold to Cosy Homes thanks to Energy Redress Funding Success

    Boost for Cold to Cosy Homes thanks to Energy Redress Funding Success

    Funding success from Energy Redress means that our very successful Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria project can continue to provide support, advice and practical help to hundreds of householders across Cumbria.

    The Ofgem Energy Redress Scheme gathers funds from Ofgem’s enforcement and compliance scheme.  These are then distributed to organisations across Great Britain that provide energy advice, support decarbonisation activities and develop innovate energy-focused services and products.

    CAfS success in the second round of Energy Redress funding means that we have received vital funds of over £290,000 specifically to support our Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria project.

    Andrew Northcott, our energy services manager explains, “We are delighted to hear about our application success for Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria. Our service is receiving incredibly high demand currently with over 100 clients waiting for a home visit and this new funding means we will be able continue for 2 more years. We’ll be providing lots more free and independent advice sessions to vulnerable customers to help them keep warm, reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions. We’ll provide advice at home visits, by telephone and at drop-in events.”

    Read more about the Energy Redress Scheme

    Find out about Cold to Cosy