Month: October 2023

Brilliant news this week: we are finalists in three categories of the Community Energy England Awards this year.

We’re shortlisted for the Climate & Environmental Impact, the Community Energy Organisation of the Year and Fuel Poverty Action. 

The Community Energy Awards is an annual event that recognises and celebrates outstanding achievements in community energy. This ceremony brings together individuals, organisations, and initiatives that are making significant contributions to the advancement of sustainable and locally-driven energy solutions. This year’s ceremony, supported by Electricity North West, will take place in Manchester on Friday 17 November, 6-10pm.

Karen Mitchell, our CEO explains what the shortlisting means to us, “Its brilliant to have been nominated for three awards in recognition of the talent and dedication of the CAfS team, our passion for our precious environment here in Cumbria and our determination to fight climate change. We are inspired by the rural communities we work with to help tackle fuel poverty, support the retrofit of buildings and the installation of solar panels and many other projects besides. Through the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership we are working collaboratively with a host of diverse organisations to make a difference for future generations. We are all proud of our work and of this recognition and want to take the opportunity to congratulate the other nominees, all of which are deserving.”

Read an outline of the three awards below, and what the panel has said about our nominations.  We can’t wait!

Fuel Poverty Action: This award celebrates the contributions of community energy organisations in addressing the multifaceted challenges of fuel poverty and energy efficiency in England.  We’ve been nominated for our  ‘Cold to Cosy Homes’ project – which is recognised as being transformational, wide-reaching and a provider of comprehensive support.

Climate and Environmental Impact: This award recognises community energy organisations that are proactively addressing environmental issues or contributing positively to local environments and biodiversity, and inspiring others through their activities. We have been nominated thanks to our active engagement in education, environmental conservation, and empowering individuals and communities to make sustainable choices. The award recognizes that we reduce emissions through projects like Cold to Cosy Homes and Solar Made Easy. And that these community-driven renewable energy initiatives are engaging local communities in energy-saving activities and reducing overall carbon footprint. We are continuing to pave the way for a sustainable future, demonstrating that collective action and community engagement can create lasting change.

Community Energy Organisation of the Year (large) : This award recognises one community energy organisation that has demonstrated excellence across their operations, delivery, impact, engagement, innovation, and contribution to the broader sector.  We have been nominated for our work steering the Zero Carbon Cumbria partnership. This award recognises our multi-faceted approach that includes community events, mapping tools, and local partnerships, ensuring impactful climate action with data-driven strategies for emissions reduction. Our innovative projects, community engagement, and supportive work culture are all recognised as setting a remarkable precedent for climate charities nationwide.

We’ll be sharing the awards on the 17 November  – so look out for us on our social channels.

CAfS and several industry partners are delighted to have received a significant funding boost of £571,359 to establish a pioneering business decarbonisation hub. The initiative, set to exclusively support the Westmorland & Furness area, is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and aims to bolster the sustainability efforts of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), charities, community businesses, and social enterprises.

Up to 300 local organisations looking to reduce their carbon footprint and save costs will be able to benefit from a range of free and subsidised services, a comprehensive ‘one stop shop’ of carbon reduction support. The services available from the project partners will include expert advice, one-to-one support, training, events and auditing across a wide range of emission sources. The initiative will also distribute £215,000 in grants to support businesses implementing carbon reduction measures.

The programme boasts a diverse group of experienced industry partners, including Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, Future Fixers, Cumbria Tourism, Lancaster University, Art Gene, Green Small Business, Electricity Northwest, CBEN, Donna Munro, A Muir Surveying, Verday, and Simon Brace EV Consulting, which will collectively contribute to delivering the different elements of the support programme.

CAfS Low Carbon Communities Programme Manager, Molly Hogg, said, “For several years, we’ve been working together with our partners to support businesses to cut carbon and reap the benefits of becoming more sustainable. It’s fabulous to receive this funding, which allows us to strengthen that collaboration. The grant programme also means organisations can immediately get financial help to act on that advice.”

Watch this space for more details on the support available in the coming weeks. If you have any questions in the meantime please contact [email protected]

Marjolein Thickett comes on board this October to work as a freelance language advisor, editor/proofreader and subtitler for Cumbria Action for Sustainability. Marjolein runs The Native Crowd from the South Lakes, where she lives. In her business, she collaborates with smart and creative individuals and organisations to safeguard our world and promote a healthy and ethical lifestyle. The Native Crowd works with businesses that work in and on the environment, specifically in sports and sustainability.

As part of her company’s commitment to the environment, Marjolein has chosen to volunteer her expertise to CAfS each month. She will be collaborating with the marketing team primarily and will work on consistency and accessibility across our website, social media and YouTube channel.

Marjolein explains her reasons for sharing her expertise with CAfS:

Living in the South Lakes, I’ve always known how important the environment is to me. However, in recent years, I’ve become depressingly aware of just how fragile our world is. Much of my time is spent outdoors, whether climbing or hiking in the local mountains, riding the Grizedale forest trails, or swimming in Coniston and Windermere. I’m therefore keenly aware of all that we would lose should we continue down this climate crisis spiral.

CAfS has been on my radar for a while now, and I’ve been impressed with the incredible work they do in Cumbria. I’ve used their services myself and for close family, so the organization’s commitment to driving positive change at a local level really resonates with me.

As I say to customers, effective communication is a crucial aspect of sustainability initiatives. I believe I can help CAfS convey their message effectively to a broad audience. Whether this is ensuring audiovisual accessibility, editing press releases, creating style guides or refining outreach materials, I aim to ensure that CAfS’ message is clear, engaging, and accessible to a wide range of people. By supporting the communication aspect of their work, I hope to contribute to their efforts in raising awareness and inspiring action on sustainability issues in Cumbria.

Volunteering my time to CAfS allows me to contribute to a cause I’m 100% committed to. It’s also an opportunity for me to use my skills and expertise to support vital work. Volunteering for sustainability causes is not just an opportunity to give back; it’s a chance to be part of positive change in local communities and the wider world. The impact of collective action can be significant, and every contribution matters. I would encourage anyone who’s passionate about sustainability to explore local opportunities to make a difference in their own unique way.

Together, we can make a real impact on the challenges facing our planet.

We’re really exciting to be working with Marjolein, she brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge to our communication and is as passionate as we are about the future of Cumbria in the fight against climate change.

CAFS staff and volunteers heard a talk from Joe Human this week about the growing crisis for the coffee industry suffering because of the impact of climate change.

The enlightening talk went through the journey of coffee and the stories of coffee farmers that Joe, who has worked with coffee farmers for over 15 years, has visited.

With over 2bn cups of coffee drunk worldwide every year the impact of climate change on coffee growing countries, such as the increase in annual temperatures and the decrease in rainfall cannot be underestimated. In Ethopia, farmers have reported weather patterns becoming more unreliable and heavy rain which is causing stress to the coffee bushes. The quality of the coffee yields are also impacted by an increase in pests.

This picture is repeated globally,  it has been estimated that areas suitable for coffee growing will be cut by up to 50% by 2050, a direct condequence of the climate crisis.

But there is a way forward – and the Fairtrade Climate Academy, funding by the Dutch national lottery has been exploring ways to mitigate and adapt, and Joe explained the concepts of agroforestry to both encourage biodiversity and to sequester carbon.

The Fairtrade Climate Academy raises awareness of climate change through programmes that target Fairtrade cooperative leaders and focuses on local conditions. As an example; growing shade trees in Kenya which can also be a source of income,  a look at varying irrigation methods and producing a manual for Fairtrade certified coffee producers that is designed to support best practice.

There is no doubt that the impact of the climate crisis is a rising concern for the coffee industry, and, as Joe explained, it is a race against time to save one of our most familiar high street staples.

If you’re interested in this subject, or would like to organise a talk you can contact Joe via email.