Blog

  • Pupils swap classroom for nature in sustainability week

    Pupils swap classroom for nature in sustainability week

    Our Youth Projects Coordinator Ceri recently supported a sustainability week at William Howard school in Brampton.

    During the week, the pupils took part in workshops and other activities designed to teach about sustainable practises. These included stands on recycling, responsible farming and zero waste shopping.

    A neighbouring primary school also visited with their students and activities were opened to the wider community after school had finished.

    Ceri ran a workshop on composting supported by Master Composters. This saw the children making biodegradable newspaper plant pots and writing sustainability pledges.

    She said: “It was a delight to be part of William Howard’s sustainability event.  The students were involved with their Open Spaces programme thanks to CDEC’s Green Place project and it was great to be among the local organisations coming together to share ideas and understanding within the students and their wider community. It was an inspiring occasion and it’s success means it looks set to be a fixture on William Howard school calendar!”

    Partner organisations like Sustainable Brampton and Brampton 2 Zero also led workshops.

    If you’d like to see a little more of what they got up to, Green PLACE produced this lovely video of the week’s activities. See if you can spot the CAfS logo!

  • Contract: Youth Climate Summit delivery

    Contract: Youth Climate Summit delivery

    On behalf of the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership, CAfS has been awarded £2.5 million from the National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund, for a five-year Zero Carbon Cumbria project. This includes a Youth Climate Action Programme, to support, empower and skill up young people in Cumbria to have their voices heard and to influence those in power to listen and act.

    The Youth Climate Action Programme includes a series of annual Youth Climate Summits with schools across Cumbria, bringing children, young people and teachers together. Youth Steering Committees will help set priorities for the summits including the topics covered and the format of each summit.

    As part of our overarching objective to help young people articulate their hopes and concerns for the environment and their own futures, we require a contractor to help organise and deliver the youth climate summits in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

    Full details & how to submit a tender response

    Please review the Invitation to Tender document, below, for full details about the requirement and the tender process.

    Download Invitation to Tender Document >>

    Please also see the frequently asked questions document below for more information:

    Youth Climate Summit tender – Q&A – Aug 2022

    To register your interest in the tender please email [email protected] making clear that you would like to “register your interest in the ZCC Youth Climate Summits tender”.

    Tender Responses should be submitted by email to: [email protected] by 12 noon on Tuesday 16th August 2022.  Please mark your email ‘Youth Climate Summits 2022-2025’.

    The deadline for clarification questions is 5pm on Tuesday 9th August 2022.

  • Receive your retrofit scope of works

    Receive your retrofit scope of works

    Clients of CAfS’ Home Retrofit Planner can now receive a full scope of works meeting and report as a follow up service. This step follows the energy assessment and report already carried out on several homes in Cumbria.

    Two clients have already had their scope of works online meetings and will receive their reports soon. They will then move on to the Design step and from there to the choice of suitable contractors and retrofit work on site. 

    If you already have a Home Retrofit Planner report from CAfS, there is now the option to continue to the next step in the CAfS retrofit advice service: 

    Scope of Works 

    The Scope of Works stage consists of the following: 

    1. An online meeting with a CAfS assessor to discuss the options from the Home Retrofit Planner report that you decide to take forward.
    2. A report based on the outcome of the online meeting which, when complete and confirmed forms the basis of future work.

    What’s in the report? 

    The report outlines: 

    • Preparatory work that may be required such as Structural advice, planning permission, building control, party wall arrangements, etc.
    • Building fabric options and some of the related things you may need to know, whether design work is recommended, key risks, interaction with other measures, etc. 
    • Building services options such as ventilation and heating systems or renewable technologies, and measures that you would consider in conjunction with these. 
    • Future plans, if you are not doing all the work in one go, or if there are things you might like to progress later.
      Other things you may need to consider. 

    Any questions / how to book or get a quote, please contact the CAfS team: 

    • Email to: [email protected] (with Scope of Works enquiry in the email subject header) 
    • Or call: 01768 216500
  • Grants available for Great Big Green Week events

    Grants available for Great Big Green Week events

    Community groups can be awarded up to £300 to host community events during Great Big Green Week (GBGW) 24th September – 2nd October 2022.

    This week is coordinated by the Climate Coalition as a way of raising awareness of climate change and getting more people involved in taking action.

    They have made resources available for events which are targeted at geographic areas or communities of interest which haven’t previously been supported to promote awareness on climate change.  In particular, they are looking to encourage events in disadvantaged areas, and with more vulnerable communities, such as migrants and refugees, older people, younger people, people with disabilities etc.

    CAfS can provide up to £300 of funding for venue hire, publicity materials, speaker expenses, film hire, other activities and equipment.  Any surplus generated through donations should be retained by your group.

    The number of groups we can support through the Climate Coalition funding is limited, however, additional resources could also be available from the Zero Carbon Cumbria community climate grants,  especially if you are looking for further support to set up a new group in your area.

    We can also provide additional resources such as information about the Cold to Cosy Homes initiative, which aims to provide support and advice to people who are struggling with their energy bills; materials with more information on how to reduce your carbon footprint; ideas about activities which took place at events last year, and maybe a speaker too (depending on availability).  It may be that established sustainability groups in your area can also help to support work with new groups and audiences.

    It is important to note that local groups will remain the lead organisers responsible for delivery of their respective events, and will need to ensure that they have undertaken appropriate risk assessments and are indemnified to carry out their proposed activities.  So although the activities will be part of a wider Zero Carbon Cumbria / Cumbria Sustainability Network programme of events, CAfS will not take direct responsibility for delivery.

    Find out more

    If you would like to chat about your ideas, or would like more information about the project and how CAfS can help, please get in touch with [email protected]

    Let us know if you are interested

    Please complete an expression of interest form and return it to CAfS, outlining your ideas and additional costings, via [email protected] .  We will advise you straight away whether your idea is likely to receive funding.  If you meet our criteria (not for profit; local group based in a disadvantaged area, or supporting vulnerable people; well thought out plans and value for money) we will organise payment as soon as possible.

    In order to make sure that you have enough time to plan your activities for Great Big Green Week, we require you to complete and return the attached form as soon as possible or at the very latest by Friday 2nd September.

    If your proposal is accepted, you will be asked to sign our Terms and Conditions and submit an invoice for payment.  If you do not have a bank account, in some circumstances CAfS may be prepared to pay invoices (e.g. for room hire) on your behalf.

    Download the application form >>

  • Smaller grants lead to widespread action

    Smaller grants lead to widespread action

    The Zero Carbon Cumbria Community Climate Grants have been awarded to 11 organisations over the past few months. Earlier this year, we updated you on the two large grants (up to £10,000) awarded to community projects working to reduce carbon emissions in Cumbria.

    Now, we thought it was about time to give you a flavour of some of the other action taking place as a result of the grants. These projects are recipients of either the small or medium sized grants. While this is not all the projects that have been funded, they provide a snapshot of the brilliant initiative of Cumbrians working to a more sustainable future.

    Growing for the community

    A group in Greysouthen was awarded £750 to revitalise a community garden. Before this, a patch of public land was simply going to waste. The locals viewed this as a wasted opportunity and parish councillor Lee Jackson was struck by how dependent he was on getting in a car to go to the shops three miles away to purchase small quantities of herbs in plastic packaging.  They thought, ‘why not give the land a purpose – to grow food for the local community’?

    The money from the grant has been used to buy tools and plants. So far, a healthy supply of rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, blackcurrants, gooseberries, figs, pears and apples are getting established within the garden. Neighbours are performing ongoing maintenance and donating their water, though a new hose is on the shopping list. The group also hope to produce an information board about the community garden using the funds from the Community Climate Grant. This will raise awareness of the ‘grow local, eat local’ rationale behind the project.

    When a substantial crop is yielded, the group hope that the garden can provide free, low carbon food for the vulnerable people in the area. They have also ensured that the parish council will pay for a part time gardener for the plot, creating local low carbon employment, as well as ensuring that the garden continues to grow and flourish for years to come.

    Lee said: “A small amount of money can have a big impact on the community.  As the garden develops, we hope that more people will understand the importance of growing food locally, and will be inspired to take more actions to reduce their carbon footprint and do the right thing by the environment. We’d love the project to create a legacy which continues to bring people together, perhaps it could be the basis for a harvest festival celebration?

    “Applying for the Community Climate Grant was a straightforward process and the Community Garden for Climate was a good way to start to raise issues and get people involved in tackling the climate crisis.  I’d definitely recommend other groups to have a go!”

    Lighting the way

    The Field Studies Council (FSC) at Castle Head received £750 to install solar panels to power a new lighting system.

    The FSC is home to a range of outdoor activities including a high ropes area visitors can traverse in a raised course. The new lights will illuminate the high ropes area during dark evenings using only power generated from the solar panels. This will allow the area to be open for longer once the system is installed. The programmes available to guests can be more flexible with timings and they will gain a new experience swinging the ropes at night.

    The centre is part of an environmental education charity with a commitment to meet net-zero targets though is also a Grade 2 listed building, meaning any adaptations must be carefully considered and are expensive.

    Student placement Oliver Peach came up with the idea for the solar powered lighting system as a way to show the benefits of renewable energy. He hopes that the success of the project will be seen by the many students of all ages that regularly visit the FSC on trips. The funding also helped to create a display board illustrating how solar energy works and why renewables are an important part of fighting climate change. Through this, the project will educate the next generation on climate solutions and Oliver hopes schools will consider installing their own solar panels as a result.

    Oliver said: “the Community Climate Grants were easy to apply for and I think it’s really important for charities to use these small grants as stepping stones. Every step in the right direction is a good step – the project demonstrates our commitment to cutting carbon emissions and hopefully will inspire many other people. It’s important to keep talking and keep educating, as the more people are motivated to make a difference the easier it will be to make that transition to Net Zero.”

    Looking to the future

    Drop Zone Youth Project were granted £1,608 to fund their accredited programme of education on climate change to be delivered to young people.

    After having moved to a new premises in Barrow, Drop Zone began looking for ways to be more sustainable in the new building. Young people involved with the discussion felt that there was a need for a long term commitment to make the building viable for future generations of young people to access their support.

    The money is being used to fund a pilot project raising awareness of climate change among young people. Working with agencies like Greener Schools Art Gene and the Wildlife Trust, attendees will undertake a 12 week project from September. This will include activities like tree planting, managing an allotment and recycling. Because they can use the funding to pay for speakers and materials, they hope that the course will educate the young people in carbon reduction.

    The young people who complete the project will gain an accreditation to help them with future prospects.

    Drop Zone are also using the funding to look into carbon reduction for their premises, including investigating solar panel feasibility and shifting to a paperless operation.

  • Job: Project Manager – Cold to Cosy Homes

    Job: Project Manager – Cold to Cosy Homes

    Closing date: 9am on Wednesday 10 August 2022.

    SALARY RANGE: £24,000-£32,000, per annum full-time equivalent, depending on skills and experience.

    LOCATION: Contractually based at our office in Penrith. However, homeworking can be agreed.  Occasional meetings required at venues across Cumbria.  

    HOURS: 30 hrs– 37.5 hrs a week, with flexibility to be worked across 4 or 5 days with option for compressed hours. Core office hours are 10am-3pm but these can be negotiated. Annualised hours can be considered.

    START/END DATE: Start as soon as possible. Fixedterm contract to 30 September 2023 (with potential for extension subject to funding).

    Are you an experienced leader with a proven record of delivering projects and managing a team of colleagues? You could use your skillset to make a crucial difference to people in Cumbria.

    We need a brilliant new colleague to join and run our friendly Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria team. You’ll be helping Cumbrians to make their homes warmer, save energy and save money. Our service helps people who are struggling with their energy bills, including some of the most vulnerable folk in the county.  

    You’ll be the person heading up the team, managing 8 employees and 10 contractors. You’ll oversee customer service processes to ensure a high quality experience for our clients. Alongside this, you’ll also help to raise the profile of the service generally, interacting frequently with the public, community groups and partners at events, webinars and training.

    As an employee of Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS), you’ll be working for an organisation that is flexible, supportive and values your wellbeing. We can offer you a healthy work/life balance, including some flexibility in when and where you work your hours, along with an employer pension contribution of 6% from day one of employment and holiday entitlement of 22 days pro rata plus bank and public holidays. 

    CAfS is Cumbria’s climate change organisation. 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 hope you will consider joining us and being part of Cumbria-wide efforts to tackle climate change while making lives better.  

    Below you’ll find full details about the role and the skills you’d ideally have. You’ll find these in the job description and person specification. If you can’t tick all the boxes, please do apply as we can offer support and on-the-job training to the right candidate. If you have any questions about the job or the application process, please do get in touch for an informal chat with our energy team leader Andrew: [email protected].

    Job description & person specification

    Download the job description and person specification to see full details about the role and the skills and experience you’d ideally have:

    Project Manager – Cold to Cosy Homes – Job Description

    How to apply

    To apply, please download and fill in the application form below. Please do not send a CV. In the form, you’ll see some guidance on how to complete it.

    CAfS Application Form

    Closing date for return of applications is 9am on 10 August 2022.

    Interviews will be held via Zoom between 16 – 19 August 2022.  Can’t make these dates? Please do still apply, as we can make other arrangements with you. The interview process will involve one or more tasks relating to the role.

     

    Some great benefits of working at CAfS

    Deciding whether to apply? Working at CAfS comes with some 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, as mentioned above, 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.  

    Find out more about the benefits of working at CAfS >

  • Calling young people to the Youth Climate Fest

    Calling young people to the Youth Climate Fest

    Young Cumbrians aged 11 – 18 are being invited to a free day of activities and workshops in Penrith to talk about climate issues.

    The event, which takes place on Wed 27 Jul, will provide an opportunity for young people who care about climate change to meet like-minded peers to discuss the environment alongside positive input from a host of organisations.

    The planned activities will aim to make the young people feel supported, and validate them to make changes in their own lives for the benefit of the planet.

    Youth Climate Fest 2022 flyerA carousel of different events to empower the voices of the attendees will include things like a clothes swap to highlight the issue of fast fashion. Previously, young Cumbrians have identified this as one of their concerns.

    There will also be workshops with Lakeland Arts and poet Matt Sowerby will lead a session on dealing with eco-anxiety. The young people will even have a chance to cycle on a smoothie making bike!

    Additionally, a sociology professor will attend the event to discuss ideas around sustainable transport, and share their thoughts on how to get around using less carbon. This ties into the DecarboN8 network which is seeking youth input from across the North of England.

    There will be a free lunch during which the attendees will have the chance to chat to organisations displaying their own climate initiatives at stalls.

    We hope to provide free coach transport to the event from key locations in Cumbria. This will depend on relative demand from different parts of the county. If you are interested in coming to the Youth Climate Fest, please contact [email protected]

    The event is a collaboration between CAfS, CDEC, Cumbria County Council and Lakeland Arts.

     

     

  • Job: Project Officer – Energy Team

    Job: Project Officer – Energy Team

    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. 

    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) 

    LOCATION:  Contractually based at our office in Penrith. However, we are open to flexible working patterns and blended home, site and office working. 

    Could you help us run our range of home energy projects and services?

    If you have experience of working on projects or helping to run a service, then we’d love to hear from you. Demand has never been higher for our home energy services, as people around Cumbria struggle more and more with rising energy bills. We have some fantastic services to help households save on their home energy bills, but we need a new colleague to help us deliver them and expand them.

    You’ll be supporting our award-winning Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria service. We offer energy-saving advice and free draughtproofing, through in-home visits, by phone and at events around the county. CAfS also offers a range of commercial services to householders wanting to retrofit their homes to save energy, such as home audits and advice services.  You’ll be a core part of our friendly team making it all happen.

    You’ll have the independence to get on and deliver aspects of the service, supporting the service manager. You’ll deliver energy advice, give great customer service, build relationships with partners to help us expand the service and support our team of professional energy advisers.

    You’ll also use your experience and creativity to develop new ways to support our clients to save energy and afford to heat their homes. 

    As an employee of Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS), you’ll be working for an organisation that is flexible, supportive and values your wellbeing. We can offer you a healthy work/life balance, including some flexibility in when and where you work your hours, along with an employer pension contribution of 6% from day one of employment and holiday entitlement of 22 days pro rata plus bank and public holidays. 

    CAfS is Cumbria’s climate change organisation. 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 hope you will consider joining us and being part of Cumbria-wide efforts to tackle climate change while making lives better.  

    Below you’ll find full details about the role and the skills you’d ideally have. You’ll find these in the job description and person specification. If you can’t tick all the boxes, please do apply as we can offer support and on-the-job training to the right candidate. If you have any questions about the job or the application process, please do get in touch for an informal chat with the Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria manager, Gareth: [email protected].

    Job description & person specification

    The job description and person specification below will give you full details about the role and experience you’d ideally have:

    Project Officer – Job Description

    How to apply

    To apply, please download and fill in the application form below and email it to [email protected]

    CAfS Application Form

    There is no closing date for return of applications. We’ll close recruitment when we’ve found the right candidate, so please do apply sooner rather than later.

    If your application is successful, we’ll invite you for an interview and arrange a time to suit you. Interviews will be held via Zoom.

    Not sure you’ve got the right skills or experience? You’re welcome to send us your CV and have a chat with the service manager. Email [email protected].

    Some great benefits of working at CAfS

    Deciding whether to apply? Working at CAfS comes with some 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, as mentioned above, 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.  

    Find out more about the benefits of working at CAfS >

  • Advice on smart meters to be provided by our helpline

    Advice on smart meters to be provided by our helpline

    Our energy advice helpline has begun providing guidance to Cumbrians on smart meters and whether this clever equipment could help them save money on their home energy bills.

    The Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria service already provides free advice to help households to save energy and cut the amount they spend on heating and powering their home.

    The team has added smart meters to the list of things the helpline covers. They can provide impartial advice for residents who may be struggling to decide on a smart meter or get to grips with the new technology.

    A smart meter is an energy meter that records the exact amount of gas or electricity a home uses and displays it in near real time on an in-home display device. Smart meters are replacing traditional gas and electricity meters as part of an essential infrastructure upgrade. About half of all meters in the UK are now smart meters.

    Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria manager Gareth Field said: “We recently put out a survey on smart meters and found that a lot of people aren’t quite sure what they actually do. Our mission is to help people save money on energy bills and smart meters can help with that, so it’s vital that we’re able to add smart meters to the list of topics our team can offer advice on.

    “Installing a smart meter can often help people to keep a closer eye on how much energy they use and where they could make savings. However, this doesn’t mean that they’re right for everybody and we want to provide impartial guidance to help Cumbrians make the right decision for them.”

    They also store records of how much gas and electricity has been used each day, week and month, allowing energy suppliers to charge for the exact amount of energy used a

    Smart meter and the cold to cosy homes website

    nd for users to pinpoint precisely where costs are coming from. They don’t automatically reduce the amount of energy used, but they help people see how they could use less.

    Smart meters can also be more convenient.

    “With a smart meter, your gas and electricity readings are sent directly to your energy supplier,” Gareth said. “This means no more digging around in a cupboard or getting on a ladder to read the meter. People also asked about data security and privacy in our survey. It’s secure, and the only information that gets sent to your supplier is how much energy you use and when you use it. They can’t see how you’re using that energy, or when the washing machine is on!”

    Energy providers are currently engaged in a nationwide rollout of smart meters, requesting customers commit to dates to replace their old meter with the new technology.

    Gareth said: “The soaring costs of energy prices are having a huge impact on household budgets so it’s really important that people are equipped to reduce their bills in any way they can. I urge anyone unsure about smart meters to check the FAQs on our website or call our helpline for free advice.”

    Some homes can’t get a smart meter yet but will be able to get one before the end of the rollout.

    “Your energy supplier can tell you if you can have one or how soon you can get one installed,” Gareth said.

    CAfS has been able to expand its helpline services thanks to funding from Smart Energy GB, the not-for-profit, government-backed campaign helping everyone in Britain to understand the importance of smart meters and their benefits to people and the environment.

    People looking for advice on smart meters can go to cosyhomes.org.uk or call the Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria helpline on 01768 216500.

  • Grant funding to improve your community heritage buildings

    Grant funding to improve your community heritage buildings

    A grant fund of  £100,000 has been made available for people to make energy-efficiency changes to their community buildings of heritage value.

    CAfS is administering the Heritage Community Buildings Fund, and grants are available for groups and organisations who are involved in community heritage buildings projects that benefit the sustainability and well-being of Fellfoot Forward communities.

    The grant funding is available for projects that hope to make improvements to the fabric of these community buildings that reduce the amount of energy the building wastes. This could include, but is not exclusive to; roof, floor or wall insulation, heat pumps, double glazing, LED replacement lighting systems, traditional lime plaster, water saving devices, and solar PV installation.

    Up to 60% of total costs can be applied for. The minimum match funding is 40%, which can be made up of cash contributions from fundraising etc. and up to 10% can be as volunteer time calculated at £50 per day.

    The £100,000 total expenditure has been budgeted for four years. It is anticipated that most activity will be in years 2-3, and projects must be completed by the end of 2024.

    Applications will be assessed by the Heritage Community Buildings Grants Manager and the Fellfoot Forward Advisory Board.

    The Fellfoot Forward Landscape Partnership Scheme can support communities to change their community buildings to become low carbon and sustainable, and to focus on opportunities to retrofit and renovate, utilising renewable energy, choosing natural materials, and nurturing an ethos of reduce, reuse, repair and recycle.

    Please get in touch if you are planning renovations and improvements to a community building and would like support.

    Email [email protected] to check eligibility and discuss potential projects.