CAfS

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  • Cold to Cosy offers lifeline amidst rise in gas prices

    Cold to Cosy offers lifeline amidst rise in gas prices

    Cumbrians will see their gas and electricity bills soar with the recent rises in gas prices. CAfS can help households cut their bills with their free Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria service. 

    Our friendly team of experienced energy saving experts can help householders reduce the amount of gas and electricity they use and keep their homes warm and comfortable. 

    This service is expected to be in high demand this winter as more and more residents find themselves struggling to cope with higher energy prices. 

    Gareth Field, who manages the Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria service, said: ‘Unfortunately, people’s energy bills are going to rise. It’s a result of a double whammy of an increase in the price cap, which is the maximum amount an energy company can charge, and the hike in gas prices. This will put up the cost of both the gas and electricity you use at home.  

    ‘This couldn’t come at a worse time for households. Furlough is ending at the end of this month and so is the £20 increase to universal credit in early October. All of this is happening when it’s turning colder and darker so we’re all likely to be using our heating and electricity more’. 

     Everyone can get free advice over the phone and many people will be eligible for even greater support.  

    Gareth said: ‘For households that are eligible, we can arrange home visits or advice telephone call from one of our friendly, trained advisers who will spot ways to help you save energy and keep heat inside your home. We can also provide draughtproofing by a professional installer and energy saving equipment. All of this is completely free of charge, and we can also refer you on to other grants and support that you may be entitled to.  

    ‘If you are worried that you might not be eligible, give us a call and we’ll make sure because you’d be surprised how many people are entitled to support without even knowing it.’ 

    CAfS has been helping Cumbrians to save energy in their homes for more than 20 years. We deliver the Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria service in partnership with Cumbria’s councils, funded by the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme.  

    The service has already helped over a thousand households across Cumbria stay warm and save money with savvy advice, practical help and industry knowledge. The team are eager to hear from even more people who feel they could benefit from some friendly guidance. 

    To get your free advice session or to check if you’re eligible for more support, call visit cosyhomes.org.uk or call Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria team directly on 01768 216500. 

  • Volunteer role: Trustee

    Volunteer role: Trustee

    Closing date: 9am on Friday 1 October 2021

    We are looking for several new trustees to join our fantastic board at this exciting time for CAfS. You will be able to help ensure that our recent rapid growth is sustainable, that we continue to punch above our weight and make the greatest difference to carbon emissions and climate change in Cumbria.

    Closing date for cv and covering letter: 9am on Friday 1 October. Interviews on Friday 8 October.

    We help Cumbrians reduce their carbon footprint and tackle climate change in ways which are environmentally, socially and economically beneficial.

    Could you be our next CAfS Trustee?

    This is a very exciting time for CAfS. Our £2.5 million, county wide, National Lottery funded ‘Zero Carbon Cumbria: By the People, For the People’ project is making significant headway.  Our Cold to Cosy Homes Service for people at risk of fuel poverty goes from strength to strength. We have further developed our specialist support for community-led low carbon living projects. We work in partnership to tackle carbon emission reduction where we can, for example in our role as co-chair of the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership.

    Over the past 12 months we have almost doubled in size and have tripled our turnover. We have restructured the charity and are developing a new organisational strategy. In particular we aim to diversify our income generation to reduce our reliance on project funding and increase our core funding, including through the development of a commercial home energy advice service. We want to strengthen our research base and ensure we are an attractive and competitive employer. The wellbeing of our hardworking staff continues to be a priority.

    We are looking for additional Trustees to join our Board to help ensure that our growth is sustainable, that we continue to punch above our weight and make the greatest difference to carbon emissions and climate change in Cumbria.

    We are particularly looking for Trustees with one or more of the following skills and experience, however prospective Trustees with other attributes are also encouraged to apply:

    • Experience of the commercial sector – to help us develop our business relationships.
    • Income generation, sponsorship and sales – to help us diversify our income.
    • A background in research – a relatively new area for us.
    • Vision and ability to think strategically – the climate crisis demands that we make the very best use of our limited resources.
    • Legal knowledge/ Charity and Company Law – to help ensure our continued compliance
    • Marketing – reach new audiences and inspiring change are critical to our mission.

    It is not necessary to have previous trustee experience as we will support you. You would be expected to attend our quarterly online board meetings, an annual staff and trustee day and occasional ad hoc trustee meetings.  Ideally you will be able to dedicate around one day per month to the charity.  Although the role is voluntary, reasonable out of pocket expenses can be reimbursed.

    For more information on our most recent work please see our 2019/2020 annual report at Cafs-Annual-Report-19-20-final.pdf. To find out about our history, see our 2018/19 annual report celebrating our 20th year, CAfS-20-Years-single-pages.pdf

    For information about what being a charity trustee entails, please see: The essential trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

    HOW TO APPLY

    Send us your CV, a two page covering letter (explaining why you are interested and the skills and experience you will contribute) and contact details for two references to our CEO, [email protected] by 9am on Friday 1st October.  Interviews with a selection of CAfS trustees and the CEO will be held at our office, Rural Eden Foyer, Old London Road, Penrith, CA11 8ET on Friday 8th October.   If you have any questions, or would like more information, before applying then please email [email protected].

  • Self employed role: Energy Adviser

    Self employed role: Energy Adviser

    Key roles:
    • Providing energy advice calls/visits on behalf of Cumbria
    Action for Sustainability (CAfS) as part of their Cold to Cosy
    Homes project
    • Providing energy advice calls/visits on behalf of the Local
    Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP) funded by AgilityEco and
    contracted to CAfS

    Full details & how to apply

    Please apply by completing the application form below. We do not accept CVs. If you are interested, and would like to discuss the role in further detail, please contact [email protected] or call our office on 01768 210276.

    Application Form – Energy Adviser

    Background

    CAfS provides a service directly to clients via its Cold to Cosy Homes project, offering free-of-charge telephone advice calls and follow-up visits and/or inhome advice visits. The eligibility requirements of Cold to Cosy Homes are designed to target households that either are already in, or are at risk of falling into fuel poverty. It is open to all types of householders – homeowners, private renters and social housing tenants.
    CAfS also provides the service via LEAP. CAfS is contracted to provide the service directly through our own employees, and also via contractor(s).
    These services include:
    • Home assessment.
    • Installation of free simple energy-saving measures such as LED light bulbs and draught-proofing.
    • Checking for best energy tariff via a dedicated energy switching service.
    • Arranging a free money advice consultation.
    • Referring clients for other funding to enable further energy-saving home improvements.

    Self Employed role

    Advisers will work on a self-employed basis, providing their own insurance (details below) and paying their own tax & National Insurance. Work is not guaranteed and will vary throughout the year, with the peak period being between September and March. You will be required to be available as a minimum of 1 day a week for three calls. We expect there to be more work available.

    COVID-19

    Following suspension of home visits during the pandemic, as of September 2021 it has been deemed safe for these to recommence provided strict guidelines are
    adhered to in order to protect the safety of both the adviser and the client. Where preferred by clients, we are also offering telephone-based energy advice
    with a brief follow-up visit (FUV) if necessary / appropriate.

    These calls and FUVs are booked in via the LEAP contact centre in the same way as home visits. Easy energy-saving measures (such as LED lightbulbs, TV
    standby plugs and chimney balloons) can be sent out by LEAP instead of being installed by advisers. If the client is not able to fit these measures themselves,
    they can be fitted as part of an FUV at a later date.

    Telephone Advice Calls

    Advice Calls are expected to take between 45 minutes and an hour, to include any pre-call preparation and post-call administration. Fee is fixed at £30 per call. A maximum of 5 calls may be completed in one day. Additional fees are payable for further onward referrals completed.

    Follow-Up Visits

    These are expected to take around 30 minutes, but advisers should be in the client’s property for no more than 45 minutes as a maximum. Fee is fixed at £45 per visit and covers all costs associated with visiting client. A maximum of 6 FUVs may be completed in one day.

    Full Home Visits

    Visits are usually 1.5 to 2 hours. Experienced advisers can typically complete up to 3 visits in a full working day – depending on geographical locations of visits.
    Fee is £80 for a standard visit. Additional fees are payable for further onward referrals completed. Fee is fixed and covers all costs associated with visiting the client.

    Draught-proofing specification

    Energy Advisers can also specify the details of draught-proofing to be fitted by a professional installer. Advisers use the CAfS CRM system to do this, and a fee of
    £15 per completed case is paid for this specification.

    Advice

    Energy-saving advice is provided on behalf of CAfS and is of an equivalent level and type to the advice covered by the Energy Awareness City and Guilds Level 3
    course, provided by National Energy Action. Advisers are required to hold this qualification or be qualified as Level 3 Domestic Energy Assessors. For suitable experienced applicants we may be able to support the completion of the L3 course.

    Payment

    Adviser paid on completion of visits/calls, invoiced to CAfS monthly using a CAfS invoice template.

    Availability for visits/calls 

    Advice visits and calls are arranged by CAfS or LEAP for the adviser, for days that the adviser chooses and specifies as available (via online calendar). Advisers need to be available for this work at least one day per week (Monday to Friday) and should agree with CAfS the days they are normally available, to enable CAfS to provide sufficient availability to meet demand across the team of advisers.
    Higher volumes of visits usually take place September to April. February and March are the busiest months.

    Following up work / activity

    There is little follow-up work required. Customer enquires with CAfS or LEAP if they have follow-up questions, and these are usually actioned by said
    organisation, not the adviser. Occasionally CAfS or LEAP will contact adviser if required. Client does not contact adviser directly.

    DBS

    The adviser is required to have current basic DBS clearance (less than three years old) at all times when undertaking advice work.

    Insurance Cover

    Advisers are required to have: Public Liability Insurance: cover of at least £5m required.
    Professional Indemnity Insurance: cover of at least £2.5m required.

    Contract

    A contract between CAfS and the contractor is agreed and signed before visits and/or calls commence.

    Required Equipment for each Home Energy Adviser for home visits
    To complete home advice visits and fit basic measures the following equipment is required. Advisers should supply the equipment, and all the items are required
    for each visit:
    • Hammer for fitting draught-proofing strips
    • Wire-cutter for cutting draught-proofing strips
    • Screwdriver to fit door-brushes and letterbox brushes
    • Torch or lamp to enable loft inspections
    • Stepladder to change bulbs – eg this one
    • Telescopic ladders to enable loft inspections eg this one
    • Heavy-duty Scissors to trim radiator panels
    • Stapler to connect radiator panels as required
    • Stainless steel Ruler (30cm) to measure loft insulation depth
    • Tablet device (iPad preferred, 2015 or later model) with internet
    connection
    • Rubber gloves to change light bulbs
    • Over-shoe covers
    CAfS may be able to provide some of the above equipment. For anything else,
    items can be claimed on expenses (up to a maximum of £500) after completion
    of 15 home visits.

    Location

    We are particularly looking for advisers in the districts of Allerdale, Barrow and Copeland though this is by no means a requirement for a successful application.

    Skills, Knowledge and Experience

    Essential Desirable
    Skills City & Guilds L3 Energy Awareness* City & Guilds L3 Domestic Energy Assessor
    Basic DIY skills
    Good standard of computer literacy
    (including the use of tablets/iPads)
    Excellent communication skills
    Ability to work independently as well as
    part of a team
    Knowledge Good knowledge of energy saving in homes, and the issues that vulnerable people can have in heating their homes. Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of sustainability issues, and an interest in the objectives that CAfS seeks to deliver
    Good knowledge of energy retrofit options, the domestic energy market, tariff comparisons and switching, and other schemes to help people save energy and afford bills.
    Experience
    Providing high-quality customer service in a service delivery environment. Delivering energy advice over the phone and/or face to face.
    Practical experience of improving energy efficiency in domestic settings. Experience of providing services to vulnerable households.
    Additional experience / qualification in energy auditing/thermography.

    Due to the large area that Cumbria covers, advisers will need access to a car and have the ability to travel independently throughout at least 2 Cumbrian Local Authority areas.
    *CAfS may be able to provide suitable candidates with training to gain this qualification.

  • Great Big Green Week

    Great Big Green Week

    This post is for the Great Big Green Week in 2021. For the list of events happening in 2022, go to this page.

    Great Big Green Week is a nationwide celebration of action on climate change, taking place across the UK from 18 – 26 September.   

    The aim is to collectively celebrate all the positive grassroots actions being taken to tackle climate change and protect green spaces, and encourage others to get involved too. 

    Great Big Green Week also calls on politicians to raise their ambition and champion action on climate change, ahead of November’s crucial COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow. 

    CAfS has been supporting environmental groups across Cumbria, who are planning a series of exciting Great Big Green Week events here in their local communities. Plans range from public engagement events, tree planting workshops, Penrith Freegle Give & Take, and film screenings, to CAfS’ own online events including virtual open home visits plus a 2 hour Climate Change Crash Course. 

    As these events are confirmed we’re encouraging the organising groups to add to the national Great Big Green Week website, building up a combined programme across Cumbria which we’ll help to promote. 

    All events we’re aware of are listed below. Have we missed any? Let us know and we’ll add them to the list!

    Seed and Plant Swap | All week |  Big Onion stands, Mill Yard, Staveley | Bring your surplus seeds and plants, swap for others.

    Staveley Bioblitz | All week | A self-led search of your own or public green spaces. The aim is to record as many species of plants/birds/bugs and beasts throughout the week to understand better what is in the village and enable the community in the future to help & sustain this wildlife.

    Carlisle’s Great Big Green Week – Opening Event | 18 Sep, 10am | Carlisle City Centre | A variety of local organisations and artists will join Sustainable Carlisle for a fantastic day of engaging information, hands on workshops, and creativity about tackling the climate crisis.

    Litter Pick | 18 Sep, 10am – 12pm | Meet outside Staveley Chippy | Bags and litter pickers provided.

    Green Information Stand | 18 Sep, 11am – 1pm | Jack’s corner, Staveley | Books & Information, Competitions, Campaigns & Pledges, Advice, FREE refreshments

    Millom Without Parish Council Environment Day | 18 Sep, 1pm | Thwaites Village Hall, The Green, Millom | Activities for children from 1pm, activities for adults from 7pm. Followed by reception to launch campaign to form a Community Environmental Group.

    Penrith Freegle Give and Take | 18 Sep, 2pm – 4pm | Please bring small items to give away – and take what you want! Any items left over will be freegled or given to charity shops to sell.

    Green Sparks Event | 18 Sep, 2pm – 4pm | Spark Bridge Village Hall | The launch of Green Sparks, a new community action group interested in helping nature and caring for the local environment.

    Ambleside’s Picnic in the Park | 18 Sep, 5pm | Rothay Park (Parish centre if wet) | Drumming home a message about climate. You are invited to write and draw a message to send to the prime minister. Speakers and Taiko drummers will begin at 5.45pm.

    PEAT Film Night: A Life on our Planet | 19 Sep, 7pm | Victoria Hall, Grange-over-Sands | The broadcaster David Attenborough recounts his life, and the evolutionary history of life on Earth, to grieve the loss of wild places and offers a vision for the future.

    Green Film show | 19 Sep, 7.45pm – 9pm | Ginnel between Hawkshead Brewery & More Bakery | Be entertained by Staveley’s very own Samba band. Enjoy a series of short films, made by local film makers about living and working in Staveley. Take part in a discussion about how we can make Staveley more climate resilient.

    Let’s create a Staveley Seed Bank | 20 Sep, 10am – 12pm | Jack’s corner, Staveley | Cumbria Wildlife Trust wants to collect any local seeds, from the
    vegetables that you are growing. Come and talk to Danni about how to collect/store seeds.

    Science, Glaciers and Outrage | 20 Sep, 7.30pm | Pencil Factory, Keswick | Talk with Professors Terry Sloane and Mike Hambrey, and Jo Alberti.

    Staveley local guided walk | 21 Sep, 10am | Jack’s corner, Staveley | Come and see our own Craggy Wood and the work being done to link Staveley Woodlands together, plus a visit to the old parish council allotments to see how their restoration is taking shape.

    Let’s create a Staveley Seed Bank | 21 Sep, 10am – 12pm | Jack’s corner, Staveley | Cumbria Wildlife Trust wants to collect any local seeds, from the
    vegetables that you are growing. Come and talk to Danni about how to collect/store seeds.

    A Greener Future for West Cumbria | 21 Sep, 2pm | Kirkgate Centre, Cockermouth | An afternoon of activity from 2pm onwards on the  theme of COP26 and climate change: there will be two talks on how climate change affects us and carbon literacy awareness, together with artwork, crafts and sustainability workshops, and a youth poetry event. Free evening screening of the climate change film ‘2040’ at 7pm with discussion afterwards.

    Tree Planting | 21 Sep, 2pm | Fitz Park, Keswick | Sustainable Keswick are asking gardening groups and others in Keswick for any trees that they have grown in pots. They will take these and plant in an existing tree area within Fitz Park.

    Making your home more energy efficient | 21 Sep, 6.30pm | Reducing your home energy use – 10 things to think about that aren’t insulation. Followed by a Q&A session to talk about your home energy efficiency questions and guidance on how to switch to a green energy supplier.

    Keswick Tree Walk | 22 Sep, 3pm | Meet at Museum |

    River Dipping Session | 22 Sep, 4pm – 6pm | Meet at Jack’s corner | Come and explore our beautiful River Kent. Find out what wildlife exists below the surface!

    Open Green Homes | 22 Sep, 6:30pm | Hear from two Cumbrian residents who are opening their homes virtually to show you the energy saving changes they’ve made.

    Green Film show | 22 Sep, 6.30pm – 8pm |Ginnel between Hawkshead Brewery and More Bakery | In a series of short, engaging documentaries, listen to David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg and a series of environmental experts talking about climate change – explaining what is happening and what can be done to protect our planet.

    The Climate Emergency | 22 Sep, 7pm | Threlkeld Village Hall | Speakers providing a scientific, environmental and political viewpoint followed by a discussion on what we can do to help. Booking not required.

    Re-Energising Sustainable Brampton Part 1 | 22 Sep, 7.30pm | Brampton Community Centre | A preliminary live discussion of Mike Berners-Lee’s book ‘There is no Planet B’ will be used to help the group identify personal and community actions that will make a difference. Apply to [email protected] or phone 016977 48833.

    Ambleside climate action day | 23 Sep, 11am – 7:30pm | Be part of Ambleside’s ambition to reach zero carbon by 2030. Businesses from 11am – 1pm. Residents from 1:30pm – 7:30pm.

    Keswick Tree Walk | 23 Sep, 3pm | Meet at Museum |

    Litter pick / walk up Kentmere (6.2km) | 23, Sep 6pm | Meet at Abbey Square | Bring a Torch.

    Green Information Stand | 24 Sep, 10am – 12pm | Jack’s corner, Staveley | Books & Information, Competitions, Campaigns & Pledges, Advice, FREE refreshments

    Keswick Tree Walk | 22 Sep, 3pm | Meet at Museum |

    Kendal Torchlight Carnival | 24 Sep – 26 Sep | Simply Repair will be having a stall in the ‘Green Town’ section of Kendal Torchlight Carnival on Sat 25 Sep from 10am – 6pm where they will be doing electrical repairs and darning demos. Future Fixers will also have a stand and will be giving out green business advice

    Great Big Green Week: PEAT Twilight Picnic | 25  Sep, 6pm – 8pm | Allithwaite community centre | PEAT are celebrating their peninsula-wide success with Greening Cartmel Peninsula. Bring a picnic, chairs or a rug, warm clothes and a perhaps a tea-light lantern.

    Sustainable Keswick Market Stall | 25 Sep, 8.30am – 3.30pm | Recycling, questionnaire and petition, Fairtrade, PV mapping and more.

    PACT stall in Penrith | 25 Sep, 10:30am – 3pm | Drop in to see PACT in person at the bandstand in Cornmarket in the centre of Penrith. Find out what they’re doing and what you can do to turn the tide on the climate and ecological emergencies.

    Re-Energising Sustainable Brampton Part 2 | 26 Sep, 11.30am – 3pm | Brampton Community Centre | A supporter’s workshop including lunch on the theme ‘Together we have the Power!’ to re-energise and expand volunteering opportunities within Sustainable Brampton.  Apply to [email protected] or phone 016977 48833.

    Duddon Greening | 26 Sep, 11am – 3pm | Victory Hall, Broughton-in-Furness | Displays, entertainment and refreshments, fun for all the family.

    Biodiversity in Staveley | Various dates and times | Staveley | Encouraging community involvement in biodiversity projects through a variety of interactive activities, including a series of walks, talks and events.

  • Job: Youth Projects Coordinator

    Job: Youth Projects Coordinator

    Closing date: 9am on Monday 20 September 2021

    We are launching a range of hugely exciting opportunities for young people in Cumbria to get involved in tackling climate change, and we’re looking for an experienced and dynamic coordinator to take the lead.

    Ideally, you’ll have experience of working with schools, youth organisations and other partners to coordinate the delivery of youth projects and make them a success. You’ll love empowering young people, helping them to develop new skills and achieve real influence over climate action in the county, building effective working relations with schools, partners and contractors.

    Application & Interview Process

    Please apply by completing the application form below. We do not accept CVs. Guidance for submitting your application is included in the form.

    Application Form – Youth Projects Coordinator

    Candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted by 5pm on Tuesday 21 September 2021.
    Interviews will be held via Zoom on Tuesday 28 September 2021.

    Job description

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

    Job Description – Youth Projects Coordinator

    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

    THE EMPLOYER: Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS)  

    LOCATION: Contractually based at our office, Eden Rural Foyer, Old London Road, Penrith, CA11 8ET, however, homeworking can be agreed. The role is also likely to involve extensive travel around Cumbria. 

    REPORTS TO: Project Manager, Zero Carbon Cumbria  

    HOURS: 22.5 hours (3 days) a week. Flexible working hours.   

    SALARY RANGE: £21,000 – £25,000 a year full-time equivalent (£12,600 – £15,000 for the 22.5-hour week), dependent on skills and experience.   

    DURATION: Initial fixed-term contract from October 2021 to 31 August 2022 with potential to extend subject to additional funding. 

    START DATE: As soon as possible 

    APPLICATIONS BY: 9am on Monday 20 September 2021

    CAfS strives to be diverse and inclusive in all aspects of its work. We value different perspectives and backgrounds on the team. The wellbeing of our staff is important and we are a flexible employer.     

    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.   

    Formed in 1998, CAfS is an award-winning charity with a team of 25 highly skilled staff, working with specialist contractors and volunteers to deliver a range of transformational low-carbon projects each year. CAfS is the leading organisation in Cumbria driving action on climate change and serving as the first point of reference on sustainability co-chairing the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership of more than 80 organisations working to reduce our county’s emissions.   

    BACKGROUND TO THE YOUTH PROJECTS:  

    This role will manage and integrate two differently funded youth projects. 

    1.) The Greener Schools project will work with 16 primary and secondary schools across Cumbria providing school children with the skills and confidence to respond positively to climate emergency and improve their environmental footprint and that of the school.  

    It will involve working with schools to identify their individual needs through an environmental audit/review, advise on solutions, and support new initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. Students will be trained in the skills needed to carry out a school environmental audit, will conduct the audit and report the results to the school. They will also lead debates on the actions that should be taken and then deliver the actions with teachers and others. 

    The project aims to: 

    • Improve education, confidence and skills of young people involved.  
    • Support children and young people to: 
    • Design projects, make decisions, influence others, and take direct action. 
    • Improve research and analysis, debating and critical reflection skills. 
    • Gain knowledge and skills to lower their schools and their own carbon footprints, empowering them to share knowledge and ideas in the wider community. 
    • Be introduced to opportunities for careers in the built environment, energy efficiency and nature sectors.  
    • Carry a better understanding of climate change action, carbon and resource efficiency into their adult lives. 
    • Help to improve the learning environments by making schools warmer and more energy efficient, with more space to engage with nature and the opportunity to eat healthy, low carbon meals. 

    2.) CAfS has also been awarded £2.5 million from the National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund on behalf of the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership (ZCCP) for a five-year “Zero Carbon Cumbria – by the People for the People” project.  

    This project will tackle some of the main sources of carbon emissions in Cumbria, with a particular focus on food, energy generation and the goods we buy. 

    Part of the project includes funding for a Cumbria Youth Climate Action Programme which will include:  

    • Youth Voice – young people will be coordinated and supported to develop skills and capacity to talk with confidence to people in power.  
    • Youth Climate Council – a group of children and young people will be supported to run a Youth Climate Council and to connect with key decision makers to question and explore ways that they can reduce emissions effectively.  
    • Youth Climate Reporters – young people will be supported and trained to enable them to report on climate related news.  
    • Youth Climate Summits – which bring together children, young people and teachers from over 50 schools and colleges.  
    • Schools events programme to harness passion and encourage action in more children and young people across schools.  
    • Training for teachers – carbon literacy, to help empower young people to lead projects, take safe social action and influence parents to support young people’s ideas.  

     As a consequence, young people will: 

    • Be empowered to engage in meaningful ways with politicians, business leaders, policy makers and the media.  
    • Have greater knowledge and clearer understanding of ways they can influence a reduction in carbon and wider environmental impacts.  
    • Be trained in communication skills and climate science and solutions and will be empowered to run events with others. 

    More information about the Zero Carbon Cumbria programme is available here: https://cafs.org.uk/our–projects/zero–carboncumbria–programme/ 

    MAIN PURPOSE OF ROLE: 

    Supported by the ZCC Project Manager and other colleagues, the main purpose of this role is to work with schools, youth organisations and other partners to coordinate the successful delivery of youth projects managed by CAfS. 

    KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY AND MAIN TASKS: 

    • Act as a first point of contact for the youth projects delivered by CAfS. 
    • Responsible for the successful delivery of the Greener Schools project. 
    • Oversee a quality product, providing direction and input into resources, lesson plans and other aspects of delivery.  
    • Establish and manage a pool of environmental trainers/auditors who could provide advice and support to schools to help them undertake environmental audits/reviews and support children in implementing the associated recommendations.  
    • Support the implementation of the recommendations arising from the environmental audits/reviews. 
    • Establish and support a peer climate action support network to facilitate peer-to-peer communication following the audits/reviews. 
    • Liaise with the Climate and Carbon Literacy Training manager to arrange carbon literacy training for teachers, youth organisations and young people. 
    • Liaise with the CAfS marketing and communications team and youth organisations to develop and implement a marketing plan for each youth project. 
    • Establish partnerships with youth organisations, schools and other organisations to support delivery of the various youth projects.  
    • Provide support to the ZCC Project Manager to help establish and deliver the Cumbria Youth Climate Action Programme. 
    • Liaise with our Events and Training Coordinator to organise climate related events for children and young people. 
    • Liaise with the Cumbria Sustainability Network Coordinator to facilitate opportunities for young people to be actively involved in grassroots sustainability groups. 
    • Collate feedback and other information from the various youth projects to inform the on-going delivery of the services and for reporting purposes, including reporting to funders. 
    • Ensure compliance with safeguarding, data protection and other relevant regulations/policies/procedures. 

    KEY DELIVERABLES: 

    • 16 schools supported through the Greener Schools project 
    • 2,625 children reached (target age group 10-14. Year 6+) 
    • At least 10 carbon literacy training sessions for teachers 

    PERSON SPECIFICATION  

    Essential skills, knowledge and experience: 

    • Experience of working with young people, schools and/or youth organisations. 
    • Excellent communication skills including the ability to communicate effectively with children, young people and their representative groups/organisations. 
    • Ability to develop effective working relations with schools, partners and contractors. 
    • Ability to manage a wide range of tasks and prioritise these effectively.  
    • Good contract management skills. 
    • Ability to use initiative and make effective decisions.  
    • Strong IT skills with the ability to use a comprehensive range of software (Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and MS Teams).  
    • Knowledge of available low-carbon solutions required to become a carbon-neutral society. 
    • Experience of project management, budget management and procurement. 
    • Understanding of and commitment to CAfS’ aims, values and objectives.  
    • Driving licence and access to car, or other means to travel independently around the county. 

    Desirable skills, knowledge and experience: 

    The following skills, knowledge and experience are desirable but not essential:  

    • Experience of teaching or training young people. 
    • Knowledge of the national curriculum 
    • Knowledge of schools and youth organisations in Cumbria. 
    • Experience of gathering feedback, analysis and reporting to funders. 

    If you would like more information about the role, please contact John Forbes, Zero Carbon Cumbria Project Manager, [email protected]. 

  • Shed 1 continues with CAfS’ as its charity partner for 2021

    Shed 1 continues with CAfS’ as its charity partner for 2021

    The award winning, Ulverston based, Shed 1 Gin approached us to be one of their 2020 charity partners.

    They are committed to pursuing a low carbon path and were keen to help support our work while doing so.

    Each year they run fundraising events and donate the proceeds of their Gin Jelly Marmalade to local charities, as well as a donation from every bottle and jar returned to them.

    However, 2020 wasn’t a year in which we could hold any events, so we were delighted when they kept us on as a partner this year as well.

    Our first fundraising evening with them is also a networking opportunity for local businesses wanting to cut their carbon footprint.

    It’s on 7 October and you can book here. If you want to find out more about CAfS partnering with your business, please visit our business partnerships page, or get in touch with [email protected]

  • New scheme boosts fruit and vegetable growing in Cumbria

    New scheme boosts fruit and vegetable growing in Cumbria

    Cumbrian farmers have dedicated acres of land to growing fruit and vegetables this year, thanks to support from a new initiative, Home Grown Here.

    The scheme will see a tasty range of fresh produce grown in the county, from peas and potatoes to apples to rhubarb. Fresh from the fields, it will all be enjoyed by Cumbrians and visitors through local retailers, cafés, restaurants, hotels, farm shops and veg box schemes.

    It’s the brainchild of the Eden-based growers’ co-operative VistaVeg, and is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund as part of the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership’s ambitious emission-reduction programme to make Cumbria carbon neutral by 2037.

    Lynn Barnes of VistaVeg says, “Cumbria has long had an enviable array of local meats, cheeses, preserves, artisan pies, baking, confectionery and drinks, but very few fruit and vegetable producers.  And it’s not because you can’t grow fruit and vegetables in Cumbria – you really can!  This project aims to offer something new to the local supply chain, making it much easier for Cumbrian businesses and ultimately residents and visitors to source locally-grown fruit and vegetables.”

    Keeping home grown produce here in the county will offer Cumbrians a host of delicious benefits. It will reduce food miles, encourage people to eat seasonally, involve less processing and packaging, and reduce waste by picking to order and re-using boxes.  All this is good news for Cumbria’s carbon footprint and for anyone thinking about moving to a low-carbon diet.

    “Many of the crops being grown this season require hand-picking, so that means more people will be out in the fields in place of machinery,” Lynn said. “That’s better for the environment, and it also means more jobs and consequently more money being spent in the local economy.” adds Lynn.

    Following a call-out to the local farming community earlier this year, 26 farmers and growers expressed an interest in growing at least one edible acre over the next five seasons.  Four farms were selected to begin sowing this spring, with another scheduled to plant fruit trees this winter.  A total of 17 acres has been brought into first-time vegetable production during 2021, in addition to a planned 12 acres of mixed fruit trees and grazing (agroforestry).  This all signifies an encouraging start to Home Grown Here.

    Henry Scholefield at Aikbank Farm at Calthwaite has just started picking his acre of peas this week which he sowed back in May.  The crop is heading off to various local buyers each week, who collect direct from the farm.  French beans, carrots, beetroot, turnips, swede and potatoes are in the pipeline from other farms involved in the project.

    “I decided to get involved in the project as I was looking for a way to diversify the business and liked the idea of more locally produced food being consumed in Cumbria. Peas were a crop which suited our cropping rotation and require very few artificial inputs so work well in our system,” said Henry.

    The next step for the scheme is to set up a new website – www.homegrownhere.co.uk – through which local wholesalers and businesses will be able to see what Cumbrian produce is available and source it directly.

    The intention is for Home Grown Here to evolve into a grower’s co-operative to provide advice, skills-sharing and networking opportunities to its grower members, a tool ring to share equipment, bulk purchasing of seed, plants and soil testing, personalised branding, and a route to local market for crops via online ordering on the website.

    John Forbes from Cumbria Action for Sustainability, project manager for the lottery-funded Zero Carbon Cumbria project, said, “It’s really pleasing to see how this exciting project is sprouting up.  I am sure that the first five brave vegetable pioneers will inspire many more local farmers to get involved with Home Grown Here in subsequent years.”

    Lynn would love to hear from businesses who’d like to source fresh produce through Home Grown Here, anyone who’d like paid work picking this season or any farmers interested in growing a crop next season.  She can be contacted on 07584 251352 or [email protected].

  • CAfS celebrates achievements of EV partnership

    CAfS celebrates achievements of EV partnership

    The end of this month marks the end of CAfS’ involvement in the electric vehicles project that we’ve been working on since late 2019 and we thought that it would be a good time to mark a few of the most significant parts of the brilliant progress that has been made over the past 18 months.

    During our involvement with the project, over thirty installations of chargepoints have been completed, allowing locals who don’t have access to off-street parking to countenance switching from a petrol/diesel car for the first time.

    Because of a successful collaboration with the city council, a great number of these are in Carlisle where they can be of use to the many residents who live in terraced housing and thus find it tricky to charge a car from their home.

    The first public chargepoint on Walney Island was installed in early 2020 thanks to the unbridled enthusiasm of the folks at West Point House (and despite a few challenges going on in the wider world that you may be familiar with).

    Kendal College accepted the offer of a chargepoint while at the same time launching into a process of adding EV technology to their engineering courses, leading the charge in more ways than one!

    A whole host of parish councils and village hall committees saw an opportunity to add an asset for their community, ensuring that the more rural areas of Cumbria aren’t left out of the EV revolution by large companies concentrating on motorway service stations.

    The county’s bicycle mayor officially opened one chargepoint in Penrith when it became the first to have integrated E-bike charging.

    We’ve added a whole new wing to our sustainable living guide which contains all we’ve learned throughout the year on electric vehicles and how they integrate into a vision for a zero carbon Cumbria. In this is included all written and video content that we’ve created with the help of our superb EV volunteers who have been eager and willing from the first.

    We welcomed hundreds of viewers to our EV webinars to discuss the practicalities of charging and costs with panels of all-knowing experts. It was heartening to see that, despite the fact that everyone was adapting to remote ways of interacting, so many people continued to show up to support our efforts!

    And most recently, we released a report that investigates just how many chargepoints we’re going to need in Cumbria to service the needs of residents and visitors by 2030. Not wishing to spoil anything, it’s quite a few.

    On top of this, we’ve had an absolute blast working with the entire partnership of endlessly impressive people who have been supporting Charge My Street in their upscaling of EV charging. We’ll most definitely be keeping an eye on their website to check on where the latest host site suggestion is and we look forward to charging up in our local communities as more of their distinctive sockets sprout up across the county.

    For one last time, it’s our pleasure to remind you that if you have an idea for a potential host site for a chargepoint, you can register it at www.chargemystreet.co.uk/host

  • Huge funding boost for PLACE project

    Huge funding boost for PLACE project

    We at CAfS are delighted to announce that a project in which we are a partner has received a huge boost of funding this week. The PLACE project is being run by Cumbria Development Education Centre and they have just been awarded a grant of £248,600.

    The grant comes from the Government’s £40 million second round of the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, a multi-million pound boost for green jobs and nature recovery

    Ninety nature projects across England have been awarded grants from £68,100 to £1,950,000 to create and retain over 1,000 green jobs, backed by the Government’s £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

    Work will be carried out on over 600 sites from North Northumberland to the tip of Cornwall, and combined with the first round, almost a million trees will be planted, contributing towards the Government’s commitment to treble tree planting rates across England by the end of this Parliament.

    The PLACE project is being delivered by a partnership- CDEC, North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Play-ful Nature and CAfS.  PLACE will empower young people as agents of change within their communities- inspiring them to take action through nature based community projects to enhance beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment. It will equip a minimum of 12 groups of children and young people (240-300yp) with the skills, competences and values required to develop a deep connection to place: people, nature, cultural and landscape heritage.

    This connection to place and heritage, and the range of skills built, will address climate change, strengthen their mental health and wellbeing and secure the future of the heritage they have curated and enhanced.

    Laura Goad, Director at CDEC commented, “This funding from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund provides us with a project to build on our vision as an organisation to empower young people to build a fair and more sustainable world. It also gives us the opportunity to work collaboratively with organisations across Cumbria, pooling our collaborative advantage and specialisms. We are incredibly excited to begin work on this project with young people and communities.”

    The Green Recovery Challenge Fund is a key part of the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan to kick-start nature recovery and tackle climate change. Connecting people with nature is another priority theme: by increasing access to nature and greenspaces, projects will support both physical and mental wellbeing. The Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund was developed by Defra and its Arm’s-Length Bodies  The fund is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England, the Environment Agency and Forestry Commission.

    Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow, said:

    “The diverse and ambitious projects being awarded funding today will help environmental organisations employ more people to work on tree-planting, nature restoration and crucially, help more of the public to access and enjoy the outdoors.

    “Through our £80 million Fund, we are on track to support over 2,500 jobs, plant almost a million trees and increase nature recovery at a huge scale across the country, which will help us deliver against our 25 Year Environment Plan.”

    Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive, National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:

    “From wetland restoration, to creating wildlife-rich habitat for bees, it is vital that we value, protect and rebuild our natural heritage. This new funding will not only allow projects to carry out direct conservation which is essential in protecting our biodiversity, but it will increase awareness of how and why we need to change our behaviours in order to protect our future.”

    Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency, said:

    “By supporting jobs from Northumberland to Somerset, the Green Recovery Challenge Fund will help deliver a nature positive future. The fund supports young people to develop skills needed to protect nature, build back greener and prepare for climate impacts, like floods and heatwaves.”

    Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:

    “Our environmental and conservation charity sector does an incredible job in protecting, improving and restoring the natural environment for the benefit of communities and the economy.”

    Forestry Commission Chair Sir William Worsley said:

    “This funding will help deliver thousands more trees and help us achieve our target of trebling tree planting rates in England by the end of the Parliament. We need to work towards net zero emissions by 2050; to address biodiversity loss; to better connect people with nature; and to create more green jobs in doing so. Trees are central to this and the projects being awarded these grants will have a hugely important role in helping us realise these objectives.”

    A full list of awards is available to view here.

    The Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund was developed by Defra and its Arm’s-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England, the Environment Agency and Forestry Commission.’

    The National Lottery Heritage Fund

  • Ambleside to Zero – the launch!

    Ambleside to Zero – the launch!

    Ambleside Action for a Future (AAFAF) is gearing up for their public launch of ‘Ambleside to Zero’ on 23rd September 2021 in Ambleside Parish Centre, and we’re proud to be supporting them. AAFAF aims to get the town to zero carbon by 2030 and is working with local residents, business and multiple partners to get there.

    This will be an all-day drop-in session, with periodic welcome talks to explain the group’s aims and introduce the projects. There will be information-packed displays, AAFAF members and project partners there to talk to, and hopefully some fun gadgets to play with! Everyone is welcome, either from the local area or further afield. Detailed information will follow on the AAFAF website.

    The morning will be dedicated to supporting local businesses to decarbonise. As well as demonstrating our own CAfS business carbon footprint calculator, we’ll be joined by a host of specialists, (including Green Small Business), who can help businesses think about energy and resource efficiency, environmental certification, and innovation. Businesses will also be able to meet the Lake District Foundation, who can offer grants of up to £20k to small to medium sized businesses wishing to reduce their carbon footprint.

    From lunchtime we’ll be focussing on our community projects and will be encouraging local residents to get involved. Opportunities include: our solar PV project, which will identify a trusted partner to install solar PV on multiple homes in the area; the warmer homes project, which will help you understand where your home might be leaking heat; getting advice and draft-proofing work from the CAfS Cold to Cosy Home service (eligibility criteria apply); and finding out about the CAfS Retrofit for Cumbria project, which will support homeowners to carry out extensive home energy improvement works. We’ll also be introducing the CAfS household carbon footprint calculator and AAFAF’s other projects around tree planting and sustainable transport.

    We’re delighted to have been successful in supporting AAFAF to secure a grant from the MCS Foundation to fund this event and further community engagement. We’re also grateful for the on-going support from South Lakeland District Council, who fund us to work with AAFAF and bring in other project specialists.

    The launch event is timed to take place during the Great Big Green Week, a national week of events celebrating action on climate change, organised by the Climate Coalition. See our earlier news article for more information about this exciting week.