|
Welcome to your monthly Climate Change update.
Northumberland County Council is committed to making our county carbon neutral by 2030 and we need everyone to do their bit to help reduce carbon emissions.
How can you help make a difference? 👇
|
|
|
|
Spotlight on the community |
|
|
|
Stobhill Link uniform swap Stobhill Link is a Morpeth based charity operating a pre-loved school uniform bank from their premises on Shields Road, Morpeth. The charity is currently accepting donations of good quality school uniforms (including PE kits) for all Morpeth schools. Last year the charity gave out 360 uniforms which helped prevent them being sent to landfill. The scheme operates all year-round. If you would like to donate or collect uniform get in touch: - Tel: 01670 519575
- Email: info@ncenterprise.org.uk
The charity is open 9am till 2pm, Monday to Friday. Many of Stobhill Link’s projects are focused on helping residents prevent waste and save money. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northumberland Line progress
The Northumberland Line rail scheme is reintroducing passenger services between Ashington and Newcastle which will help to reduce congestion and improve air quality on key corridors. The council’s Cabinet approved a new funding package for the construction of a road bridge over the level crossing at Newsham Road on the A1061 which will create improved traffic flow in and out of the town. The new line will help provide alternative transport to cars and support the delivery of significant growth in sectors such as renewable energy, offshore oil and gas and engineering.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
VAT relief on Energy Saving Materials for village halls
Are you part of a management committee for a village hall? ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) wants to hear from you in relation to a government call for evidence about VAT relief on Energy Saving Materials (ESMs). ESMs is a term used to describe installations in buildings which promote energy saving and reduce demand for energy derived from fossil fuels.
Installations currently defined as ESMs include:
- Insulation
- Central heating and hot water system controls
- Solar panels
- Wind and water turbines
- Ground and air source heat pumps
- Micro combined heat and power units
- Wood-fueled boilers
ACRE will be making a formal response to the Government arguing for VAT relief on ESMs to be reinstated in buildings used solely for a relevant charitable purpose. Village halls are encouraged to complete a short survey form by Monday 22 May to furnish ACRE with information to inform their response. Management committees are also encouraged to respond to the call for evidence directly, should they wish. |
|
|
|
|
Become Green Together programme
The Become Green Together programme is open for new members until 31 May and provides step-by-step guidance on:- How to put a sustainability strategy in place
- Monitor and reduce your carbon footprint
- Make your organisation more environmentally aware
Participants can benefit from resources such as accreditation with Investors in the Environment and carbon reporting tools to help them make their organisations environmentally sustainable, alongside the support and guidance of expert consultants and a network of peers.
Become Green Together is a unique programme from VONNE’s Going Green Together project, offering twelve months of support to VCSE organisations of all sizes and areas of activity to face the challenges of the climate crisis, including organisations that haven’t undertaken environmental work before. |
|
|
|
|
Traditional house coal ban
As of 1 May 2023 retailers are no longer allowed to sell traditional house coal in England for use in domestic properties, with the aim to cut harmful pollution to human health. This is a move by the Government as part of its Air Quality Strategy and to meet requirements in The Air Quality Regulations 2020. This affects all properties, not just those in smoke-controlled areas.
|
|
|
|
Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund
Applications are now open for the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund. Project needs to be focused on:
- Nature restoration
- Nature connectedness and pro-environmental behaviours
- Community cohesion and connection
The £1 million fund aims to help community groups across the UK protect and restore nature in their local area.
|
|
|
|
Grants for Good Fund
Every three months the Matthew Good Foundation shares £15,000 between five shortlisted projects. Applications must be on behalf of a
- Local community group
- Charity, voluntary group
- Social enterprise that has a positive impact on communities, people or the environment and has an average income of less than £50,000 in the last 12 months.
The application process requires contact details, a brief outline of the organisation’s work, and how you’ll use the funds. Deadline for the next round of grants is the 15 June 2023.
|
|
|
|
Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust
The Trust supports a wide range of activities including education and training, environment and conservation, arts and culture as well as general charitable purposes. The Trust’s principal aim is to identify and meet the local needs of North East England, the area in which Dame Catherine was brought up and resided. Last year, the trust awarded a total of just over £1 million in grants to 185 different organisations. Grants ranged from £100 to £150,000. Note: Most grants are in the £250 to £1,000 range with larger amounts awarded to a small number of exceptional projects.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join our climate change collaboration event
We would like to invite you to our collaboration event where we would like to gather your perspective about how we can work together to reach our carbon neutral targets.
- Date: Wednesday 14 June 2023
- Time: 5:45pm - 7:30pm
- Location: Henry Travers Studio, The Maltings, TD15 1AJ
The event will be structured around three key topics that link to our climate challenges and solutions in Northumberland:
- Renewables, energy efficiency and fuel poverty
- Reducing transport emissions
- Natural resources and land management
|
|
|
|
What a Wonderful World Festival: Alnwick
Let What a Wonderful World Festival inspire you to take action on climate change. The uplifting songs of Karine Polwart are a profound reaction to the pressures we are putting our life support systems under. Alnwick Playhouse’s own Damian Crudden will lead Imagining the Future - what we could achieve if we can meet the challenges ahead, while environmentalist Ross Lowrie leads the discussion in a Deep Dive into Water.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This email has been produced by the Northumberland County Council Communications team. |
|
| You can also view this email online here if it doesn't display correctly |
|
|
