Rural Community Carbon Network

Adrian Smith from the University of Sussex has been in touch because he is looking to undertake a 3 year research programme into grassroots innovation for sustainable development.  This leads on from earlier work that he and Gill Seyfang (from University of East Anglia) undertook, here: Summary of previous research.

If funding is secured, this research project aims to develop a better understanding of the role and potential of ‘grassroots innovations’ for sustainable development, and how they can be harnessed to help meet policy goals. It also aims to raise the policy profile of grassroots innovations such as local food initiatives, community renewable energy projects and so on.

You can read the brief outline proposal here: Outline Proposal

This is the starting point and the ideas in the proposal need to be developed, but hopefully they will receive the funding they need - as the outcome of such research will be really interesting and could help to create the foundations for more innovative grassroots projects.

Some of you may already know about this -  Grassroots Grants is a £130 million programme that aims to invest in a thriving community sector.

It is funded by Office of the Third Sector (OTS) and delivered by the Community Development Foundation (CDF).

The programme, which will run from 2008-2011 is divided into two parts: an £80 million small grants fund for community organisations; and a £50 million endowments programme to enable local funders to generate additional donations on a matched basis and invest them in endowments, thereby building their capacity to provide long-term funding for frontline community organisations.

Local community groups should apply directly to their local funder, whose contact details can be found by clicking the link below.

Click here to see a list of Local Funders - Small Grants

Click here to see a list of Local Funders - Endowment Fund

For more information visit the Grassroots Grants sections of the CDF’s website

Ross Weddle talking at Local Energy

I facilitated a workshop at ‘Future Choices - Live & Local’ a couple of weeks ago.  With invaluable and stimulating input from Ross Weddle at CoRE, Adam Kennerley at Lightfoot Enterprises and Colin Mather at Esk Energy Group, delegates found out about the different models for community action.

Read about the workshop here on the event website.  Other workshops form the event included Local Food - delivered by The Soil Association and featured a talk from Nick Snelgar from the Futurefarms co-operative, and Local Retail facilitated by The Plunkett Foundation and Pub is the Hub which examined the opportunities for sustainable local services through community-owned shops and/or pubs.

Future Choices - Live & Local! is taking place next week in Skipton, North Yorkshire.  This collaborative event between ruralnet|uk and Action for Market Towns will feature topical workshops on ‘Local Food’ and ‘Local Retail’ - both examining the opportunities for locally owned co-operative approaches for villages.  I am facilitating a workshop on ‘Local Energy’ and I am lucky to be joined by some really interesting case studies who will be talking about their experiences of community energy.  Adam Kennerley from Wasteless Society, Ross Weddle from CoRE and Colin Mather from Esk Energy Group will be giving delegates an insight into how they started, what they are doing and the future for their projects.  The workshop will also look at how communities can make the most of Web 2.0 technology for networking and to share best practise.

When: 1 - 2 October (Local Energy running on Thurs)

Where: Skipton, North Yorkshire (at Town Hall and Rendezvous Hotel)

Website: http://conference.ruralnet.org.uk/

The programme: http://conference.ruralnet.org.uk/the-revised-programme/

About the workshops: http://conference.ruralnet.org.uk/the-workshops/

There are still places available to book for 1 or 2 days: BOOK NOW

I applied to Artist’s Project Earth (APE) last month for funding towards the training element to the network; to run a series of workshop sessions on Web 2.0 and how community groups can learn from each other using this technology and by maintaining their own web space (like Tracey Todhunter and Transition Town Stafford).

This is disappointing news as I believe that the online aspect of networking is under-valued - it would add huge value to the enormous amount of activity that is going on within so many community groups.

We will continue to apply to other organisations - thank you to the CarnegieUK Trust and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for their continued support.

We also heard the other week that our second round application to NESTA’s Big Green Challenge did not make it through. We had the following feedback:

“Our Reviewers believe that your approach could support the adoption of wider behavioural/lifestyle change through sharing practice and building networks. Reviewers commended your strong links with individual communities, and the role these communities will have in taking a lead and having ownership of the approach. Our Reviewers feel that the strength in your approach is currently in the detailed promotion of existing carbon saving projects, rather than directly facilitating new action.  Our Reviewers advise that your growth plan could be clearer in terms of your steps and targets towards building the network developing and the numbers of organisations you will support.”

The Network is about community empowerment and knowledge transfer.  As such we could not easily demonstrate carbon savings as part of the project either - this was a priority for the BGC team.

Good luck to Ross Weddle from CoRE and Adam Kennerley from Light Foot - who were both selected to present their projects to a judging panel.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Rural Community Carbon Network, then come along to ruralnet|2008 ‘Live & Local’ in Skipton, North Yorkshire on 30 Sept to 1 Oct 2008.

I will be facilitating the ‘Local Energy’ workshop - looking at the opportunities and challenges to rural communities of local energy generation.  Take a look at the conference programme.

The conference will be examining local everything - local food, local transport, local ownership and local retail.  The line up of organisations at the event is impressive and includes The Soil Association, Land for People community land trust, The Plunkett Foundation and Pub is the Hub.  Guest speakers include Ian Brown, Vice Chair of Local Living and John Craven OBE, Broadcaster and presenter of BBC’s Countryfile.

I had an interesting discussion with Rod Yeoman recently - he is the Environmental Projects Manager with Impact Housing Association in Penrith.

Impact is working with National Energy Action (NEA) to establish Impact Affordable Energy; an Energy Services Company (ESCo) in Cumbria to tackle fuel poverty through a range of environmental methods.

They have successfully secured an Innovation and Good Practice grant (sponsored by the Housing Corporation), which will support their approach to tackling fuel poverty.

“By developing environmental responses to fuel poverty, Housing Associations could significantly impact on climate change within existing stock and beyond, whilst providing direct economic benefits to low-income communities.”
Impact Affordable Energy

The regional Energy Services Company (ESCo) for Cumbria will provide:

• Energy audits and advice for residents in fuel poverty
• A domestic energy management service
• Energy efficiency and renewable energy measures for individuals or clusters of dwellings
• Bulk buying and onward sale of carbon-abated fuel supplies from mainstream suppliers
• Community-based renewable energy production and distribution

Rod is also developing plans for 2 district biomass heating schemes in Lakeland villages.

Both these models are being undertaken as pilot schemes and will create a replicable approach for other villages around Cumbria and further afield, that wants to develop renewable energy project in this way.

Rod is keen to ensure as many people, groups, villages and housing associations know about this as possible - so please spread the word!

If you have any feedback or questions, please post a comment to this post.

Rod at Impact Housing Association can be contacted on:

07769 905284

The O2 Energy Saver Fund is a joint initiative between O2 and the Energy Saving Trust. It has been designed to help local communities of between 10-25 households to install energy saving measures in their home that will help in the fight against climate change.
If an application is successful a “hit squad” will be sent into individual’s homes to install priority insulation measures.

For more information on the initiative please see the CAfE website:

The Energy Saving Trust also runs the CAfE (Community action for Energy) programme. CAfE is a network of people who share a common interest in community energy projects and ideas. Membership of the network is free and by joining you can keep up to date with news on community-based energy initiatives, as well as hearing about funding opportunities, training sessions and other news from the network.

Finally public sector and not for profit organisations can apply for funding through the Low Carbon Building Programme Phase 2 (managed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) which offers funding for micro generation technology.

As I mentioned earlier, the RCCN has made it through to Stage 2 of the NESTA Big Green Challenge. We are very happy about this as we feel that joining people, ideas and innovation up is really important in inspiring and supporting action; we are pleased that NESTA recognised this. Now, after an informative workshop session in Birmingham and 4 hours spent chatting through our initiative with our lovely adviser, plus many many hours spent writing the detailed project plan - the final application has gone to NESTA. Fingers crossed now.

Some Challengers will get an opportunity to pitch their idea to the NESTA team and judging panel in July (I am imaging something like Dragons Den, but hopefully less scary) - with successful finalists (there will be 10) being announced thereafter.

Good luck to all the Big Green Challengers!

In its tenth year now, the New Statesman New Media Awards highlight the positive impact of new media technology on public life - and the Community Carbon Network has been nominated within the ‘Innovation’ category - which “recognises social technologies, people or organisations that make an impact and improve our society through the use of new media technology.”

The nomination is here and you can leave a comment or star rating too.

communitycarbon.net is an initiative developed by ruralnet|uk, the rural regeneration charity.  ruralnet|uk (and other collaborators) were also nominated for a New Media Award last year, for the Open Innovation Exchange.