APPENDIX A: PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS
CCF016 - Transition Town Forres
Project details
Transition Town Forres ( TTF) is a transition initiative working in the town of Forres, Moray, and the surrounding area. Much of the work has focused around local food (through a community garden, local food directory and regular farmers' markets), though the project also has skill sharing and energy groups.
One of the project founders learned about the Transition Town movement, did some research and the group developed out of initial film showings and meetings. Now established as a Transition Town (since 2008) they are hoping to reduce reliance on energy from fossil fuels and promote awareness of climate change, and as such have written a development plan clearly outlining their objectives. The overall aims are for more resilient re-localised communities in 10 years and to become carbon neutral in 20 years with TTF entirely self-financing.
Forres Community Garden - Photo: Brook Lyndhurst
Project set-up
The organisation has charitable status and the core TTF management team have all worked voluntarily since the Transition Town was established, now supported by one employed part-time administrator. The direction of the project is determined by the board of directors who meet every two months. They support the management team who meet fortnightly and are responsible for the different project strands. In 2010 the project advertised for a project programme manager, and has since employed a small team of consultants to programme manage and help give the project structure and stay on track.
CCF provided £184,100 to TTF, and the project is still dependent on grant funding at this stage. They are however able to draw support from a number of local organisations including Moray Waste Busters, Forres Community Woodland Trust, Forres Area Forum, and Forres in Bloom.
Project activities
Farmers markets are held once or twice a month to promote local producers and enable people to purchase local goods. One of the management team has also created a local food guide listing local products and producers, and 1,000 copies have been distributed within Forres and the surrounding area. The community garden site also has about 70 active gardeners and 60 children (including local scouts) who work in a number of communal 'pods'.
The energy group are currently developing plans for anaerobic digestion and hydro schemes, of which the hydro scheme is more advanced with a site earmarked and feasibility stage complete. The programme management team has also considered personal and household energy use and has carried out carbon footprinting and pledge clinics. Participants are to receive follow up phone calls to check progress and act as a reminder to keep up particular behaviours.
The project has received regular coverage in local and regional newspapers. It also produces a monthly newsletter and updates the website regularly. As well as this it frequently holds events such as film showings, open meetings and skill share sessions which are publicised and open to everyone.
CCF 055 - DEAFinitely Greener
Note: no participant or follow-up project manager interviews were carried out, so this project is not fully covered in the review.
DEAFinitely Greener, based at Deaf Connections, Glasgow, is designed to ensure that profoundly deaf people across Scotland have access to information and advice about climate change in British Sign Language ( BSL).
Many deaf people use BSL as their first language and have thus far been unable to fully participate in discussions around the topic of climate change. The project is to use a quiz on climate change facts to test baseline knowledge, and then have discussions and give groups access to resources and information on the issue, followed by a quiz a week or two later to see if knowledge has been improved.
In addition to this, the Deaf Connections building itself has benefitted from energy efficiency measures such as more efficient heaters, a lowered ceiling and insulation. The organisation is also working on the translation (into BSL) of existing web resources on climate change and trying to get the translations embedded on particular sites. The project also aims to create a DVD resource to aid understanding.
The project was awarded £16,800 from the CCF.
CCF 065 - Toryglen Transitions
Project details
Toryglen Transitions is led by Urban Roots, which previously existed as the Toryglen Gardening Club. They originally developed a community garden in Toryglen with BTCV support, and expanded their work with CCF funding - extending the gardens and adding a sustainably managed community woodland, schools climate change workshops, a community eco-footprint survey and climate change awareness workshops.
The project is mainly aimed at residents in the Toryglen area, but some participants also come from further afield - some are referred to the project by volunteer centres or organisations working with people who have, for example, mental health issues or learning difficulties.
As well as enabling participants to grow food, the project aims to encourage more responsible food choices, reduced food waste, reduced energy consumption, and respect for and a connection with the environment. Their work with disadvantaged people also has wide-ranging well-being and community benefits.
Project set-up
The project team consists of a full-time project coordinator, two part-time project officers, and volunteers. The project also calls its participants 'volunteers' and they are heavily involved in decision-making.
The project is working in partnership with local landowners - such as Glasgow City Council Land and Environmental Services, Toryglen Community Halls, St Brigids Chapel and Thistle Housing Association - and has informal agreements about the use of their land for the community gardens. It also works with local schools - St Brigids Primary School and Toryglen Primary School, both of which approached the project for help with improvements to the school grounds. Urban Roots is registered with Volunteer Centre Glasgow as an organisation looking for volunteers.
The project was fully funded by the CCF, receiving £134,100. The community gardens have become a permanent fixture in Toryglen, and volunteers (participants) are happy to continue with the project provided they receive the support they need, but the lead organisation will continue to need a base to run these activities from.
A raised bed and orchard in Toryglen - Photo: Brook Lyndhurst
Project activities
The project has set up community gardens on previously under-used urban green spaces, and these are managed by a group of volunteers through regular gardening sessions. The community gardens are highly visible, which makes it easy for local residents to notice them and get involved. They also manage a community woodland, which involves elements of environmental awareness-raising and skills building - such as woodworking. They work with schools on food-growing and environmental awareness-raising.
They have also carried out an eco-footprint survey of the local community to explore their levels of environmental awareness and behaviour. The survey covered 250 households, equating to 10% of all households in Toryglen. The original project plan was to follow this survey with action planning workshops, but these have been replaced by climate change awareness workshops which are open to all rather than only the survey respondents.
CCF 066 - Active Leith
Project details
The project Active Leith, also known as We Love Leith, is run by Greener Leith - a community organisation which promotes better public spaces, community involvement and sustainable development in Leith, Edinburgh.
The project aims to change transport and shopping behaviours by encouraging Leith residents to make active travel choices, to reduce the number of car journeys within Leith, increase use of eco-driving techniques, give up individual car ownership in favour of City Car Club membership, and to use their local shops more. The project has a concrete aim of cutting 15% off the transport related carbon emissions from everyone in the Leith area, some 50,000 people.
Greener Leith was set up in 2005 with the aim of improving local green spaces, drawing on the experiences of Keep Edinburgh Clean, and the 'Clean up Glasgow' campaign. The scope of the organisation developed over time to include wider issues of sustainable local development and community involvement.
Project set-up
The project is run entirely by the project manager, and is supported by the board of Greener Leith, and by a steering group which includes representatives of Sustrans, the NHS, Energy Saving Trust, Changeworks, The Bike Station, and a local Councillor. The project manager is employed by and accountable to the Greener Leith board.
Greener Leith has a popular website (52,000 unique visitors over the last two years) with an award winning blog, and presence on social networking sites. The project has been able to benefit from these resources, with links from the Greener Leith website to the 'We Love Leith' page, and mentions of the project in the blog.
Volunteers from the community assist at the delivery level of the project, helping staff events and guide bike rides. The project has partnered formally with SISTech (Scottish Institute of Sustainable Technology), who carried out an initial consultation and are delivering the evaluation of the project.
The project received £282,900 from the CCF - this makes up 88% of its total funding. There do not appear to be any plans for continuing the life of the project at present.
Project activities
The project sent two mass mailings to all households in Leith. The first, in autumn 2009, included a letter introducing the project, a local neighbourhood travel plan, a travel map and a booklet of pledges. A second, follow-up mailing containing less information was sent.
A website was set up to promote project activities and messages, alongside a presence on social networking sites. A number of banners were placed along Leith Walk, forming part of a larger display about Leith - specifically relating to the building of new tram lines down the walk. The project branding 'We ? Leith' was applied prominently to the mail outs, the online presence and the banners. Sturdy jute bags bearing this logo were distributed or sold, and several local shops or businesses agreed to give discounts to people carrying these bags. The names of these businesses were displayed on the website, and shops were given countertop display boards inviting shoppers to use their bags, and to text or visit the website to find out more about the project. Two slogans were used with the 'We ? Leith' logo - 'Join the movement,' and 'Pledge your love for Leith'.
Events were held, including a breakfast event for cycling commuters, a 'car free' day on the shore, several guided cycle rides and walks in the area, and a bicycle trailer building workshop. These were advertised through the 'We ? Leith' website and through the Greener Leith blog.
CCF 079 - Carbon Reduction Shetland
Project details
Carbon Reduction Shetland ( CRS; previously known as Decrease CO 2 Footprint Shetland) is led by Shetland Amenity Trust ( SAT), a charitable trust which works to champion, protect, and improve access to Shetland's countryside, heritage and culture. CRS is an initiative designed to inform and advise the Shetland community on sustainability issues, and help them to reduce their carbon footprint.
The project seeks to change behaviours relating to energy use, water use, food, transport, waste and recycling, as well as promoting microgeneration. It also seeks to raise base-level awareness of climate change and carbon reduction amongst Shetland's population, and to change attitudes towards these issues.
The Trust has previously worked on community recycling initiatives, and owns and operates 'Enviroglass' a glass recycling social enterprise. They have also run community clean-ups, workshops and an advisory service on waste and recycling, and run annual 'Shetland Environmental Awards.' The idea for this project came from the SAT's trustees, and an application was made following scoping discussions with the CCF managers.
There is a population of just under 22,000 people on the Shetland Isles, and the project set out to engage with all members of this community - schools, businesses, the public sector, individuals and households and community groups.
The application set out ambitious, quantified carbon targets, but also emphasised the importance of educating the community and raising awareness of the issues. The project manager emphasised the importance of helping people to realise that climate change is happening, of taking responsibility and of empowering them to feel that their actions can have an impact. It was felt that sustained change could only be achieved through this type of engagement.
Project set-up
The project is run by a Carbon Reduction Officer, a full time employee and project manager of CRS. The post is embedded within the SAT, and receives assistance from the broader team, particularly from marketing and finance.
The SAT is formally constituted charitable trust. All environmental work overseen by an independent Board of Trustees and by the Shetland Environment Group, which includes members from the Shetland Association of Community Councils, Shetland Islands Council, Visit Shetland, Scottish Natural Heritage, Shetland Civic Society, RSPB & Scottish Environment Protection Agency as well as representatives of local businesses.
The project received £92,000 from the CCF, and this was the sole source of funding for the Carbon Reduction Officer post. The project sees its likely legacy as being raised awareness and empowerment of Shetlanders, installation of hard measures such as energy saving light bulbs and insulation and development of long-term sustainability plans for businesses and for the public sector. The project has applied for and received further CCF funding to pursue transport-focused initiatives in the next round of funding.
The project has no formal partnerships, but has worked with many other organisations on the islands to run events and to supply appropriate information and advice to Shetlanders. Signposting, for example on micro-generation or insulation, has been an important element of the work.
Project activities
A number of events have been organised on specific topics, often in conjunction with other organisations, for example the Public Sector Carbon Summit, a Home Energy Roadshow and a Renewables Showcase event. A film screening was held, and the Carbon Reduction Officer has had a presence at numerous community events such as agricultural shows and fairs.
The project has distributed energy saving light bulbs and monitors at these events, and has advertised their availability for collection from the SAT offices. The Carbon Reduction Officer talks with individuals who come to collect light bulbs or monitors about their energy usage, and asks them to make pledges.
The Carbon Reduction Officer has given a number of bespoke talks to community groups, and has carried out audits of businesses and given them advice on how they can save energy.
'Bag back' boxes were placed in local shops, which residents could return used plastic bags to for reuse by the shops. A competition to design a reusable bag was held with children from local schools.
The project has pursued and gained extensive media coverage for its work and messages. It has used poster campaigns to promote sustainable consumption at Christmas, and has a website where Shetlanders can pledge to take up sustainable behaviours, and find information about how to reduce their carbon footprint. Word of mouth has also been important in this strong community, and the Carbon Reduction Officer makes use of existing and new connections to spread the project messages.
CCF 126 - Fife Diet
Project details
The Fife Diet is an independent organisation and a sustainable food purchasing project. It aims to create a more sustainable food system through encouraging people to eat local food, eat less meat and dairy, eat more organic food, waste less food, and compost more. The project is aimed at everyone in the Fife region.
The Fife Diet was inspired by the Canadian 100-mile diet, and started out as a year-long "local eating experiment" where a group of 14 people tried to source all of their food from within Fife. By the end of the first year, membership had grown to 300. The Fife Diet received CCF funding a year and a half into the project, and membership now stands at 1,600.
Project set-up
The Fife Diet is essentially a membership organisation bringing together a community of interest in Fife. The project team consists of a part-time project director, part-time development manager, two part-time growing facilitators, one part-time community garden worker, and a finance and administration assistant.
As a brand new organisation, Fife Diet looked to partners for advice and support on employing people. Several local food producers support the project by regularly contributing or donating food for events. The Fife Diet also helped to set up Nourish (Scotland's sustainable food network), through which they communicate with the wider local food network in Scotland, and have a voice on food matters on a larger scale.
The Fife Diet received £144,000 from the CCF, which makes up 92% of its funding. They have since received funding in the latest round of the CCF to develop the project activities further and devolve them to a local level. The project also receives support from the Postcode Lottery, the Co-op Community Fund, Awards for All and Fife Community food project.
Project activities
Members of the Fife diet pledge to source a certain proportion of their food from Fife (and can choose from a range of pledges with different proportions). The Fife Diet produces resources for the members to assist them in sourcing more local sustainable food. These resources include the e-mail newsletter, a local producers' directory and map, recipe books, website. They also have social events such as community lunches which give participants the opportunity to meet each other. They have established a community garden and are trialling different crops as alternative protein sources.
Participants are recruited through a range of channels such as events. They can sign up as Fife Diet members, friends (if they live outside Fife) or research volunteers (which involves completing more detailed questionnaires for evaluation purposes).
CCF 166 - Sustainable Solutions for Linlithgow
Project details
Sustainable Solutions for Linlithgow is run by Linlithgow Climate Challenge ( LCC). The project has five work strands: energy efficiency, energy generation, food, transport and waste. The overall aim of the project is to make the community more sustainable and resilient. LCC has recently become a member of the Transition network, is a registered Scottish Charity and has subsequently been renamed Transition Linlithgow ( TL).
LCC/ TL was set up by three founding members who are residents of the community. They ran introductory meetings about peak oil, climate change and green issues through film showings and talks. At the end of the third meeting they had break-out group discussions on topics they felt needed addressing, and these roughly corresponded to the current work strands (see above). They started some of their activities (such as promoting the EST's Hotspot campaign and promoting the farmers' market) pre- CCF, and applied for CCF funding for a range of activities.
The target audience is the town of Linlithgow (including the adjoining Linlithgow Bridge), consisting of 15,000 people - particularly those who are willing to change, which the project estimates to be about 40% of the population.
Project set-up
There is a working group for each of the strands, with a paid part-time person in each group (except waste), supported by several volunteers. The project steering group is formed of the project manager and one person from each working group.
Linlithgow has 180 community organisations which are well networked. LCC/ TL are also networking with organisations beyond Linlithgow for purposes of training and knowledge exchange.
The project received £196,600 in two rounds from the CCF, in addition to £2,000 which went towards an initial town-wide survey.
Project activities
Energy efficiency activities include energy audits, which provide energy saving advice and signposting to insulation, and energy monitors on loan. Energy generation activities include a renewable showcase events and a bulk-buy offer of solar thermal panels which residents can sign up to. Food activities are run under the banner of 'LinlithGROW' and include the harvest festival, foraging walks, a community orchard and cookery classes. There is also a spin-off group which is working on setting up allotments. 'LinlithGO' is the name that heads transport activities, which have comprised activities such as the production of sustainable travel maps and several bike fun days at local schools. Waste activities such as composting advice, signposting to low-cost compost bins, a 'Kitchen Canny challenge' to reduce food waste (run in conjunction with Changeworks) and a junk mail reduction campaign have also taken place.
Participants are recruited through a range of channels, such as the advice shop, events, leafleting and door-knocking or newspaper adverts (for energy audits).
The project's five work strands are complemented by a cross-cutting goal of awareness-raising. As a result they run a number of other activities, which include:
- the publication of a 5-year vision for the town;
- influencing the behaviour of other organisations within the town;
- lobbying the council on a range of topics from recycling to transport;
- an advice shop;
- a website;
- a newsletter;
- attendance at events, such as the monthly farmers' market where they have a stall to promote specific topics;
- talks to schools;
- film evenings; and
- displays at the library and in local shops.
A solar thermal panel being installed - Photo: http://transitionlinlithgow.org.uk/?attachment_id=351
CCF 182 - East Neuk and Landward Energy Network
Project details
The East Neuk and Landward Energy Network ( ENLEN) was the brainchild of a local resident who wanted to improve household energy efficiency in the area. Because of the CCF requirement for applications to come from constituted groups, he took the idea to the local community council, and the idea was developed further through the joint community councils, or East Neuk Communities Group. Partnerships were formed with Fife Council and VONEF.
The project is aimed at the 8,000 households in the East Neuk and Landward area. It aims to reduce carbon emissions by 5% for each year of the project, 10% in total over the 2 years. Reduce energy demand by 5% for each year of the project, 10% in total over the 2 years. Make contact and affect a change in 10% of the 8,000 households in their area - e.g. insulation, improvements in energy efficiency, installation of renewables.
Project set-up
The team consists of a project coordinator and six part-time energy champions, who were recruited from the local communities and received training, including the City and Guilds in energy awareness. The champions work closely together to support each other and share ideas. From the perspective of participants, the project effectively provides a service for them.
The project is almost integrated into Fife Council, which provides them with a working space and equipment. EST supplies and processes the home energy checks, as well as doing some joint promotion with ENLEN in the area. VONEF are responsible for human resources, payroll, national insurance, administration and insurance, and the project is also able to loan equipment from them.
The project received £212,900 from the CCF with plans to apply for further CCF funding.
Project activities
The energy champions carry out home visits to do energy audits based on the EST home energy check plus a behaviour change questionnaire. They refer participants to grant schemes and help them contact installers - installers report back to the project when participants go ahead with insulation installation. Champions then re-contact participants to find out if they can help further. The EST form is returned to Energy Saving Scotland, who report directly back to the participant with a mock Energy Performance Certificate and recommendations for changes to make. The project occasionally has freebies they are able to give away, such as energy saving light bulbs, powerdown plugs and energy monitors.
Participants have been recruited through a range of methods: cold-calling by door knocking (later accompanied by infrared photos), talks to community groups, roadshows and a helpline - the last two being publicised via posters, articles in the local press, and leaflets.
CCF 198 - Dunbar 2025
Project details
Dunbar 2025 is a project run by the transition initiative Sustaining Dunbar, working in the Dunbar and East Linton council ward. The overall aim of the organisation is to reduce dependency on oil and build community resilience in communities within the ward. The Dunbar 2025 project is a key part of this as its focus is to collect and collate a community vision for Dunbar and use that as the basis for an action plan.
In addition to the 'visioning', there are specific work strands of the Dunbar 2025 project focus on energy efficiency and food. There is also a separately funded transport strand ( CCF 464) called Connecting Dunbar.
Sustaining Dunbar was formed as a result of discussions between a number of local residents involved in community initiatives in the area, and it soon decided to follow the Transition model. The project leader has been involved in sustainability issues for over 30 years and previously set up the Community Woodland Group in Dunbar.
Project set-up
Sustaining Dunbar became an official Transition initiative in December 2007 and became a company limited by guarantee when it applied to the CCF in late 2008. A trading subsidiary has since been set up with the remit to invest in community renewables.
Sustaining Dunbar is run by a board of eight directors elected from the membership at the AGM. The CCF funding pays for the two part-time project leads and two 'BeGreen' energy auditors (one part-time). For the 2025 community consultation work, the project has paid and trained a network of 26 neighbourhood facilitators and the 15 neighbourhood energy assistants who have been trained to support the energy audit team.
Dunbar East Beach - Photo: Brook Lyndhurst
Following the transition model, the project remains dependent on volunteers for the function of its working groups. For instance: the allotments association has a core group of nine who form a management committee; the Community Energy Company has a board of four; and the bakery group has management committee of eight. It is hoped that these and other groups will continue to develop without much input from the project leaders.
Central to the 2025 project is that Sustaining Dunbar is able to represent the community and that the desires of the local population are reflected in its aims. Its consultation therefore engaged around 1,500 local residents through surveys, work in schools and workshops with local groups. The project also retains close ties with other local community organisations and is also a Community Development Trust: receiving money from a local wind farm. This income pays for the drop-in 'BeGreen' energy advice shop in Dunbar and a project administrator.
Though the project remains on track against its own objectives it is recognised that it will be dependent on grants in the short-medium term. £271,500 was awarded from the CCF, but the project's plans for spin off enterprises (a local bakery and grocery shop) and trading subsidiaries (renewable energy) have potential to help make the project self-funding in future, while it is also looking to industry and commercial partners to help it become more financially self supporting.
Project activities
The 2025 project set out to produce a 'vision' of what Dunbar might look like by the year 2025. The project team wanted the vision to reflect what the local community wanted and could achieve, so they carried out a door-to-door survey, further community consultation and a transect mapping survey to determine the natural and food resources in the area. As well as going door-knocking as part of the survey process, the project has used leaflets, posters, newsletters, events and media coverage to encourage residents to get involved. The end result is a 15-year community action plan which is to be published very shortly with the help of a media consultant and distributed to all households in the area.
Beside the consultation elements, most activities are run by sub-groups supported by the project and these have included: the setting up of a community bakery; the buy-out of a local fruit and vegetable shop; a 'knitting the harbour' project (with a local arts group) and work on allotments.
Energy audits are also offered along with energy advice in the 'BeGreen' shop, and the auditors and energy assistants produce tailored reports, support and advice to households that they have visited to enable improved energy efficiency and explore options for micro-renewables.
CCF 209 - Climate Champions Network
Project details
The Climate Champions Network set out to change home energy behaviours, to find funding to supply insulation to homes in the area, to investigate the feasibility of improving community buildings, and to change attitudes towards climate change. The project covers seven villages under two local authorities - Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire - surrounding the village of Barrhill.
It hoped to approach 735 households and survey energy use and insulation, as well as provide subsidised loft or cavity wall insulation for every suitable property in the area. The project also set out to assess the feasibility of insulating hard-to-treat homes and five community buildings, as well as identifying potential sites for micro renewable energy generation and assessing demand and supply potential for renewables locally. A further strand of the project aimed to promote the use of public transport to gain access to services.
The Climate Champions Network has its roots in the mobilisation of members of the Barrhill community in response to declining social and economic activity in the village. A community appraisal was conducted, a community action plan developed, and The Barrhill Community Interest Company ( CIC) formed.
In response to the fuel poverty highlighted by the community appraisal, and inspired by home insulation projects in nearby villages, the Barrhill CIC, applied for support to carry out community engagement around energy use and insulation, and to enable the CIC to seek other sources of funding for hard measures.
Project set-up
The management team consists of a project manager and the finance director of the Barrhill CIC. The project manager is supported by and accountable to the board of the CIC, a formally constituted company limited by guarantee.
The project recruited voluntary 'Climate Champions' from each of the communities, in order to create a network which would then engage further community members with sustainable behaviours. A number of community members were also paid to administer surveys in the community.
The project has formal partnerships with Energy Agency (a registered charity working on energy saving at the regional scale), whose role was project management of surveys, energy advice, thermal insulation measures and household reports, and with the Energy Saving Scotland Advice Centre, whose role was to provide advice and guidance, literature and speakers for events.
The project received £70,300 from the CCF, as well as £30,000 from D&G LEADER, £35,000 from the wind farm community benefit money, and up to £70,000 from Scottish and Southern CERT funding. Infrastructural changes will be a key part of the project's legacy. The project did not apply for further CCF funding for the 2011-2012 period.
Project activities
A number of direct mailings regarding insulation were distributed to households, and representatives of the Energy Agency went door to door to carry out surveys and offer insulation to householders. Local volunteers acted as personal points of contact regarding the insulation in each of the villages. The work around insulation was followed up with a survey of householders, which was handed out door to door and then collected by surveyors, or completed with the householder. The project has also conducted surveys of hard-to-treat community buildings, and consulted community members about the possibility of renewably heating such buildings. In addition, the project has attended community engagement events - both self initiated 'mini events' and participation in larger community events.
CCF 232 - The Three Cs
Project details
The Community Carbon Champions (Three Cs) project is run at the YMCA in Perth and engages young people in food growing and environmental awareness. The primary activity is the creation and maintenance of vegetable patches in gardens around Perth and Kinross, though this is supplemented by seminars, training and media work.
At the YMCA the staff work with up to 150 young people a week, and noted that many were passionate about the environment. The project was set up to build on this and help the young people articulate this passion, while also helping the young people to develop skills that will be useful in the workplace and increase their employability. The young people on the project (the Three Cs) are paid a small wage to attend the project each week, and it caters for six participants at a time, some of whom have had difficulties in the education system or in their home lives.
Project set-up
The YMCA runs around 10 projects for 16-18 year olds and is a Scottish Qualifications Authority approved centre. The Three Cs project is fully funded by the CCF (which provided £122,000) and run by a full time youth worker, employed and line managed by the YMCA managers and CEO.
Though the 3Cs course has some formal training elements and is committed to a number of vegetable gardens, much of the work is decided by the young people. For instance, decisions on what to plant, what activities they do besides vegetable growing, and on how to implement better energy saving and recycling systems at the YMCA building have been taken by the 3Cs themselves.
Most of the required administrative, legal and financial skills to run the project were provided by the YMCA, and having a specialist youth worker and a media expert in place was beneficial. SCARF (Save Cash and Reduce Fuel) have also provided certifiable training on energy efficiency and carbon reduction.
The 3Cs project in its current form is to end this year following a celebratory event organised by the young people. There is a possibility that the gardening will continue on a more ad hoc basis as part of the general youth work at the YMCA.
Project activities
The main focus is the creation, maintenance and harvesting of vegetable plots in the gardens of local householders. Young people (who sign up for the course through the YMCA) were responsible for promoting the project to garden owners, and distributed flyers around several villages around Perth. Other local organisations also helped to spread the word.
The 3Cs made a logbook for garden owners and a DVD which they are distributing widely in the local community, both of which highlight the behaviour changes that can be made to reduce carbon impacts. The young people also watched films and received training on environmental issues, and were responsible for monitoring energy use and recycling in the YMCA building.
A youth worker and one of the Three Cs working on a plot - Photo: Brook Lyndhurst
CCF 243 - Scotstoun and Kingsway Focus
Project details
Scotstoun and Kingsway Focus is a multi-strand project led by the Dumbarton Road Corridor Environment Trust. The project has a total of 11 work strands, which cover activities around energy, food, transport and waste. This review has mainly focused on the waste and transport elements, and particularly on the project's work with schools.
Dumbarton Road Corridor Environment Trust pre-dates the CCF and has previously worked in the Kingsway area, and gathered together a number of work strands under the CCF banner.
The target audience is the community along the Dumbarton Road corridor, centred on Kingsway and on Scotstoun. The project aims to raise people's collective awareness of climate change issues and other environmental issues, as well as to change behaviour in a range of areas.
Project set-up
The team is formed of a project manager, two part-time staff working on composting, several sessional workers, and volunteers.
The project works closely with local community organisations, schools and colleges, and local government agencies. Their partnerships with schools are particularly crucial to the project delivery.
Dumbarton Road Corridor Environment Trust have also run other CCF-funded projects. For this project they were awarded £157,900.
Dumbarton Road Corridor Environment Trust at the Glasgow Show 2010 - Photo: Brook Lyndhurst
Project activities
The project engages with its target audience in a range of ways which are designed to complement one another - so the same people are reached through a number of different channels, and the different strands of the project link up each other (for example, compost produced as part of the food waste work can be used in the community garden). Some of the key elements include working with local schools, collecting food waste for composting from flats, organising and attending events, and running bicycle repair workshops.
CCF 247 - Switched On to Switching Off
Project details
Switched On to Switching Off ( SOSO) is run by the Energy working group of Transition Edinburgh South ( TES).
The project has sought to change energy behaviours, with a focus specifically on residents in tenement buildings. Two streets were chosen; the largely affluent and predominantly owner-occupier Woodburn Terrace, and the more student occupied Hope Park Terrace. The project set out to combine community engagement with energy efficiency and behaviour change, as well as building the capacity of TES and the project team. They also hoped to pilot the use of 'motivational interviewing' as a tool for helping participants to decide for themselves what actions to take. The project therefore aimed to facilitate carbon savings in the short term, and attitude and behaviour changes in the longer term, as well as increasing the cohesion, resilience and capacity to act of the chosen communities.
The SOSO project has received multiple rounds of CCF funding. Its inception was initially facilitated, in part, by a CCF development officer, who suggested that TES and the (now defunct) Edinburgh South Energy Efficiency ( ESEE) paired up and applied for funding, as they were both interested in doing practical work on energy efficiency. For this project, they received £7,300.
Project set-up
TES is sub-group of the Transition Edinburgh group, and part of the Transition Network in Scotland. It consists of three working groups: Energy; Communication & Outreach; and Food, Gardening & Trees. The SOSO project was managed by a project team made up of members of Transition Edinburgh South, a full time paid member of staff and also commissioned consultants in behaviour change.
Volunteers are recruited and trained in motivational interviewing for sustainability ( MIS), and then carry out the bulk of the actual engagement work. Many are recruited from outside the community and through the project managers' wider networks, e.g. the universities.
The project has worked in partnership with:
- Transition Edinburgh University (provided meeting space, assisted with training and events);
- Transition Pentlands (assisted with door to door interviewing);
- Changeworks (advised them on the design of their energy survey, delivered and trained in NHER surveys;
- Energy Saving Scotland Advice Centre South East (delivered energy efficiency training to volunteers, provided leaflets and information);
- Scottish Education and Action for Development ( SEAD) (assisted with community engagement training for volunteers); and
- SIStech, (assisted the project with carbon monitoring and evaluation, and trained the team in carbon monitoring and evaluation).
Project activities
Training and development of methodology have been a key element of this project. Two manuals were developed for the training of volunteers, alongside toolkits and workbooks for an interview pack to be used during door to door visits. Volunteers were trained in energy efficiency, community engagement and motivational interviewing.
Once trained, volunteers visited residents of the target streets door to door and carried out motivational interviews. Volunteers gave advice where they thought it appropriate, but avoided 'pushing' messages on residents indiscriminately. Repeat visits to each house were planned to enable a gradual, multi-step engagement. Energy monitors were loaned to householders and they were given energy use diaries to complete. The project also signposted residents to grants for (and suppliers of) energy saving measures such as insulation or secondary glazing.
Several events were held for all types of participants throughout the course of the project, including barbeques and an energy fair. The project was promoted through posters placed in the stairwells of tenement buildings, and leaflets delivered to each flat before visits commenced. The project newsletter was also distributed with information on the project and energy saving advice and tips, and a website for Woodburn Terrace residents also carried this type of information.
CCF 304 - Fintry Renewable Energy Supply Company
Project details
Fintry Renewable Energy Supply Company ( FRESCo) Feasibility Study is an energy efficiency and microgeneration project, run by the Fintry Development Trust. The aim is give advice and promote the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency within the community.
Energy initiatives have been around in Fintry for seven years since the community bought a stake in the local Earlsburn wind farm. The original plan was for an energy supply company - FRESCo - but after a feasibility study the idea was adjusted. Instead, the EST and (later) the project's energy advisor built on the previous work in the area and delivered visits to individual households to advise what steps they might want to take next in terms of energy efficiency or generation.
Project set-up
Fintry Development Trust ( FDT) have used the majority of the £22,500 from the CCF to employ a full-time Energy Advisor to continue what EST had done in terms of visiting households and being proactive about supporting people to make the next steps. In addition, the money the Development Trust gets from the wind farm can used to fund (as a grant or loan towards the upfront payment) energy efficiency measures that are then reimbursed through other grant or loan schemes (which require an invoice to access).
There are plans to develop other strands of work in future, in addition to the current energy activities. FDT will be applying for funding for a community orchard and community woodland with the hope to use local woodchip from the woodland to power a district heating system. Other plans include supporting a micro-brewery at a pub, extending energy advice service to farms, and forming a community car club, and the Development Trust have an Enterprise Manager in place (not CCF-funded) that will takes these things on.
Project activities
Household visits were carried out. These involved calculations to tell householders exactly how much they could save with particular installations of energy efficiency measures or renewables, as well as the giving of energy advice and the set-up of energy monitors. As a result, in addition to efficiency improvements, 20 households in the village have had renewables such as PV cells, ASHP and GSHP installed. The energy advisor is also working on community buildings, and the Sports Hall is to install a biomass boiler run from wood chips. Energy advice visits were promoted in the local paper, as well as through flyers and a maildrop, but the visibility of installers and installations in the village also helped to spread the message.
The village staged the FRESh10 event in June 2010, a two day event for community bodies or householders which included an exhibition of energy saving technologies and advice.
CCF 312 - Assloss Walled Garden
Project details
Assloss Walled Garden is a community garden set up by Heal the Earth Ayrshire. The project aims to increase the amount of food grown locally, as well as change the lifestyles of participants in a wider sense. They also want to improve well-being and strengthen the community through bringing it together at the site.
Participants must live within 5 miles of Kilmarnock in order to get a raised bed in the garden (or demonstrate that they can travel there sustainably). The team are particularly keen to work with disadvantaged local residents without gardens, local families and young people, people with special needs, and schools and colleges.
Heal the Earth had been thinking about a land-share or garden-share plan, as well as talking to the council about a community garden. These two ideas came together when the local council offered the walled garden to the organisation - they had already done a feasibility study on getting a community group to take over it.
Project set-up
The project manager is supported by Heal the Earth's garden committee and a number of volunteers. Heal the Earth's environmental ethos requires the garden to be run according to permaculture principles, and within this framework participants are also included in democratic decision-making.
The walled garden is located in a country park, and support from the park manager was key in the early stages of the project. Before the lease was signed (and this required a great deal of negotiation and legal advice), project staff could only work on the site as "park volunteers" under the supervision of the park manager.
The project received £30,300 from the CCF. The community garden is expected to become financially self-sustaining as participants are charged a fee for the raised beds.
Project activities
The walled garden had been unused for years, and the project has put a great deal of effort into turning it into a community garden, building raised beds and a polytunnel, planting an orchard, and setting up composting and water collection systems as well as a wildlife area. To get a raised bed, participants must join Heal the Earth. On joining, they are given a carbon footprint questionnaire to assess the impact of their lifestyle, and they receive tips on carbon reduction. The project also runs regular challenges for its members on topics such as travel and waste reduction.
The project has been advertised to the local community via a website which promotes Kilmarnock as well as leaflets, posters, and advertisements in the local papers.
CCF 367- Edinburgh Garden Share Scheme
Project details
The Edinburgh Garden Share Scheme pairs up aspiring food-growers with older people who are struggling to look after their gardens.
The project was set up within its parent organisation Care & Repair Edinburgh, which is an assistance service for elderly Edinburgh residents, when the organisation's volunteers noted a high level of concern among the organisation's elderly clients about the state of their gardens. Combined with the awareness that the Council's allotment waiting list was very long, the organisation came up with the idea of the Garden Share Scheme. The scheme covers Edinburgh and aims to increase the amount of local and organic food grown, to reduce food waste, and to reconnect people with food growing. The project also promotes composting. There are also mental and physical health benefits, including those stemming from the interaction between gardeners and garden owners.
Project set-up
The project team has three staff members, each responsible for their own area within Edinburgh, but communicating closely to ensure effective matches across the borders of these areas.
Partner organisations include the City of Edinburgh Council, which funded a pilot garden share scheme (as well as funding the parent organisation Care & Repair). Training has been provided by Training for Care, Changeworks and the Bridgend Allotment Community Health Inclusion Project. Changeworks have also given talks for participants and provided them with compost caddies, and Befriending Network Scotland has provided advice. Partners who have assisted with publicity include Volunteer Centre Edinburgh, Eco-Congregations, Greener Leith, North Edinburgh News and Portobello Transition Town.
The project received £92,000 from the CCF and was applying for further funding after the last round of CCF. Many of the relationships built through the project's existence should continue into the future, even if no further funding is forthcoming.
Project activities
At the start, the project requires gardeners to fill in an application form detailing what they are looking for, and to complete a Disclosure check. Staff also visit garden owners to find out what they want out of the scheme, and assess the suitability of the garden for food growing. They then match compatible gardeners and garden owners, and arrange for a meeting to take place, after which both parties can let the project know whether they wish to go ahead. The project provides assistance in drawing up a garden sharing agreement, offers training (both gardening-related and health and safety) and written resources for the gardeners, and organises 'blitz' days where a group of participants assist a new gardener in getting their garden up and running. The project also publishes a newsletter, runs social events - sometimes combined with talks about environmental topics - where participants have an opportunity to meet each other, and has a social networking website. Composting is also promoted to participants - for example, they were given compost caddies as part of a Changeworks-run food waste challenge.
Some participants have come to the project via partners, notably the City of Edinburgh Council - more specifically the allotment waiting list, from which the allotments officer has referred people to the scheme, Volunteer Centre Edinburgh and the Bridgend Allotment project. Care & Repair refer some of their clients to the scheme. The scheme has also been publicised via leaflets in places such as libraries and shops, advertising in local publications, the Landshare website, stalls at public events and posters.
A vegetable plot tended by EGSS participants - Photo: Brook Lyndhurst
CCF 415 - Low Carbon Raploch
Project details
Low Carbon Raploch ( LCR) was an initiative of the Raploch Community Partnership ( RCP) - a formally constituted, community led group with charitable status. The project's audience included all residents of Raploch and sought to improve energy efficiency through retrofitting of insulation to existing housing stock and easing fuel poverty, alongside raising awareness of energy use issues and energy saving behaviours. The project ran from January 2010 until March 2011.
The RCP represents residents of Raploch, some 1,400 households in an area of multiple deprivation. Large-scale regeneration of the area is in progress, and the RCP acts as a link between the community and Urban Regeneration Company which is responsible for this work.
The Low Carbon Raploch project grew out of a desire within the Raploch Community Partnership to help Raploch reduce its emissions, and to alleviate fuel poverty in the area. This would be within a low carbon regeneration process. RCP hoped to work closely with the Urban Regeneration Company to help the area 'catch up' (in terms of opportunity, employment and quality of life) 'without the carbon'. Following a CCF funded feasibility study, including a carbon baseline for Raploch, the plan for Low Carbon Raploch was brought forward for a further round of CCF funding.
Project set-up
The project was initially run by a consultant (now Project Advisor) who assisted RCP in putting together the bid. A project manager was then appointed, to work with a team of three energy surveyors and a Project administrator/receptionist. The team was housed between two offices - one a shop in the centre of Raploch, and the other in a serviced office block around ten minutes walk from the shop.
The project has worked in partnership with the Scottish Energy Saving Trust's Home Insulation Scheme ( HIS) to carry out surveys of housing in the area. LCR also worked closely with the Strathclyde and Central Energy Saving Scotland Advice Centre ( ESSAC) to provide advice to householders in Raploch. In both of these partnerships LCR opened doors to uptake of services by supplying local knowledge and using the trusted local name of the RCP. The project also had partnerships with Stirling Council and Going Carbon Neutral Stirling.
As a project within RCP, the LCR was accountable to a sub-group which then reported back to the full management committee. The project received £188,800 of CCF funding, and aimed to leave a legacy of warmer houses, reduced fuel poverty, reduced CO 2 emissions and raised awareness of environmental issues.
Project activities
Following the initial pilot survey, the Low Carbon Raploch project set about carrying out household surveys in conjunction with HIS surveyors to assess the insulation needs of houses in Raploch. Working in pairs, LCR and HIS surveyors went door to door, leaving calling cards if no-one answered. Surveyors asked questions to assess the current insulation of the property and gave advice to householders on energy efficiency where possible.
Householders were then referred for free or discounted insulation where appropriate, and this was carried out by a recommended contractor. Follow-up surveys investigated whether householders had gone ahead with insulation and other measures, and if it had made a difference to them. Stirling Council funded other measures outwith the HIS, such a draught-proofing, which had been identified through survey.
The shop on the high street was open for residents to drop in to ask for advice about energy saving, or to find out more about the insulation scheme. The reception desk and phone were staffed during working hours.
The project had a presence at, or put on additional activities in the shop for, five community events over 12 months. Activities included a footprint making game for children, and a display about the energy history of the area. Leaflets were also distributed to every household about the project and the work it was doing.
CCF 466 - Energy + Action = Change
Project details
The Energy + Action = Change project is run by Millburn Academy in Inverness, supported by six local primary schools and two charity partners. The project aims to change the household energy behaviours of pupils and their families.
Stemming from previous work by the charity partners, the project works with S1 and S2 pupils at Millburn Academy - mainly in Science classes - and P7 pupils in six local primary schools. By teaching students the facts around climate change, energy generation and household energy use, it is hoped that the project will encourage energy saving behaviours as well as being educational.
Project set-up
The project is delivered to pupils during lessons at their schools, usually by their science or class teacher. The project team is spearheaded by a project manager based in the Science Department at Millburn Academy, with contracted support from the Highland One World Group and Action4Sustainability. Other teachers at Millburn and in the primary schools who are involved in the delivery all meet once or twice a year to officially discuss the project, though information is often exchanged informally or by email.
Energy + Action = Change is now built into the curriculum, so lessons and activities are determined by a combination of the project team and individual teachers. The project was awarded £54,200 but will continue into the future without further funding, as the CCF money was invested in energy monitors which can be used with future students.
Some of the posters made at Millburn Academy - Photo: Brook Lyndhurst
Project activities
The primary audience (pupils) were reached through lessons at school. For instance, some teaching has been around connections between power, energy and time and helping pupils understand the language of energy use and sustainability. Further lessons have involved activities and discussions around the topic.
Pupils were also given smart meters to take home and set up. The idea was to use real data from the meters in maths and science lessons, and also to engage families of pupils in saving energy around the home.
CCF 471 - A Better Way to Work
Project details
A Better Way to Work is run by The Bike Station - an Edinburgh based social enterprise, charity and company limited by guarantee, which recycles unwanted bicycles and promotes cycling.
The project seeks to change transport behaviours, with a primary audience of commuters in the Edinburgh area. It set out to help 12,500 staff working in 250 SMEs in Edinburgh to walk, cycle and use the bus more and to drive less. The project also set out to influence friends and families commuters, and to raise general awareness of sustainable travel options. The project hoped to improve participants' health and wellbeing, to improve conditions for cyclists on the roads by increasing awareness of cycling and to bring about carbon savings by reducing car use.
The idea was conceived by The Bike Station team, which has previously received awards for its work on volunteering and transport.
Project set-up
The project team consists of a campaign manager and five full time staff covering Travel choice advisor/Cycle trainer roles, as well as finance, company recruitment, and management of the website. The contributions of The Bike Station's Manager, Office manager and Purchasing officer/Dr Bike manager to the running of the project are recognised in part payment of their salaries by the CCF.
The project relies on voluntary 'Workplace champions' to help the team gain access to senior staff and obtain permission to work with an organisation. Champions advertise project activities to their colleagues and encourage involvement.
The project has a number of delivery partners; Lothian Buses, Edinburgh City Car Club, Changeworks, Edinburgh Napier University, Spokes, Sustrans, Cycling Scotland, CTC Challenge for Change, Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative and Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce. These partners are represented by a steering group which reports to the Bike Station Board. To obtain input from the community and learn from experience The Bike Station conducted a baseline survey and follow up with participants.
The project received £750,400 from the CCF, making up the remainder of its costs from sales (£29,000) and partner contributions (£121,000).
The project applied for and received further funding from the CCF in 2011. The Bike Station is also seeking other sources of funding with which to continue the project. They believe the project to have the potential to become self sustaining, and hope to expand the project geographically and to larger businesses.
Project activities
The project takes a target-driven sales and marketing approach to securing participants, working first through existing contacts, then through cold calling SMEs to 'sell' the project to employers. The project has offered SMEs the opportunity to gain 'Cycle Friendly Employer' awards in partnership with Cycle Scotland. Once a business expresses interest a team member visits to follow-up in person.
Once the team have access to a company they organise and advertise a series of workplace events with the help of the workplace champion. Events involve a stall at which employees can speak with a travel choice advisor who addresses individual barriers and signposts to suitable project interventions. Employees can try out example hire bikes and 'Dr Bike' checks and services bicycles free of charge. Information is available on eco-driving, and discounts offered on joining the city car club. Pedometers and travel maps are available to take away. The project encourages setup of bicycle user groups to lobby employers for better cycling facilities, and to continue to promote cycling beyond the term of project interventions. They offer a website template to such groups to help them promote themselves.
Three 'Challenges' have been run in conjunction with CTC Challenge for Change; the Edinburgh Cycle Challenge, the Friends and Family Cycle Challenge, and the Better Way to Work Challenge (which covers all methods of transport promoted by the project). The challenges encourage participants to log journeys on which they make active travel choices, and incentivise participation by use of competition and prizes.
The project's passive interventions have included posters advertising active travel choices (in general) and project events (specifically). Inserts have been placed in magazines and posters and travel maps are distributed through cycling shops, mail-outs and at events. The A Better Way to Work website is regularly updated with news and events, and includes a sign-up facility for businesses to register interest in the project. The Bike Station website is also used to promote the project and its activities.
CCF 968-977 - Carbon Busters
Project details
Carbon Busters 3 ( CB3) is coordinated by the Crichton Carbon Centre ( CCC), a not for profit organisation established in 2007 with a mission to assist Scotland in making the transition to a low carbon society. CCC works with individuals, communities, and a range of organisations, including businesses, social enterprises, schools, colleges and universities, and other public sector services, undertaking both funded projects and paid commissions.
The Carbon Busters project aims to educate children about climate change and carbon footprinting, and to enable them to take action to reduce negative impacts on the environment. It seeks to achieve a 15% reduction in carbon emissions from each school within the year of Carbon Busters programme, followed by measurable reductions year on year within the school thereafter. The project aims to leave a legacy of behavioural change in the school community by embedding sustainability thinking into school and everyday life.
This evaluation looked in detail at the Carbon Busters 3, in which the ten schools involved have each applied individually to the CCF for funding ( CCF 968-977), rather than CCC making a single application on behalf of all schools (as previously under CB1 and CB2). Given a choice between having the Crichton Carbon Centre deliver the programme of work directly to their teachers and pupils, and having training to deliver the programme themselves, nine of the ten schools involved opted for the former.
Carbon Busters seeks to change behaviour relating to energy efficiency, food, water, waste and transport. CB1 and CB2 worked with both primary and secondary school children, but CB3 works exclusively with primary school children in P4 to P7, and has a combined primary audience of just over 200 pupils.
The project is the brainchild of an associate founding director of the CCC. With a background in Environmental Science teaching, she wanted to develop a cohesive approach to teaching children about climate change in schools.
Project set-up
CB has a full-time project manager, and an Environmental Education consultant who was involved with devising and establishing the project as well as assisting with delivery of lessons and tuition/planning of project with teachers. The project also receives support from the broader CCC team, particularly on finance and on software development.
CCC is formally constituted, but the individual applications for funds have been from schools themselves. The CCC reports to the CCF on behalf of all of the schools apart from one which is administrating the programme itself.
CB3 schools each chose from a suite of interventions and applied to the CCF for funds of between £6,105 and £9,855 to cover costs. The degree of involvement of the school community and the wider community varies from school to school.
CCC have established partnerships with Eco Schools; with contacts in Dumfries & Galloway councils Sustainable Development team and Waste Management services (who provide advice on waste management, recycling and data on schools' energy usage); with a consultant who provides an independent energy audit of several schools; with South West Community Woodlands (providing low carbon food lessons and organising the planting of orchard trees and shrubs for interested schools); Crogo Creations (providing expertise, materials and manpower to build plastic bottle greenhouses); and Terramundi, a local theatre group, devising a play to help raise awareness and launch the project in the schools.
Project activities
The schools choose from a suite of potential interactions. All receive training from CCC in how to deliver the programme, then move on either with or without the help of the team.
The environment-themed play by local theatre group Terramundi is used to initially engage with pupils, who then follow a six-lesson plan. All schools carry out carbon footprinting activities at the beginning and end of the year. After the first footprint is calculated pupils produce an action plan to reduce carbon consumption within their school. Action groups are formed by the children to address the different areas of their emission sources and identify actions to be taken forward by the whole school. Each school gets a small allowance to spend on physical improvements which they choose from a shopping list (items range from secondary glazing to bicycle racks). Pupils recalculate their carbon footprint after a 6-month period, and when significant reduction actions have been implemented, to allow them to assess the carbon emission savings achieved. At the end of the year CCC produces a report on the school's work, and presents this to the school in a final session.
CCFEX6 - Going Carbon Neutral Stirling
Project details
Going Carbon Neutral Stirling ( GCNS) is housed within Keep Scotland Beautiful, and has secured substantial funding from both the Big Lottery Fund and the Scottish CCF. The project aims to create a low carbon future for Stirling, through broad public engagement via existing community groups. The project seeks to change behaviours relating to energy efficiency, food, transport, waste, and water.
The project targets the population of Stirling as a whole. Its aims are: to create, sustain and evaluate meaningful and collaborative carbon reduction through its Carbon Cutter Plan; to achieve between 8% to 10% CO 2 reductions each year for each participant; to create a tipping point in Stirling by engaging over a third of the region's population; to create a toolkit of best practice that can then be used elsewhere in the country; to inspire and support politicians who make choices which protect our population against the impacts of climate change; and to promote a greater sense of wellbeing in Stirling by creating communities that are safer, stronger, fairer, greener, healthier and more connected.
The project was set up by the GCNS Programme Manager, drawing on the experiences of the Going Carbon Neutral Riverside project.
Project set-up
The project has a full time Programme Manager; an assistant Programme Manager responsible for the day to day running of the team; a Special project delivery officer; an Administrative assistant; an officer providing carbon reduction business support, a Schools and Community Facilitator, and three Community Facilitators.
Voluntary intermediaries known as 'Activators' deliver GCNS's programme within the community group, business, or organisation of which they are a member. The community groups can determine the types of activities they choose to become involved in, and the GCNS encourages and supports community members to set up their own 'offshoot' initiatives.
GCNS is an independent, non-political organisation. KSB received £3,000 of funding from Stirling council to put together a bid for Big Lottery funding to start the project. The programme won £500,000 from the Big Lottery, and £800,000 from the CCF. The project has been using the CCF money and reserving the Big Lottery Funds to continue operating after the term of the CCF grant.
Project activities
The project takes a sales and marketing approach, cold calling community groups, businesses and other organisations and asking them to become involved with the project. The facilitators then visit the groups, and engage an 'Activator'. The activator and the facilitator together choose a suitable set of actions for the group to carry out. This action set is known as a 'Carbon Cutter Plan'. The Activator then proposes an action to the group at regular intervals, and checks back to find out who has carried out the action. Monitoring and evaluation forms are used to record the impact of the plan upon the group, and to gather information which can be used to calculate carbon savings.
Facilitators visit groups to support them, and are available over the phone with help and advice. For some activities, facilitating technologies are offered, for example 'power down' plugs to reduce use of standby, and shower timers to help participants save energy and water.
The project also liaises with Stirling Council and other relevant bodies to bring about infrastructural and policy changes in line with its aims, and to disseminate learning from its work.