Groundwork Leicester & Leicestershire

At the time of writing this Blog piece, the banner on the top of the website advertising the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio +20, reads “24 days to the future we want”. It’s a great strap line and a great count in to what will be an enthralling follow-up to the original Earth Summit held in Rio in 1992. It begs the question what kind of future do we want (and possibly, given the mess we are in, how the heck are we going to achieve it even if we know what it is?).

It is tempting to be cynical with the prospect of another frustrating world environment jamboree just a month away. Surely all we have to do is to look at what happened at previous Climate Change conferences (refer to Copenhagen in 2009 for example) to see how nations fudge and procrastinate when difficult decisions are necessary.

Your position will largely depend on whether you’re a cup half full or half empty type of person as to whether you think the world is making progress towards creating a “better environmental future” or careering towards the point of no return. However, a review of what has been achieved since Rio 1992 might give some cause for optimism that eventually all nations will take climate change and a whole host of related issues (deforestation, species decline) much more seriously.

The Earth Summit itself resulted in a number of key policy documents being developed such as the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Agenda 21 and Forest Principles. Two important legally binding agreements were opened for signature: The Convention on Biological Diversity and Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  Critics, however, point out that many of the agreements made in Rio have not been realized regarding such fundamental issues as fighting poverty and cleaning up the environment.

One area where progress is surely being made is the growing recognition of the need to invest in a greener economy and that low carbon businesses can be good for business as well as the environment.  What is a “green economy” and what will it look like, I hear you ask? For some commentators, it’s the end of capitalism, the profit motive and the final recognition that GDP is an outdated tool for measuring economic development; for others it’s a return to small is beautiful where everything we need is produced and consumed locally. I will return to this debate in later Blogs, but as a starting point, this definition from RP Siegel, the man behind the Triple Pundit Blog, is a good starter for ten:

“The Green Economy is people deciding to walk rather than drive to work, to buy local food and a more fuel-efficient car. It is business owners choosing to fill their inventories from sustainable sources and manufacturers choosing to dispose of their waste products responsibly. It is politicians making the hard choices that favor the long term interests of future generations over the immediate wishes of lobbyists. It is people purchasing renewable energy and voting to allow wind turbines on neighboring ridge tops, even if they don’t like the way they look.”

In the meantime, let’s hope Rio +20 is productive and please note there are now only 23 days to go…..

Chris Shaw

Much has been made of the National Trust’s recent report highlighting the increasing dislocation of children from the great British outdoors, and coining the term ‘Nature Deficit Disorder.’ Without question, this is a valuable piece of work, and highlights what many of us already know; that access to quality green spaces and information about the flora and fauna that surround us can be hugely beneficial to a child’s development.

A family plant a tree together in Western Park, Leicester

However, it is slightly disappointing to note that much of the media coverage greeting the report’s publication has centred around a lament of sometimes slightly Enid Blyton-esque memories of summers past, rather than on the causes of the problem, and a focus on solutions. At a time when obesity levels in the UK are spiralling, along with mental health related issues (particularly amongst children), and many other health indicators, much more work needs to be done to provide communities with the practical support needed to bring about real improvements to health and wellbeing.

Access to green spaces has been well documented to bring positive health benefits. Regular physical activity such as cycling, or even walking, has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some forms of cancer and obesity, and is associated with improved mental well-being. Healthy eating is similarly beneficial and the ability to grow fresh fruit and vegetables together can transform not only the health of people, but also the way families and neighbours interact with one another

Groundwork's Scootability project has encouraged younger children to exercise, and provides a natural progression to safe and enjoyable cycling

The kind of coordinated approach that combines the knowledge of, and the ability to get involved in, all of these activities has the best chance of succeeding in truly changing peoples’ lifestyles. Our work in disadvantaged communities, often with whole families and with schools, has shown that early intervention makes healthier choices easier to make, and helps to reduce health inequalities.

We must all work together to encourage, support and enable people to adopt healthier lifestyles; to eat and drink more healthily and be more physically active.

Neil Hart

When David Cameron compared the skills involved in gardening to those of litter picking in a speech made in 2011, little did he realise this green fingered topic would move into the political domain a year later. Speaking ahead of National Gardening Week (16^th-22^nd April), Royal Horticultural Society  Vice-President, and “the UK’s favourite gardener”, Alan Titchmarsh, was minded to suggest to the PM, that actually, gardening is highly skilled and a useful career path for young people to follow. Writing in The Garden, the RHS Magazine, Titchmarsh said: “That’s the problem – many perceive gardening as ‘tidying up’. The sort of thing that you do to your sock drawer once a year. But, as many of us know, it is so much more than that. The Prime Minister, and others, should consider just what part gardening can play in society. It impacts on those political hot potatoes, law and order, education and health.”

Groundwork's Allotments for All

Here at Groundwork, we would tend to agree with Mr Titchmarsh that gardening, horticulture and all things green fingered can be invaluable tools with which to engage young and old alike, helping not only to create a sense of personal pride in outcomes achieved, but also contributing greatly to green spaces, the wider environment and community cohesion.

The Groundwork garden at the Ecohouse is a prime example of a community space that does so much more than grow plants; it’s a catalyst for community action, friendship and team building skills, a place for young and old to enjoy and to achieve a degree of wellbeing in. If you haven’t visited, we recommend it highly.

In the meantime, we hope National Gardening Week is a great success!

Chris Shaw, Assistant Director

The EcoHouse garden is maintained with the help of volunteers like Jane

Spring has well and truly sprung! It’s wonderful to see this reflected in the surrounding green spaces; trees begin to blossom, bulbs come to flower and the distant buzz of lawn mowers can be heard all across the land, or is that just in our neighbourhood?!

For many, this time of year brings the opportunity to get out into the garden (for those lucky enough to have one), out and about with family, or generally become more active and enjoy the fresh air. For smokers, No Smoking Day, on 14^th March, may have given a fresh impetus to quit, others may be looking to shed a few winter pounds. Only last weekend, The Independent on Sunday reported one GP’s assertion that gardening can be cure for depression (and the possibility that gardening could be “prescribed” on the NHS as part of wider health reforms).

A family help with The Big Tree Plant in Western Park, March 2012

Access to open spaces, such as parks and other green spaces, for recreation can provide significant benefits to health especially in urban areas where access to the countryside can be problematic. Such community resources play a vital role in combating a range of health issues such as obesity, heart disease, and mental health issues, as does the availability of quality volunteering opportunities.

Volunteering can provide you with a fresh challenge, a fun activity, you could even end up forming friendships with kindred spirits. You could get involved in The Big Tree Plant and improve your local green space or try your hand at conservation work. Alternatively, you might like to join our organic gardener Rob, at the EcoHouse,and learn how to/more about organic gardening.  Tasks are varied and the group of volunteers at the EcoHouse are committed and enthusiastic.  You’ll also pick up some great money saving tips.

Gardening isn’t for everyone, maybe you were thinking of a different kind of exercise – how about cycling?  Need a bike or accessories to get you back on the road then contact Bikes4All.

Whatever your motivation, make the most of the better weather, get active, and enjoy your local green spaces – they are something to be proud of and to be treasured.

GWLL Central Services Team

Rob in the EcoHouse garden

In February the Guardian published new statistics on youth unemployment, with reports of nearly 1 million (958,000) young people NEET(not in education, employment or training).

The problem is growing. And the barriers to work are increasing.  The abolition of Education Maintenance Allowance has placed enormous barriers to accessing learning opportunities.  With weekly public transport costs nearing £12, for those living in deprived areas of our city and county this is not a cost that can be sustained over a long period. The result is that young people simply cannot afford to attend their training course, so attendance drops off, qualifications are not awarded and individuals find themselves back on the NEET register.

Bikes4All

Groundwork Leicester & Leicestershire is committed to supporting young people. We want to widen the opportunities for developing skills for the workplace. And we want to deliver programmes where young people work on local regeneration projects and gain qualifications throughout the process. A great sentiment, but we can’t do this alone and that’s why we work with local businesses, city, county and district councils as well as other organisations committed to making positive change for communities.

Brighter Leicester

Groundwork has recently partnered with North West Leicestershire District Council to renovate dilapidated, empty properties and with Leicester City Council to install solar panels on social housing. These projects involve working with local young people to ‘make good’ properties, to teach construction skills that lead to recognised, industry qualifications and progression onto further education, apprenticeships and employment with local businesses.

By engaging young people to work on local projects, we encourage them to take ownership of the area, we reduce anti-social behaviour and we support young people to become active citizens. Young people require real opportunities for work, that can be easily accessed.

If you’re a local business, organisation or public service and you have projects to offer training opportunities for young people – make Groundwork your partner of choice.

Rachel Fletcher, Education & Training Manager

From the 12^th – 18^th March 2012, this year’s Climate Week promises to highlight some of the key issues within the climate change debate. If you can get past the fact that Tescos is the headline partner for the campaign, you will find a host of helpful information at the website. From a very practical point of view, the ideas bank  provides an excellent list of initiatives that can be delivered by private, public and voluntary organisations that want to get involved in the week and help bring it to life amongst their staff and customers.

While I am generally in favour of high profile campaigns that bring major issues to the attention of the public and create opportunities for direct engagement (as opposed to passive acceptance) the downside to the “week of” concept, tends to be they run out of steam as soon as the week is over.  Organisers can peddle ferociously leading into a week’s activity, but as soon as it’s over, there is a temptation to coast and rest on laurels; whereas what is needed is a clear post-event marketing strategy and good evaluation to highlight impact.

Another downside is that campaigns of the Climate Week variety tend to be event based, leaving little room for organisations to promote their core work, the type that Groundwork does 52 weeks of the year.

Let’s hope Climate Week is great and reaches the parts that similar campaigns have failed to reach. Enjoy the week, learn from it and please let us know what the impact is for you or your organisation?

Chris Shaw

As the Environment Agency warns of the very real fears of a drought in the East Midlands and East of England in the coming months, thoughts turn to water consumption. The news comes hot on the heals of OFWAT’s recent announcement that the average water bill in the UK would rise by 5.7% in the coming year, an 0.5% increase above inflation, and an annual increase of £325 for the average family.  What does this mean for you and me, and what can we do about it?

If you are on a water meter , you can have a direct impact on your water bill, by simply lowering your usage.  If you don’t already have a meter and would like more information on whether it  would be beneficial to you, visit (http://www.uswitch.com/water/what-water-meter/)

In addition to the financial benefits for individuals and families,  reducing the amount of water that you use, you also reduce the amount of carbon that is emitted into the atmosphere. Water companies produce millions of tonnes of carbon every year in treating and supplying clean water and dealing with wastewater and sewage. Households produce even more by heating water for activities such as washing clothes, cooking and cleaning,

There are many practical tips for reducing water usage that are easy to do do and don’t involve any change to your lifestyle., For example, putting a brick or water saver in your toilet will reduce the amount of water that you use when you flush the toilet. Also, many modern day appliances have water saving features built into them, such as half load settings on washing machines and washing machines which use the weight of the load to determine how much water to use.

If you are a fan of gardening, fitting water buts to your drain pipes will collect water for you to use when watering the garden, you can see this in action as well as getting more tips and advice by visiting the EcoHouse

.      Saving water is something that we can all do, without having to make big changes to our lives – but by just changing small things, we can start to feel the benefits straight away.

Kathryn Shepherd, Central Services Coordinator

Although recent government statistics show that the proportion of waste we recycle has increased, it seems that many people are still not fully convinced of the difference they, as individuals or as business consumers, can make towards improving this upwards trend further.
By recycling, we reduce the need to consume natural resources. New products are made by extracting raw materials from the earth through mining and forestry. Recycled materials result in significant energy savings because more energy is required to extract, refine, transport and process raw materials ready for industry compared with providing industry-ready materials – not to mention the water and air pollution that is avoided.
Most things we use can be recycled, you would be surprised! By just recycling 1 tin can, we save enough energy to power a television for 3 hours and by recycling 1 glass bottle, we save enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes – with rising energy costs and shrinking resources, this can result in very big savings.

At Recycling Solutions, we are trying to make children more aware of recycling by introducing a Great Recycle Challenge in their schools. The best 3 schools recycling the most products from the City or County will be awarded prizes at the Green Light Festival 2012.

We also encourage businesses and the public sector to recycle more, so much so, we can help those new to recycling set up their own scheme.

As we are wholly-owned by the charity Groundwork Leicester & Leicestershire, any surplus that we make through the sale of recycled materials is invested straight back into developing a wide range of environmental and community projects.

Keep recycling!

Michelle Roe, Recycling Solutions Manager

Last week I was on the phone with a confused member of the public asking about solar panels. She asked whether they were worth £10,000, especially given the reduction in the  Feed In Tariff rate, whether the quotes she had been given were ‘good’ and other general questions that a responsible company really ought to be giving out as standard.

We get countless enquiries from people who have been confused into spending lots of money or just want to know where to start. For people who are thinking of installing solar panels our advice would be as follows –

1. Get at least two quotes
2. Ask for references, even better, go and see an installation the company has carried out and speak to the ‘satisfied customer’
3. Speak to someone independent (a friend who has had them installed, the Energy Saving Trust, The EcoHouse etc).

The decision by the government to reduce feed in tariffs has been widely reported. I think that a reduction in the rate was right but that it was done in the wrong way. The price of buying panels has dramatically reduced over the past year, resulting in some people making too much money on the back of it. It has been good times for the installers and has done the industry a lot of good, but the funding needs to be spread wider to enable more people to benefit.

I would encourage people to continue to consider installing solar panels, most forward thinking companies are still working to a payback period of around 10 years on the new 21p rate, which is still a good deal.

It remains to be seen what happens in April, but if this scheme is cut further, keep your eyes peeled for the new Renewable Heat Incentive (for solar hot water panels and other such products) and the Green Deal (household loans paid back through your energy bill – the proviso being that anything installed should save more money than it costs).

Any green intervention will be worth it in the long term as the long term trend in energy prices is upward.

Gavin Fletcher, Conservation Team Manager

Although we have been fortunate in experiencing relatively mild temperatures so far this winter, the cold snap during the last week has helped turn our attention once again to rising energy costs, an issue that affects us all.

Figures released in December show that a quarter of UK households are now experiencing fuel poverty (spending more than 10% of their household income to achieve adequate warmth and light), and this figure is rising. The chances are, if you are not affected by this directly, you may well know a family or have an elderly relative who is.

This bears out the findings of the Hills report commissioned by the Department for Energy and Climate Change, that fuel poverty is distinct from income poverty, and is about both low income and high energy costs – it must therefore take into account not only income and fuel prices, but also the physical condition of homes.

So, with energy prices seemingly on an upward trajectory (notwithstanding recent minor reductions by some of the energy companies), what can we as consumers do to mitigate the effects? Whilst we wait for the government’s ‘market driven’ Green Deal to bear fruit, we should be doing all we can to promote practical, low cost ways of making our homes more energy efficient.

In Leicester, we are leading a consortium of community groups and other charities to develop a project for the Big Lottery’s Communities Living Sustainably programme. This seeks to better prepare communities for environmental change and understand the improvements they can make to live more sustainably. We also work with Leicester City Council, Leicester College and Stephenson College on Brighter Leicester, providing training for green jobs.

Better access to information on energy efficiency measures is key, and funding for more Green Doctors is badly needed. If you want to start taking action today, visit the EcoHouse, or contact the Energy Saving Trust. Do take action though. Acting on climate change and reducing your energy bills. It’s a win-win isn’t it?

Neil Hart, Development Coordinator