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Cleaner Air for Schools

The Cleaner Air for Schools project by LSx (London Sustainability Exchange) is engaging parents, teachers, pupils and school governors of schools in primary and secondary schools in London to raise awareness of and understand the importance of air quality as well as encourage more environmentally responsible behaviours around travel and transport. The project was launched initially to support Transport for London’s Clean Air fund and then was expanded across three London boroughs.

The project aims to improve the confidence, knowledge and skills of both pupils and the wider school community, empowering them to understand the importanceof air quality, what causes air pollution and what actions they can take to tackle this problem. Over 3000 pupils were engaged and LSx is now working with schools in Wandsworth, Croydon, Merton and Richmond for the next stage of this project.

Greening Bristol’s Streets

Bristol’s streets are gettinga green makeover. The ‘Our Street Pockets’ projectaims to transform car park spaces into green hubswhere people can enjoy for socialising, playing or just sitting in. Sustrans and 14 Neighbourhood Partnerships are converting the spaces with Bristol Green Capital into ones which communities can use to improve the character of the streets and bringmore social capital into the city centre. It will provide an initial grant of £800 to help trial the improvements.

Heeley City Farm in Sheffield

Heeley City Farm has been pioneering local food sustainability since 1981 and is one of the oldest community- led sustainable projects in Sheffield. The buildings are powered by wind and solar energy, while visitors can see the farm animals and visit the organic gardens, café, garden centre and shop. The project offers youth and adult training courses, adult education and work experience activities, volunteering opportunities, day care for adults with learning difficulties, play programmes for younger children, out of school play schemes for school children and other public activities.

Incredible Edibles, Newcastle

Residents on Stanhope Street in Newcastle have planteda garden to grow food on their estate. The Incredible Edibles community-led project was supported by Places for People and Groundwork.

A local residents association constructed and maintained four large high-quality raised planting beds. Over 26 weeks the association gradually grew fruit, vegetables and herbs in communal areas, grew food in containers for young people, ran tasting, cooking and eating activities and offered craft classes linked to fruit and vegetable growing.

Sunshine Tariff Trial in Cornwall

A first of its kind new ‘Sunshine Tariff’ is helping residents in Wadebridge in Cornwall to subsidise their energy bills by generating their ownsolar power. The radical community pilot scheme that links peak daytime production of renewable electricity with smart technology to offer lower daytime prices to domestic consumers.

The scheme is being conducted by Community energy group Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network, local network operator WPD, innovative electricity supplier Tempus Energy and sustainable energy champions RegenSW. The scheme is a first for the UK and offers residents more control over their energy. It is similar to the Economy7 tariff but with a daytime cheap rate when the sun powers the solar panels.