Good evening all,
Welcome to the (belated) London Community Resource Network's enews bulletin, your weekly source of resource and sustainability news.
In LCRN news: LCRN will be running a new project providing support for SMEs in South London's building sector.
In members news: The Ethical Property Company (our landlords) have office space available for charities, community groups and social enterprises across London, while the Hospital and Prison Action Network has launched a new community outreach project.
In London News: Climate change could lay waste to London in the future (possibly), Prince Charles has unveiled plans to create a 'community hub' around Waterloo Station, while the Metropolitan Police show off their green credentials.
In National News: The Government is planning measures to tackle the growing spate of (incredibly annoying if you travel by train) metal thefts, water bills are set to rise this year, while more Tory councils reject Eric Pickles' plans for weekly bin collections.
All this and more in the Environment and Third Sector news.
And finally... Bad news for inaccurate weather forecasters...
LCRN NEWS
* Build South London
LCRN, in partnership with Carbon Smart and South London Business, has launched a new ERDF programme aimed at the building sector in South London. It aims to provide business and environmental support to SMEs in the South London building sector, whether they be a construction or cleaning firm, or a design or decoration firm, free of charge. It is designed to foster collaboration between organisations, share skills and resources, and provide advice and mentoring, helping firms access contracts and supply chains, while keeping resources in the London economy. Also provided free of charge will be bespoke Carbon Smart environmental training, supporting your organisation to achieve an active environmental policy and environmental accreditation. Further updates will follow in due course. For more information on the programme, please contact Julian Halse on 020 7324 4708 or e-mail julian@lcrn.org.uk.
* Become an LCRN Member today
Join the network that’s innovating away London’s waste, the grassroots way. LCRN is proud to present our new membership scheme, open to organisations, charities, community groups and social enterprises in London dedicated to responsible resource management. Our new tiered system is based on both income and services so that you get the most bang for your buck. We strive to bring your organisation the right balance of business, organisational and communications support. Our free membership is still available, but come have a gander at what we’ve got on offer. Our rates are incredibly reasonable and our services can only be a boost for you in this economic climate. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please contact Julian between on 020 7324 4708 or email julian@lcrn.org.uk.
…for LCRN’s new membership scheme
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MEMBERS NEWS
* Office Space Available
Ethical Property provides affordable, flexible, fully managed space for charities, community groups, and social enterprises in a range of locations across London. These centres are already a base for many national and international groups, including LCRN, Womankind Worldwide, Catch 22, and Peace Brigades International. As well as a fully serviced workspace, Ethical Property's centres offer a range of shared meeting spaces - perfect for organisations to hold meetings and training sessions both large and small. You will also often find staff or in communal areas sharing information and networking. A variety of spaces are available - from individual desks right up to larger offices. If you think you may benefit from the space and networking opportunities that Ethical Property can offer - feel free to get in touch. You can call 01865 207 810; e-mail info@ethicalproperty.co.uk or visit Ethical Property's website.
* Homelessness Community Project
Hospital and Prison Action Network (HPAN) in partnership with Crossway Living Faith Church, is running a community outreach project, providing free breakfast for young people, the elderly, single parents, refugees/asylum seekers, and people with no recourse to public funds. This will take place from Monday to Friday, from 10am - 1pm. It will take place at the Crossway Centre, Unit 16-20, 150 Homerton High Street, Hackney E9 6JA. This is well served by the following buses: 276, W15, 236, 425, 394, 242. The nearest Overground station is Homerton Station. For more information please call Nath on 07501 066 097, or Pastor Olu on 07760 523 417. Alternatively you can e-mail hospitalandprisonaction@yahoo.com.
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MEMBERS EVENTS
Visit our friends at Project Dirt for more events across London.
* Valentines For Everyone
This coming Valentines weekend FareShare are collaborating with Forgotten Feast and their eco-chef Tom Hunt to produce a unique 3 course banqueting experience. For £40 you can expect a magnificent 3 course menu of delicious but unwanted foods that may otherwise end up in landfill. From heart to honey, pheasant to parsnip and even kaffir lime leaves, Valentines for Everyone will transform surplus food into a bountiful seasonal banquet. Everyone will sit together for the feast, so come with friends or with your loved one and sit with other diners to celebrate and feast. The banquet will be held in FareShare’s London Bermondsey warehouse, so diners will sit amongst towering stacks of FareShare’s surplus food, industrial fridges and lavish themed décor, created by Secret Garden Party designer Alex Geldenhuys. Every ticket sold will enable FareShare to provide an additional 80 meals for the hungry and vulnerable people we support, thanks to grant-giving charity StreetSmart who are generously matching the number of meals raised though ticket sales. Tickets are £40 plus booking fee and are available for the following sittings: dinner on Friday 10th, dinner on Saturday 11th late lunch on Sunday 12th and for dinner on Valentine’s Day itself and include 3 courses, a drink and canapés.
For more information.
* Engaging Communities On Climate Change
Organisations and individuals need to take energy and climate change issues into account when planning their work. Delivering climate goals will require the engagement of a wide range of stakeholders, including community organisations. This course will teach you the skills and information needed to develop long-term engagement of civil society organisations, groups and individuals in work on climate change and low-carbon living. The new Localism Bill stresses the need for better community engagement: the question is how to make that engagement happen on this complex issue. While some groups are active on limiting and adapting to climate change, this poses unique challenges to the majority who may have other interests and priorities. This course outlines why climate change can be a particularly problematic issue for communities, how to overcome this and how this links to issues around the new Localism Bill and the ‘Big Society’. By attending this course you will: learn the ways in which community engagement can deliver lasting change on climate and energy issues and how to make this happen; understand why community engagement on climate change can be problematic; learn to lead a discussion on the positive aspects of low carbon living; learn to support and work with communities; be able to offer guidance to any community group on reducing their own footprint.
Date: 30th March 2012, 10am - 4pm
Location: TCPA, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AS
Cost: £395: Large businesses; £288: Large charities, public sector and small businesses; £130: Smaller charities (under 15 staff) and individuals. Concessionary rates of £20 are available for students, pensioners and the unemployed.
For more information.
* Sew Good 2012 With TRAID
Learn to 'Sew Good' with TRAID at monthly workshops held at TRAID's shop in Camden. You can bring a garment that you no longer wear, and you will leave with the skills you need to fix, alter, and revive your wardrobe. Simple techniques will help to extend the life of your clothes, and will give you the confidence and knowledge to adjust second-hand, charity shop, and vintage finds to fit perfectly. Whether you need to fine-tune your skills, get to grips with a sewing machine, or even learn to thread a needle, the Sew Good team will help you find creative avenues for transforming unwanted clothing into something that you will love to wear. Due to Sew Good's popularity, booking is essential. Please e-mail sewgood@traid.org.uk. The workshops take place on the second Thursday of every month, between 6pm and 9pm, at TRAID Camden, 154 Camden High Road, London NW1 0NE. These events are free.
For more information.
* Waste Watch Annual Conference 2012 - Creating Social Change
Creating Social Change will bring together individuals and organisations to discuss why a new, integrated approach is needed to achieve meaningful change for social and environmental sustainability .The day will include inspiring examples of both research and practitioners at the forefront of the movement to create long-term changes in collective societal values, behaviours and lifestyles. Confirmed speakers include: Tom Crompton (Change Strategist at WWF), Sally Inman, (Professor of Education Development at South Bank University), Ray Georgeson (Resource Association), Andrew Darnton (Independent Researcher), Ian Williams (University of Southampton) and Morgan Phillips (Our Common Place).
Date: 22nd March 2012; 10am - 5pm
Location: The Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA
For more information.
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MEMBERS JOBS
* Administrative Assistant
The West London Waste Authority is looking for a flexible and enthusiastic individual to become the administration for their new Reward Club Scheme. You will be taking part in a ground-breaking project, funded through the government’s Reward and Recognition Fund. The Reward Club aims to increase re-use and repair of products to reduce the amount thrown away. The working times for the 18 hours a week are flexible to both the needs of the scheme and individual circumstances. We will be happy to discuss this with candidates. Remuneration will be £18,916 - £20,197 per annum (pro rata). This is a 1-year fixed contract. For a more detailed conversation about this role, please contact Sarah Ellis at
sarahellis@westlondonwaste.gov.uk or on 020 8587 1774. The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Friday 10th February. Applications can be emailed to
info@westlondonwaste.gov.uk. You will receive an acknowledgement of your email, if you do not receive this within 2 working days of your submission please contact WLWA. You can also post your application to WLWA, Mogden Works, Mogden Lane, Isleworth, Middlesex, TW7 7LP. Interviews will take place on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 February. For an application pack, please call 020 8587 1770 or visit the
West London Waste Authority website.
* Waste Prevention Assistant (2 Vacancies)
The West London Waste Authority is looking for flexible and enthusiastic people to work alongside their Waste Minimisation Coordinator to deliver a wide range of activities to reduce the amount of waste collected for disposal the West London Waste Authority area. If you enjoy meeting and talking to lots of different people, arranging events and activities and helping individuals or groups make a difference, then this job could be for you. The Waste Prevention Assistants will spend a lot of time out and about at a variety of events, but will be based on WLWA’s main office in Isleworth. The role is full-time (35 hours per week), and is a fixed one-year contract. Remuneration will be £21,375 - £23,377. You can find out more about our waste prevention activities in our strategy and action plan. Have a look through WLWA’s website for more details. WLWA welcomes applications from individuals who would be interested in job sharing for one of the positions. The terms and conditions of employment for WLWA employees are currently being reviewed as part of the single status negotiations. You can download a job description, person specification and an application form from the
West London Waste Authority website. Applications can be emailed to
info@westlondonwaste.gov.uk. You will receive an acknowledgement of your email, if you do not receive this within 2 working days of your submission please contact WLWA. You can also post your application to WLWA, Mogden Works, Mogden Lane, Isleworth, Middlesex, TW7 7LP. The closing date for applications is Friday 17th February at 12pm. Interviews will take place on Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th February.
* Senior Policy Adviser - Resource Stewardship
Green Alliance is seeking an experienced environmental policy specialist, with strong research and analytical skills, excellent relationship skills and an entrepreneurial outlook to lead our resource stewardship theme which, alongside sustainable economy and low carbon futures, is a central policy focus under Green Alliance’s 2012 – 2015 strategy. The resource stewardship theme will be launched in the spring, and builds on the successes and body of knowledge amassed under the current designing out waste theme. The successful candidate will play a central role in managing this transition and will be responsible for leading a consortium of business partners engaged in the policy and politics of delivering a more circular economy, as well as for fundraising for a major programme of work in this field. Green Alliance is looking for someone who is energetic, ambitious and who is seeking to make an impact. The successful candidate will have an interest in the debates around resource security and the circular economy, as well as in UK and EU resources, waste and product policy. However, Green Alliance is not necessarily looking for a specialist in this area. Valued attributes such as intellectual openness and curiosity, as well as the ability to make connections and apply experience from other areas of environmental policy, as highly as specialist policy knowledge. The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 17th February with interviews planned for Monday 27th February. If you have any questions about the role please contact Tamsin Cooper, deputy director, via
tcooper@green-alliance.org.uk or on 0207 630 4521. Please complete the application form (follow the link below) and send to
recruit1@green-alliance.org.uk. Please note that CVs will not be accepted.
For more information.
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LONDON RESOURCE NEWS
* Panic On The Streets Of London
A new government report was warned that London is threatened by a future of long, hot summers that could kill thousands of people every year. Climate change will put the capital at risk of regular overheating and water shortages in the coming decades, causing heat-related illnesses and disruption to transport and business. Sea levels could rise by up to six feet, putting 1.25 million people at risk of flooding. By the 2050s, London's temperatures could exceed the official definition of a heatwave - 32 degrees (Celsius) by day, 18 degrees by night - for more than a third of the summer. Premature deaths are set from hot weather are set to soar from 1,100 a year to 7,000, with a third in London and the South-East - though cold-related deaths are expecting to fall rapidly. The Thames Basin, which provides London's water faces a shortage of 2.6 billion litres a day up from 59 million now. The risk of flooding will also increase, potentially affecting 83,000 properties. The London Underground will also be at risk from flooding and rising temperatures. Ministers said that the £2.8 million 'world class' research underlined the need for the UK to adapt to climate change.
From the Evening Standard.
* Waterloo Sunset
The Prince of Wales has unveiled plans to create a vibrant 'community hub' around Waterloo station, by drawing on the spending power of commuters. He has joined forces with TV property show presenter Kirstie Allsopp to launch a scheme that would tie together the revamp of the station's former Eurostar platforms with other projects, such as the nearby Shell building. The Prince's Foundation has drawn ideas from the community for the regeneration of the area, with His Royal Highness stating: '[I believe]...that the nature of the built environment significantly determines our quality of life.' Waterloo is used by 86 million passengers a year but is London's only major station without a wider regeneration scheme. The project aims to put the 'heart' back into the area and create thousands of jobs.
From the Evening Standard.
* Arresting Carbon Emissions
London's police force has begun installing solar PV on its buildings as part of carbon cutting drive. The latest installation on the a Metropolitan Police Service's building has seen solar PV panels installed on the roof of Lewisham station, in south east London. So far, including Lewisham, three of the Met's buildings have had PV installed on roofs. And in total this has reducing the force's carbon footprint by more than 90 tonnes a year, equivalent to saving the fuel emissions of a car travelling 270,000 miles, according to the Met. It follows a similar installation in Lambeth and a large-scale one at the Met's firearms and public order training centre in Gravesend, Kent. Lewisham's PV array is estimated to save 15 tonnes of CO2 a year and will create annual energy savings of 28,305 kWh. But of the three sites, Gravesend is the largest with more than 500 solar panels, covering approximately 820 square metres. The panels will supply more than 90,000 kWh of renewable electricity a year, this will save over £50,000 a year and 50 tonnes of CO2 a year.
From Edie.net.
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NATIONAL RESOURCE NEWS
* Cash For Metal To Be Scrapped
The Home Secretary has said that the Government will seek to ban cash transactions for scrap metal and increase fines for trading stolen material. Theresa May said that the changes to the law are the 'only sustainable, long-term solution to the growing menace of metal theft. There is an urgent need to make stealing metal less attractive to criminals, and tackling the stolen metal market will act as a significant deterrent.' She said that cash payments mean 'anonymous, low-risk transactions' for thieves and facilitates 'poor record keeping by the metal recycling industry and can support tax evasion'. The Government also plans to bring forward further measures in due course. The new measures will be added as amendments to the Legal and Sentencing Bill that is currently before Parliament.
From MRW.
* New Water Bills Will Drain Cash
Consumers in England and Wales will pay an average of 5.7%, or about £20 more, for their water bills in 2012-13 following charge increases announced by the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry, Ofwat. But Southern Water, which is installing meters in all its customers' homes after Kent, Hampshire and Sussex were designated areas of "water stress", will increase prices by an average of 8.2% or £31, and Bristol Water is raising prices by 8.8%. South East, a water-only company that operates in the same counties as Southern and is also installing universal water meters, is increasing prices by 4.6%, or £9. But customers of South West will face the highest bills, with the company estimating an average charge of £543, a rise of 4.7% or £24 on 2011-12. The rises, which are based on a rise in the retail price index in November 2011 of 5.2%, will mean an average annual bill of £376 throughout the UK. A spokesperson for Ofwat said prices would vary from customer to customer if their water was metered, or if non-metered, depending on the rateable value of their home. In 2009 the regulator set the size of "real" rises in charges for the years 2010-2015, with the aim of keeping average bills almost in line with inflation for another three years. Ofwat says this is around 10% less than the rise asked for by water companies.
From the Guardian.
* Pickles' Plan Binned
More Tory councils have announced plans to snub government cash for weekly residual waste collections as ministers prepare to unveil details of the much-hyped £250m fund this week. Carlisle City Council and Tandridge District Council confirmed that they would not ditch their alternative weekly bin collections despite the Weekly Collections Support Scheme. They joined a growing list of Conservative-run councils shunning the fund, while an increasing number of Labour authorities have also confirmed they will stick with alternate weekly collections. Eric Pickles will outline the funding criteria for his flagship scheme this week. Ministers and officials have indicated the scheme will be for funding “black bag” collections despite a broad coalition of waste chiefs, councils and green lobbyists urging ministers to include weekly food waste collections. Local Government Association head of environment and housing board David Parsons said that the offer of cash to improve services was welcome but he added the fund should be open to councils wishing to support weekly food collections. Department for Communities and Local Government director-general of localism David Prout told MPs before Christmas the fund would be reserved for councils meeting key criteria, including retained or reinstated weekly residual waste collections.
From MRW.
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ENVIRONMENT SECTOR NEWS
* Scientific Breakthrough Fuels Optimism
Pioneering technology using microbubbles could solve the difficulties of harvesting algae for use as a biofuel, according to scientists. The technique, developed at the University of Sheffield, builds on previous research in which microbubbles were used to improve the way algae is cultivated. Algae produce an oil which can be processed to create a useful biofuel. Until now however, there has been no cost-effective method of harvesting and removing the water from the algae for it to be processed effectively. But a team led by Professor Will Zimmerman in the university's department of chemical & process engineering believe they have solved the problem by devising an inexpensive way of producing microbubbles that can float algae particles to the surface of the water. This not only makes harvesting easier, but should save biofuel-producing companies both time and money. The system developed uses up to 1,000 times less energy to produce the microbubbles and the cost of installing it is predicted to be much less than existing flotation systems. Previously Professor Zimmerman and his team won recognition for their earlier work which used microbubble technology to improve algae production methods, allowing producers to grow crops more rapidly and more densely.
From Edie.net.
* Blowing In The Wind
Householders paid out £24 million last year to wind farm owners who had to switch off their turbines because the conditions meant they could not operate, the Government has admitted. The Conservative MP Mark Pawsey (Rugby) said many payments were being made because it was often too breezy for turbines to work as the electricity grid could not cope with the power that they generated in high winds. In other cases, turbines have been switched off because there is not enough wind. He said it was left to energy consumers to pick up the tab in the form of higher energy bills. In a question to Energy Minister Charles Hendry, he said: ''My constituents in Rugby who face applications for wind farms will be concerned about reports that turbines are switched off at times of high wind speed because the current infrastructure is unable to handle the amount of electricity is generated. What steps are you taking to protect consumers from this increase in their electricity bills?'' Mr Hendry played down the millions paid to wind farm owners, saying that the £24 million accounted for just 10 per cent of the total amount of ''constraint payments'' - compensation offered to providers when they have to shut down. Last October, a written question from Tory MPs Simon Kirby (Brighton Kemptown) and Steve Brine (Winchester) found that wind farms across the UK were told to shut down for 37 days between January and mid-September 2011.
From the Daily Telegraph.
* No End To Boom And Bust
Businesses are worried a mini solar 'gold rush' and continued uncertainty in the market will damage the renewables sector in the long-term. The Government's loss in a Court of Appeal hearing over a judicial review into cuts to Feed-In Tariffs (FITs) has created the possibility of a short term solar 'gold rush'. The court ruling means any Solar PV installed, commissioned and registered between December 12 last year and March 3 this year will receive the higher FITs rate of 43.3p for the next 25 years. Customers who register on or after March 3 will qualify for the higher rate until April 1 when it will drop to as low as just 9p depending on the energy efficiency of the building. Add in the fact that energy secretary, Chris Huhne, has vowed to continue fighting to push through cuts to FITs by taking it to the Supreme Court and the long-term conditions for solar power is far from guaranteed. PV installers and designers Photon Energy's managing director, Jonathan Bates, said: "Some people within the solar industry have been pleased to see the DECC get a bloody nose on this, but the decision carries a high risk for the solar industry and may even place the entire FIT scheme in jeopardy. "Many of us in the industry had largely come to terms with the changes and believed that the new 21p tariff was workable as it would give a return of 5 per cent. The old tariff levels were far too high and re-instating these could now have a potentially crippling impact on the spending cap of £860m. The Court ruling could cause another mini gold-rush before the new deadline of 3 March. This is the last thing we want to see as it could potentially lead to the end of the FIT scheme. The last few months have seen a boom and bust - the last thing we want is another boom followed by a spectacular bust."
From Edie.net.
THIRD SECTOR NEWS
* EU Procurement Rules In Being Sensible Shock
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations has backed proposed changes to EU procurement rules, which it says will make it easier for charities to compete for government contracts. The Cabinet Office is holding a consultation on draft European Commission rules, published over Christmas, which recommend that public bodies break down contracts so smaller bodies can bid for them. The rules would require those bodies to publish explanations if they do not do so. They would also increase the threshold under which procurement of services of social value did not have to meet full EU tendering criteria from €200,000 to €500,000, which would reduce administration for charities bidding for those contracts. The commission has also proposed introducing more flexible rules for contracts that involve innovation.
From Third Sector magazine.
* Sorry, We've Never Heard Of It
New research for Charity Finance has found that almost one-third of the public have never heard of the term social enterprise. YouGov, on behalf of Charity Finance, quizzed more than 2,000 people and found 33 per cent had never heard of a 'social enterprise'. The same amount (33 per cent) thought it meant a business that is more interested in social or environmental goals, than in making money for owners or shareholders. Having had a general description of social enterprise explained to them, more than one in four (44 per cent) of respondents said they would be more likely to use or buy products or services from a business calling itself a social enterprise. However, 29 per cent of respondents said they would not trust a social enterprise to run any public services. Dr Michael Wagstaff, head of public sector consulting at YouGov, said this shows that the latent demand for products provided by social enterprises does not automatically translate into delivery of public services.
From the Office for Civil Society.
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CONSULTATIONS, FUNDING & TENDERS
* Southwark EnviroGrants
The Southwark EnviroGrant scheme is open again ready to receive applications for community projects who need funding and support. This will be the second year that the scheme, established by Veolia Environmental Services the recycling and waste partners of Southwark Council, will be offering funding opportunities. Each community project can apply for up to £1000 from the EnviroGrant scheme. Applicants can also apply for the support of Veolia volunteers, to help with labour, thanks to Veolia’s staff volunteering scheme, which allows every employee half a day per year to spend on a volunteering opportunity of their choosing. The Application deadline is 31 March 2012, with decisions and awarded funds being allocated in June/July 2012. In 2010/11 the scheme was able to fund seven community projects including: Delawyk Crescent where the residents and Veolia employees built a chicken coop which will ensure that the local residents have free range eggs for many years to come; whereas at John Donne Primary school, both Veolia’s Southwark and Lambeth contracts joined forces to help build a greenhouse from plastic bottles, landscape an eco green area for the pupils of the school plus provide money to fund an eco den activity shed. If you are a part of a community based project and you would like to apply for a grant to support your project, applications can be found at
www.veolia.co.uk/southwark. The closing date for applicants is 31 March 2012.
For more information.
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AND FINALLY…
* Earlier On Today, Apparently A Woman Rang The BBC And Said She Heard A Hurricane Was On The Way...
Meteorologists in South Africa could face prison if they get their forecasts wrong, under new legislation. It's hoped the rules will prevent weathermen causing panic and economic damage by getting it wrong about things like drought or flash-flooding. Those wanting to issue a severe weather alert will have to get written permission from South Africa's Weather Service Bill first. Weather forecasters getting it wrong for the first time could face a four or five-year sentence and a £400,000 fine. And repeat offenders could be jailed for as long as ten years or fined up to £800,000.
From Ananova.
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