How Green is your Community?

Do you want to help make your community a more sustainable place to live?  Do you want to reduce your energy costs and see your community benefit from a reduced carbon footprint? 

Then why not encourage your community to sign up to a new project that is about to start in your area.

Five enthusiastic communities that wish to become more sustainable will be offered free practical help, advice and support to help reduce their carbon footprint. A project coordinator will assist the community in the development and implementation of an action plan. 

Benefits for the community include:

•  Help to develop and deliver community projects
•  Reducing the impact on the environment and energy costs
•  Receiving advice on project funding and grants
•  Creating employment and training opportunities
•  Improving the general health of local people
•  Combating fuel poverty
•  Helping the local economy

The project coordinator will work closely with the community for up to two years helping to assess the community’s carbon emissions as a baseline, creating an action plan to help to deliver carbon savings and then implementing the plan through community led activity.

The project is supported by the North York Moors, Coast and Hills LEADER Programme which covers the North York Moors National Park, the Howardian Hills AONB, the rural part of Redcar and Cleveland, and the northern part of the Vale of Pickering.  Your community will need to be located within this area to participate.

The project will be drawing on the expertise of Sustainability 4 Yorkshire Ltd, the local Energy Saving Trust advice centre, and is receiving funding from the North York Moors National Park and the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Sustainable Development Funds.

Matt Lewer, Sustainability 4 Yorkshire Manager, said:

“This is a great opportunity for local communities to get involved and make a real difference to their carbon footprint.”

Would your community like to be involved? 

For further information, please contact Rosie Hughes 01904 554408 or email rosie.hughes@s4y.org.uk.

An expression of interest form will be sent to you and the deadline for applications is Friday 24 September 2010.

Can my community group sign up?  

Please take a look a the Moor Coast and Hills project map.

About LEADER

This project is partly funded by the North York Moors, Coast & Hills LEADER Programme as part of the Rural Development Programme for England, which is jointly funded by Defra and the European Union, and is managed by Yorkshire Forward in the Yorkshire and Humber region.   

About the North York Moors National Park

The North York Moors National Park is one of 14 National Parks in the UK the purposes of which are "to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage" and “to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the park". In carrying out these purposes, the Authority has a duty "to seek to foster the economic and social well being of local communities". The National Park is administered by an Authority of 22 members, made up of county and district councillors and members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment to represent parishes or in recognition of their specialist skills or knowledge.

About the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is one of 40 AONBs in England and Wales.  These are precious landscapes whose distinctive character and natural beauty is so outstanding that it is in the nation's interest to safeguard them. Their care has been entrusted to the local authorities, organisations, community groups and individuals who live and work within them or who value them. 

The Howardian Hills AONB covers 204 sq km (79 sq miles) of the North Yorkshire countryside, nestled between the North York Moors National Park, the Yorkshire Wolds and the Vale of York.