Groundwork Lincolnshire Spring 2012

Groundwork LincolnshireNavigation WarehouseRiverhead RoadLouthLN11 0DA

Tel: 0845 026 [email protected]/lincolnshirewww.crestra.co.uk@groundworklincs

Designing leisure in your community...

Groundwork’s landscape department has been very busy working on a number of projects throughout the county. The Britvic-sponsored Transform your Patch initiative will be supporting projects in Wragby, Lincoln and Donnington over the coming months.

In addition, Groundwork is working with Bracebridge Heath, Nettleham and Saxilby Parish Councils to develop plans for skateparks in each of these villages. Work to date has included a community consultation and submitting applications. Also, Groundwork is working to develop play areas and enhanced community facilities with Wragby Town Hall and the Friends of Wickham Gardens in Lincoln. Please contact Groundwork if you feel there is a project it could help with.

Winter warmth initiative a toasty treatResidents throughout Lincolnshire have been helped through the winter of 2011/12 by an initiative designed to keep them warm in their homes. The Responders to Warmth scheme has worked towards reducing the negative health impacts of adverse weather, aiming to:

• reduce winter mortality rates;• reduce winter-related injury and hospital admissions;• reduce fuel poverty.

The programme was introduced in January 2012 as a part of a wider initiative from the Department of Health.

Several partners have been involved in the delivery of the scheme. During the course of the programme Groundwork has helped over 300 vulnerable people in Lincolnshire. In total, the programme has improved the lives of over 500 householders.

The initiative offered eligible residents a range of measures dependent on the severity of the weather. The support offered could include any of the following: domestic energy advice; loft and cavity wall insulation; handyperson service; emergency food parcels; emergency repairs to heating; fleece blankets, hot water bottles and warm clothing; salt and sand provision.

Other partners in the project include the Lincolnshire Community Foundation. Lincolnshire Home Improvement Agency, Lincolnshire County Council, the district councils and the NHS.

Teresa Cooling, Groundwork project manager said:

“The project had been a huge success with advisors saying many residents welcomed our visits.

The advisors fed back that most of the properties visited were necessary as the families lived in below standard accomodation and financially did not have sufficient resources to keep their home safe and warm.

Residents who lived in remote rural areas welcomed the salt bags as gaining access to local supplies was difficult.”

GROUNDWORKin Lincolnshire

Newsletter Spring 2012Natural play parks:would you like one of these?

In 2009, Caistor was suffering from an electricity shortage, with power cuts posing a problem for local food businesses. Caistor Energy Partnership (CEP) was formed, and a feasibility study into renewable energy options for the town was carried out. A biogas plant(or anaerobic digestor) was identified as the best renewable way forward.

Fast forward to 2012, Groundwork Lincolnshire and the CEP won £16,000 funding from DECC’s Local Energy Assessment fund to move the idea forward. Match funding of £4,000 was drawn in from partners. The consultation was attended by

200 people. Over 90% of people were in favour of a biogas plant in principle. Concerns about location and lorry movements were widely expressed. Groundwork will continue to support the project, in the belief that a renewable plant will provide sustainable electricity supply for the area.

Featured project:

Skills for Climate Change

A Biogas Plant for Caistor?

Louth will be benefitting from funding from DECC’s Local Energy Assessment fund to assess the local housing stock and potential opportunities under the Green Deal. The Green Deal is a scheme where home energy efficiency improvements are paid for by a provider, and paid back by the householder from savings on their energy bills. Groundwork is part of the local group, including the local authority, planning how to communicate the Green Deal to householders. As recent press coverage makes clear, there are opportunties and pitfalls for householders, and opportunties for jobs and training locally.

This project aimed to train local volunteers to carry out home energy audits and promote energy saving in rural areas.

Rural homes tend to be older, more likely to not use mains gas, and, therefore, be in fuel poverty. Groundwork led on a bid in the East Midlands to deliver the project. Groundwork developed a training package for the volunteer advisors and trained volunteers in Belper (Derbyshire) and Louth, then supporting them to carry out the home visits. It is hoped that this will lead to a further roll-out across the East Midlands region.

Groundwork Lincolnshire will again be offering Eco Homes visits to New Linx tenants. These visits are targeted to older and less energy efficient homes.

Householders receive an energy survey, and free fitting of low energy bulbs, radiator panels, draughtproofing and other items. Older people and parents-at-home seem to make up a large proportion of the customers eligible for the service.

Tailored advice is given by an expert on reducing bills - be that by changing tariffs or changing behaviour. The service is offered by trained, CRB-checked staff supported by volunteers and those on unemployment placements.

Key Groundwork contacts...

Vicky DunnSenior Development Officer

Specific enquiries to:

Darren PollardLandscape and construction

James TrowsdaleDevelopment and community

Caralynn GaleTraining and employment

Lewis FroudMarketing and communications

Call us now on:

0845 026 7971Online: www.groundwork.org.

uk/lincolnshire

Twitter: @groundworklincs

Featured project:

Green Deal in LouthFeatured project:

Eco Homes Contract renewed

Communities Living SustainablyGroundwork Lincolnshire is leading a bid to the Big Lottery Fund’s Communities Living Sustainably programme. Having successfully submitted an expression of interest to the programme it is one of 30 projects nationally developing a final application to be one of 10 £1million projects. The programme supports projects that explore ways of improving community resilience and promoting more sustainable lifestyles. The project is focused on Long Sutton and Sutton Bridge and partners include Lincolnshire County Council, the Environment Agency and Anglian Water. The project aims to create local employment and training opportunities, improve the energy efficiency and resilience of buildings and raise local awareness of energy efficiency, flood risk adaptation and emergency planning.