Big boosts for cycling
There have been some great boosts for cycling this month.
Bradford based charity Capital of Cycling has secured £292k of funding over the next five years after a successful bid for National Lottery Reaching Communities funding.
Capital of Cycling is a coalition of cycling organisations who work to promote cycling across the district and its social and physical benefits. It offers a range of activities, including learn to ride sessions for all ages, fix and learn sessions and a meeting space for cycling groups. The extra funding will help the charity expand within its Bradford base and create community spaces across the district which are 'welcoming, thriving spaces for target groups and the broader public' to enjoy cycling activities .
There is also good news for the Bikeability programme, the national Government scheme which teaches children bike safety skills.
The Government has announced that the programme is being expanded so that all children in England will be taught cycling skills. This will mean an additional 400,000 training places on the scheme each year.
The Government has also pledged to invest £22 million into a range of schemes, including the Access Fund, which helps local authorities to support cycling and walking; the Big Bike Revival and the Walk to School outreach programmes offered by Cycling UK and Living Streets.
Road transport currently makes up 27 per cent of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, so making cycling and walking more accessible can play a big role in cutting carbon emissions..
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Leading environmentalist coming to Bradford
Leading environmentalist Fazlun Khalid is coming to Bradford to talk about climate emergency this weekend.
The talk will take place from 7.30-9pm on Sunday, 23 February at The Central Mosque ‘Westgate’, Infirmary Street, Bradford BD1 3PU.
Fazlun Khalid is the founder and director of the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Science, in Birmingham, and has been described as the ‘single most active Islamic environmentalist alive today’. He has participated in the UN’s Climate Change Summit in 2009, a Building Bridges of Hope initiative and various other interfaith climate action meetings around the world.
Fazlun will talk about his latest book – Signs on the Earth – Islam, Modernity and the Climate Crisis, followed by a Q&A session.
There is no need to book ahead for this free event and everyone is welcome.
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Clean air consultation.
A series of consultation events are planned for people to find out more about the proposed Clean Air Zone, which aims to improve air quality and the health.
The proposal is to introduce a Class C Clean Air Zone in October 2021 - a daily charge for more polluting and non-compliant vehicles like buses, coaches, taxis, heavy and light goods vehicles when they enter the area. This will not include private cars.
Exemptions are also being considered for small business owners, charities, schools, emergency vehicles and other specialist vehicles are also considered in the plan.
A full public consultation on the plan is being held between 18 February and 26 March with the following events:
- Mon 2 Mar – Main Hall, Keighley Central Hall, 1 - 8pm.
- Thurs 5 Mar – Hockney Room, Margaret McMillan Tower, Bradford, 1 -8 pm
- Weds 11 Mar – Ilkley Town Hall council chamber, 4 - 8pm
- Thurs 12 Mar – Meeting Rooms 1 & 2, Shipley Library, 1 - 8pm
There will be presentations at 1.30pm and 6.30pm with opportunities to view information about the proposals and meet Bradford Council staff.
Taxi and private hire drivers can attend one of the drop-in sessions:
- Mon 24 Feb - Bradford Khidmat Centre, 11am - 2pm
- Tues 25 Feb - Keighley Central Hall, 11am-2pm
- Weds 26 Feb - Girlington Community Centre, 11am-2pm.
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Eco shop saves landfill
An eco shop in Saltaire is striving to save plastic from landfill.
Giddy Arts, on Victoria Road, opened six months ago and its owner Joel Harrat has estimated that it has saved 65,000 pieces of plastic from landfill since then.
The shop encourages people to stop buying things in plastic packaging by using the shop’s ‘refill stations’ for household items, such as cleaning products and soap and foods like breakfast cereals or pasta and bringing in items to recycle. The shop plans to expand its range of goods.
WI have a heart for climate action
Bingley 5 Rise Frocks Women’s Institute has been putting their hearts into supporting climate action.
The group is supporting the Climate Coalitions “Show the Love” campaign and at a recent meeting it heard a talk by a Bradford Council Energy & Environment Officer on the topic of local climate action. The group then made green hearts to spark conversations about the places they love and the future they want for their children. The group’s heart will be worn, shared and left in places to help share the message of making positive changes for the environment.
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