Funding available to help businesses reduce carbon emissions

Teignbridge businesses keen to play their part in tackling climate change can, from next week, apply for a decarbonisation grant to help them reduce emissions and lower energy costs within their workplaces.

Green Business Grants, the first of five projects to be launched with funding from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), is expected to go live early next week. £165,000 has been allocated for this financial year for Green Business Grants as part of the £1.6m UKSPF funding allocated to Teignbridge which runs until March 2025.

Companies can apply for grants ranging from £3,000 – £25,000 to pay for things like  LED lighting, low energy heating systems, heat pumps, double/triple glazed windows and doors or thermal insulations.

Please apply on our webpage teignbridge.gov.uk/greenbusinessgrant which will go live early next week.  Funding will be allocated on a first come first served basis and must be spent by 31 March 2023.

The Green Business Grants are also available to charities and not- for-profit organisations.

Businesses looking to deliver on climate goals can find out more on the SME Climate Hub or on the Decarbonise Devon site.

Building Control awards celebration

Staff from Devon Building Control attended the LABC (Local Authority Building Control) Grand Final Awards at The Westminster Plaza Hotel in London last week.

Five companies from the area made it to the final in different award categories with Lilburn and Elliott Construction Ltd winning the Best Residential and Small Commercial Builder category.  Judging is based on not just the end result but the quality of craftmanship and the relationship between builder and Building Control Surveyor. 

Devon Building Control were also nominated for Best Building Control Team but unfortunately, they were pipped by Bath and North East Building Control

Remember you need Photo ID to vote in this May's elections

The Electoral Commission has produced a booklet which explains everything you need to know about needing Voter ID for the 4 May council elections.  This is a new requirement introduced by the Government for people voting at polling stations.

You may already have a form of photo ID that is acceptable such as:

• Passport
• Driving licence 
• Blue badge
• Identity card with PASS mark (Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
• Biometric Immigration document
• Defence identity card
• Certain national identity cards

You can find out more about the forms of photo ID that will be accepted on the Electoral Commission website or you can call their helpline on 0800 328 0280.

If you don’t already have an accepted form of photo ID, or you’re not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you, you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate. 

Alternatively, you can complete a paper application form and send this to the electoral services team at Teignbridge.

Don't let fear of cancer stop you getting help

Too many over 50s don’t seek help when feeling unwell for fear of a possible cancer diagnosis.

The UKHSA has launched new campaign which tries to tackle concerns that people may have.

The campaign message tells you that if something in your body doesn’t feel right, don’t carry the worry of cancer with you. Tests could put your mind at rest. Until you find out, you can’t rule it out.

So if you're concerned, get in touch with your GP practice and get the problem checked out.  Find out more about the symptoms of cancer on the NHS website.  

Lift someone out of loneliness

Feeling lonely is something that all of us can experience at any time and can have a huge impact on our wellbeing. 

Sometimes admitting we feel lonely can be hard but it’s important to remember that many others experience feelings of loneliness too, and that this feeling can pass. 

There are plenty of simple, free actions you can take, such as going for a walk, sending someone a text, or inviting someone for a hot drink.

Find more support and advice for ways to ‘lift someone out of loneliness’ on the Every Mind Matters – Loneliness web page.

Take the Mind Plan quiz to get a personalised mental health action plan with practical tips to help you deal with loneliness as well as stress, anxiety, low mood and trouble sleeping.

Sport England Small Grants Programme  is offering National Lottery funding of between £300 and £15,000 to support projects that bring communities together and provide sport and physical activities for people who may be less physically active as well as those that focus on environmental sustainability.  Applications will close on 30 June.

The Environment Agency and Angling Trust have announced an additional £100,000 investment for the Get Fishing Fund to encourage more people to give fishing a go in 2023.  Funded from fishing licence sales, grants of up to £2,500 are available to benefit angling-based projects. Angling Clubs, Fisheries, Organisations, Schools, Local Authorities or Charities based in England that want to increase the number of people being introduced to Angling are all eligible to apply.  5 March is the deadline for applications.

Registered Allotment Associations and Committees for the improvement and development of facilities on registered and permanent sites can apply to the National Allotment Gardens Trust for grants ranging from £250 to £2,000 per applicant. Applications will be dealt with on a quarterly basis. The deadline for  applications is the first of the month in April, July and October.