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Eco Schools launched in West Berkshire
As part of West Berkshire Council’s commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030, we are working with schools to help them to reduce their carbon emissions and have fun doing it!
This month we launched the Eco Schools Programme in West Berkshire and are encouraging schools to sign up. It’s available to all education settings - nurseries, primary, secondary, special schools and colleges. Once completed, schools achieve the Green Flag accreditation.
Eco Schools is an internationally recognised, 7-step programme that aims to embed a simple environmental management system in schools with students leading the way. There are 10 interesting topics which overlap with the national curriculum including Biodiversity, Energy, Healthy Living, and Litter.
Sound interesting? Speak with your local school about signing up!
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To celebrate 25 years of the Greenham Trust, and in support of the Queen’s Green Canopy and Great Big Green Week, we are delighted to be working alongside Greenham Trust to help them offer local schools, councils and community groups the opportunity to plant one or more trees to enhance the local environment for years to come.
The Trust plans to provide up to 25,000 trees to be planted throughout the region over the next planting seasons. An initial order has been placed for trees to be planted this Autumn and the Trust is now accepting applications for free trees.
We are extremely happy to have scooped up this prestigious national award in recognition of our climate change bond scheme last year.
In summer 2020, we launched the UK's first Community Municipal Investment offering our residents and community groups a unique way to invest in West Berkshire, funding green projects to help the district become carbon neutral by 2030. In October 2020, we achieved our goal of raising £1 million.
This money helped to fund, or partially fund, several environmental projects including Solar PV installations, active travel infrastructure improvements, and tree planting across the district. See the overall list of award winners here.
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In early September, we were lucky enough to join several of our partners at Newbury College’s new Renewables Centre where the UK’s first 100% electric coach made a stop on its Zero Carbon Tour journey through the UK to COP26 (the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference).
This event provided an opportunity for Thames Valley Berkshire LEP to launch its Berkshire Net Zero Carbon Research Report, sharing the first in a series of priorities that will ensure that Berkshire plays a leading role in the UK’s drive to net zero carbon emissions. This means the Council, our partners, businesses and communities all working together with the aim to put no more carbon into the atmosphere than it takes out and is key to help secure a sustainable future for the planet.
We showcased our progress on the Council’s Environment Strategy and talked to attendees on working together as well as fun interactive quiz with eco-prizes. Cllr Lynne Doherty (Leader of the Council) and Cllr Steve Ardagh-Walter (Executive Member for the Environment) joined in the event too, as photographed.
The Tour is accelerating the UN-backed Race to Zero as part of the UK's #TogetherForOurPlanet campaign, and provided the ideal opportunity to showcase how Berkshire is leading the global green agenda on a local level.
Catch up on everything that happened on the day at https://youtu.be/TfrxX0BEsrg
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Did you know that overgrown vegetation such as hedges, trees and flowers can put the safety of pedestrians and motorists at risk?
Residents and businesses are responsible for vegetation that overhangs from private property on to the public highway within West Berkshire and we are urging people to ‘cut it back’.
Read more in our handy leaflet here. Don’t forget you can also report a problem through our website here.
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We recognise the real challenges of accessing fuel at the current time and hope that soon things will become easier. Once you can fill-up again, we thought it would be helpful if you knew about the new petrol that you might see on offer.
The Government have introduced E10 petrol to the UK as a more eco-friendly fuel for our cars.
According to the Department for Transport, E10 petrol could reduce emissions by 750,000 tonnes each year, which is the same as taking 350,000 cars off the road.
However, according to the RAC, around a quarter of UK drivers are unsure about the new fuel. Petrol cars made after 2011 should accept the new petrol. If you are unsure, take a look on the Government website here to check if your car is compatible.
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 The search has begun to find this year’s Community Champions to recognise the amazing contributions local residents make to West Berkshire.
We are calling upon local residents to nominate deserving individuals and groups for our Community Champion Awards 2021.
The Community Champion Awards are an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to people who have done something special for their local community and will honour those individuals and community groups who have gone above and beyond to support residents throughout West Berkshire this year. Environmental projects are very welcome amongst the nominations!
Nominations will be open from Tuesday 28 September 2021 for 5 weeks. All of the awards will be judged by an independent panel and the winners will be presented with their award at an awards ceremony to be held in January 2022.
Nominations for the Community Champions Awards 2021 can be made in the following four categories:
- The Pat Eastop Junior Citizen of the Year
- Volunteer of the Year
- Community Group of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award
To read more about the criteria for each category and make a nomination, visit the dedication Community Champions Awards web page.
The deadline is 1 November 2021 so get those nominations in quick!
 There is lots of available funding nationwide to help your climate actions, whether you are a small local community group or a business. A few examples are given below.
Heroes of Net Zero Competition
Run by the UK Government’s Together for our Planet campaign and the SME Climate HUB, this competition is open to micro (1-9 employees) and small (10-50 employees) UK businesses who are taking action to go green.
The best entries will be invited to attend the COP26 international climate change summit in Glasgow on 2 November 2021, where the winners will be announced and receive an exclusive prize package worth £4,500.
The deadline for applications is 11.59pm on 6 October 2021.
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Low Carbon Workspaces offers small and medium-sized businesses in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 to cover up to a third of the cost of making energy improvements.
Reducing your carbon footprint and energy consumption is becoming more and more important for small businesses across West Berkshire who care about the impact they have on the environment. By applying for a Low Carbon Workspaces grant, your business could also reduce the payback time for any potential investment.
As long as you fit their eligibility criteria, you can help promote sustainable business across West Berkshire whilst cutting carbon emissions.
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The National Lottery Community Fund
The National Lottery is offering from £1,000 to £10,000 of funding to support communities across the UK to take action on climate change.
Projects should reflect what matters to your community and can be small in scale. They could cover food, transport, energy, waste and consumption, and the natural environment.
You do not need to be an expert in any of these areas to apply. They are particularly interested to hear from people starting to think about taking action on climate change in their communities.
Deadline for applications is 5pm on 18 November 2021.
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Update from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust: |
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As we come to the end of September so, too, do we reach the end of this year's survey season. There have been some nice verges found and some not so nice, but the more information we have the better West Berkshire Council's future management plans will be, to benefit both local people and local wildlife.
We've had some very fruitful outreach to Parish Councils, local wildlife groups, and with Councillors after sending out our project welcome packs earlier in the summer. We're very keen to hear about the verges in your local area and of any concerns you may have. So, whether you're a resident of a Parish in West Berkshire or a member of a Parish Council we're keen to hear about flora-rich verges near you and of any concerns you may have about changes in verge management. Please contact me, Simon Claybourn, the Wild Verges Project Officer, at: simon_c@bbowt.org.uk.
As for some highlights of this year's surveying effort so far, we've found some truly beautiful, short-sward, flower-rich grassy verges across West Berkshire - including Knapweed, Pyramidal Orchids, Common Toadflax, Common Broomrape and many more fantastic flowers on a verge near Theale.
 Along The Avenue in Bucklebury there were some great flashes of floral colour after our trial of sensitive verge management this summer. The highlight in my eyes, despite the nibbling by deer, was that one Broad-leaved Helleborine managed to flower and go to seed. Something that would have been lost through regular summer verge cutting. A work in progress, but a great result for the first year.
Stay tuned for more happenings as we deliver talks and outreach through the autumn and winter. If you're keen to get involved practically, we're in need of many more volunteers for next year's surveys that start in May. We'll have more calls for help closer to the beginning of next season, but we will be providing full training for all new and existing volunteers that would like it.
Photos courtesy of Simon Claybourn, BBOWT.
Festival of Creation
2 and 3 October 12pm - 5pm
St Mary's Church, Burghfield, are holding a Festival of Creation to celebrate our beautiful planet and the ways in which we can be more sustainable.
There will be eco-exhibitions and displays for visitors, as well as creative activities and refreshments.
Entrance is free.
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Lockdown Woods Bulb Planting
Sunday 3 October 10am – 4pm Goldwell Park
Sunday 10 October 10am – 4pm Barn Crescent
Would you like to help beautify your local green spaces? Friends of the Earth Newbury are running an event in Goldwell Park and Barn Crescent to plant native spring bulbs. Anyone is welcome to join in.
Please bring: gardening gloves, trowels, bulb planters, spades if you have them!
For more information visit their website at www.newburyfoe.co.uk, Facebook Page Lockdown Wood, or email them on: info@newburyfoe.co.uk.
No booking required at either event. Covid security measures will be in place to keep us all safe.
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Bikeability Cycle Training Courses - October Half Term
Looking to improve your cycling skills? We have a number of Bikeability Training courses that might be just what you are looking for:
Bikeability Family courses (max 6 riders from the same household) – 3 hours
Bikeability Level 2 courses (suitable for aged 10 & 11) – 1 day course
Bikeability Level 3 courses (suitable for riders that have completed Level 2) – 3 hours
If interested email activetravel@westberks.gov.uk
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