Event bids for national warmer homes victory
From left: Siobhan Mellon, Shane Holland, Charley Aveson, Linda Whitebread, Maria Wardrobe and Cllr Pippa Corney, SCDC cabinet member for localism
A project set up to help residents improve their homes by making them warmer and cheaper to run is bidding for a national award after beating off competition from across East Anglia to scoop the regional prize.
Fuel poverty charity National Energy Action along with the Department of Energy and Climate Change challenged nine finalists from across the country to present their case for winning the top gong after South Cambridgeshire District Council’s (SCDC) Sustainable Energy Partnership picked up the regional accolade last year.
At a special event held at Gamlingay’s Eco Hub on Friday (February 15) SCDC councillors and Sustainable Parish Energy Partnership volunteers – who have helped run a series of village energy days to provide communities with the knowledge they need to take action on the issue – took the stage to present their case to judges.
Since the partnership launched in 2009, 27 parishes have joined up and hundreds of people have attended energy days held across South Cambridgeshire villages – some gathering crowds in excess of 100 people.
As eastern winner in the Community Footprint Awards, the Council has already picked up a £2,000 cash reward that will see a fun and interactive display produced to help demonstrate to people of all ages the different ways they can go green and make their home cheaper to run and more comfortable to live in.
British Gas, which sponsors the awards, also funded the event at Gamlingay to showcase the work communities have done in South Cambridgeshire.
Cllr Tony Orgee, SCDC chairman who introduced SCDC’s bid at the event, said: “It is great to see how much has been achieved by this partnership since we launched it in 2009.
“The success has been down to hard work and the huge dedication of volunteers in villages across the district.
“The partnership’s village energy days have put knowledge in residents’ hands so they can make greener choices to improve their home.
“It’s a great honour to beat off competition to win the eastern award and we hope the judges were impressed with the commitment and energy they saw.”
Cllr Bridget Smith, SCDC local member for Gamlingay, said: “Some energy efficiency improvements on homes can be costly, but the village energy days show that even small adjustments can have a really positive effect on giving you a warmer home that is lighter on the pocket.”
Cllr Sebastian Kindersley, local member for Gamlingay on Cambridgeshire County Council and SCDC, said: “The Eco Hub in Gamlingay is a great example of how modern technology can help make a building very environmentally friendly.
“Transforming older properties has different challenges but council officers and volunteers in the partnership have had huge success in helping residents think hard about a greener future.”
The overall national award winners will be announced at the end of March.
For all the latest news see Thursday’s (March 7) Echo.
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Weather for Haverhill
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 9 C
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