Residents of Whitefriars Housing Group properties, as well as other properties in the areas will be offered a range of free products including a device to convert a single flush toilet into dual flush, a showerhead that mixes water with air, tap inserts, and a shower timer. Residents will also be offered an E.ON TV PowerDown to eliminate standby and a thermometer card that indicates whether a room is too hot or too cold.

Residents coming along to an EcoTeam meeting will meet new friends and neighbours, getting together for an hour once a month for five months to discuss the home visits they’ve had, how to save more water, gas and electricty, plus how to recycle more. Tap Into Savings will provide the venue, refreshments and freebies to take home and try.

Local project facilitator for Tap Into Savings, Kate Hunter, said ‘We are very pleased to bring Tap Into Savings to Coventry to help residents save water and energy, which will help reduce household bills and protect local water supplies, plants and wildlife for the future. The project shows how easy it is to make big savings and I encourage everyone to get involved.’

Coventry icon Lady Godiva attended the launch and spoke of her experience as part of an EcoTeam.

The project is delivered in partnership with Waterwise, Global Action Plan, Whitefriars Housing Group, Severn Trent Water, Coventry City Council and the Environment Agency.

Posted: 28 June 2010

Job Code: TIS Braintree

Closing Date for Applications: 21 July 2010

Interviews: 27,28,29 July in London

Job Description

Annual Salary: Approximately £20,000 depending on experience (pro rata)

Benefits: Flexible hours and twenty-seven per year days paid holiday (pro rata)

Contract: Fulltime, fixed term 2 August 2010 to 4 March 2011

Office: Greenfields Community housing, Charter Way, Braintree, Essex, CM77 8FG

Responsible to: Tap into Savings Programme Manager, Waterwise, London

Waterwise, the not-for-profit, non-governemntal organisation that helps people in the UK reduce the waste of water, is launching ‘Tap into Savings’ in Braintree in partnership with Global Action Plan, Anglian Water, Greenfields Community Housing and Braintree District Council. During the nine month long project, 5000 homes in the Braintree area will be visited to install simple water saving devices and provide advice, and 250 people will be supported through an EcoTeams programme, saving water, saving energy and reducing waste.

This Braintree project is part of the national Tap into Savings programme that will visit 7600 homes, support 380 EcoTeamers and engage with thousands more people in the project areas. The aim is to achieve water savings and support people in making their lifestyles greener through technological and behavioural changes, in a manner that seeks to enable people to take action individually and as a community. The programme is being funded by Defra’s Greener Living Fund. For more information visit http://www.tapintosavings.org

The main function of the Project Facilitator will be to support delivery of the water efficiency home visits and EcoTeams, primarily through promoting the proejct to residents and signing people up for offers. The Facilitator’s main duties and responsibilities will be to:

• Recruit residents through telephoning, door knocking and community outreach (for example, speaking to existing community groups and displaying at local events);
• Generate local interest and promote the project through community-based social maketing techniques;
• Serve as the local port-of-call for the project, listening to people’s experiences, concerns and ideas;
• Monitor activities on the ground by, for example, making sure complaints are resolved quickly;
• Liaise with project partners and stakeholders to make sure everything is on track; and to;
• Support project evaluation activities including surveys and interviews

The Facilitator will be expected to attend all partner meetings and comment on project plans and materials. Some evening and wekend work will be required as well as occasional days in London and Coventry (travel expenses will be covered). The Facilitator will be supported approximately one day per week by a Global Action Plan Ambassador.

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience working at the community level (for example, door knocking, campaigning with a local environmental group, leading a community group or recruiting volunteers)
• Creative, enthusiastic and sociable with demonstrated involvement in your community
• Good oral and written communication skills, and negotiating/influencing skills
• Ability to work with people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities
• Committed to the environment and sustainable living
• Ability to work within a team, working consistently to agreed goals, but also the ability to work on your own inititative and without direct supervision (you must be self-motivated)
• Highly organised, focused and results driven
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle

Desirable

• Knowledge of the Braintree area and communities
• Knowledge of water efficiency and other environmental issues, for example, energy efficiency and recycling
• Willingness to present formally at meetings and engage with local media

Applications

To apply, please email, post or fax your curriculum vitae (C.V.) or resume with a covering letter to Melanie Cooper, Human Resource and Finance Director. In the covering letter, please state why this job interests you, how your experience and skill set meet the Person Specification, and also state the job code. Two references will be required of candidates selected for interviews.

Email documents to mcooper@waterwise.org.uk with ‘TIS Braintree’ in the subject line. Please make sure all attachments are less than 4MB total. You can also post your application to Melanie Cooper, Waterwise, 1 Queen Annes Gate, London, SW1H 9BT, or fax to 020 7957 4613.

This job description and person specification provides an outline of the duties and responsibilities of the post. It is not exhaustive. Please direct any questions to Melanie Cooper at mcooper@eaterwise.org.uk or on 020 7344 1838.

If you’re keen to start cycling why not try our Greener Living Fund partner Sustrans’ online mapping tool which can be used to plot your favourite cycling routes in your area, and share it with your friends!

Or to find out more about national Bike Week click here.

Team Green Britain is being run by EDF energy, a sustainability partner of London 2012, Global Action Plan’s Greener Living Fund project – EcoTeams – are giving members of Team Green Britain practical advice and ideas on how to improve household efficiency and reduce their environmental impact, get involved!

Date: 26 June 2010

Time: 09.30 – 14.30

Location: The Civic Centre, Barras Bridge, Newcastle, NE1 8QH

To register for this event please visit the EcoTeams website.

If you’re unable to attend this training, keep a look out for future events in your area on the website. Or you can read the Welcome to EcoTeams guide and guide to getting started here.

Good Catch is a project aiming to help restaurants and related businesses navigate the issues of seafood sustainability. Through practical information and events – such as this workshop at Hastings – Good Catch makes it easier for culinary professionals to improve the sustainability of the seafood that they buy, serve and promote.

Good Catch brings together the work of the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC),  SeaWeb’s Seafood Choices and Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Attendees visited the MSC certified fishery at Hastings and learnt more about the MSC certification process. They were able to share ideas and experiences with others in the industry including the actual fishermen from the area.

Webbe’s Rock-a-Nore Restaurant provided a demonstration into filleting various sustainable fish choices including the Dover Sole.

This was followed with a top rate sustainable seafood lunch to show case sustainable choices from Hastings.

Paul Webbe, Head Chef at Webbe’s Rock-a-Nore restaurant explains the benefits to his restaurant of MSC certification and how he communicates this with his customers in this video.

The funding will be made available to projects in a range of areas: energy efficiency and usage in the home; waste and recycling; water efficiency and usage in the home; promoting more active travel via walking and cycling; greener spaces and sustainable consumption.

Third sector organisations in these areas will need to show how they can create real behavioural change within communities. Projects operational anywhere in the UK can apply in the run up to, during, and after the Games.

Dan Norris said: ‘The London 2012 Games will no doubt inspire many people to think not only about their health but also the environment they live in…Goverment alone is not able to deliver change and embed greener living behaviours, so by working with the third sector and using their networks it enables greater reach and the potential for longer lasting pro-environmental behaviour change.’

The fund is just one of the Defra actions in the recent report Shaping our Future, which was published by the joint ministerial and third sector Task Force on climate change, the environment and sustainable development.

Further information on the ‘Inspiring Sustainable Living’ fund and Shaping our Future can be found here.

The event lasted for 5 days and the Good Catch had a stand to talk to all sorts of people from the foodservice industry about sustainable seafood choices and their business. Chefs from Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant were on hand to provide live demonstrations of working with sustainable fish and the winner of this years Sustainable Fish and Chips award also made an appearance.

Raymond Blanc was due to hit the main stage with a demonstration compered by Emily Howgate, Sefood Choices Alliance, to show how they use sustainable fish at his restaurant Le Manoir. However, after he injured his leg his Head Chef at Le Manoir, Gary Jones stepped in. To see Emily and Gary in action and hear about Le Manoir’s work click here.

For a write up of the launch event please visit Defra’s Third Sector blog.

You can download the report here.

• homes
• shopping and eating
• travel
• the business world
• the environment

Visit this link to join in the debate http://engage.defra.gov.uk/greener-society/

Also of interest is this information on detox behaviours from Directgov

Week 1: Enjoy your home in spring – being greener in your home

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Greenerlifestyles/DG_064373

Week 2: Enjoy outdoor space – greener ways to garden

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Greenerlifestyles/DG_064407

Week 3: Get active in your community – ways to be greener in your community

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Greenerlifestyles/DG_064439