Thursday 16^th September 2010

2pm- 4pm- Redditch YMCA, Loxley Close, Redditch, B98 9JG

Monday 20^th September 2010

10am -12pm- Solihull Council, Civic Suite, Homer Road, B91 9QS

Thursday 23^rd September 2010

1pm-3pm- Solihull Community Housing, Endeavour House, Meriden Drive, Solihull, B37 6BX

6pm-8pm- Optima Community Association, St Thomas House, 80 Bell Barn Road, Birmingham B15 2AF

Friday 24^thSeptember 2010

10am-12pm- WATMOS, Vene to be decided.

1pm- 3pm- Oddingley Hall, 18 Oddingley Road, Northfield, B31 3BS

Monday ^4th October 2010

10am- 12pm- Heanton Housing, 3 Wellington Road, Bilston, WV14 6AA

1pm-3pm- Heanton Housing, 3 Wellington Road, Bilston, WV14 6AA

Tuesay 12^th October 2010

1pm-3pm- Tamworth Cornerstone Housing Association, Location TBC.

Thursday 21^st October 2010

10am-12pm- Caldmore Housing, Jervis Court meeting Room, Dog Kennel Lane, Walsall.

1pm-3pm- Caldmore Housing, Jervis Court meeting Room, Dog Kennel Lane, Walsall.

Wednesday 27^th October 2010

10am-12pm- Family Housing, Dolphin House, 54 Coventry Road, Birmingham, B10 0R

1pm-3pm – Family Housing, Dolphin House, 54 Coventry Road, Birmingham, B10 0R

Thursday 28^th October 2010

1pm-3pm – Bromford Group, Oddingley Hall, 18 Oddingley Road, Northfield, B31 3BS.

Residents Level 2 Course Upcoming Dates

Thursday 30^th October 2010

9.30am – 5pm, The Wrekin Housing Trust, Colliers Way, Old Park, Telford, TF3 4AW

I was watching the news this week and they were speaking about the oil spillage that killed 11 workers. Gallons of oil has been spewing in the sea for over 2 months and causing long term damage to our planet but BP boss Tony Hayward made a ignorant comment saying ‘the environmental impact is likely to be very modest’. I don’t think Mr Hayward seen the pictures I did of sea life creatures swimming with oil over their innocent faces and leaving their habitats that have been destroyed. How can he think that the environmental impact was very modest? We have to look after the world we live in for the future generation. This got me wondering what I do for the environment and how I can change.

A major factor about trying to go green is that we don’t know how to or it seems really expensive. Going green doesn’t have to be expensive. If everyone did little things like turning off appliances, electronic utilities and all switches you can save money as well as reduce energy that is harming the world we live in. There are lots of websites and workshops within different areas that offer help and support to those who want to go green. I know I will be more energy efficient now because, I want to help save our environment and every little helps.

Now that measures have been established, or in other words, a steering group has been introduced, the goverment can be lead on the right track. For starters, the actual carbon emissions used by ministers and civil servants are being released as live evidence, for the public to be witness of the governments carbon footprint; therefore forcing them to control their energy consumption. Additionally, the plan is to create a larger working industry in the low energy economy, to invest in low carbon energy projects, and amplify the use of renewable sources in the power industry, three seemingly easy tasks that will take very much organisation, but will the new government be able to reach this goal?

Fortunately, another triumph for the evironment has been the election of Green Party leader Caroline Lucas as MP for Brighton Pavillion, the first seat in parliament for the Greens. Hopefully, this will be an incentive to bring environment issues back into politics, and far more importantly actually have an effect on how these issues are treated. Caroline Lucas is the one MP who will have environment at the top of their agenda, and with a suttle but imposing manner, can provide the best insight to rebuild climate debate.

Almost 400 primary school children from 29 schools across the Midlands got artistic to urge adults to go green with amazing poster designs.

James Grifiths, aged 10, from Pedmore Church of England School in Stourbridge, saw off tough competition to win and scoop £1,000 of eco-friendly goods for his school. He was also awarded a £100 prize.

His design featured the world as a character giving a thumbs up and the rallying cry to adults “The World isn’t your enemy so help start the remedy”, which wowed the judges.

Emily Jagoa, 10, from Comberton Primary School in Kidderminster.was runner up and joint third place went to Amelia Bridges, aged 9 from Green Meadow Primary School in Selly Oak, and Richard Mills, 10, from Cheadle Primary School in Staffordshire.

In total 379 entries were submitted from children at 29 schools. To view the top 16 posters chosen by us  Click Here.

The competition was part of a major campaign across the region to encourage people to go green and save money being co-ordinated by Accord Housing Group. The ‘Fit for the Future’ project is also offering free training for up to 600 people in Climate Change and Energy Management, with 20 paid jobs as Community Climate Change Champions also up for grabs.

The £200,000 scheme is funded by Advantage West Midlands to help develop a low carbon economy in the region by creating jobs and helping people develop new skills. 

 Fit for the Future is being run in partnership with Family and Black Country housing associations, and the Energy Saving Trust. Sandwell Homes has also come on board to provide training for its residents and other housing associations are welcome to get involved.

John Bedford, who runs Accord’s sustainability programme and was one of the judges, said: “The standard of entries was absolutely amazing. Some of the entries were just brilliant and it was such a hard choice.

“I want to thank each and every child which took part. In the end we chose a combination of a great slogan and a design with impact.”

For further details about how to register for courses, contact Laura Guest, Tel: 0121 568 7070 Email: enquiries@nrcce.org.uk

The Fit for the Future campaign, backed by Advantage West Midlands, aims to help the region develop its role as an economic hub of green technology.

It is being delivered by the Accord Group in partnership with two other housing associations, Family and Black Country. The project is also being backed by the Energy Saving Trust.

Throughout 2010 up to 600 residents from across the Midlands will be provided with a free 2-hour training course on Energy Conservation. Up to 100 will be offered further training on a Level 2 accredited one-day course.

There are also up to 20 jobs as paid Community Climate Change Champions to carry the message out into the neighbourhoods where they live. The Climate Change Champions are being employed by Groundwork Trust West Midlands through the Future Jobs Fund. The roles are open to anyone who has been out of work for 6 months.

Major contractor Mears also hopes to offer work placements to residents and train its own ‘green technicians’ at the project base, the Innovation Works @ Rubery Owen, a renovated historic industrial building in Darlaston.

Project co-coordinator Mark England, from the Accord Group, said: “Fit for the Future works on many different levels, from increasing understanding of Climate Change to giving people practical advice on cutting their energy bills.

“It also provides people with new skills and potential career options, from being Climate Change champions to work placements, as well as a programme to train green technicians right here in the Midlands.”

More than a dozen community 2-hour training events will be held across the Midlands between now and September 2010.

Mark Pearce, Corporate Director for Economic Regeneration at Advantage West Midlands, said: “Advantage West Midlands is committed to helping the region’s businesses and residents seize the economic opportunities from the transition to a low carbon economy but we recognise that we will need to learn important lessons along the way.

“That’s why we have provided £200,000 to support the exciting Fit for the Future pilot project to look at new ways to develop skills and knowledge in the people, businesses and new technologies that will drive the region’s economic transition and play a vital role in reducing carbon emissions.

“With more than 600 residents receiving this specialist training I am confident that this pilot will shape how we develop these crucial skills for the future.”

The next free training session are being run at:

Monday, 22 February – Sandwell Homes, Operational and Development Centre, Roway Lane, Oldbury

Tuesday, 23 February – Innovation Works @ Rubery Owen, Booth St, Darlaston

Monday 15 March – Innovation Works @ Rubery Owen, Booth St, Darlaston

Monday 22 March, Jervis Court Meeting Room, Dog Kennel Lane, Walsall
For further details about how to register for courses, contact Laura Guest, Tel: 0121 568 7070 Email: enquiries@nrcce.org.uk

Young people in particular have had their own say, with research, polls and studies, many young people have been involved in the political debate which will affect their future. Recently in Copenhagen many young representatives have been discussing their young nation’s opinion, pressing their ideas to people in political power and overall being very passionate about the decisions being made at the climate change summit.

The Environment Agency carried out a poll on what young people think is the most important agreement that could be made – 26.1% believe that countries will work well together in tackling climate change, yet 0% ticked that businesses will cut carbon emissions! These young people know for a fact that business is more important to people than their children’s future. In fact 8.7% agreed young people are being asked what they want to happen in due time, that’s a poor result, evidence that young people are not having an effective say on what’s happening.

A study was carried out by Lulea University of Technology in Sweden, in which 109 children were instructed to draw an image and comment on a specific topic, in this case, environment. The results found that the images drawn branched into four ideas, the good world, the bad world, the connection between the good and the bad world, and symbols and actions protecting the environment.

In the form of the thoughts and comments of the children, environment was shown as clean and unspoilt nature in different manifestations, the need for human beings to use nature for recreation and comfort, environmental destruction in different forms, and direct or indirect ways of taking care of the problematic situation. Reviewing these findings it’s clear the children have not considered the effects in the future, and how they will have to live with it, but they are very aware of what’s going on and how natural resources are being used by their older role models.

Alternatively, in polls carried out by UNICEF, when asked to name the rights they knew, about 7% of the children in East Asia and the Pacific spontaneously came up with the right to a clean environment. In Europe and Central Asia, 26% would like their country to be a place in which there is no pollution, 20% mention environmental issues such as poor lighting and high levels of traffic making them feel unsafe in their neighbourhood. When asked about their ideal country, one tenth of the children polled in Latin America and the Caribbean wanted a society without pollution. Clearly children globally know why the climate is changing and the world is going bonkers, the only problem for them really is they can’t deal with it, because it’s not in their power to make big changes.

Famous philosopher Edmund Burke stated, “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.” This is generally the thought of most young people, we all want to make a difference, whether it be a small difference or big, it’s still something. People in power, the government, people who have relevance in agreements such as the “Hopenhagen” climate change summit should consider young people’s views, make decisions for our sake too, and not only for business sake, for the future of their countries, which actually is us.