WORKING TOGETHER

Working togetherJoin a voluntary or community group

Sometimes more can be achieved by taking action together. Why not join a local environmental or community group or start your own group? There are many groups in the Horsham District taking actions that are tackling climate change. The library and the District Council website are useful sources of information on community groups.

A good example of a local initiative is the reusable bag campaign in Henfield. Run by Henfield Community Partnership, it encourages the use of reusable shopping bags. Since its launch at least 350,000 bags have been saved.

Another successful group is Horsham in Bloom which works to improve the environment of Horsham town through floral displays, landscaping and tackling litter and graffiti. It works with other conservation groups in the town to raise awareness about environmental issues, such as using water wisely.

Greening Campaign logoThe District Council is working with the Greening Campaign to establish new groups in the area. These groups will encourage their local communities to work together to reduce their carbon emissions and environmental impact.

Actions for existing groups

If you are already a member of a voluntary or community group there are actions that your group can take. These range from carrying out a water audit of your community building, to using recycled paper for any publications/posters. (For ideas see The Every Action Count website).

If your group is interested in reducing energy or wants to explore whether renewable energy could be used in your community, Community Action for Energy can provide support, training and advice over sources of funding. Some Parish Councils in the District have had energy checks of their village halls and implemented energy efficiency measures. The checks were carried out by Action in Rural Sussex.

If there are environmental issues that concern your group, you could work together to improve them or start a campaign to encourage more in the community to take action.

Some actions require funding. The DEFRA website has information on grants for community groups. The Greener Living Fund is the main grant for community environmental projects. The LEADER project seeks to promote wealth in rural areas. Funding is available to improve energy efficiency and to install renewable energy in community buildings.

Action plans

Parish Councils and the District Council run the Village Action Plan process. This is a way for communities to establish the key priorities for their villages and actions for the future, including environmental priorities. Several of these are currently being produced. If one is being produced for your area, why not get involved?

 

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