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BULLETIN
BOARD
Here
members display short items of news, information or opinion. Members wishing
to use this page, which will be updated regularly, should
contact
the GreenWeb
Coordinator
GreenWeb
exercises editorial control to exclude irrelevant or offensive
material and reserves the right to select and shorten submitted
material.
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Jobs
Grants
Other News |
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Local Green Job Opportunities
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Monmouthshire
CC is keen to attract Footpath Volunteers, who
help, often weekly, with maintenance and improvement tasks on
promoted routes, and Pathcare Volunteers, who, less
frequently, check designated routes and undertake simple tasks.
Training, tools, insurance and travel allowance provided.
Contact Volunteer Co-ordinator on 01633 644663.
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GreenWeb
also would welcome new committee
members. If you are interested in contributing to the
future of the network and can represent one of our member
organisations please contact
Dick Cole.
Planning Aid Wales is looking for new volunteer members of its
Board of Directors. PAW supports groups and individuals to
play a more effective role in the planning system, and is looking
for people with expertise in relevant fields. Contact Neil
Harris on 029 2087 6222 or
HarrisNR@cardiff.ac.uk. |
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Grants News
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This section provides news of grant
opportunities that come to our attention. It is by no means
comprehensive and we advise you to contact
Rural Community Action,
GAVO or
Monmouthshire CC's
Sustainable Communities (LA21) team for advice.
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Welsh Community Recycling Sector Awarded £3m Fund
WAG
has awarded the community recycling sector in Wales £3 million over
three years to help build capacity. This will be designed to help
Cylch
member organisations achieve the investment necessary for them to be
sustainable long-term social enterprises. The fund will be
used to provide suitable investment that will help the sector in
Wales deliver waste minimisation, reuse, recycling and composting
activities. In order to avoid any conflicts of interest the
Cylch Capacity Building Fund will be administered
independently of Cylch, following selection of a contractor by the
end of March. Further details will be announced once an
administrator has been approved, with guidelines, eligibility
criteria and how to apply available later in the year.
Added 8 Apr 08 |
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Tubney
Charitable Trust
It
has always been the plan that the
Tubney Charitable Trust
would seek to spend its endowment by the
latter part of this decade. The Trustees have now reconfirmed that
intention and have published a timetable for closure. The Trust
gives substantial grants to projects that have a significant impact
on the biodiversity of the UK and the welfare of farmed animals both
in the UK and internationally. From June the Trust will stop
accepting applications to open grant programmes and award grants to
invited applicants instead. Both capital and revenue costs are
supported, but grants are not made towards capital projects unless
they are part of a larger project that falls clearly within the aims
of the Trust. The absolute application deadline is 2 June 2008.
Applications can be made at anytime though, and you should not delay
unnecessarily. Further details are available from
info@tubney.org.uk.
Added 8 Apr 08 |
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Tackle
Flytipping
Keep Wales Tidy is
running a pilot WAG scheme that offers up to £5,000 towards dealing
with flytipping hotspots. The grant can help with the costs of
tools, clothing, disposal, volunteer expenses, preventative
measures, etc. Contact
Pam.Barnes@keepwalestidy.org
or 02920 256767.
Added 9 Mar 08
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HLF
Landscape Partnerships
Heritage Lottery Fund
support is available for partnerships of local, regional and
national interests, which aim to conserve landscape areas of
distinct local character. Priority for support are schemes which
provide long-term social, economic and environmental benefits for
rural areas. The scheme is changing in 2008. New application and guidance material
will be available from 1 April 2008.
Added 27 Nov 07,
amended 20 Apr 08 |
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Playground Partnerships
Playground
Partnerships is inviting potential applicants to register an
interest in applying to the scheme when the application packs are
published in March 2008. The scheme provides awards of between
£1,000 and £10,000 to primary schools within the UK so that they can
enhance children's play opportunities. Playground Partnerships was
launched in 2004 and has supported over 650 primary and special
schools. Projects need to: be pupil led; involve the whole school;
have an input from the wider school community; encourage high
quality teaching and learning across the curriculum; foster the
inclusion of pupils with special educational needs. Awards are
likely to be of £1,000, £2,000, £5,000 and £10,000. At this stage
all that is required is for you to register your interest in
receiving an
application resource pack when they are published in March 2008.
Added 11 Nov 07 |
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Google
Grants for Advertising
The
Google Grants UK beta programme supports organisations sharing
their philosophy of community service to help the world in areas
such as science and technology, education, global public health, the
environment, youth advocacy, and the arts. Designed for UK charities
which meet their requirements and are registered with the Charity
Commission of England and Wales or by the Inland Revenue, Google
Grants is a unique free advertising programme. Each organisation
choosing to participate in Google Grants receives at least three
months of free advertising.
Added 11 Nov 07 |
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Small
Changes, Big Differences
Guardian Unlimited,
the online version of the newspaper, has launched
Small Changes, Big Differences, a bursary scheme to encourage
local groups to use small amounts of money to make significant
changes to their local environment. £10,000 is available overall,
and bursaries can range from £50 to £5,000. The bursaries do not
have to be used for charitable purposes. Application is really easy,
you simply have to provide your contact details and write up to 400
words about what you would do with the money you need. Ideas do not
have to be especially inspiring; the judges are simply looking for
‘small but thoughtful improvements that will make a big difference
to you and your community’. Examples cited include: buying devices
to place in a community centre’s toilets to save water; putting up
hanging baskets; buying solar panels for a school.
Added 3 Oct 07 |
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New WCVA
Funding Web Site
WCVA’s sustainable
funding team have been busy bugs this summer preparing a new
website. Visit now to find practical help and support on
achieving long term financial
sustainability.
Useful information on various funding options, case studies,
training and sources of further help –
www.sustainablefundingcymru.org.uk.
Added 18 Sept
07 |
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Added 4 Sept 07 |
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Warm
Homes Campaign 2007
Every year NEA Cymru
runs a campaign to raise awareness of the issue of fuel poverty and
solutions to the problem within local communities throughout the
month of November. NEA is awarding up to £500 to help promote work
to tackle fuel poverty and/or to help local people achieve
affordable warmth. If you are a not-for-profit organisation, local
authority or other statutory/voluntary agency helping people make
their homes warm and healthy you can register for the Warm Homes
Campaign Award Scheme 2007
and be in with a chance of receiving the grant award of up to
£500. Further details are available from Sarah Fraser, Warm Homes
Campaign Co-ordinator on
sarah.fraser@nea.org.uk or 0191 261 5677.
Added 7 Aug 07 |
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Biffawards
A £2.4m
fund to help protect and rebuild the UK's biodiversity is appealing
for applications from environmental groups. Biffaward, managed by
the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, uses landfill tax credits from
Biffa Waste Services to support community and biodiversity projects
and has given £85m to more than 1,000 projects since 1997. But it
says it is not receiving enough applications.
Grants of between
£5,000 and £50,000 will be awarded. Further details are available
from
www.biffaward.org where you can check whether your project is in
an eligible area.
Added 7 Aug 07 |
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O2 Community Awards
O2 have committed £1m towards a
nationwide community improvement programme. The programme has four
categories: improving the place communities’ share; helping bring
people together; tackling issues and restoring pride and improving
the natural environments of communities. The programme is ongoing
and it is hoped that 60 awards are given out per month. Applications
can be made online at
www.itsyourcommunity.co.uk or phone 0800 90 20 250.
Added 26 July 07 |
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Local Transport Services Grant
Each year, local
authorities in Wales are allocated extra funds for the provision of
additional or new bus or other transport services for local
communities. The funding available for the 2007/08 financial year
has increased from £9.4 million to £10.4 million. There is a
requirement that a proportion of the funding (at least ten per cent)
is spent on community transport schemes promoting accessibility and
social inclusion. Applications will be made in two instalments; one
during summer 2007 and another during spring 2008. Further details
are available from Mrs Jane Corbett, Integrated Transport Unit,
Welsh Assembly Government, Transport Policy and Administration
Division, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ. Tel: 029 2082 6505, e-mail
Jane.Corbett@Wales.GSI.Gov.UK or visit
www.wales.gov.uk. It would also be a good idea to speak to
Simon James at GAVO (01291 672352) if you want to talk about
possibilities in Monmouthshire.
Added 17 April
07
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People and Places
The Big Lottery's People and Places
fund aims to bring people together to make their communities
stronger and to improve their rural and urban environments. This
programme will support people working together to make their
communities better places to live. It will support local and
regional projects and projects that work throughout Wales. People
and Places can fund projects that achieve one or more of the
following programme outcomes: revitalised communities; improved
community relations; enhanced local environments and community
amenities. This programme is open to the community, voluntary and
public sector. Money is available for capital and revenue projects
and can be used for the development of communities or communities of
interest. Further details are available from
http://tinyurl.com/ypkxqs.
Added 27 Mar 07 |
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Small Events Recycling Fund
Cylch
have a grant fund available, from Environment Wales, to help small,
volunteer led, community based events start recycling. Groups will
need to explain the background to their event, what, if anything has
happened in the past with recycling at the event and why they wish
to recycle at this event this year. Grants of £1,000 are available.
For further details, contact Ruth Llewellyn, Wales Event Recycling
Officer, tel 029 2064 9750, email
ruth.Llewellyn@cylch.org.uk.
Added 1 Feb 07 |
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People’s Millions
The
People’s Millions competition has announced it will give out even
bigger grants in 2007. Grants of up to £100,000 (previously up to
£50,000) will be available for projects that help communities enjoy
as well as transform their environment. This may be for a range of
purposes including buildings, amenities, public and green spaces and
the natural environment. Voluntary and community groups, local
authorities, schools, health bodies and social enterprises may apply
to the competition, which gives local people a real say in funding
via phone and text voting. Those undertaking community projects
should register their interest via the People’s Millions hotline on
0845 0 10 11 12.
Added 15 Jan 07 |
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Micropower Grants for Buildings
Phase
two of the government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme has £50
million in grants over the next 18 months to help fund the
installation of micropower technologies such as solar panels, micro
wind-turbines and ground source heat pumps on schools,
not-for-profit and public sector buildings. See the Phase 2 web site
at
www.lowcarbonbuildingsphase2.org.uk,
although the
press release has some useful
background.
Added 15 Jan 07 |
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Heritage Lottery Fund - Your Heritage
The Your Heritage
programme offers grants of between £5,000 and £50,000 and aims to
involve communities in their local heritage. The programme will help
to: conserve and enhance our diverse heritage; encourage communities
to identify, look after and celebrate their heritage; increase
opportunities for learning about heritage; and open up heritage
resources and sites to the widest possible audience. Further details
are available from the Heritage Lottery Fund, tel 029 2034 3413,
email
wales@hlf.org.uk or visit
www.hlf.org.uk/English/InYourArea/Wales/.
Added 28 Nov 06 |
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It's Your Community
Awards of up to
£1,000 are available to local groups and individuals for the hire of
tools or equipment, and to purchase plants, paint, signs, materials
etc. All types of environmental projects such as: turning derelict
land into an amenity park or wildlife area, tree planting, creating
a wildlife pond, renovating neglected river and canal footpaths,
providing water butts and recycling facilities in village halls -
are welcome to apply, from anywhere in the country. Further
information is available from
www.conservationfoundation.co.uk/ActLocalAwards.php.
Added 28 Nov 06 |
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The
Steel Charitable Trust
The
Steel Charitable Trust is a grant-making trust supporting general
charitable purposes. It is the policy of the trustees to make grants
to a wide range of charitable bodies. Grants are made to registered
charities in the UK within the funding priority areas: health &
medical research; social services; environment and culture. Grants
are made at the end of January, April, July and October and the
total level of grants is £900,000 per annum. Grants are made as
single payments between £500 and £25,000. Further details are
available from
www.steelcharitabletrust.org.uk.
Added 13 Nov 06 |
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Biodiversity
Challenge 2007
GrantScape
will be making £2m available through the Biodiversity Challenge Fund
2007, to projects aimed at creating, conserving or enhancing the
biodiversity of England and Wales. Applications to the Fund will
need to comply with the requirement of the Landfill Tax Credit
Scheme, the minimum grant will be £200,000. Further details are
available from
www.grantscape.org.uk.
Added 13 Nov 06 |
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Young
Roots
The Heritage Lottery
Fund's Young Roots programme can provide grants of £5-25,000 to
engage young people (13-20) in exploring their heritage.
Projects that bring together a youth sector partner and a heritage
partner so that young people learn about and become involved in
heritage can bring a sense of pride and self-worth. Innovative
and creative projects, involving young people in the management of
the task, helped by partners' expertise, can bring a wide range of
benefits for both young people and heritage interests. Click
here
for more information or get in touch with Stephen Barlow,
Development Officer, Suite 5a, Heritage Lottery Fund, Guildhall
Place, Cardiff CF23 8PT - 029 2023 4165 or
stephenb@hlf.org.uk.
Added 27 Sept 06
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Other News
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New WAG Transport
Strategy
WAG has launched a new
Transport Strategy for Wales, claimed to be its first comprehensive
transport strategy. though you may find most of the very generalised content
pretty familiar. We must hope to see a regional strategy with more detail
soon.
Added 6 May 08 |
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Tidy Wales Week 2008
Tidy Wales Week will be taking
place from 23 – 29 June and aims at getting as many people as
possible to lend a hand. You can organise your own event or join one that is
taking place in your locality. To assist groups, Keep Wales Tidy has
produced 1000 FREE clean-up kits. Sponsored by the Welsh Assembly
Government. The kits are available to anybody who wants to take part and
organise an event as part of the week. The kits will be allocated on a
first-come first-served basis and will be distributed in June 2008 - MAKE SURE
YOU ORDER YOUR KIT TODAY!! The kits contain information on how to
organise and carry out a successful clean up plus posters, tabards, promotional
items and hints and tips. Contact
tww@keepwalestidy.org.
Added 2 May 08 |
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E-Democracy
The National
Assembly for
Wales has set
up an e-petition system, enabling the use of petitions online,
http://www.assemblywales.org/gethome/e-petitions.htm.
This is one of
a number of 'enhanced e-democracy services' launched recently, including online
forums for Committee Inquiries.
Added 26 Apr 08 |
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'Voices of
Abergavenny'
Abergavenny Community Centre Ltd, a community organisation with green
objectives, is showing its new film at Mulberry House, Pen y Pound, Abergavenny
on Tuesday, 6 May at 7-8 pm and there will be an opportunity to talk
about their vision for this charitable company. Contact
Marion Pearse.
Added 26 Apr 08 |
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Dragonfly Recorders
Wanted
The
National Dragonfly Atlas Project will be launched by the British Dragonfly
Society in April 2008. Dragonfly recorders are being sought to help contribute
sightings and records for the new atlas. Climate change, as
well as other factors, are leading to rapid changes in the range of a number of
species, as well as the addition of a number of species to the British fauna.
If you want to get involved, contact the Monmouthshire Dragonfly
Recorder Ian Smith
welshdragonflies@aol.com or phone 01600 713561. Ian is arranging 3
training courses across South Wales between May and August (Magor Marsh 12/13
July) for people interested in starting to record this fascinating group of
insects, or to extend their knowledge.
Added 24 Apr 08 |
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Update on Badgers
The Badger Trust is to seek a
judicial review of the cross-party WAG decision to make a cull of badgers in
part of Wales, possibly Monmouthshire, in its efforts to eradicate bovine TB,
which cost taxpayers over £15m last year to compensate farmers for the
slaughter of nearly 8,000 cattle. The Trust and the RSPCA say that the
cull contradicts scientific evidence, whereas farming interests support a
package of measures including culls. If you want to express a view, write
to Elin Jones, Minister for Rural Affairs at the National Assembly for Wales,
Cardiff CF99 1NA.
Added 24 Apr 08 |
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Time to Nominate
Volunteers
GAVO, in partnership with the
County Council and Rural Community Action, is looking for nominations for their
annual Volunteer Achievement Awards. You can nominate both individuals
and groups - the categories are for under 25s, over 25s and community groups.
The closing date is 19 May 2008, and all nominees will be invited to the
awards ceremony on 4 June. Nomination forms can be obtained from
Kim Boucher
(01291 672352).
Added 20 Apr 08 |
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Sustainability and
the Local Development Plan
As part of the LDP process the
County Council has to subject the plan to a combined Sustainability Appraisal
(SA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). The first stage of
this is to consult on a draft
Scoping Report, and you have until 30 May 2008 to make
representations. This report sounds bureaucratic, and much of it is,
but it contains a useful introduction to the planning issues facing the county
and there is a lot of information in the Appendices about the county .
Added 18 Apr 08 |
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Monmouthshire the
Greenest Place to Live in Wales?
Research by online directory
locallife shows our county to have more eco-friendly businesses and organic
food stores than any other part of Wales - one green business for every 3,625
people. We are 8th greenest in the UK it seems. But that's only
about 24 businesses in total, whereas GreenWeb's own
Green Directory
contains about 150 entries.
Added 18 Apr 08 |
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Community Strategy
Guidance
Following consultation last year,
WAG has now published
'Local Vision', its revised guidance on the preparation of community
strategies. You might like to compare this with Monmouthshire's approach
(see 2 Apr and 5 Feb 08 below).
Added 12 Apr 08 |
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Civilised Streets
This
new report from CABE (the Commission for Architecture and the Built
Environment), sets out the opportunities and challenges of new design
approaches. It argues that the car still dominates and our streets will only
become more civilised places if the needs of pedestrians are prioritised over
cars.
Added 12 Apr 08 |
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GloballySusDCymru
Cynnal Cymru - Sustain Wales
produces this excellent on-line monthly newsletter originally launched by
WAG. You can access it
here. The April issue includes items on:
● 'Tackling Climate Change Together' - a DVD raising awareness of
the implications for Wales and action already taking place
● A wildlife photography competition
● St Arvans Zero Waste Village
● A free sustainability health check for businesses available until
June
● www.liftshare.org
● The new Climate Change Commission for Wales
Added 12 Apr 08
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Monmouthshire
E-Factor Event
Members of community groups and
school teachers have an opportunity on 25 April (11am - 7pm) at Gilwern
Outdoor Education Centre to find out who provides what to educate and raise
awareness about environmental issues in Monmouthshire. Drop in at any
time. Nearly 20 organisations have already booked stall space. The
event is being organised by
colettemooney@monmouthshire.gov.uk on behalf of a sub group of
Monmouthshire's Environment Partnership Board.
Added 12 Apr 08 |
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MCC's Climate Change
and Energy Strategy
Click
here
to see the County Council's strategy for responding to climate change and the
need for much greater energy efficiency. The council has now got internal
groups and community groups working on short term action plans to start to
deliver the strategy.
Added 12 Apr 08 |
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Projects
Needed for Volunteer Teams
Teams at the
Welsh Assembly Government are being encouraged to use one of their away days or
team building days to undertake a project, which will benefit the community or
the environment. Do you have an opportunity for a team of volunteers?
Teams vary in size from teams of 5 or 6 to task force events from 50 to 100
people! We are always looking for new and innovative ideas to benefit teams and
benefit the community or the environment. Some staff are on the Civil
Service Fast Stream or Leadership programmes. They would like to include a
community project in their development. This could give teams the opportunity
to work on longer term projects, which include planning, consulting with users,
designing and delivering a project. If your organisation could benefit from a
team to undertake an activity, please get in touch to discuss further.
Please
contact Julie Bush on 01685 729297 or
Julie.Bush@wales.gsi.gov.uk
Added 8
Apr 08 |
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Community Strategy
Consultation
The consultation period on the
Community Strategy (see 5 Feb 08 below) has been extended to the end
of April.
Added 2 Apr 08 |
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Flora of
Monmouthshire
Yesterday's Country and Farming
section of the Western Mail contained a lengthy article on Monmouthshire's
renowned octogenarian botanical recorder, Trevor Evans. The Chepstow
Society has published Trevor's 641 page 'Flora of Monmouthshire' at £25 inc
p&p, available from Trevor at La Cuesta, Mounton Road, Chepstow NP16 5BS.
Eighty fellow enthusiasts were involved in the survey, which found 71
extinctions over the past century and a few newcomers.
Added 2 Apr 08 |
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Environmental Guide
Changing the Way We Work,
is a new guide produced by Every Action Counts to help third sector
organisations 'green' their offices, save energy and resources, source
ethically and travel wisely.
Added 30
Mar 08 |
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Community Networking
Freshties.com is a new
website listings service that enables charities and voluntary organisations to
advertise for what they need. Individuals, businesses and other charities can
browse the website to see which parts of charities’ shopping lists they can
meet - from equipment to volunteers. Not-for-profit organisations can join the
site for free, and can also contact the website for a voucher code that can be
emailed to local businesses and individuals to enable them to join for free as
an encouragement to support charity projects.
Added 30 March 08 |
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Local Development
Plan Newsletter
MCC has published its first
newsletter on the
preparation of the new Local Development Plan for the county. The plan
will cover the period up to 2021 and 25 April is the deadline for
responding to January's invitation to submit candidate development sites.
A report on Issues and Options will be published for comment later this year.
Added 30 Mar 08 |
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Threat to Bees -
Petition
If you are concerned about disease
threatening our population of bees, already hitting nearby Europe, you might
like to sign a
petition (deadline 11 June) calling for preventative research.
Remember that bees play a significant part in the pollination of our crops and
wild and garden plants.
Added 21 Mar 08 |
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Collecting Waste for Recycling
Some environmental
groups have been alarmed by news that MCC may change its household waste
collection system. The Council has been recommended to move from the current
weekly collection of waste that has been separated into glass, paper, etc by
householders to alternate fortnightly
collections of unseparated dry recyclables one week
and residual waste the following week. No decisions will be made until
after the elections. The report to the Council’s Select Committee on 4
March can be accessed via
here
and Monmouth Friends of the Earth’s page
on our site has more information. The latter group urge you to raise this
matter with Council election candidates and to write to the Council supporting
the present system.
Added 16 Mar 08 |
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Living in Wales
Survey
WAG has today published the results
of its 2006
Living in Wales survey, which asked 7,500 households about their
experiences of public services. Worth a browse.
Added 5 Mar 08 |
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Supermarkets and
Sustainability
With the current flurry of news and
debate about plastic bags, the UK Sustainable Development Commission's report
'Green, Healthy and Fair' report is particularly welcome for widening
concern beyond this arguably 'token' issue. The Commission points to the
scope for WAG to influence supermarkets' practices such as over-packaging and
cheapness at all costs. Over 70% of our groceries come from four
supermarket chains, so their influence is enormous, but they need Government
help in defining 'local' food and clarifying the 'local' vs 'fair trade'
confusion. WAG and supermarkets have welcomed the contribution, both
pointing to action already being taken.
Added 1 Mar 08 |
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A Renewable Energy
Route Map for Wales
Jane Davidson has today launched a
consultation on WAG's programme for the way Wales uses and produces energy.
It offers the possibility of Wales being self-sufficient in renewable
electricity within 20 years. Responses are wanted by 13 May 2008.
Added 19 Feb 08 |
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Ecovillages
An application from Grosmont to
join GreenWeb has drawn our attention to
www.ecovillage.co.uk which is all about promoting rural sustainable
community, harnessing village expertise and other resources to a green agenda -
for example community supported agriculture (CSA) such as the Grosmont Pig
Co-op.
Added 19 Feb 08 |
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Canal Progress
British Waterways is committing
£15m to repairing the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal which burst its banks last
autumn. It will reopen in time for the 2009 cruising season - the towpath
is open now. Substantial further investment will be required each winter
from 2009 to 2011.
Added 7 Feb 08 |
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Consultation on
Community Strategy Review
Monmouthshire's new Local Service
Board - a partnership of key stakeholders in the county's future - is
consulting on its first thoughts about refreshing the vision and setting new
priorities of the 2004 Community Strategy. At this stage the strategy
contains no action plans, but if you want to be part of the consultation
process from the beginning click
here or contact
Matthew Gatehouse (tel:
01633 644397). This stage ends at the end of April 2008.
Added 5 Feb 08, amended 25 Feb
08 and 2 Apr 08 |
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Severn
Barrage - Latest
News that the two-year feasibility
study into the Severn Barrage will consider tidal lagoon options may be
welcome, but the Wildlife Trust fears that the current Planning Bill may lead
to the protection given to internationally important wildlife sites being
overridden. The Trust is concerned that planned national policy
statements for topics like energy and transport could take advantage of the
'overriding national interest' loophole in the Habitats Directive. Morgan
Parry of WWF recently pointed out that, if and when built, it would contribute
less than 1% of our total energy use, not even meeting one year's
increase in demand. He wants the investment made in energy efficiency and
other renewables.
Added 3 Feb 08
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Plastic Bag Free?
As we read of cross-party support
for moves towards County Council support for a county free of plastic bags, we
also learn that the 'Transition Chepstow' community group is working with
Monmouthshire Community Recycling and Keep
Wales Tidy to develop an environmentally-friendly re-usable Chepstow shopping
bag as an alternative to retailers' plastic bags. The bags will be
launched at the Chepstow Festival in July and the group also want to source
compostable bags for business use. Shoppers are increasingly refusing
plastic bags as awareness grows of the centuries they take to break down in
landfill (and hedgerows) and their effect on wildlife (especially at sea).
Chepstow contact: Marcus Perrin 07944 468052.
Added 26 Jan 08 |
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MCC Transport
'Surgeries'
In a welcome move, MCC are to hold
regular surgeries at One Stop Shops where you can discuss matters relating to
such topics as traffic calming, works on the highway, highway matters relating
to new housing, road traffic regulations, safe routes to school, car parking
and road safety. You can find out more and book a 20 min. appointment by
contacting your One Stop Shop: Bryn y Cwm 01873 735800 (we know a surgery there
on 7 Jan); Severnside 01291 426400; Lower Wye 01291 635700; Central Mon 01600
775200.
Added 14 Dec 07 |
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Connect2 Cycling
Project Wins Vote
Sustrans' Connect2 project, a UK
programme of 79 walking and cycling links between communities, has won the
competition for £50m of BIG Lottery money with 42% of the vote. Two of the links are in
Monmouthshire - in the lower Wye Valley and at Monmouth. Sustrans thanks
everyone who voted for the project and hope to start work in 2008, once the
match funding is in place.
Added 12 Dec 07 |
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Threat to Ancient
Salmon Fishery? The
historic art of lave fishing may be threatened by Environment Agency by-laws
intended to protect salmon stocks. The Black Rock Lave Net Salmon Fishing
Association can fish only for 90 minutes every other week and are expecting a
further cut, and a stipulation that all catches are returned to the Severn,
unless their representations succeed.
Added 2 Dec 07 |
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Woodlands for Health and Well-being
The
Woodlands for Health and Wellbeing: Why and
How
report
produced by Coed Lleol is now online. It is aimed at health practitioners
interested in involving their client groups in woodland activities. It includes
an overview of relevant national wellbeing initiatives, where to find woodland
venues and woodland training providers, practical issues such as insurance and
health & safety, and case studies of best practice.
Added 27 Nov 07 |
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Bioenergy - More
Harm than Good?
'Bioenergy in the
UK' , a report supported by Wales Environment Link (the umbrella body for
environmental non-governmental organisations), highlights the potential of
small scale bioenergy projects but warns of the environmental impact of
monoculture. WEL hope to influence WAG's forthcoming consultative Biomass
Energy Strategy.
Added 24 Oct 07 |
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New Recycling Target
WAG Environment Minister Jane
Davidson has asked local authorities to consider a target of recycling or
composting 70% of household waste by 2025. This target looks beyond the
current target of 40% by 2010. The initial response of the Welsh Local
Government Association was that 70% would be 'massively challenging - even
heroically ambitious.'
Added 19 Oct 07 |
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Go Green in a
Fortnight
WWF's Pocket Green Guides now
include a 14-day plan for going green and helping to save the planet can be
downloaded free at
www.greenguide.co.uk. For information on local suppliers of green
goods and services go to our own
Green Directory.
Added 7 Oct 07 |
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