Other useful websites and projects

Groundwork

Groundwork is a federation of Trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, each working with their partners to improve the quality of the local environment, the lives of local people and the success of local businesses in areas in need of investment and support. They do this by developing and delivering partnership projects that:

enable an integrated and community-led approach to local regeneration
use environmental improvement as a means of achieving social and economic change
help individuals and organisations contribute to sustainable development.
http://www.groundwork.org.uk/

Global action plan

An independent UK charity that runs a range of successful practical programmes with businesses, schools, communities and households to support behaviour change that helps the environment. The charity also produces the UK's only green lifestyle magazine, ergo. The programmes of particular interest to housing associations are:

EcoTeams, where teams of households work on energy, waste, transport, water and shopping. Led by a Global Action Plan programme manager, the households measure their own resource use and agree actions to reduce it
Environment Champions: a programme for business that covers waste, energy, water and transport (1-2 topics at a time). It promotes resource and cost saving, and has proven environmental benefits and financial savings for organisations involved
http://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/

Carbon Assessment and Reduction in Regeneration Areas (CARRA) Project (London Borough of Islington/Peabody Trust)

CARRA aims to test the effectiveness of using a carbon budget as a tool to engage residents in climate change and integrate the carbon budget concept into five energy action projects. These projects aim to link climate change issues, via local energy use, to regeneration objectives. The Roscoe Street Tower Blocks action project began with two Peabody Trust buildings that are having major fabric improvements, which will improve SAP ratings from 50 to 95. CARRA is aiming to consolidate the benefits in thermal comfort to residents by advising them on simple ways to save energy, emphasising that this is a way for them to further reduce their fuel bills and a positive effect on the environment.

Contact name: Michael Michaelides
Website: http://www.islington.gov.uk/carra
Email: michael.michaelides@islington.gov.uk
Phone number: 020 7527 2324