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News for Jan 2005
(1) Sustainable Resource Centre opens its doors
(3) Free energy advice from the CAfE
(1) Sustainable Resource Centre opens its doors
HHP opened the doors of its new ‘Sustainable Resource Centre’ (SRC) for visitors at the beginning of 2005, after 18 months of construction and kitting out. The building was designed, work supervised and most of the labour contributed by project members themselves. The new building is in stark contrast to the infamous ‘shed’ used for visitors over the last 7 years for slide presentations, offering comparatively luxurious facilities including a dedicated audio-visual room, seminar facilities and permanent exhibitions.
Graphic of external view (South aspect)
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External view (Dec 04) (North aspect)
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The new facilities will allow HHP to more effectively demonstrate the key sustainability principles of the project. The ‘eco-community building’ is low profile situated near and complimenting the houses, including an earth covered roof. This building has been designed to meet the same high standards as the homes, ‘Zero CO2’, ‘Zero heated’, and ‘Autonomous’ standards’
Internal graphic
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Internal view of audio-visual/seminar room
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The key features of the building include:
· Floor with 200mm insulation
· Walls (facing bricks fired from waste methane) with 250 mm insulation
· Earth-covered roof with 500mm insulation
· High spec doors and windows - Triple glazed/argon-fill/low E coating
· Compost toilets & waterless urinal
· Mini reed bed to manage waste water and urine
· Energy requirements met by a 5kW Iskra wind turbine (see news item below)
· Hot water needs met by a Solar thermal system and integration with HHP novel thermal store (‘Hotsi’)
· Office/visitor areas kitted out using recycled furniture from Greenworks and recycled kitchen units.
· New exhibition materials, including:
o Archive video & audio material of construction and development of HHP
o Live wind turbine performance compared to wind speed
o Technical & education interpretation boards
As well as being used by visitors on regular guided tours of the project and workshops, the new building can also be hired as a venue, offering a wonderfully tranquil setting with the backdrop of environmentally friendly housing and ‘green’ landscape. It has already been used successfully for all these purposes, including a visit by the Science Museum in January. If you are interested in hiring the building and possibly including a tour as part of a meeting, seminar or workshop, please contact us to discuss costs and arrangements.
GO
BACK TO TOP OF PAGEHHP was awarded lottery funding in 2003 from the Social Economic and Environmental Development (SEED) programme towards the development of HHP as a Sustainable Resource Centre. The SEED funded work, recently completed, has been very successful in creating dramatically improved facilities for visitors to HHP, a new set of sustainable educational materials, and much improved facilities for HHP members to deliver their sustainability work. We have been able to reach groups not possible before, in particular local schools and groups and open up to them the possibility of making significant change in their own lives to reduce their environmental impact.
Of course this is just the start. The new building and many of the physical facilities have only recently been completed. We expect to be able to increase the number of visitors to HHP over the years and make more use of the new materials. This is only the platform from which HHP can now move to the next level of acting as a catalyst for change.
Some comments from visitors taking part in SEED supported activities:
“The children were really enthusiastic about the trip and all the workshops and have all made pledges on how to make their own contribution to the environment” (Nottingham school teacher)
“I thought it was lovely and it is how I would like to live” (School pupil)
“Very stimulating and well arranged workshop”. (Workshop attendee)
“Very enjoyable & practical”. (Workshop attendee)
Summary of main outputs of grant programme:
· Developed a ‘HHP Teacher’s Educational Resource Pack’ with practical sustainably themed activities linked to ‘National Curriculum’ objectives. Invaluable to this development was the support from Notts County Council – Environment Education department, who provided guidance, LEA approval and publicity. See http://www.hockerton.demon.co.uk/productsservices/schools.html for more details.
· 10 classes from 4 schools visited using new educational programme with approx. 280 children & adult supporters. Three more schools currently planning visits
· Provision of fixtures and fittings, equipment & materials for SRC complimenting the high environmental standards of the SRC building – including AV equipment and a range of interactive exhibition resources. All of our furniture needs came from Greenworks, a charity that collects and re-supplies ‘not-for-profit’ organisations with good quality discounted items.
· Bike shelter for community and visitors completed with material costs funded by Notts County Council.
· Increased number of visitors traveling to HHP by bike and coach/minibus with a simultaneous reduction in visitors arriving by car.
· 10 technical workshops run with over 160 attendees, including; ex-miners from Stoke, a Cumbrian community group, and a team-building event for Notts Environmental Education leaders.
· 8 technical factsheets have been developed
· 6 themed events at HHP involving appox. 170 visitors, including events for; local Jewish community (education), ‘Rural Rides’ (cycling), ‘Architecture Week’ (sustainable design), Hockerton village (sustainable transport), locals (music).
· Attendance at ‘Newark Riverside Water Festival’ for 2 days in partnership with sustainability officer, Newark & Sherwood District Council – over 100 engagements and approx. 20 follow-ups.
· Personal environment action plans written for 75 visitors to HHP
(3)
Free Energy advice from the CAfE
Community Action for Energy (CAfE) is an initiative funded by the Energy Savings Trust and managed by the Centre for Sustainable Energy, based in Bristol. It includes a number of services to assist community-based energy projects including:
· Good Practice Case Studies
· Database of Community-based Projects
· Community Contact Network
· Training Programme
· Information on sources of grant funding
· Community Support Panel
The Community Support Panel provides an additional way for members of the CAfE network to access free expertise and advice to assist them in the development of community-based energy projects. The support provided varies, but can include a review of the proposed projects, face to face advice and telephone support. There are currently nine members of the CAfE Community Support Panel, offering free help to CAfE members to get their ideas off the ground or to move their projects forward. To date, more than 23 CAfE members have benefited from their help on a wide variety of issues.
HHP joined the CAfE Community Support Panel in 2004 and is already helping three CAfE members, including Liz Reason. Liz works with clients in organisations and networks to tackle the practical and emotional obstacles that get in the way of action on climate change. She is currently working with a local charity and county and district councils on plans to set up a carbon-neutral community centre at Charlbury in Oxfordshire. Having already purchased the land, with community fundraising underway and bids in for £400k, the group was in need of expert advice on constructing an architect’s brief, as well as evidence of the benefits of low-energy design and information on the full range of grants available.
HHP initially provided telephone advice, followed in December by a visit to Oxfordshire to meet the group and talk through their proposals and options. Liz and the partners have also been able to get a CAfE travel bursary to help pay for a visit to Hockerton to see carbon-neutral buildings first hand.
“I knew that the advice was going down well when the two architects on our committee fished out their notebooks and pens and started writing down the names of suppliers and costs, “ said Liz. “At the end we had only two questions – please would HHP come and supervise the construction of our building? And if he didn't have the time, please could we clone him! It was EXACTLY what we needed.”
More recently HHP has provided advice for a community centre in Derbyshire that wishes to consider more sustainable alternatives to construction and energy use, and for a planned ‘Energy Centre’ in South Wales.
If you would like some FREE help with your community energy project, the CAfE community support panel offers detailed face-to-face and phone support anywhere in the UK. Up to 1½ days free help is available. Call the CAfE team on 08701 261 444 to find out more. This helpline can also be used to provide the solution to any query you have relating to community energy initiatives, including advice on sources of funding, other projects and contacts around the UK, plus signposting to other relevant programmes and resources.
See also http://www.est.co.uk/cafe/ for general information about CAfE.
(Edited from CAfE website and CAfE newsletter, January 2004)