Autumn & Winter 2024
FODCAP News.
Autumn newsletter
The days are drawing in and autumn is upon us. With a growing number of groups, organisations, businesses and individuals taking action on climate change, the need for coordination and connection has never been greater!
At the Forest of Dean Climate Action Partnership (FODCAP) we work to connect, inspire, and enable groups, organisations, and businesses to take effective action on climate change. So if you are taking climate action, we would love to hear from you and learn what you are up to!
Dates for your diary
17th Oct: Forest Community Energy community solar event
Octopus Energy will be attending the next Forest Community Energy meeting taking place on 17th Oct 6-8pm at Speech House Hotel, which is open to anyone. There will be a chance to hear what community renewable energy activities are already taking place across the Forest, and to input into Octopus’ campaign on what communities need to support community energy projects in the future. Sign up here.
13th Nov: Business workshop on journey to Net Zero
Save the Date: Want to know more about what your business could do on carbon auditing, renewable energy and reducing carbon? The Growth Hub and Forest of Dean District Council are offering a free workshop to help local businesses get started on their journey to Net Zero. The workshop will run from 9:30-12:30 at BizSpace Gloucester Vantage Point, Mitcheldean, GL17 0DD. See the Growth Hub website.
25th Nov: Forest Food Forum
The Forest Food Forum is running a People’s Assembly open to everyone - members of the public, local food producers and retailers – to re-imagine and discuss the future of food in the Forest of Dean. Participants will explore how to build a more resilient food system – one which is healthy for us and our children, helps to expand independent local food production, and supports the environment.
The assembly will take place on Monday, 25th November 2024 at The Latchen Rooms, Longhope, GL17 0QE. Doors will open at 5.30pm for food and the assembly will run from 6pm to 9pm. If you would like to attend, please call 07468 528 080 or go directly to the eventbrite link. Places are limited, so please reserve your place as soon as possible.
Forest of Dean Climate Choir
If you love singing and are worried about climate change, you may want to use your voice for change and join the Forest of Dean Climate Choir. The choir meets on the second Thursday of each month 7:30 - 9m in St Briavels Pavillion, GL15 6TH. There is no subscription, but donations are requested from time to time to help with costs. For more information e-mail forestofdean@climatechoirmovement.org
Transport in the driving seat this Autumn
We all know the problems, but how do we find solutions? This autumn has seen coordinated work to address some of our travel challenges across the District.
2025 Forest of Dean Travel Map
FODCAP and the Forest Voluntary Action Forum (FVAF) are working together to create a 2025 map showing all the public transport and active travel routes across the District in one place. This map will be available online with click-through information and as a printed poster. We are inviting businesses and groups to add their logo to the map and agree to share it on their website, in their newsletter, and in any community buildings they have. If you would like your logo on the map please contact anya@holding-the-space.org.
Coordinating transport work
Active Gloucestershire, who have been working with communities in Cinderford, have a new transport action group working on connecting residents to essential services. For more information contact HannahMeek@activegloucestershire.org. The District Council has been working with the Community and Countryside Research Institute (CCRI) to run a community visioning and Climathon to bring different actors together to work out practical ways forward. This includes working to make lift-share easier, better use of the bus assets we have, improving access to local services to reduce the need to travel, encouraging multi-model transport and improving our active travel routes.
Green Skills Careers
South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS) have teamed up with the Forest of Dean District Council to run a new ‘Introduction to Green Skills’ course at the Belle Vue Centre in Cinderford. Learners will focus on potential career options within the green skills sector and the different renewable technologies available on the market. They are also running a Skills Bootcamp on air source heat pumps and a Skills Bootcamp for Solar PV.
Introducing Katie, Sally, and Natasha
We are delighted to welcome Katie, Sally, and Natasha to FODCAP.
Katie Clubb is the Climate Change Community Programme Advisor and will be supporting the Climate Team in the District Council to implement a Climate Change Community Engagement Programme. This will involve delivering on the Council’s district-wide climate change mitigation and adaptation objectives, whilst ensuring an equitable transition to Net Zero.
Natasha Nelson has started working with the Forest Voluntary Action Forum (FVAF) and the Forest Food Network to play an active part in reimagining and redesigning our food system. She is especially interested in collaborations to promote health, locally grown seasonal produce, making it more accessible to local people and facilitating self-organized community change.
Sally Adcock has also started working at the District Council as the low-carbon business advisor. In this role, Sally will work closely with the Forest Economic Partnership and Growth Hub to support local businesses to lower their carbon emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and transition towards renewable energy sources.
Support for businesses working for Net Zero
The Growth Hub are supporting businesses across Gloucestershire to cut their carbon emissions. Businesses can sign up for free to work with a sustainability experts and plan their next steps for carbon reduction. In addition, hot off the press, make sure you save the date for the next Gloucestershire Net Zero conference, which will take place on 11th Dec at the University of Gloucestershire.
Rural Business Grant
If you are a small food, farming, or rural-based business with less than 10 employees you may be able to apply for the £1000-£5000 through the Rural England Prosperity fund. Grants can be used for many things including farm diversification and support for energy efficiency and low carbon technologies.
Active travel grant
Community groups, businesses and organisations across the Forest of Dean can now apply for an active travel grant of up to £15,000 to help fund projects that support and encourage active travel locally. Local businesses, charities, community groups, community interest companies and local statutory bodies such as schools or Parish Councils can all apply. Any groups applying will need to provide 20% match funding.
Energy efficiency
Naturesave offers grants of up to £5000, and their current funding window is for organisations that are looking to improve their energy efficiency.
Gloucestershire VCS alliance funding bulletin
If you want to receive regular bulletins for funding opportunities in Gloucestershire you can sign up for the excellent Gloucestershire VCS funding bulletin.
Help us spread the word!
Now FODCAP is increasingly active, we need to spread the word about what we are doing to help coordinate and share information about climate action in the Forest of Dean. Please help by asking three people you know if they would like to sign up for our newsletter here.
Tell us your news
Want to share a recent success, upcoming event, or bit of local climate news in this newsletter? Then please just drop Anya or Leah a line on anya@holding-the-space.org.
