Projects so far
Local projects
The Sustainable Development Fund supports many local projects. Here are some recent successes:
Eskdale Biomass Project - to help install of a biomass boiler in the YHA to show how biomass technology can cope with the heat and hot water requirements of a large isolated building. The heating system is one of three in the Eskdale valley, owned by West Cumbria Wood Products Ltd, formally Eskdale Open, a community company working in partnership with the Forestry Commission. These systems are all being used as models for deployment in other areas of Cumbria and the North West, to demonstrate that woodfuel is a reliable and economic alternative to traditional fossil fuels.
The Victory Hall, Broughton - towards a business plan to provide greater direction and a sustainable future for this fantastic community space. The plan will include an energy audit. For more details check out Victory Hall (opens in new window)
Cumbria Development Education Centre (CDEC) - towards the production, publication and distribution of a Teacher/Education resource pack - focussing on global and sustainable development - to schools throughout Cumbria. Look at Cumbria Development Education Centre (opens in new window)
Walking the way to Health (WHI) - a project run in conjunction with South Lakes Leisure to provide new walking routes in the Lakes for people who are less able and/or inexperienced in countryside walking. The SDF has helped a similar project in the past and the walks have been included in our own events programme.
Eden Community Recycling (ECR) - towards the installation and collection from re-cycling facilities at 4 commercial locations in South Lakeland. This not for profit organisation relies on willing volunteers as well as a small team of employed staff to help reduce the amount of domestic and commercial waste going to landfill. See Eden Community Recycling (opens in new window)
Staveley Sustainability Group - towards the costs of an ‘open meeting’ in Staveley, to generate awareness and support for the concept of a community hydro scheme. It is then hoped that the SDF will also be able to help fund a feasibility study for such a scheme.
Flora of the Fells 08/09 - towards this well managed, quality programme, running from October 07 – October 08. As well as a Flora of the Fells Festival for 2008 another key output of this project will be the production of a climate change publication to compliment existing Flora of the Fells guides. Natural England and The Friends of The Lake District are the other major funders of the project.
