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Green News

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Please be advised that this page contains underlined links that will take screen readers to a different site.

Climate Literacy Training

Officers and Councillors of the Town Council are now Carbon Literate.

The Council is committed to developing the skills and knowledge of the Council team.

Officers and Members are receiving Carbon Literacy Training.

Courses ranged from full-day, accredited climate and carbon literacy training, to shorter courses giving an overview of climate science and solutions for Cumbria.

Any organisation interested in the bespoke organisational training or open audience courses should contact carbonliteracy@cafs.org.uk

Great uptake of carbon literacy courses – CAfS


Penrith Repair Café 2022

PACT is running Repair Cafés in Penrith based at the Old Fire Station in Penrith – every month on the second Saturday in the morning from 10am to 1pm.

If you have any queries, please phone Trevor on 01768 863424. Please make your way round to the back of the building on the left to the rear car park for registration.

The list below contains dates for the repair cafe with links to an external website:

Saturday 11th February: 10am-1pm, Penrith Old Fire Station, Bridge Lane CA11 8HY

Saturday 11th March: 10am-1pm, Penrith Old Fire Station, Bridge Lane CA11 8HY

Saturday 8th April: 10am-1pm, Penrith Old Fire Station, Bridge Lane CA11 8HY

Saturday 13th May: 10am-1pm, Penrith Old Fire Station, Bridge Lane CA11 8HY

Saturday 19th June: 10am-1pm, Penrith Old Fire Station, Bridge Lane CA11 8HY

For more information use this underlined link to open the PACT information page for the repair cafe


Local Events

The list of dates below will take you to partner websites:

Kiss the Ground film

Wed, 22/02/2023 – 19:30

Freegle Give and Take in Newbiggin

Sat, 25/02/2023 – 10:00

Seedy Saturday Goes Large

Sat, 04/03/2023 – 10:00


Boiler Upgrade Scheme

The government is providing grants to encourage property owners to install low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps, through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). These grants can help property owners overcome the upfront cost of low carbon heating technologies.

The scheme is open to domestic and small non-domestic properties in England and Wales. It runs from 2022 to 2025.

The scheme offers:

  • £5,000 off the cost and installation of an air source heat pump
  • £5,000 off the cost and installation of a biomass boiler
  • £6,000 off the cost and installation of a ground source heat pump

Boiler Upgrade Scheme – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Five reasons to get a heat pump – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)


Community Climate Grants to move towards a Zero Carbon Cumbria 

A reminder that the new Community Climate Grant fund of £100,000, backed by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, is open for applications to help local community groups fight climate change.   Groups can apply for grants ranging from £200 to £10,000, for projects and events to raise awareness of the urgent need to stop climate change and to reduce carbon emissions from energy use, land use, waste and transport.  The grants are part of the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership’s ambitious emission reduction programme to make Cumbria carbon neutral by 2037.

Community Climate Grants to move towards a Zero Carbon Cumbria  – CAfS


Penrith Community Gardeners

  • The community gardeners are meeting again – safely.
  • The Penrith Community Gardeners meet on Tuesday mornings at 10am at the Salvation Army at Hunter Lane for couple of hours around town of ‘green gym’ and ‘vocal chord’ exercise not forgetting smiles and laughter!

Carbon Footprint Calculators

Measure your carbon footprint with the Cumbria Action for Sustainability calculators

Calculating your carbon footprint is a good way of understanding your carbon impact and how your lifestyle or the way you run your business affects it. Knowing that can help you to reduce it, which helps to protect the environment and can also save you money.

CAfS have  worked with Carbon Footprint Ltd to develop these free carbon calculator tools, one for residents and one for small to medium businesses. They’re freely available for anyone in Cumbria and Lancashire to use. They are funded by South Lakeland District Council and CAfS will be working with various communities to encourage their use, starting with Ambleside, to support their zero-carbon ambitions.

Use this link to visit the CAfS webiste page that will give your more information on this topic

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