Lotto boost for greener Meadows
£1.5M WILL HELP RESIDENTS TO MAKE THEIR HOMES MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT
MORE than £1.5million in National Lottery money has been pledged to a Nottingham project to help residents tackle climate change – and get lower utility bills.
The funding is going to the Nottingham Energy Partnership (NEP), which will work alongside Meadows Ozone Energy Services (MOZES), to run the Green Meadows project, supporting communities in The Meadows to take action.
The grant from the National Lottery Community Fund will see the Green Meadows project equip residents with the skills and support to have more energy-efficient homes.
The Meadows hopes to lead Nottingham’s transformation to a net zero carbon city by 2028.
It is hoped the scheme will act as a catalyst for other areas, in Nottingham and across the Midlands, to take on the challenge of reducing their carbon footprint.
The five-year project, led by Nottingham Energy Partnership and officially launching next spring, will use the money to improve the energy efficiency of housing in The Meadows.
Organisers behind the scheme say it will mean lower utility bills for the neighbourhood, while also reducing carbon emissions.
The Green Meadows project will also offer “DIY and climate education” workshops to communities across the suburb.
This will allow residents to retrofit their homes to be low-energy, helping the environment, as well as saving money for residents.
Councillor Sally Longford, Nottingham City Council’s deputy leader and portfolio holder for energy and environment, said: “It’s fantastic that the Green Meadows project has got this much-deserved funding which will make such a huge difference to how people can play their part in tackling climate change.
“This will be an exciting test area for the sort of action we’d like to see rolled out right across the city so businesses and residents can help us become the first carbon neutral city in the UK by 2028.
“There’s already a huge amount under way around the city, and this is going to be a really focused effort on enabling people to adapt their own homes and lifestyles, reap the benefits of improved health and quality of life and do their bit for the local and global environment.”
Green Meadows is part of the first set of projects, sharing over £19.5 million, to be announced as part of the National Lottery-funded Climate Action Fund – a ten-year £100 million scheme that will reduce the carbon footprint of communities.
Philip Angus, CEO at Nottingham Energy Partnership, added: “NEP relocated to the community centre in the heart of The Meadows where we were asked by local people to work with them on climate change. One year later we are about to receive the funding from the National Lottery Community Fund that will make this possible.
“This is a great opportunity, and we are really looking forward to being part of the Climate Action Fund and getting started in the spring next year.”
Julian Marsh, director at Meadows Ozone Energy Services, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to make great strides towards becoming a more climate change resilient community in The Meadows and play our part in helping Nottingham to achieve its 2028 net zero carbon target.”