Move to Renewable Energy Make the move to using energy from sources that don't produce carbon emissions. Buy energy from a renewables tariff - it can be cheaper. Consider a tariff with off-peak periods and shift your energy use. The proportion of energy generated from renewable is usually higher during off-peak periods. Many appliances can be timed. Charge an EV during off-peak. Home batteries can be charged during off-peak. Change your heating system to one that uses renewable energy. Probably a heat pump or electric heating. But insulate your property first. Install solar panels - if your property is suitable. Renewable energy tariffs This is a paragraph. Use this area to add any information you want to share with users. Just click "Edit Text" or double click here to change the text and make it your own. You can also adjust the paragraph's font, size and color so it fits your website’s theme. This is a great place to tell users a story about your website and let them know more about what you offer. You may want to share information about your company's background, your team, or the services you provide. Be sure to keep the tone and voice consistent throughout the site so users become familiar with your brand. Off-peak tariffs and time shifting Many suppliers offer tariffs with a lower-cost, off-peak period, although the day-time cost is often higher than a flat-rate tariff. As well as reducing costs, you will usually reduce the net carbon emissions you create if you time-shift your electricity usage into an off-peak period. This is because, on average, renewables contribute a larger proportion of energy generation during off-peak periods. Use the timers on home appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines. Tumble driers (except for heat-pump ones) can be a fire risk, so it may be best not to use them at night. Electric Vehicles can be charge overnight, using the car's timer or one in your charge point. Home batteries, with or without solar panels, can be charged off-peak and used to provide power during the day. Heat pumps This is a paragraph. Use this area to add any information you want to share with users. Just click "Edit Text" or double click here to change the text and make it your own. You can also adjust the paragraph's font, size and color so it fits your website’s theme. This is a great place to tell users a story about your website and let them know more about what you offer. You may want to share information about your company's background, your team, or the services you provide. Be sure to keep the tone and voice consistent throughout the site so users become familiar with your brand. Solar panels This is a paragraph. Use this area to add any information you want to share with users. Just click "Edit Text" or double click here to change the text and make it your own. You can also adjust the paragraph's font, size and color so it fits your website’s theme. This is a great place to tell users a story about your website and let them know more about what you offer. You may want to share information about your company's background, your team, or the services you provide. Be sure to keep the tone and voice consistent throughout the site so users become familiar with your brand.

< Back The story of how Bishop’s Castle’s Climate Action Plan has been achieved Mike Watkins 7 May 2024 Working together as a Town Council and community group The Bishop’s Castle Climate Action Group [CAG] had been developing a ‘Sustainability Plan’, drawn-up out of the community’s responses to the 2016 Town Plan survey. Then, in 2019, the group convinced Bishop’s Castle's Town Council to declare a Climate & Nature Emergency, and in return agreed to help produce a Climate Action Plan for the town. The Climate Action Plan was adopted by the Town Council in early 2020, serving as a template for an active partnership approach, containing actions for the Town Council and for the CAG, with some of the former’s actions – where the Town Council’s resources and knowledge were lacking - being undertaken for them by the CAG. For example, the town’s carbon footprint measurement. A Town Councillor has been allocated the Environment portfolio, and works closely with the CAG, including attending its monthly meetings. The group encourages the Town Council to have an environment item on its agenda quarterly, in line with the quarterly Climate Action Plan audit reports which the CAG submits. An important lesson learned by our small group, was to avoid including too much detail in the CAP, instead having a focussed and manageable Action Plan section. We have put our more detailed ideas in a separate Part 2 document which will be updated in slower time. A copy of the Bishop's Castle Climate and Nature Action Plan [Part 1] can be read on Light Foot’s website and we welcome other groups downloading and adapting it for their own areas as required. We are happy to help with any questions other groups may have on this subject. Please get in touch by e-mailing climateaction@lightfootenterprises.org Previous Next

Shropshire Climate Action: Home page   Read More Welcome! Shropshire Climate Action (SCA) is an action driven coalition of local people, organisations and businesses, all dedicated to helping Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin take climate action. SCA brings together the South Shropshire Climate Action, Zero Carbon Shropshire and Shropshire Green Exchange networks because a co-ordinated and collaborative response is needed to tackle the climate and Nature crises at a local level. This website is full of information about the actions we can take as individuals, communities, schools, town and parish councils and businesses to support Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin to reach net zero by 2030. See how you can get involved in the invaluable work that local organisations in our network are already doing to protect Nature, reduce our carbon emissions and improve our health and wellbeing across the topics of energy and housing, land and biodiversity (including food), transport and repair reuse-recycle initiatives. Together we can take action to lessen the impacts of the climate and Nature emergency. Read more about us here Read our Climate Action Reports What is the Climate Emergency? Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin's carbon emissions How to take action Explore our website to find practical advice and information on taking climate and nature action across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and how you can get involved with local organisations. Energy & Buildings Land & Biodiversity Transport Reuse, Repair, Recycle Green Your Money Individual action Community action Councils Schools & Youth Groups Local Businesses Local Lobbying Eco anxiety Local climate groups How to get involved Help make Shropshire Climate Action an effective channel for accelerating climate action – we can do it with you, we can’t do it without you Please email us at: contact@shropshireclimateaction.org Or get in touch about any of the following activities using the form below. Contact us Sign up to our monthly newsletter here Volunteer with us or join our working groups & meetings Share your local news, actions & events with us Make a donation here Get in touch with us! First Name Last Name Email Message Send Please see our Privacy Policy. Thank you for your message we will respond as soon as possible!

Shropshire Climate Action: Eco anxiety Dealing with eco anxiety What is eco anxiety? E co anxiety (also known as ‘eco distress’ and ‘eco grief’) describes the wide range of negative thoughts and emotions people may expe rience when they hear about the global challenges our planet is facing. It can include an overwhelming sense of hopelesness and doom. The Royal College of Psychiatrists describe a range of emotions such as feeling anxious, worried, upset, scared, sad, angry, distressed, vulnerable, or unsure about the future. Research by Marks et al. 2021 showed the impact of eco anxiety among young people aged 16-25. Watch these short videos by psychotherapist Ro Randall on Coping with the Climate Crisis (2020) to help understand and accept these intense feelings. How to deal with eco anxiety First, it is important to acknowledge that these feelings are rational and show how much you care. Secondly, people should be allowed to express their distress about the climate crisis. It is important to listen to each other. Consider joining a climate café (see below), which offer safe, informal spaces for people to talk about their feelings, fears & uncertainties about the climate and ecological crises. In the words of We Are Possible, “The best remedy to climate despair is to take action, together.” Further actions Explore this website to make a difference in reducing carbon emissions and protecting Nature. You will be joining millions of others across the world.. Sign up to We Are Possible - a UK based organisation who “face our climate dread with a can-do attitude and sense of fun” for practical actions and approaches. The Climate Majority Project is enabling mass citizen-led climate action across the UK, connecting people across social, political and strategic boundaries, and building communities so that the climate majority can find their power and voice. “Most people sense that we’re in deep trouble with climate change, and they want to do something. We help projects to grow, get funding, and connect with as many willing hands as possible… Join us in creating the future you want, wherever you are, however you can, with all that you’ve got." Sign up to The Cool Down newsletter which provides lots of information on how to be green, save money and read good news stories about climate action. "How to live in a chaotic climate" Check out this book “How to Live in a Chaotic Climate: 10 Steps to Reconnect with Ourselves, Our Communities, and Our Planet” (2023) By Laura Schmidt, Aimee Lewis Reau, Chelsie Rivera “Eco-distress is real. How to Live in a Chaotic Climate is here to help you rediscover meaning, joy, and connection as the tumult around us increases. Based on the Good Grief Network’s acclaimed 10 Steps to Resilience and Empowerment in a Chaotic Climate program, this book unpacks the social, political, and spiritual nuances of the climate emergency, step by step" Listen to this 10 mins segment about Eco-grief and anxiety on BBC4 Women's Hour (broadcast 15/6/23) in which climate scientist turned campaigner Jen Newall from the Climate Majority Project talks about: how growing numbers of people are experiencing eco-grief and anxiety explores what exactly is the impact on people and how we can turn the tables and help people to feel more hopeful about the environment. Climate cafés: Joining with others to support one another Online Climate Cafés facilitate talking and listening to people who share your concerns and who want to take action. The Climate Psychology Alliance (of therapeutic practitioners, researchers, artists and others) hold regular climate cafés online each month. Follow this Eventbrite link to find a date that suits you. Consider starting a climate café in your area: Contact Climate Café® who have been running climate cafes across Scotland and in Solihull for seven years. They love to share ideas, support and guidance and can connect you with others to create a safe, welcoming and inclusive venue.

Shropshire Climate Action: Toolkit for swap & share events Swap event: Toolkit Here's how to run a Swap & Share event 1 Book a suitable community space; a stall on a market; arrange a pitch outside an amenable shop; or set up a table on your street 2 Make a poster with the event details and what people can bring to swap (it could be a single theme e.g. a clothes swap or a swap featuring any or all of the following e.g. clothes, household items, toys, games, CD’s, DVD’s, books, plants, seeds, harvest produce etc. 3 Put the posters up around the local community and post to social media 4 Set up your table on the day and get swapping! If you are doing a clothes swap it is helpful to have a clothes rail and hangers (charity shops may be willing to provide these) 5 Arrange a donation bucket to allow people to take things on a pay as you can basis 6 If you are having swaps more regularly you can advertise the next swap at this event to help spread the word 7 Think about where you store any left over stuff or where you could take it (e.g. charity shops, crisis support organisations, day care centres, community libraries – its good to check what they need first) 8 Think about doing a risk assessment and you may want to get public liability insurance if you are doing these events regularly

< Back Appointment of the new SSCA Project Co-ordinators Fiona Morgan 5 Jul 2022 Meet Nick Read and Fiona Morgan Nick and Fiona started as the SSCA project coordinators in the summer, 2022. Their role, in response to climate change, is to foster collaborative partnerships that inspire and support people and communities to undertake actions leading to human and ecological wellbeing. Fiona Morgan was formerly a social worker and Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Wolverhampton. She has been actively engaged in voluntary work relating to climate action including Climate Action Network West Midlands, Transition Telford, and is a founding trustee of Climate Action Hub Telford. Nick Read is an Anglican Priest and Agricultural Chaplain, the Co-Chair of Herefordshire Green Network and a member of the Marches Nature Partnership. He was previously the Food Policy & Research Adviser for the NFU and Director of the Brightspace Foundation, a Herefordshire charity focused on sustainable development. You can email them at SSCA@mea.org.uk Previous Next

Improve efficiency Fabric first Most of us don't live in recent, energy efficient homes. We need to add (or retrofit ) energy-saving measures. Plan a series of steps, which can be implemented over time, saving money and disruption. It's best to start by improving the energy efficiency of our houses, addressing the 'fabric first': Improve insulation, air-tightness and ventilation: Window and door replacement. Loft insulation. Wall insulation - cavity, internal and/or external. Floor insulation. Air tightness. Appropriate ventilation / moisture control, to avoid issues with damp and mould: Trickle vents, extractor fans, heat recovery (MVHR). Take opportunities to insulate You can insulate your loft at any time, although it's more comfortable up there in the spring or autumn. But adding wall, loft or floor insulation is more disruptive. Plan to do it when opportunities arise, possibly a room at a time over a number of years for internal work. Fit internal wall insulation if you are: Installing a new kitchen or bathroom. Replacing or repairing plaster or plasterboard. Or just emptying and decorating a room. Fit external wall insulation if you need scaffolding, which is a significant cost, for any reason: Working on rendering or painting. Fitting replacement windows. First Retrofit priorities Draughts. Drainage - maintain gutters, downpipes and drains. Condensation and damp - a vital topic we'll return to. Asbestos - may be discovered during a retrofit and likely to require specialist removal or treatment. Windows and doors Replacing single-glazed windows, with modern double- or triple-glazing, and old draughty doors makes a home feel far more comfortable and significantly reduces energy losses. It's important to avoid thermal bridging around the frames. The reduction in energy use, at current prices, means that replacement double-glazed windows typical pay for themselves over 15 to 20 years. Loft / roof insulation Adding loft insulation is usually the most cost-effective way of reducing the energy lost from a house. If you have none, adding 300mm of loft insulation will typically pay for itself in one to two years. There are few better investments. Care is required if you have a 'room in the roof', have ceilings immediately under a flat or sloping roof, or have dormers. Insulation needs to be installed to avoid condensation, either by having a moisture-proof membrane on the warm side of the insulation or, in certain older properties, using a fully-breathable structure. Make sure that any air leaks into the loft space are blocked. For example, this could be from behind plaster board in the top-floor rooms or through downlighters. Wall insulation It's almost always worth fitting internal or external cavity wall insulation to houses that have solid walls (without a cavity), as the work has a short payback period, typically of a few years. Returns are also good for adding cavity wall insulation to houses that have cavity walls but no insulation in the cavity. It can be worth adding internal or external wall insulation to houses with cavity wall insulation, built up to about 2002 (to 2006), when the building regulations standards were tightened. Houses built since then should have reasonable wall insulation, and it's currently not likely to be worth improving on this. Floor insulation This is a paragraph. Use this area to add any information you want to share with users. Just click "Edit Text" or double click here to change the text and make it your own. You can also adjust the paragraph's font, size and color so it fits your website’s theme. This is a great place to tell users a story about your website and let them know more about what you offer. You may want to share information about your company's background, your team, or the services you provide. Be sure to keep the tone and voice consistent throughout the site so users become familiar with your brand.

Shropshire Climate Action: Recycle & Refill Recycle & refill According to WRAP 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from plastic packaging – more than the 2.5% contribution from global aviation. The best way to reduc e the need to recycle is to avoid buying overly packaged items in the first place. 76% of the 8,300 million tonnes of plastic produced between the 1920s and 2015 became waste. Back then only 9% was recycled. While recycling rates have increased , we can’t recycle our way out of the plastic problem. For example, despite 60% of people in the UK saying they use a refillable water bottle, 10m single use water bottles are still bought e very day, 700,000 of which are disc arded as litter. Surfers Against Sewage have identified the worst companies for plastic pollution in their Citizen Science Brand Audit . Actions you can take The following websites contains ideas and actions for how you can reduce you plastic use. Get involved in the campaigns and Big Plastic Count surveys of Every Day Plastic Surfers Against Sewage have a Plastic Free Communities campaign you can sign up to, to encourage your community and local businesses to go plastic free and they organise litterpicks and beach cleans Shropshire Against Pointless Plastic shows all of the local Shropshire communities who have already taken this step. Bridgnorth has been awarded Plastic Free Community status by Surfers Against Sewage Sign up to the Plastic Free July® challenge , an initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation. You will be sent weekly emails with tips, stories and news from the global movement Make your lunch box zero waste (poster is designed by Generation Zero Carbon Shropshire). Local Refill opportunities There are refill shops across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (see the list below) where you can refill your food, cleaning and toiletry products to avoid packaging and reduce your plastic consumption. The Refill website also helps you to find places to eat, drink and shop with less waste. Get inspired by Shrewsbury Cup - a reusable cup available in cafes across Shrewsbury. Customers pay £1 deposit, enjoy their drink and then return the Shrewsbury cup to any participating café to get their £1 back. The cups are washed ready to be used again. Harvest Wholefoods Glebe Farm, Lydham, nr Bishops Castle, SY9 5HB. Further information Myriad Organics 22 Corve Street, Ludlow, SY8 1DA. Further information Honeysuckle 53 Church Street, Oswestry, SY11 2SZ. Further information Pomona Grocery 1-2 Castle Gates, Shrewsbury, SY1 2AQ. Further information Refill Your Boots 31 High Street, Whitchurch, SY13 1AZ. Further information Pantry Severn Lasyard House, Underhill Street, Bridgnorth, WV16 4BB. Further information Simple Life Unwrapped 12 High Street, Much Wenlock, TF13 6AA. Further information Green Options Zero Waste Darwin Shopping Centre Pride Hill, Shrewsbury, SY1 1BN. Further information The Green Cove Wellington Market, Wellington, TF1 1DT. Further information Entertaining Elephants 43 High Street, Church Stretton, SY6 6BX. Further information The Little Green Pantry Newport Indoor Market, Stafford Street, Newport, TF10 7LU. Further information Minimise Shrewsbury Market Hall, Claremont Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 1HQ. Further information The Little Green Pantry 2 Crown Street, Wellington, TF1 1LP. Further information Recycling in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Recycling in the UK is c urrently the responsibility of Local Authorities . Find out what you can recycle where you live by clicking on the following Council websites: Shropshire Council's Recycling tips and Recycling and rubbish FAQs Telford and Wrekin Council's Recycling Information and A To Z of Recycling And Rubbish The TerraCycle scheme also helps people to recycle the unrecyclable (including crisp packets, cheese packets, pens, bread bags, coffee pods etc. etc). You can find your nearest collection point and what can be recycled via the website. Material Focus has created a tool to help consumers find recycling points for electronic item s.

< Back SSCA at the South Shropshire Youth Forum Annual Conference, Craven Arms Fiona Morgan 24 Jun 2023 Working with young people to make a difference We had a fantastic day at the South Shropshire Youth Conference, joining in a whole range of activities with the young people who attended, including a Bushcraft session in the beautiful Discovery Centre grounds, and watching local youth drama group productions centred around the concerns of young people including the climate crisis, pollution and Artificial Intelligence. We had the opportunity to play the brilliant new board game called Youth Chance designed by young people from South Shropshire Youth Forum (with financial support from SSCA and other organisations), where you set out to organise a youth project. We had one of the designers, Dominique Dodd, in our group who helped to explain the rules of the game where players are given a budget to work out what their priorities for their project are and how to deal with the potential barriers and opportunities projects face including staffing and resources. We all agreed it was a fantastic learning opportunity and we had fun designing our own eco project. Well done to all those involved! We contributed to the day by holding a clothes swap, with clothes kindly donated by the Cuan Wildlife Rescue charity shop in Shrewsbury, to encourage those attending to reuse things and avoid waste thereby reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions, and by taking an exhibition of photos by students at Hereford Sixth Form for their A level Photography course. The students’ assignment was to create pictures showing what they thought important about the environment having heard from Nick and Jane about South Shropshire Climate Action’s work and report ‘Next Steps’, with impressive results. Previous Next

Shropshire Climate Action: Energy advice and funding Advice & funding Many of the energy-saving measures have reasonably short payback period and if you can afford them they will pay for themselves ECO 4 grants are available for those eligible, including people on benefits The most recent ECO Plus grants (aka the Great British Insulation Scheme) will be available to anyone in poorly insulated (EPC D or below) houses in council tax bands A to D. They are not means tested The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants of £7,500 towards the installation of a heat pump Build your own retrofit plan using the MEA's Plan Builder This Local Installers Directory can help you to find a recommended retrofit installer. What is a Household Energy Survey (HES)? A Household Energy Survey (HES) is a thorough analysis of your home and energy use and would normally include: Heating – boilers, heat pumps, electric heating, controls, radiators/underfloor heating Hot water – storage, distribution and use Insulation – roof/loft, floor, walls, windows and doors and related structural issues Draughtproofing, cold air infiltration and ventilation Lighting and appliances Historic/real-time energy consumption, bills and advice on tariffs Opportunities for renewable energy generation and storage Read on below for local HES providers. Household Energy Survey providers Marches Energy Agency (MEA) provide: free energy advice on saving money on your energy bills and home energy efficiency home visits to conduct Household Energy Surveys via Keep Shropshire Warm/Healthy Homes Shropshire support accessing grants for heating and insulation, resolve issues with energy suppliers and fuel debt energy advisors can also provide drop in advice sessions in local communities. Lightfoot Enterprises provide the following services in south Shropshire and Powys: Household Energy Surveys (HES) : Household Energy Surveys (HES) and associated advice on how to make your home more energy efficient. there are also opportunities to be trained as a volunteer to conduct HES. Stretton Climate Care provide: Household Energy Surveys and information on retrofit for people living within a 5 mile radius of Church Stretton. a free drop in advice session on Thursdays 10-12pm at the Wellbeing Centre, Easthope Road, Church Stretton for any energy related questions including support with energy bills More info Get in touch Find a local trusted installer for your retrofit project A Directory of local trusted contractors for your retrofit project is available on the Marches Energy Agency's Future Ready Homes website . The Directory provides details of recommended installers, trades people and professionals who can help you with retrofitting a building. The area covered by the Directory includes Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. Click here for the Directory Further helpful websites Energy Saving Trust Financial support for home energy - Energy Company Obligation grants The Boiler Upgrade Scheme - support for low carbon heating systems, such as heat pumps and biomass boilers Shropshir e Council Sustainable Warmth Shropshire - supports low income and vulnerable households to improve energy efficiency. Grants are currently restricted to dwellings that do not have a mains gas connection

< Back Shrewsbury Moves Festival 23 Mar 2025 A celebration of movement and future travel The Shrewsbury Moves Conference, which took place in March was about making better use of public space and improving access to town centres. The conference coincided with the Shrewsbury Moves Festival: a celebration of movement and future travel – from a showcase of sustainable transport to outdoor yoga sessions, running and walking groups, live music and a kids’ fun-day on Sunday, all aimed at showing the health benefits of active travel, how pedestrian-friendly spaces boost the local economy, and the case for accessible, inclusive public areas. There were panel discussions looking at travel and movement in Shrewsbury town centre, and a session in which local young people were invited to share how they would like the town centre to look in future. Speakers included Rhiannon Evans of Active Travel England, Rachel Lee of Living Streets and Kay Inckle of Wheels for Wellbeing. The first two days focussed on “talking movement”, with an evening event hosted by Peter Walker, deputy political editor of The Guardian, along with drop-in talks and panels during the day. Seb Slater, executive director of Shrewsbury BID, which is part of the Big Town Plan Partnership along with Shropshire Council and Shrewsbury Town Council, said: “We are very grateful to Liza Freudmann, of BLA Sustainability, for her hard work in bringing such an impressive range of people to share their experiences with the local community here in Shrewsbury, and to the team at Shropshire Festivals for creating an amazing feast of active entertainment in The Square.” Previous Next

< Back Get ready for the county-wide Green Open Homes event this November Heather Kieniewicz 17 Oct 2025 Book your viewing of energy efficient homes across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and beyond Local charity Marches Energy Agency is running Green Open Homes this year across weekends in November. Homeowners across Shropshire, Herefordshire and Telford & Wrekin will be opening their doors to visitors, for free, to show and explain how they’ve made their homes more energy efficient. It’s a unique opportunity for visitors to experience first-hand things like heat pumps, triple glazing, underfloor heating and solar panels, to ask ‘daft’ questions without being made to feel daft, and without any sales pressure. What does underfloor heating actually feel like? How loud is a heap pump really? How much do you save if you have solar panels and a battery? These questions and many more answered! The properties can be found using the postcode search at https://www.greenopenhomes.net/ So start planning your visits! It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn, and to visit some corners of the Marches region you possibly don’t know. In addition to this fantastic event, Marches Energy Agency also offers: surveys and advice for homeowners to support your own home retrofit; a pathway to reach EPC band C if you’re a landlord; and free training and workshops if you’re a builder wanting to expand your retrofit knowledge and grow your business. Check out https://futurereadyhomes.org.uk/ for more information. Previous Next