Oxford is my world Your – Guide to saving the planet!

LIFESTYLE: Community

If you want to really make an impact, community groups can be a very powerful way of getting things done and helping to improve the quality of life for people in your community. A community project that promotes sustainable energy can help bring a community together, improve the warmth and comfort of people's homes, save money and help the environment.

For information on local groups: visit our Communities page.

Very Easy

- Would your group benefit from a talk on home energy use and some free low energy light bulbs? Oxford City Council's Sustainable Energy Team and the Thames Valley Energy Advice Centre both give free talks on saving energy and local grants.
- Oxfordshire Climate X-Change is working with volunteer ‘climate explorers’ to engage their community group, neighbourhood, school or workplace in new and creative ways. Visit their website to find out how communities across Oxfordshire are rising to the challenge of climate change.
- Barracks Lane Community Garden Project organise community and school events throughout the year, including workshops on permaculture, eco-art, recycling and tree planting.
- Join Oxford's Carbon Rationing Action Group (CRAG), its aim is to help members collectively monitor their energy use and reduce their carbon footprint.

Fairly Easy

- Sustrans has funding for Community groups to make their streets safer and more attractive.
- Done all you can? Then help others reduce their carbon emissions by becoming an Energy Champion. Oxford City Council offers free ‘Energy Champions for Homes in Oxford’ (ECHO) Training to individuals or groups. The training covers home insulation, heating systems, energy efficiency grants and renewable energy.
- Climate Outreach & Information Network (COIN) organises speaker events and coordinates ‘Climate Action Groups’ which bring together those wanting to take action on climate change in Oxford. COIN also organises speaker-training courses for people interested in learning how to communicate climate change effectively.
- Low Carbon Futures offers a free carbon foot-printing service to domestic households and community groups (“My CO2 Print”) and recruits data gatherers from the local community.

Not Quite So Easy

- Thames Valley Energy Advice Centre and Oxford City Council provide support and funding for new and existing community groups.
- If you want to get a community-based energy project off the ground register with Community Action for Energy (CAfE), they can give your groupÝup to 1.5 days of free expert advice and help you to find funding.
- Get a renewable energy system installed in your community with the help of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2, they can award charities and non-profit making organisations 30–50% grants for renewables.ÝThe West Oxford Community Centre was recently given a 50% grantÝto install solar electricÝpanels on their roof.
- If you're thinking about starting your own group why not ask other groups about their experiences and see what else is happening in the local area.
- Contact local groups Low-carbon Wolvercote, Sunnymead Environment Group, West Oxford Waste Watchers or Osney Sustainable Island Group.
- Look to other areas for inspiration, such as the current environmental campaigns running in Manchester, Crawley, West Sussex and East Anglia.
- If you'd like to help prepare Oxford for a post-fossil fuel future contact Transition Towns. They have advice and resources, including web space, to help you to make your area of Oxford a Transition Town.
- Apply for DEFRA funding through Tomorrow's Climate Today's Challenge and set up an initiative to help communicate climate change.

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