Press Releases

The Big Society Award

Blacon Community Trust, focused on ‘Building a better Blacon’, is the latest winner of Prime Minister’s Big Society Award.

Set up in 1984, the aim of the Trust is to build a better area by involving its 16,000-strong community in finding solutions to local problems. As well as providing education and welfare support to children, young people and their families, more innovative projects include a furniture reuse project, minibus service for elderly residents, a programme to encourage cycling and a research project involving six universities to reduce energy use for Blacon as a model for other UK communities.

Successful Summer and Winter Festivals organised by the Trust are seen as important annual events for the community attracting over 4,000 visitors. Blacon Community Trust has also led residents in taking part in Sustainable Blacon’s Low Carbon Communities Challenge, a national scheme funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change to reduce energy consumption. Estimates show household energy use has fallen significantly in the first year. Last year 102 volunteers were engaged in their sustainability work alone.

Blacon Community Trust was nominated by Cheshire West and Chester Council, recognising and supporting all of the hard work that the charity has supported in transforming Blacon over the last 27 years.

The Prime Minister said:

“Blacon Community Trust has worked incredibly hard to transform the area, engaging local residents and organisations, and building a real sense of community spirit.

“Through its wide range of services and support for innovative projects such as Sustainable Blacon – showing residents how they can cut their energy bills as well as helping the environment – the Trust has shown how a strong community can make a huge difference, and have absolutely succeeded in their aim to make Blacon a better place to be. Congratulations to everyone at the Trust, the volunteers and the whole community. They are a fantastic example of what the Big Society can achieve.”

Welcoming the award, Clare Babbs, Chair of Blacon Community Trust said:

“It’s an honour for Blacon Community Trust to receive the Big Society Award from the Prime Minister. Blacon Community Trust has worked very hard recently to ensure sustainability. It’s great that the drive and commitment of the residents, volunteers and organisations working in Blacon, together with that of our staff, has been recognised. Blacon is a brilliant community to live and work in. It has real heart. Organisations make things possible but it’s local people here that make things happen – and keep them going.”

Presenting the Award at the Sustainable Blacon Convention, Communities Minister Andrew Stunell said:

“Blacon Community Trust and Sustainable Blacon have shown us what can be achieved when local people are fully involved in making the decisions that affect their lives.

“Their tireless efforts to sow the seeds of strong partnerships with the local community have reaped big rewards for people in Blacon – whether tackling abandoned vehicles, transforming local shops and services, or saving residents money through green upgrades to their homes. I congratulate them on their achievement and urge other community groups to follow their brilliant example.”

Cheshire West and Chester Council Leader Councillor Mike Jones said:

”This prestigious honour is being given because Blacon Community Trust is the Big Society in action. I would like to send Trust members my warmest congratulations for the honour which is testament to their tremendous hard work over the past 27 years, work which is renowned locally and nationally.”

Blacon Councillor Carolyn Graham, who is a board member of Sustainable Blacon, said:

“Blacon has a strong tradition of community engagement and community spirit and this award recognises that this is the corner stone of what makes Blacon special. Congratulations to all involved.”

(November 2011)

Blacon Presses Apples

Transition Chester had a public apple pressing outside the Spar shop at the Parade, Blacon last Saturday 15^th October.

Local residents bought along their apples and pears and took away freshly pressed juice. During the morning more that 180 litres of juice was pressed by around 30 local residents using the apple crusher and press that Transition Chester had brought along to the event.

Transition Chester stand at the apple press

Simon Brown from the group said: “it was a wonderful event with lots of people getting involved – we even had two 10 year old girls come along to our stand with apples they had picked from their gran’s garden – they chopped up the apples, crushed them ready for the press and they even had a turn pressing the pulp. To see their delight as they skipped away with their plastic bottles full of fresh juice, swigging it as they left was a joy to see!”

“Our last public event will be at the Kingsway Shops, on Kingsway, Newton outside the Community Café from 10.00 to 2.00 pm – people can bring along their apples or pears (cookers or eaters, windfalls or picked) together with containers for the juice and they will be able to take away their freshly pressed juice.”

Transition Chester also loans out the press and crusher to community groups or schools as well as to local residents for a nominal fee. The Transition Chester website at http://transitionchester.org.uk/ shows when the press is available and contact can be made via the website.

(October 2011)

University Challenge

Six universities are now conducting research with Sustainable Blacon in Chester to find out how we can all help in the fight against climate change and cut our bills. The universities which are all at the cutting edge of climate change research from across the UK are: Chester, East Anglia, Oxford, Oxford Brookes, Southampton and Strathclyde.

University of Chester will be the first to make its report into the Blacon Energy Management Programme, part of the DECC Low Carbon Communities Challenge in the area. 95 households completed the year-long programme to see how people could cut their energy use and bills by up to a fifth. The results will be made available at the Blacon Sustainability Convention on 1^st November at University of Chester: http://blaconsustainabilityconvention.eventbrite.com/

Professor Roy Alexander of University of Chester said: “Reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases produced by the fuels we use to heat and power our homes is critical for our long term future. At the same time people are interested in saving money by saving energy and in getting to know others in their area better. The Blacon Energy Management Programme provides an excellent opportunity to find out what works in helping people to reduce their energy consumption and it has important lessons for us all.”

Ged Edwards: Chief Executive of Sustainable Blacon said:

“We are pleased to welcome the universities to the area. Blacon has a fantastic community which is changing the area. Blacon is at the forefront of climate change work in the UK and the Government has described this work as inspirational. We want other communities to come, to hear and to see for themselves what they can do and so take the path to a safer, cheaper and better future for us all.”

Rosemary Burns: local resident and Chairperson of Blacon’s Image and Infrastructure Group said:

“Blacon has always been a strong community not frightened to have a go and make a difference. We are deeply concerned about the environment in all of its aspects here and there are many people here who are struggling with their energy bills.”

(September 2011)

Open House

The Sustainable Blacon Eco House at 2, Stamford Road, Blacon will be officially opened by Councillor Mike Jones, Leader of Cheshire West & Chester Council, at midday on Wednesday 17^th August.

The Eco-House is part of Sustainable Blacon’s response to the Low Carbon Communities Challenge, a Department of Energy and Climate Change pioneering programme to help communities across the UK find a low carbon future.

The Eco House is a community show house which demonstrates different ways to reduce energy bills and consumption and the carbon emissions which are causing climate change. It’s a practical example of a range of energy saving ideas that everyone can put into practice in their own homes. Volunteers from the local community have been involved in the project from the outset. They have provided invaluable, expert assistance both inside and outside the house, in addition to supporting group visits to the Eco House.

Mike Jones, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council said: “I am delighted to be asked to officially open the Blacon Eco House. This represents a major achievement in demonstrating how residents of Blacon and wider Chester can save energy and money by simple measures, along with waste reduction and recycling. The house also provides a great demonstration to other areas across the country and Cheshire West and Chester Council is committed to being a major supporter of this as we look forward to becoming a carbon neutral area. I look forward to hearing about the how the Eco house will provide a focus for a range of programme and activities over the next few years.”

Ged Edwards from Sustainable Blacon said: “The support and interest we have had has been very encouraging. We’re very grateful to the many local and national organisations and suppliers have made the Eco House possible and to the many local people who made it happen.”

Simon Dukes (Eco House Manager) and Julie Perry (Project Co ordinator) at Eco House in bloom

Simon Dukes from Sustainable Blacon said: “The Eco House is a great educational resource with a wide range of information and demonstrations on topics such as heating and lighting, cycling and buses, water use, composting and recycling, healthy lifestyles and alternative energy sources. It’s so important that we understand about climate change and what we can do about it – and especially save money. Seven schools have so far visited the Eco House as part of their curriculum and had an interesting day out including one from Blackpool. The Blacon Schools Parliament, made up of representatives from each of the five primary schools in Blacon, together with pupils from Blacon High School, planned and planted the garden; Year 5 pupils at Dee Point Primary School created a series of unique artworks to communicate the environmental message, which are on display in the Eco House.”

The Eco House is open to all. For further information on what the Eco House can offer you, your group, or your school, please contact Sustainable Blacon on 01244 380150, via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit their website: www.sustainableblacon.org.uk

(August 2011)

Emerging Community Group

‘Hello, we are a new community group (soon to be named!) which has emerged from The Blacon Energy Management Programme (BEMP), who are dedicated to spreading the lessons learned in this programme to the wider community of Blacon, creating a model for other communities across the UK.

Through BEMP, we have adapted many of the aspects of our day to day lives in terms of water use, gas and electricity use, recycling, composting kitchen waste, growing our own fruit and vegetables and so on. From this we have lowered our household bills and helped the wider environment! We want to share these valuable lessons with Blacon’s wider community!

We are looking at several project ideas in order to achieve this. Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to involve Blacon’s children and young people in a ‘school play’, which centres around the ideas of climate change, or household habits and the impact this has on our environment and purse strings!

We are also looking to roll out a miniature version of BEMP, where community groups will sign up to try putting into practise our top tips within a number of areas such as: gas use, electricity, water etc, in order to save money and the environment.

We are a voluntary group of passionate people - we would love to meet others who are interested in getting involved. We meet next on Wednesday 31^st August 9:45 to 11:45 in the morning, at 2 Stamford Road (Blacon): Sustainable Blacon’s new Eco House. Everyone is welcome to come along and meet us, and have a cuppa and a chat about getting involved in any way! Please call Sustainable Blacon on 01244 380150 to be put in touch with me!’

Angela Moray
Community Group Leader

(August 2011)

Volunteers Team Up in Blacon

Volunteers of Blacon With support from Chester Voluntary Action, volunteers and staff from Chester Aid to the Homeless (CATH) and Sustainable Blacon have joined forces for some summer cleaning at Blacon Greenway and Old Station. John Buchanan, Mandy Dawson, Patrick Hemmingway and Malcolm Stanton joined Stephen Perry, Shaun Dutton and Gerald Watts from Sustainable Blacon on a fruitful day tidying up the area.

Gerald Watts and Dave Oxley who live locally and keep an eye on the area and collect litter there every day were really pleased to welcome the CATH team. Gerald said: “It’s a fantastic place and so many people stop to admire it. Dave and I enjoy doing our bit for Blacon. It’s wonderful to have the extra help from CATH and we’ve really enjoyed meeting the team. Hope it’s not too long before we see them again!”

John Buchanan from CATH said: “We’ve really enjoyed the day and the chance to be out and about in the fresh air making a difference and meeting local people. It’s a great place!”

Stephen Perry from Sustainable Blacon said: “We really welcome groups and individuals from all corners to help out here. The special atmosphere of the Old Station brings people together and families in particular like the animal sculptures on the Greenway.”

Locals and passers-by stopped to admire the site and their handiwork. For more details on getting involved, ring Sustainable Blacon on 01244 380150.

(July 2011)

Eco House Summer 2011 Update

The Eco House in Stamford Road, Blacon, began receiving visitors from the middle of June.

During the first ten days of the month the majority of the signage had arrived and had been put in place. This included those signs prepared and donated to us by Cheshire West and Chester, covering recycling, Love Food: Hate Waste and our fantastic Wormery.

On the 15^th June a group from The Blacon Schools Parliament, representing a number of the primary schools in Blacon, came to the Eco House and started the planting of the various flowerbeds in the garden. By the time you are reading this, the garden should be looking splendid.

June 21^st was a key day, with the Eco House becoming a stopping off point on a walk which was part of a 5 Ways to Health & Wellbeing event. We were able to provide both welcome refreshments and a complete tour of the house to our visitors.

Shortly thereafter we hosted our first school visit to the new Eco House, a group of Year 7 Science students from Blacon High School.

As well as educational signage, the Eco House benefits from the informative and vibrant pieces of artwork prepared by Year 5 pupils from Dee Point Primary School. Alongside their other studies, the students have been exploring a wide variety of environmental issues. Keen to impart their findings to the wider community, they have created a series of unique artworks to communicate the environmental message. They have used both words and pictures and the finished pieces of artwork are on display at the Eco House for all visitors to see.

At the beginning of July our exhibition units were completed by the arrival of small scale kits demonstrating the production of electricity from both wind power and photovoltaic panels.

We are now getting used to a steady stream of visitors, from local schools, not so local schools – a Primary school from Blackpool combined a visit to the Eco House with a trip to the Old Station Site - and interested individuals. The house has also been visited by Stephen Mosley MP and by Cheshire West and Chester Council Leader, Councillor Mike Jones. In August we expect to host our first community group visits.

We must acknowledge the help and assistance that we have received from Chester West & Cheshire Council, especially Liz Ellis and Cath Evans, Waste Awareness Officers from Waste Management.

On August 17^th the Eco House will be formally opened by Councillor Mike Jones. This will represent both the culmination of a period of intense effort to bring the new Eco House to fruition and the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Sustainable Blacon.

(June / July 2011)

Sustainable Blacon Abroad

As part of the Communities of Sustainable Europe (CoSE) Conference, Sandra Hewitt and Shaun Dutton, representatives from Sustainable Blacon were invited to Arnhem, Netherlands to share their experiences with their peers on the many schemes run by Chester’s pioneering community charity.

The aim of Conference was to share ideas, and, to ultimately contribute to an EU manual on low carbon community projects to encourage sustainability across the EU area, with Sustainable Blacon clearly being seen as a vital path-finding initiative encouraging behavioural changes at the community level.

Some of the Sustainable Blacon Team abroad

Shaun is Sustainable Blacon’s Home Energy Officer giving practical support to visitors to the Eco-House in Blacon. Sandra has been an active local resident and participant in the year-long Blacon Energy Management Programme which finished in April to help people cut energy bills and therefore also their carbon emissions.

The party visited a local community group Dr Stoere Houtman where they are hoping to replicate the Eco-House Blacon has in place. There was also a lot of interest in the idea from other communities.

Shaun and Sandra also visited an Eco Fair in the attractive town of Deventer which was attended by representatives of the regional authorities and there gave a presentation on how Blacon is helping local residents to reduce energy bills, giving practical advice and support where needed and encouraging others to think about climate change and how it will affect them. This was followed by questions and discussion with reps from communities including from Venezuela!

As a follow up to the conference Sandra and Shaun will be contributing to a chapter on Blacon for the proposed CoSE manual.

(May 2011)

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