Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service

Hundreds of walkers are set to explore the rural areas of Bridgend during the Love2walk Festival 2010 which will be taking place from Wednesday 6th October to Sunday 10th October.

The event, which will be launched at Kenfig nature reserve on the 6th October, is set to be the biggest yet and compromises of 27 guided walks with something available for all ages and abilities over the 5 days. All walks will be free of charge and led by expert local guides in some of the most breathtaking rural areas that Wales has to offer.

 Don’t forget to bring your camera along to capture some of the outstanding views, flora and fauna and landmarks that the county has to offer.

More information can be found by folowing This Link.

Please note that a new information sheet has recently been added to the WCVA Information Distribution System:

2.13 Tackling Climate Change

Please refer to the information page for more information.

The first edition of the Valleys Regional Park newsletter has now been published, including details on the Western Valleys Strategic Regeneration Area.  The newsletter can be downloaded from here.

This year’s Wales Recycling Awards are now open for nominations.  The categories are:

• Community Recycler of the Year – Sponsored by Novelis
• Innovation Award – Sponsored by WRAP Cymru
• Local Authority Partnership Award – Sponsored by YELL
• Outstanding Contribution Award – Sponsored by Aylesford Newsprint

You can enter online at the link below, or contact rose.jennings@cylch.org.uk / 02920 649750 for paper forms.  Closing date is July 16^th 2010. Visit the Cylch website for more information.

Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, Welsh Assembly Government, Environment Agency Wales, the Local Health Board and Public Health Wales have joined forces to look at ways of improving the quality of air we breathe in Neath Port Talbot.  On 13^th July 2010, the local community are invited to learn more about the work and join in discussing the challenges and possible solutions to improving air quality in the area.  Click on the link below for agenda and to register, or phone 02920 466 029.  Go to the Eventbrite website for more information.

Funding is available for events that have strong links with the environment and that raise awareness and understanding of the local environment and encourage people to use the landscape as well as events that celebrate the local heritage. We can also support interpretation of the environment and local heritage.  The closing date for application is 16 July 2010.  For further information please contact Eleri Davies, Valleys Regional Park Heritage Project Manager on 01443 335647.  The application form and guidance notes can be downloaded from the funding page of the website.

The 2010 Call for Proposals for the LIFE Plus programme has been launched today.  LIFE Plus is the European financial instrument for the environment and operates as three strands:

• Nature and Biodiversity.
• Environmental Policy and Governance.
• Information and Communication.

The programme offers funding at a rate of 50% (or 75% for proposals which target priority habitats/species of the Birds’ and Habitats’ Directives). The deadline for submission of applications this year is 1st September 2010.  The national authority in the UK, Beta Technology, then has until 4th October to submit proposals to the European Commission. Go to the Europa website for more information.

The Carbon Trust has been working with businesses in the UK to help lower their energy consumption. Their free on-site carbon survey identifies quick and effective ways to reduce energy wastage, on average yielding a 20 per cent cut in a business’s energy costs. Please go to the Carbon Trust website or call 01865 885763

The new strategy sets out plans for a wholesale transformation of how energy is used in the UK’s homes. For more information go to the following website.

Source: Grantfinder

The Neath Port Talbot Environment Awards 2010 will be open for applications from 1^st March.

Information will be available on the website shortly. The Evening Awards Ceremony will be held in the Towers Hotel on the 12^th November 2010.