Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service

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.

Councillors at Neath Port Talbot have appointed John Flower as Corporate Director of Environment. For more information please visit the Neath Port Talbot CBC website.

Source: Neath Port Talbot CBC website.

At 10.00am on 9^th April 2010 at Neath Port Talbot CVS, Andy Middleton will be making a presentation to the Environment Forum

A lecture titled ‘Food for an intelligent Wales – creating a sustainable diet for Health, Environment, social justice and economy is to be held on Wednesday 10^th March in Cardiff. If you wish to attend please reply directly to Evelyn Osborne osborneE1@cardiff.ac.uk

The Environment Centre are holding a Fair Trade and Up-Cycled Fashion Show at 6.30pm on Friday 5th March. An evening of fashion at the National Waterfront Museum, showcasing beautiful fair trade, ethical and up-cycled garments. Clothing and accessories will be available to browse and buy. Entry is £5 (£4 concessions) but places are limited so book in advance.  You can buy your ticket at the Centre or Oxfam, Union St (from Friday).

There will be a showing of Age of Stupid on Wednesday February 3rd at Pontardawe Arts Centre. There are two showings at 2pm and 7.30pm. Tickets may be reserved from the box office on 01792 863722 and are priced at £3/£1.50 concessions. Email: pontardawe.boxoffice@npt.gov.uk.

Delivering Sustainable Resource Management. A “Joined-Up Thinking” event from CIWM Cymru and Cylch is to be held on 4th February 2010, Marriott Hotel, Cardiff. Book online at www.cylch.org.uk

Whilst politicians and industry experts debate the growing problem of discarded plastic bags, environmental campaigners are hoping that an experiment being piloted in Neath Port Talbot could make a major contribution towards reducing the problem. Surveys carried out by Keep Wales Tidy show that in Wales alone an estimated 490 million bags are in circulation every year and many of those end up littering our beautiful landscape and causing suffering to wildlife.

Currently most of the re-usable bags are produced in Third World countries and accusations are often made that their production in far-flung countries can create associated environmental and social concerns, amongst them the use of virgin resources, transportation and the use of child labour.

Cilfrew Residents are taking positive action regarding the state of their local environment.  A local group has saved old curtains, duvet covers, etc to make sustainable shopping bags.  The local chip shop and general store have taken 100 bags each to give to customers instead of plastic bags.  50 sustainable bags will make up for 1,000 plastic bags. Keep Wales Tidy is encouraging everyone to save cotton fabrics, curtains, duvet covers, etc to make bags.  These will then be distributed at functions and to interested groups and small businesses.

In addition to unwanted material, sewing machines will be required.  Keep Wales Tidy is also looking for volunteers who have some spare time between January and March to assist. Volunteers are needed to sort, cut, sew and print the bags.  Neath Port Talbot CVS at Alfred Street are acting as a collection point for the material and sewing machines. On 21st January at Cilfrew Community Centre they are looking for volunteers to help with their bag project. The aim of the training is to raise awareness of their bag project and try to encourage people both to help with the project and also to participate in waste reduction/environmental improvement activities in their own community. For more information contact Sue Ireson or Nigel Cram with the Volunteer Centre, Neath Port Talbot CVS on 01639 631387.

Fifty two sustainable development champions have been named in Wales’ first annual Green List. The List celebrates individuals making Wales a better and more sustainable place to live and brings together the different elements of sustainable development – environment, economic and social – in one award.  A big congratulations to Dan McCallum of Awel Aman Tawe and Alan Powis of Tidy Towns Neath Port Talbot who were both on the list.

Source: Green Light, The Environment Centre, Swansea