Top 21 Competitors

Top 21 Competitors Logo

The 21 Competitors described below have been short-listed from 88 groups who submitted detailed plans during stage 2 of the Big Green Challenge.
These groups have presented their ideas to our Judging Panel, who decide on our 10 Finalists. The Finalists will be announced in September 2008.

Back 2 Earth – Hackney, London

Back 2 Earth is based at Hackney City Farm and aims to be a community resource and environmental improvement centre, promoting healthy living and implementing its 60 ideas for carbon reduction which include environmental workshops, courses and rainwater collection and reuse.

Barra and Vatersay SEEM Project - Isle of Barra, Scotland

The Barra and Vatersay community project is planning to implement revolutionary new schemes for more efficient use of resources for its Western Isle communities. Ideas include a new re-use and recycle programme and decentralised energy production.

The Clear Centre- nr Ashford, Kent

A parent-teacher group from Kent, planning to set up a Community Local Environmental Action Resource Centre at the local Hamstreet School. The centre will act as a showcase for information and initiatives and include a Green Shop and Green Club.

Community Renewable Energy (CoRE) - Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Community Renewable Energy (CoRE) is a new social enterprise working with communities to develop systems that will generate income and provide them with independent sustainable, secure energy supplies, reducing funding reliance.

Low Carbon West Oxford - Oxford

Oxford Community Association ‘Low Carbon West Oxford’ is planning to reduce CO2 and deal with flooding via a ‘renewables building society’. The Trust will run local renewable energy projects that will generate income to be used to make local homes more energy efficient.

CRAG - Carbon Rationing Action Groups (also comprising Carbon Reduction Action Groups) – London and wider

Carbon Rationing Action Groups aim to take action personally but collectively. Like a diet club for the carbon-heavy, CRAGs are support groups for people trying to cut down on their carbon footprint. Members survey their present carbon footprints and use CRAG tools to map their own steady and achievable carbon descent path.

Faith, Climate Change and Birmingham - Birmingham

Faith, Climate Change and Birmingham is taking a technological and holistic approach towards their project. By incorporating work such as community gardening, theological debates, street clean-ups and tree planting they intend to include all faiths in their community to help reduce CO2.

The Green School Bus - Lytham

The Green School Bus project, run by St Bedes School, aims to set up a Green Bus for the school and community that would use biodiesel, be equipped with solar roof panels and have charging points for pupils’ laptops, mobile phones and iPods/MP3 players.

Household Energy Service - community owned ESCo. - Bishop’s Castle

Light Foot Enterprises will set up a number of community owned and operated volunteer workforces to help households take the maximum number of environmental measures at the lowest costs and provide ongoing contact and support.

Isle of Eigg - Isle of Eigg, Scotland

The Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust is planning to make the whole Isle carbon neutral with a range of innovative initiatives including community biodiesel use, using excess heat from island electricity generation to heat community buildings and new recycling schemes for paper and oil.

Food waste separation and recycling in communities in the NorthWest - Lancaster

Lancaster Recycling Community plan to further raise awareness of food recycling waste and implement a range of green initiatives to over 1,000 local households. Plans include a kitchen food waste collection scheme, a rocket composter, food growing and an incentive scheme.

Llanidloes Energy Solutions Ltd – Llanidloes, Wales

Llanidloes Energy Solutions will look for new ways to use the natural, renewable resources and waste by-products within the local area as well as increasing the energy efficiency of public buildings. The savings made in the cost of running public buildings will be re-invested in programmes to promote energy efficiency measures in private housing.

Global Generation - Kentish Town, London

A small charity in Kentish Town who would like to further develop their practical programmes, using young people as climate change champions as climate change champions to engage other young people and local businesses. Their wide range of techniques for CO2 reduction includes an innovative green rooftops in urban spaces programme.

Meadows Ozone Green Loans - Nottingham

The Nottingham Energy Partnership, a charity working with a local credit union, has designed a 0% interest finance scheme for energy efficiency improvements, and is also working on other projects, including a local energy company selling green electricity.

Promoting the local production and consumption of farm energy - Winchester

The Farm Energy Project aims to encourage farm-scale renewable energy production. The group aims to create a new market for locally produced energy and to develop local energy and food networks.

River Power Microhydro - North East Somerset

Mendip Power Group aims to create River Power Microhydro, a national network devoted to helping local mill owners of run-of-river sites to generate green electricity for the community through micro-hydropower, and exporting the surplus to the National Grid.

South Manchester Carbon Co-operative - Manchester

Urbanism Environment Design has proposed this bulk-buying consumer co-operative, enabling the community to make investments in domestic carbon saving technologies and carrying out environmental refitting such as roof and wall insulation, draught-proofing, efficient lighting and solar water heating.

The Student Switch Off - Kingston upon Thames

A group of representatives from UK universities are aiming to reduce CO2 across even more student campuses. Via an innovative competition mechanic and engaging students with Eco-Power Rangers and social networks, their aim is to encourage simple energy efficient behaviour amongst students.

The Three Green Valleys – Brecon, Wales

This group aims to develop micro hydro generation on steep valley sides that will produce enough electricity to finance further installations and provide capital for habitat restoration, efficiency measures and community food and transport projects.

Transition Town Totnes – Totnes, Devon

Transition Town Totnes aims to increasingly engage the community in a variety of projects which significantly and directly reduce CO2 emissions, by a variety of projects such as creating low energy action plans for homes and providing a Car Share Club - a not for profit enterprise that hires out cars for hourly fee.

Waste Oil Recycling Project in Prisons (WORPP)– Arundel, Sussex

Work This Way aims to set up a bio-fuels production programme in conjunction with Ford Prison in Sussex, collecting used vegetable oil from other prisons in the region to offer to local communities.