Blacon Community Trust has been shortlisted in the Big Green Challenge. The Challenge is a national competition established by National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and The Daily Mirror to involve local people in reducing energy consumption and find new ways to make communities sustainable. If the Trust becomes a finalist for the Big Green Challenge, it will receive £20,000 in September for one year to make further progress. Whichever organisation wins the Challenge ultimately receives £1 million.

In addition to people being encouraged to save energy and have more energy efficient buildings in Blacon, there is the possibility of generating heating and electricity from the natural environment from natural (or "renewable") sources and distributing it among residential, commercial and community buildings in the redevelopment of Blacon Parade currently being led by the City Council. The Trust will consult local people on these plans in September. A recent study undertaken by energy specialists at EA Technology Ltd. at Capenhurst for the Trust with support from Cheshire and Warrington Economic Alliance identified a number of other possible sites for further use of renewable energy technologies for community benefit for discussion with local people and agencies. There are already other steps being taken to improve Blacon's Green Spaces by local residents and agencies.

Using renewable energy in Blacon, an area with a strong community identify and where agencies and communities work well together, will add to efforts to make Blacon much more sustainable and help address concerns about the rising costs of energy. It will also help reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and combat Climate Change.

"Blacon is a great area to live and work in and we want to make it better," said Ged Edwards Environmental Coordinator at Blacon Community Trust. "Local people and organisations are concerned about energy prices and how we can do our bit for the environment. We will work with them and with our partner agencies involved here to make a Blacon a Sustainable Community and develop an environment that will attract people to the area."
Pictured here are residents and staff involved with the Blacon project (photo courtesy of Chester Chronicle), many of whom attended the recent Action Planning for Community Energy Saving Projects workshop at Trafford Hall