Community Inspiration

This just arrived in my inbox and so i thought I'd share it with residents of Chester. One of the best parts about what I do is hearing so many positive stories from across the North West about communities working together - especially when it involves linking the older and younger generations. Youlgrave in Derbyshire has done this very successfully and recently won a national Future Friendly award (which you can read about on my personal blog)
Andrew McCloy told me

"The group began in 2006 when a group of likeminded villagers in the Derbyshire village of Youlgrave, located in the heart of the Peak District near Bakewell, came together to discuss ways in which, by thinking globally but acting locally, we could do our bit to combat climate change and at the same time make our rural community fully sustainable. We are exploring a range of initiatives which covers renewable energy generation, educational and energy-saving projects, plus related themes such as promoting local shops and services. We cover the settlements of Youlgrave, Alport and Middleton-by-Youlgrave in the valley of the River Bradford. Sustainable Youlgrave is an independent community group run by and for local people.
Over the last two years we have received grants to research the possibilities of renewable energy, principally anaerobic digestion and wind power. We hope to approach this via our own energy company, and we are currently talking to the East Midlands Development Agency about the possibilities of making this a reality.
We are also conducting our own household and business energy survey of the entire area; have held a successful joint composting workshop with the village horticultural society; and are contributing to the draft Climate Change Strategy for Derbyshire consultation. We are active in Youlgrave's emerging Village Plan covering all aspects of sustainability and environmental awareness.
To learn more go to our website"