News Articles Archive - Page 46 of 152 - Cross River Partnership

Thursday 25th November was the first time that the CRP Team have met up in-person since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic for its team planning day. It was a great interactive day and provided the opportunity for the team to collaborate in shaping the future of its activities.

The Team got down to planning its strategy for 2022/23 and beyond, which included discussing:

CRP’s Vision and revamped mission statement
How best to capture and showcase the partnership’s innovative projects and impact
Budgets and expenditure; and
How best to illustrate achievements in CRP’s upcoming annual report and business plan.

The team managed to pack a lot of activities into the day including a visit to the Westminster Wheels Project, based at a shop in Church Steet, NW8 8ES. It is a training programme initiated by Westminster City Council in partnership with Groundwork. The training programme supports young unemployed Westminster residents to gain valuable skills and experience to become qualified bicycle mechanics, by refurbishing unwanted bikes into high quality bikes that are either donated to community groups or sold.

If you have an unused or unwanted bike you would like to donate, you can drop it off at the shop on Monday-Saturday, between 09:00-5:00pm. Alternatively, you can donate online. Contact ResponsibleEconomy-Team@westminster.gov.uk if you would like more information or to sponsor the project.

“Over the festive season the UK creates 30% more waste than usual.” Biffa.

As we start slowing down for the end of year festivities, let’s take a moment to consider how we can indulge in some of our favourite holiday pastimes, without hurting the earth.

Cards

Having lived with the pandemic over the past couple of years, we’ve adjusted to giving and receiving e-cards. If you still prefer to give paper cards, you could upcycle old ones, use charity cards, or specialist retailers that use the proceeds for a green cause.

Presents

Give twice over by buying from a charity shop. In addition to second-hand goods, several charities also offer new items. Try reusing wrapping paper, shopping bags, old newspapers, crisp wrappers or old clothes to wrap your present, instead of buying new wrapping paper.

Or, instead of gifting an item, offer a favour or service.

Decorations

Try a pot-grown living tree, some of which can be kept for several years, or replanted after the holidays. Decorate it with handmade ornaments such as dried fruit or popcorn garlands.

Food

If you’re making a Christmas meal, plan ahead to avoid waste. Done correctly, you could pull together a scrumptious Boxing Day meal from leftovers with minimal effort.

Travel

Take the bus, train or carpool, if you can. Can’t avoid flying? Consider an airline carbon offset program. Walk, cycle, or use public transport as much as possible once you’ve reached your destination.

There are lots more pointers about how to reduce our impact over the next few weeks and well into the New Year. Click here for a full version of the infographic in the picture.

Chances are if you’ve considered it, someone else has, too, and found a solution. So look online or ask us – email CRP Project Manager Sefinat Otaru.

Season’s Greetings, everyone!

CRP partner Hammersmith BID recently hosted London’s first zero emission market on Sunday 29th November.

From jams to jumpers, the market allowed shoppers to browse for Christmas gifts that had all been brought to the market on cargo bikes, electric vehicles or on foot. This added to the innovative work they are delivering through CRPs Clean Air Villages 4 and Healthy Streets Everyday programmes.

In addition, lighting was solar-powered, and delivery options were made available through cargo bikes, as attendees were encouraged to walk, cycle or take public transport. The event was held on Hammersmith Bridge, which is currently open to just pedestrians and cyclists. eScooter company, Lime, even offered free eScooter training to support residents to consider fun and alternative ways to get around London.

CRP is delighted to see that our partners are hosting zero emission events, encouraging active travel and improve Londoners’ health by tackling deliveries in polluting vehicles. Hammersmith BID are hoping to run more of these events in 2022, so if you are interested in attending, check out their events page.

On Thursday 18th November, CRP Project Manager Fiona Coull met with colleagues from Ecofleet and Beckett Ranki ne to do some in-situ testing of cargo bikes on piers.

The testing was done to help inform an upcoming study on pier adaptions for river freight, which incorporates integrating cargo bikes for last mile deliveries as part of the designs. The study is being funded by CRP’s CAV4 Programme in partnership with the Port of London Authority and will be completed early in the New Year.

As part of the testing, Ruby (a rider from eco-fleet) cycled a cargo-bike onto Battersea Power Station Pier to help understand the space needed and any challenges or limitations. Surprisingly, we found that the angle of the brow of the pier was not an issue for Ruby due to the electric assist of the bike. The biggest challenge was actually trying to turn the bike on the pier.

The tests also highlighted the importance of making sure that there was enough space for the cargo-bike and pedestrians to pass safely.

Following the testing, CRP’s Fiona Coull gave the cargo-bike a mini trial herself. Results indicated that all cargo bike riding should be left to the experts in the future…

For further information about the River Freight Pier Study, please contact CRP Project Manager Fiona Coull.

London Borough of Lambeth have unveiled an Air Quality Vision for the borough – setting out tough new targets to reduce pollution and improve public health.

The Air Quality Vision for Lambeth sets out bold new targets to reduce Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM 10 and 2.5), by 2030 based on new guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The interim WHO targets adopted by Lambeth Council are:

An annual average of 30μg/m3 for Nitrogen Dioxide, compared to the current target of 40μg/m3
An annual average of 20μg/m3 for PM10, compared to the current target of 40μg/m3
An annual average of 10μg/m3 for PM2.5, compared to the current target of 25μg/m3

The Air Quality Vision will be used to shape the development of Lambeth’s Air Quality Action Plan 2023-2025.

Lambeth is also engaged in a solid fuel burning project with Imperial College London, which aims to produce street-by-street mapping of solid fuel burning, monitoring particulate matter along walking routes in Clapham and Streatham. This project aims to better understand levels of pollution in the borough from domestic solid fuel burning, identify hotspot areas and inform interventions and awareness raising.

Find out more about Lambeth’s air quality vision.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is exploring the possibility of scaling up the Mayor’s Business Climate Challenge (BCC) in the 2022-2023 period in partnership with Business Improvement Districts (BID) and local organisations with a network of business members.

The BCC is a programme developed by the GLA in partnership with Bloomberg Associates to reduce the energy and consumption and emissions of London’s commercial building.

If you are a BID or local organisation with a network of business members, please fill out this survey to support members become more energy efficient and reduce their emissions today.

Please fill out the Business Climate Challenge Partnership Exploration 2021 Survey!

NLA’s New London Awards 2021 in association with the Mayor of London has announced the winners. The overall winner and also the winner of the planning category was PDP London’s Low Line. Its mission was described as to ‘connect people with nature and increase environmental resilience along its length by promoting innovative and sustainable projects that mitigate climate change.’

The Low Line connects neighbourhoods in London while celebrating London’s heritage rail architecture. It utilises public space for community, economic and public health benefits, creating positive change for the area.

The project was praised for incorporating sustainability, environmental resilience, heritage, diversity alongside economic and community benefits.

The Low Line was created in partnership with Better Bankside, one of CRP’s BID partner organisations. Our recent lunchtime webinar invited Valerie Beirne from Better Bankside to speak about the Low Line. Check out the recording of the event.

Friday 3rd December marked the 29th UN-supported International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD). The 2021 theme is ‘Fighting for rights in the post-COVID era” which examines the challenges and barriers and celebrates the opportunities for people who live with disabilities in the context of a global pandemic.

Those with disabilities have been hit disproportionately hard by Covid, with reduced access to routine health care and rehabilitation services, more pronounced social isolation and a lack of emergency preparedness for people with special needs.

IDPWD has been running since 1992 and since then they have evolved to offer free disability advocacy, provide support workers and more.

To find out more please visit their website.

Following the recent HSE mural design competition to support Car Free Day 2021, CRP has now been working on bringing the winning drawings to life.

Artists are currently being commissioned to produce permanent murals based on the winning mural designs at Cayley Primary School (Tower Hamlets), William Tyndale Primary School (Islington), and Middle Park Primary School (Greenwich). The painting process will begin in the new year when weather conditions improve. Pupils will also be involved throughout the artistic process. Through initial guided workshops, the children will be able to build on the winning design and add more personalised imagery. In some cases, the children will also be able to help in the actual painting process.

The workshops and the murals at the schools will raise awareness and engage school children and parents on the topics of air pollution and active travel.

We can’t wait to see the three new murals in Spring 2022!For further information, please contact CRP Project Manager Fiona Coull.

For CRP’s eleventh monthly Lunchtime Launch event, join us for the virtual launch of this year’s Good Parks for London report on Thursday 18th November 2021, 1:15pm – 2:00pm. Sign up now!

The annual report, published by Parks for London, showcases the great work that land managers are doing in and around London, especially in considering the effects of climate change and how parks can mitigate them.

This online interactive Lunchtime Launch session will explore the importance of parks and green infrastructure in climate change and air quality mitigation strategies through key addresses by: Judy Ling Wong CBE, the Honorary President of the Black Environment Network (BEN) and author of the report’s foreword; Tony Leach, Chief Executive of Parks for London; Joanne Dennis-Jones, Head of Planning at GL Hearn, report sponsors, and a representative from one of the most imporved boroughs.

The main learning points from this session include:

How London’s parks can play a key role in climate and air quality strategies.
How parks can mitigate the impacts of climate change.
The importance of green infrastructure in our cities.

For more information, please contact CRP Communications Project Manager Rachael Aldridge.

Archives: News Articles

CRP Team Planning Day

A Conscious Christmas: Ways to Minimise Your Environmental Impact

Hammersmith BID Hosts First Zero-Emission Market

CAV4 Cargo Bike Pier Visit

Spotlight On: London Borough of Lambeth

Mayor’s Business Climate Challenge

Congratulations to PDP London!

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

HSE School Mural Competition – Updates

Lunchtime Launch 11 – Good Parks for London 2021: Parks and Climate Change