Clean Air Villages: September Update

8th September 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

The Clean Air Villages team are now underway with virtual business engagement, to understand how we can support with business recovery from COVID-19. Across all 16 village areas, we are contacting businesses to work out how best to support new initiatives including changes to businesses having delivery services. If you are a business in Haringey, Wimbledon, Richmond, Tooting or Shepherds Bush – please get in contact with us!

CRP are also looking for businesses who own their own fleet and would like to transition to an electric vehicle. We have telematic dongles, for businesses can use for free to find out which EV would work for their fleet/vehicle. If you are a supplier or a business within our Clean Air Villages locations, please get in contact with CRP Senior Project Officer Laura Jacklin.

New Clean Air Routes to be developed as part of CAV3

8th September 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

Some streets have cleaner air than others, and we can all reduce our exposure to air pollution by considering how we get from A to B. CRP’s Clean Air Route Finder is designed to help you find a healthier way to reach your destination.

To understand clean air routes in action, take a look at London’s original clean air walking route between King’s Cross and Euston Stations. This route reduces exposure to pollution by at least 50% compared with walking along Euston Road, offering a healthier and less stressful journey between these key stations.

CRP is excited to be working with Tranquil City to develop additional clean air walking and cycling routes as part of the Clean Air Villages 3 programme. We will be able to share further details as these routes are developed over the coming months.

Tranquil City is an environmental data and engagement company whose mission is to help people lead healthier lives in cities. They are a multidisciplinary team with experts in air quality, acoustics, environmental psychology, sustainability, urban planning and public engagement and have been campaigning since 2016 for healthier, cleaner and greener routes in London and beyond. Grant Waters and Ben Warren will be working with CRP on the clean air routes project, with Ben having over 14 years’ experience in Air Quality consultancy and monitoring projects, including for national, regional and local government.

Together, CRP and Tranquil City will be monitoring the air quality along selected walking and cycling routes, measuring key pollutants associated with vehicle emissions and adverse health impacts, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. Collecting real life data will help to accurately quantify the benefits that opting for a cleaner route can offer.

For more information, please get in touch with CRP Air Quality Analysis Officer Abby McDougall.

Car Free Day Summit

8th September 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

Don’t miss the World Car Free Day Summit 2020! As cities around the world go car free to enable safe social distancing, now is a great time to be discussing future car free cities and a green recovery. With many Car Free Day activities being held safely online, CRP have contributed to a Digital Workshop Session associated with low emission freight, available 21st-22nd September, discussing zero emission logistics – the opportunities for scaling up and demolishing barriers to progress. Register here for CRP’s digital workshop and more!

The World Car Free Day Summit 2020 is co-produced by London Car Free Day and Menged Le Sew, Ethiopia’s Open Streets movement. Global leaders have committed to a future of zero emissions mobility and more efficient, equitable and productive urban land use. Action on these commitments cannot be delayed. Traffic injuries are the world’s leading cause of death for young people and this year’s Summit will examine the role of systematic traffic removal in both tackling air pollution and making cities safer for young people around the world. The Summit will bring together international civic leaders, architects, planners, data scientists, community organisations and land and property owners to celebrate the transition to safer, healthier, and more equitable traffic-free city centres and the ‘Race to Zero’ emissions mobility and land use.

For more information, please contact HSE Project Manager Fiona Coull.

LiveShare – Re-Energise Your Business: Diversifying in Response to COVID-19

8th September 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

Join our next online, interactive learning session on Thursday 10th September, 2pm! Tune in for information on re-energising your business and diversifying in response to COVID-19. We will be joined by Ojay McDonald, Chief Executive of the UK’s Association of Town & City Management, and Louise Abbotts, BID Manager at InStreatham BID, to discuss the steps you can take as a business. This is an opportunity to rethink customer services, consumer habits, digital transformation and the role of the High Street, in the context of the pandemic and climate crisis. We will also be talking about how the CRP Clean Air Villages Directory of companies can support the transition to services that are environmentally as well as financially healthy. Register your place via our Eventbrite page!

Missed our latest LiveShare ‘Keeping our Air Clean: It’s Everyone’s Responsibility’? Watch the whole event here, and see our dedicated tool kit for more information and resources. You can see our full library of LiveShare events on our Videos page.

For more information, please contact CRP Guidance Manager Tomos Joyce.

Air Quality Ambassadors – Launching Now! 

3rd September 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

Cross River Partnership is excited to introduce our first-ever Air Quality Ambassador programme! As part of Clean Air Villages 3, we are working with the City of London Corporation on a communityfocused Ambassador programme, which aims to educate, engage and empower City of London residents and employees on everything related to air quality.  

The AQ Ambassador programme is open to residents and employees of the City of London Air Quality Focus area, from Monument up to Houndsditch. 

Ambassadors will take part in three AQ Training Workshops, where they’ll learn everything from their local air quality status, to its impact on our health and what solutions can be implemented on individual and community levels. AQ Ambassadors will also have one-to-one sessions with a CRP Project Officer to help develop and run their own community based AQ initiative, such as: 

  • A digital AQ education session for community members 
  • Assisting your community centre, religious institution or local community organisations in acting against air pollution 
  • Creating an educational video about the AQ issues – and solutions – in your community 
  • Helping community members pledge actions to reduce their own air pollution footprint 
  • And many more ideas – it’s up to the Ambassador and the needs of the community! 

Some key dates for interested applicants to keep in mind: 

  • September 30th – application deadline! 
  • October 5th – Ambassador invitations to be sent 
  • October 12th, week of – Workshop 1 
  • November 9th, week of – Workshop 2 
  • December 1st, week of – Workshop 3 

Each workshop will be held remotely and last approximately 2 hours. The week after, Ambassadors will have their one-to-one sessions with the CRP Project Officer to help develop their personal AQ project. This is an exciting opportunity for City of London community members to take an active part in improving the environment and lives of their community. Air Quality Ambassadors are voluntary positions but in return will receive: 

  • Participation in a pilot programme for Cross River Partnership and London’s first-ever Air Quality Ambassador programme. 
  • An opportunity to learn from environmental specialists about global and local air quality issues and the tangible solutions for every individual.  
  • Development of public outreach skills and confidence building through completion of Ambassador goals and objectives.  
  • Invitations to join other CRP events and workshops.  
  • The opportunity to be featured on CRP communication channels and media platforms. 
  • sense of pride and achievement through volunteering locally to improve the air quality, and subsequently, health of their local community.  
  • Access to the AQ Ambassador digital toolkit!  

Are you ready to become an Air Quality Ambassador? Or know someone who would make a great one? The application form can be found here. Don’t forget the application deadline of September 30th, 2020! 

For more details, check out the programme summary or get in touch with the AQA Ambassador Programme Officer, Stav Friedman.

Funding opportunity updates

25th August 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

Stronger Communities Fund
The final round of Stronger Communities funding will support sport and physical activity projects tackling levels of loneliness and social isolation that have increased due to the COVID-19 lockdown and social distancing measures. Read more and apply.

Back to Business Fund
The Mayor of London‘s £1m Back to Business Fund offers up to £5,000 in match funding to small and independent businesses through the Pay It Forward London crowdfunding platform. Read more and apply.

London Growth Hub’s ‘Grants for SMEs to Access Specialist Support’
The ERDF Grant for SMEs to Access Support will launch in September 2020. Register your interest on the London Growth Hub’s website here.

Tesco’s ‘Bags of Help Covid-19 Communities Fund’
The programme will provide a single payment award of £500 to organisations who are supporting vulnerable groups, as part of their emergency response in supporting local communities. Read more and apply.

Culture at Risk – Business Support Fund
The Mayor of London launched an emergency £2.3m fund to help some of London’s most at risk creative and night time businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak. The targeted fund is designed to help grassroots music and LGBTQ+ venues, creative workspaces and independent cinemas. Read more and apply.

Small Business Grants Fund, the Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Grants Fund and the Discretionary Grants Fund
The Government is closing the above funds on Friday 28th August. See more information here and contact your local council if you think you are eligible.

Grow Back Greener – the Mayor of London’s new fund NOW OPEN!

25th August 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

Grants of between £5,000 and £50,000 are now open to civil society organisations and local authorities to deliver projects across London that will improve and create green spaces, green the built environment, and help adapt to climate change.

Examples could include improving parks, creating community gardens, cleaning up nature reserves and waterways, installing sustainable drainage, planting trees or greening streets! The fund is prioritising projects located in areas of the city with poor access to open space and nature.

DEADLINE for applications is 5pm on Monday 5 October.

It is OK not to be OK

25th August 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

We all need to prioritise looking after our own health and wellbeing first so that we are then able to look after loved ones, friends and colleagues.

CRP’s accountable body, Westminster City Council, recognises the value of ensuring that the emotional wellbeing of staff is of utmost importance and have implemented departmental Wellbeing Pioneers as part of the commitment to the Healthy Workplace Charter.  The Wellbeing Pioneers are a group of staff who are passionate about health and wellbeing. They are from all areas and levels across the council and champion health and wellbeing in their business areas, helping to plan initiatives, support and deliver activities and signpost colleagues.

The Pioneers have developed dedicated pages on the Council’s intranet providing staff with a wealth of tips, information and support, along with information on Five Ways to Wellbeing. Some of the activities undertaken virtually to date have included bingo, yoga sessions, mindfulness, knitting and craft sessions and staff choir.

For further information please contact CRP’s Carol Quamina

Totally Thames 2020 

25th August 2020 / Posted by Susannah Wilks

The Totally Thames 2020 programme is now live!

From 1-30th September 2020 the festival is celebrating the River Thames with arts events, active adventures, environmental initiatives, heritage and education programmes. Get involved!

Rivers of the World is teaming up schools and artists from around the world to bring children together, creating art about the rivers they love and at the same time learning about cleaning up our planet.

CRP is proud to have been involved with the festival right from its beginning!

CRP’s latest Thames project, Clean Air Thames, is working to clean up harmful emissions along the river, working with vessel operators, the Port of London Authority, the City of London Corporation and the Mayor of London.

(Image credit: The Ship of Tolerance by Ilya and Emilia Kabakov. Produced by the Kabakov Foundation and Art, Action Change in association with Thames Festival Trust)

The Clean Air Villages project pedals forwards

25th August 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

Clean Air Walking Routes are being developed for each of the village areas. These routes will offer alternative A to B walking journeys that result in reduced exposure to pollutants and some will direct people past places of interest and / or shops.

CRP’s CAV team are speaking with businesses and organisations local to the villages in order to find out how operations have changed since lockdown was imposed in March.  The team are also offering advice and guidance on how businesses can save time and money whilst improving local air quality.

In some of the village locations, traffic monitoring devices are being installed which will provide partners with valuable information that can be used by CRP to calculate vehicle emissions. The devices will also monitor pedestrian movements which can provide project partners with valuable information about social distancing.

For further information, please contact CRP’s Kate Fenton: katefenton@crossriverpartnership.org