News Articles Archive - Page 73 of 148 - Cross River Partnership

After delays caused by the national lockdown, the Clean Air Thames project is back on track, with monitoring now taking place on GPS Anglia, a 23 meter inland tug, owned and operated by GPS Marine Contractors Ltd, which works along the tidal Thames. Mechanical Engineering PhD students, Christopher Ogbunuzor and Zuhaib Ali Khan from University College London boarded the vessel on 3rd September to undertake exhaust emissions sampling, gathering data on the particulates that are currently being produced by the engine.

The measurements taken will form the baseline for comparisons to be made after GPS Anglia is retrofitted with post-exhaust equipment that will reduce hazardous emissions, including particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides. Port of London Authority vessel, Driftwood 2, is expected to begin monitoring in the coming weeks! Stay tuned for more updates which will be posted on CRP’s Twitter.

For more information, please contact CRP Project Manager Sefinat Otaru.

As some London offices begin to reopen, cycling can be a great choice for those returning to the workplace. Heart of London Business Alliance has produced a short guide for employees on cycling tips and support, including information on free Dr Bike maintenance sessions taking place throughout September, as well as a comprehensive outdoor cycle parking map for the West End. Take a look to boost your cycle confidence!

With World EV Day ahead of us, the plethora of benefits offered by an electric transport system is non-negligible. The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on our air quality has been a successful public service announcement in bringing attention to the health of our lungs and environment alike. As the 2035 target is fast approaching, the case for zero carbon transport is at an all-time high with e-bike and EV sales soaring since March 2020. Among which, local bodies are implementing incentives to switch to EVs and are setting up the infrastructure such as charging points to facilitate this changeover.

Taking heed of the current climate, CRP’s Clean Air Villages (CAV) project is powering with local businesses to decarbonise their delivery and servicing trips as a way to support communities towards becoming climate resilient. An example is the installation of Evie, a shared EV in Brixton which has saved 1,562kg of CO2, equivalent to approximately 4,000 miles driven by a passenger car!

For more information on how to switch from diesel, please see here. EV Fleet-Centered Local Energy System (EFLES) is another CRP project, working alongside Moixa, UPS and UK Power Networks Services that aims to optimise the rate of fleet electrification. EFLES will promote EV take-up by providing access to rapid chargers to facilitate commercial fleets.

For more information, please contact CRP Project Manager Sefinat Otaru.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 community–focused 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.
A 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.

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.

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.

Archives: News Articles

Air Quality Monitoring Begins on GPS Anglia

Cycling to Work: Safety First

Charging Ahead: World EV Day

Clean Air Villages: September Update

New Clean Air Routes to be developed as part of CAV3

Car Free Day Summit

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

Air Quality Ambassadors – Launching Now!

Funding opportunity updates

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