In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we head to Wales, to explore two fantastic examples of community hubs. Hwb y Gors is a newly opened arts and sustainability education centre in Cwmgors, Neath Port Talbot, which has been developed in an old Victiorian school building and is supporting the local community through a huge range of creative activities and wellbeing initiatives; and Tŷ Pawb is an impressive gallery, retail and event space in Wrexham, opened in 2018 and created in what was formerly a multi-storey carpark. Whilst on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of scale, both these initiatives are bringing huge positive impacts to their local area, economically, socially and environmentally.

Listen now to hear:

• How Hwb y Gors is helping restore community connectedness, and improving engagement with environmental issues through the arts.
• How start-up businesses are going from pop-up stalls to high street retailers through Tŷ Pawb’s support programme.
• How sustainability and community resilience are being improved by the repurposing of disused buildings.

Full transcript available at: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/create-a-community-hub

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Show notes

• Find out more about creating a community hub: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/create-a-community-hub
• Discover all 25 Big Local Actions: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction
• Listen to previous episodes of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast
• Send us your feedback and comments: hello@carboncopy.eco
• Read about Hwb y Gors on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/hwb-y-gors
• Learn more about Awel Aman Tawe, the community energy organisation behind Hwb y Gors: https://aat.cymru/
• Learn more about Tŷ Pawb: https://www.typawb.wales/
• Listen to our episode on installing low-carbon heating: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/install-low-carbon-heating

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK has some of the lowest quality and least energy efficient housing stock in Europe, and the majority of our buildings are still heated by gas fired boilers. This is despite huge hikes in fuel prices in recent years, and the introduction of subsidies for greener alternatives. For many people, low-carbon heating is inaccessible due to high upfront costs or unsuitable due to poor insulation. In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we explore two initiatives that are helping communities to embrace low-carbon heat: Power Up North London, which has helped Caxton House in Archway to decarbonise and become a warmer more inviting space for those that use it, and the UK’s first rural heat network in Swaffham Prior.

Listen now and learn:

• About the different approaches to decarbonising heat, and what works where.
• How partnerships and collaborations are vital to get projects off the ground.
• About the enormous savings – both in carbon emissions and financially – that can be made through switching away from fossil fuels.

Full transcript available at: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/install-low-carbon-heating

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Show notes

• Find out more about installing low-carbon heating: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/install-low-carbon-heating
• Discover all 25 Big Local Actions: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction
• Listen to previous episodes of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast
• Send us your feedback and comments: hello@carboncopy.eco
• Read about Heating Swaffham Prior on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/heating-swaffham-prior
• Read about Power Up North London on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/power-up-north-london
• Learn about Power Up North London’s plans to create a decarbonised neighbourhood in Islington: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQBt2QIiLwv/
• Listen to a previous episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast – Insulate Our Homes: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/insulate-our-homes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, host Isabelle Sparrow is joined by Vera Zakharov, Local Action Coordinator at Sustain, to speak about food partnerships and how the Sustainable Food Places programme is supporting the creation of a better, more connected food system across the UK. We meet guests from two very different food partnerships – Martin Carle from Granite City Good Food, in Aberdeen; and Augusta Lewis from Bwyd Sir Gâr Food, the sustainable food partnership for Carmarthenshire in Wales.

Listen now to learn:

• How organisations including businesses, charities, community groups, schools and colleges and NHS trusts can benefit from coming together in partnership around food.
• About the different Sustainable Food Places awards and what they mean.
• How everyone is connected by food – and why it is such an important way in to creating better, healthier, more environmentally friendly places.

Full transcript available at: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/create-a-food-partnership

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Show notes

• Find out more about creating a food partnership: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/create-a-food-partnership
• Discover all 25 Big Local Actions for climate and nature: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction
• Listen back to previous episodes of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast
• Send us your feedback: hello@carboncopy.eco
• Learn about Sustainable Food Places: https://www.sustainablefoodplaces.org/
• Read about Sustain’s Good Food Local programme: https://www.sustainweb.org/good-food-local/
• Read about the Campaign for Real Bread: https://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/
• Read more about Granite City Good Food: https://www.granitecitygoodfood.org/
• Learn about Bwyd Sir Gâr Food: https://www.bwydsirgarfood.org/
• Listen to our previous episode with Sustain, Produce Local Food: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/produce-local-food

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we explore the origins and the impacts of The Carbon Literacy Project. We speak to co-founder Phil Korbel, about how and why the initiative started, and about its exponential growth over the last thirteen years. We meet Linda Foley, an experienced educator and Manchester City Councillor, who discovered Carbon Literacy in her efforts to engage more of the school community with sustainability, and who says the project is the “silver bullet” she was looking for. And we chat to Jen Gale: author, podcaster and founder of Sustainable(ish), about her journey to becoming a Carbon Literacy trainer.

Listen now to hear:

• How peer-to-peer learning is central to the ethos of Carbon Literacy.
• How embedding Carbon Literacy into organisations’ mandatory training is helping more people to get on board with climate action.
• How to become Carbon Literate yourself, and how you could help to train and engage others in your community.
• About The Carbon Literacy Project’s ambition to make Manchester the world’s first Carbon Literate City by 2027.

Full transcript available at: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/engage-your-community

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Show notes

• Find out more about engaging your community: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/engage-your-community
• Discover all 25 Big Local Actions: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction
• Listen to previous episodes of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast
• Send us your feedback and comments: hello@carboncopy.eco
• Read more about what Carbon Literacy is: https://carbonliteracy.com/what-is-carbon-literacy/
• Find out about bringing Carbon Literacy to your workplace or community group: https://carbonliteracy.com/organisation/
• Learn more about the ambition for Manchester: https://carbonliteracy.com/mclc/
• Find out more about the Carbon Literacy courses that Jen Gale has developed and how you can participate in training with her: https://www.asustainablelife.co.uk/carbon-literacy/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, host Isabelle Sparrow is joined by Isabel Mack, founder of the Party Kit Network CIC, to discuss the world of possibilities offered through borrowing. Whilst most people are familiar with book libraries, there are now hundreds of initiatives across the UK (and beyond) that allow the borrowing of other items –from household appliances to sports equipment and everything in-between.

Listen now to hear:

• About why Isabel Mack started the Party Kit Network CIC and how this simple idea has helped prevent enormous numbers of single-use items being used and thrown away.
• From Chris Hellawell, founder of Edinburgh Tool Library, about how this casual side-project became a full-time job and a thriving charity which has lent over 60,000 tools to people over the last decade.
• From Becky Harford, co-founder of Benthyg Cymru, about how a people-based, place-based approach is at the heart of their work, and how sharing and borrowing can bring people together and create more connected communities.
• From Gavin Fernie-Jones, founder of Re-Action Collective, about the need for better policy and support for the sharing economy, to make borrowing the obvious and first choice wherever possible.

Full transcript available at: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/borrow-dont-buy

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Show notes

• Find out more about borrowing, not buying: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/borrow-dont-buy
• Discover all 25 Big Local Actions: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction
• Listen to previous episodes of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast
• Send us your feedback and comments: hello@carboncopy.eco
• Read about the Party Kit Network CIC on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/party-kit-network
• Read about Edinburgh Tool Library on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/edinburgh-tool-library
• Learn more about Benthyg Cymru: https://www.benthyg-cymru.org/
• Learn more about Re-Action Collective: https://re-action-collective.org/
• Read about the Alternative High Street: https://www.partykitnetwork.org/post/re-action-alternative-high-street

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Do Something Bigger from the Carbon Copy Podcast, join host Isabelle Sparrow with guest co-host, Kiloran O’Leary from Sustain to learn how producing and eating local food can help people connect with each other and bring positive change to their communities.

Listen now to learn:

• How Sustain is supporting food-related businesses to help more people on lower incomes to access local, healthy and sustainable produce.
• How the people of Carrickfergus in County Antrim came together to create Northern Ireland’s first community-owned greengrocer, and how this is helping the community connect to local growers and farmers.
• Why Growing Communities is encouraging more public sector organisations and schools to use small farms and market gardens to supply their catering needs.
• How Incredible Edible is campaigning for a community "Right To Grow,” and their vision for how this could transform the food system.

Full transcript available at: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/produce-local-food

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Show notes

• Find out more about producing food locally: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/produce-local-food
• Discover all 25 Big Local Actions: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction
• Listen to previous episodes of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast
• Send us your feedback and comments: hello@carboncopy.eco
• Learn more about Sustain: https://www.sustainweb.org/
• Find out about the Bridging the Gap programme: https://www.sustainweb.org/bridging-the-gap/
• Read Sustain’s Local Food Growth Plan report: https://www.sustainweb.org/reports/apr25-local-food-growth-plan/
• Read about Growing Communities: https://www.gcvegscheme.org/
• Read about Carrick Greengrocers: https://carrickgreengrocers.org/
• Read about Incredible Edible: https://www.incredibleedible.org.uk/
• Read about the community Right To Grow campaign: https://www.incredibleedible.org.uk/what-we-do/right-to-grow/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Do Something Bigger, from the Carbon Copy Podcast, hosts Isabelle Sparrow and Bradley Ingham meet three guests who are trying to improve the perception and the reality of using public transport in the UK. We hear from Michael Solomon Williams, Head of Campaigns at the Campaign for Better Transport and learn why it is still relevant in 2025, more than fifty years after the campaign was launched. We speak to Neil Barnfather, Chief Commercial Officer at GoodMaps, about how the app which began as a tool for blind and partially sighted people is now being used by people of all abilities to navigate transport terminals; and we meet Shahiesta Raja, Education Development Officer at Community Rail Lancashire, who has led a group of women to adopt Accrington rail station and become advocates for train travel in their community.

Listen now to learn:

• About campaigns from the Campaign for Better Transport that are helping more people in more places to access buses and trains.
• How GoodMaps’ technology reduces journey times and restores freedom for people with accessibility needs.
• How support from Community Rail Lancashire has had life-changing results for members of the local community in Accrington.

Full transcript at: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/turn-to-public-transport

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Show notes

• Find out how to turn to public transport: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/turn-to-public-transport
• Explore all 25 Big Local Actions: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction
• Listen back to previous episodes and series of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast
• Email us with your feedback: hello@carboncopy.eco
• Read more about the Campaign for Better Transport: https://bettertransport.org.uk/
• Learn more about GoodMaps: https://goodmaps.com/
• Learn more about Community Rail Lancashire: https://communityraillancashire.co.uk/
• Discover the whole Community Rail Network: https://communityrail.org.uk/
• Read about the Government’s Integrated Travel Strategy: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/integrated-national-transport-strategy-for-england
• Learn about the Bus Stop Standard campaign: https://bettertransport.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2411-Better-Bus-Stops-Creating-a-national-bus-stop-standard.pdf

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the UK’s driest spring on record, and England’s hottest June, this episode explores the causes of heatwaves, and what we can do to reduce the health and wellbeing impacts of extreme temperatures. We learn about the urban heat island affect with Professor Stefán Smith, Researcher and Lecturer at the University of Reading, and we look at the importance of water efficiency and soil health with Dr Laurence Couldrick, CEO at the Westcountry Rivers Trust.

Listen now to discover:

• Why towns and cities get warmer and stay warmer than surrounding rural areas.
• How introducing more vegetation and bodies of water can have a localised cooling effect.
• How communities can come together to provide places of sanctuary for vulnerable people during heatwaves.
• How animals also suffer in the heat and what farmers can do to protect their livestock.
• Why it’s crucial to make space for water across the UK, to build resilience against the effects of our changing climate.

Full transcript available at: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/prepare-for-heatwaves

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Show notes

• Find out more about preparing for heatwaves: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/prepare-for-heatwaves
• Explore all 25 Big Local Actions: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction
• Listen back to previous episodes and series of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast
• Read about Westcountry Rivers Trust’s work on drought resilience: https://wrt.org.uk/our-projects/
• Read about Stefán’s research related to how people move around urban environments during extreme weather: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FW002965%2F1
• Learn about the Making Space for Water campaign: https://theriverstrust.org/making-space-for-water
• Discover initiatives that are related to water security and resilience: https://carboncopy.eco/impact/safe-water
• Contact us with comments or feedback: hello@carboncopy.eco

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.