Launch event encourages communities in Wales to go green
Local groups advised on how to win a share of £1m climate change prize fund
The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) is hosting a launch event in Cardiff to tell community groups from across Wales how they can enter its new Big Green Challenge initiative - and be in with a chance of winning a share of a million pounds.
Run over two years, the competition will see NESTA challenging people from across the UK to work together to demonstrate new ways to reduce their CO2 emissions.
Ideas could either be brand new or a fresh way of applying existing solutions, and the group with the most imaginative – and proven – approach at the end of the competition will win the lion’s share of the £1m put up for grabs by NESTA.
The Welsh launch event will take place on Thursday 29th November at National Assembly for Wales, Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay from 12.00pm. Representatives from local groups and not-for-profit organisations and interested members of the public will be able to hear more about the Challenge and how to enter.
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Presiding Officer for the National Assembly of Wales and Chair of the Business Committee will start the event by talking about the important role communities can play in tackling climate change. Attendees will also be able to gain inspiration from guest speaker, Paul Allen, Development Director at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) who will talk about Machynlleth, a town in Wales that has installed its own (2nd hand Danish) community wind turbine and Ecodyfi, a locally-controlled community benefit organisation, whose aim is to foster sustainable community regeneration in the Dyfi Valley. Key organisations like the Energy Savings Trust and UnLtd (the Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs) will also be on hand to provide advice to potential entrants.
NESTA Chief Executive Jonathan Kestenbaum said, “We've had a massive response already to the launch of the £1m prize fund, proving that people are actively looking for ways to pool their ideas and resources together and make a bigger impact on climate change. At this stage we really want to inspire groups in Wales about what’s possible and the regional event in Cardiff will be a great chance to do this.”
Those from Wales wishing to attend the Cardiff event or find out more about the Challenge should visit www.biggreenchallenge.org.uk where they can register for the event, or call 0845 850 1122.
Notes to editors
Who can enter?
Those eligible to enter include groups that are already formed, such as a local branch of the Scouts or a Parent Teacher Association, new groups made up of those with a common interest, or those led by a not-for-profit organisation, such as a charity.
What’s next?
Groups from Wales interested in applying should register their interest at: www.biggreenchallenge.org.uk. The competition will then be open for initial applications from January to the end of February. Over six months, NESTA and a panel of experts will whittle the entries down first to the 100 strongest and then the 10 best ideas. Finalists will then be given a year to put their ideas into practice.
How will it be judged?
In the second year of the Challenge, short-listed finalists from across the UK will have to achieve a measurable reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, involve their community and prove that their ideas can be expanded or copied in a different area or setting.
To find out more about applying to the Big Green Challenge by post or phone, groups can write to the Big Green Challenge c/o UnLtd, 123 Whitecross Street, Islington, London EC1Y 8JJ, or call them on 0845 850 1122.
About NESTA
NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, the largest single endowment devoted exclusively to supporting talent, innovation and creativity in the UK. Its mission is to transform the UK's capacity for innovation by investing in early stage companies, informing innovation policy and encouraging a culture that helps innovation to flourish.