October 24, 2012
Green gongs going
The winners of the Scottish Green Awards were announced earlier this month. Some great names made the shortlists but no one could have any complaints with the winners. Mike Small of the Fife Diet took the best campaigner award – with over 4000 people involved in the Fife Diet, it is now the largest local food project in Europe. Moffat CAN scooped the award for best community initiative for the sheer breadth of new projects that they’ve initiated in the past twelve months.
24/10/12
The Best Green Community Initiative Winner: Moffat CAN
Runners-up: Castlemilk Community Woodlands; Freegle; Friends of Possilpark Greenspace
“This is a such a comprehensive initiative and they have clearly thought through just what can be achieved,” commented one of the panel members of Moffat CAN.
Over the past 12 months the community-owned company and charity has opened a furniture reuse centre in Annan, expanded its business waste collection service, developed a bike hire scheme and established Scotland’s first aquaponics greenhouse.
The panel was also impressed by the work by Castlemilk Community Woodlands to regenerate an underused area to provide opportunities for social, economic and environmental improvements.
Despite being run entirely by volunteers Freegle, which now has almost 100,000 members encouraging the reuse of unwanted items, was seen as having a major impact.
The panel also praised the work of the Friends of Possilpark Greenspace in improving the local environment in an area which has suffered many years of neglect.
Visit Moffat CAN’s website to learn more.
The Best Green Campaigner/Activist Winner: Mike Small, Fife Diet
Runners-up: Sarah Findlay, Starter Packs Glasgow; Tim Cowen/Maggie Kelly, Community Opposed to New Coal at Hunterston (CONCH)
“A real success in changing behaviours to benefit the environment,” commented the panel of Fife Diet.
Founded by Mike Small in 2007, the consumer network now has more than 4,000 individuals involved, making it the largest local food project of its kind in Europe. Members of the project average 40 to 60 per cent below the carbon footprint for food usage than a typical UK consumer.
Sarah Findlay’s achievements and her ability to enthuse others at Starter Packs Glasgow also highly impressed the panel. The initiative sources household items to distribute to people looking to move into flats or houses after a period of homelessness. Each year hundreds of tonnes of reusable items are saved from waste and diverted to provide households with the items they need.
The success of a grassroots campaign against a new coal-fired power station at Hunterston also saw Tim Cowen and Maggie Kelly, co-chairs of Community Opposed to New Coal at Hunterston praised by the panel..
Visit Fife Diet’s website to learn more.