Sustainable Chapeltown meeting

Wednesday 19th January

5pm

CDT offices (Unit 41, 26 Roundhay Road)

We’re going to be talking about community gardening, public green spaces, fuel poverty protests, and our new home energy assessment project amongst other things. Please come along.

Chapeltown Conversations

Leeds West Indian Centre

Wednesday 25th January

6-9pm

]]> http://chapeltowndt.org.uk/2012/01/come-share-a-meal-and-meet-your-neighbours/feed/ 0 http://chapeltowndt.org.uk/2012/01/want-advice-on-saving-energy-and-reducing-your-fuel-bills/ http://chapeltowndt.org.uk/2012/01/want-advice-on-saving-energy-and-reducing-your-fuel-bills/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:39:19 +0000 RileyC http://cpt.wearshades.co.uk/?p=101 Our four new household energy assessors are going to start their training at the end of January and they’re going to need some houses to practice on. Don’t worry, they’ll be supported by and working alongside experienced energy assessors from Groundwork Leeds during their training so you won’t get advised to turn your thermostat up to 50 degrees or owt like that!

Let us know if you would like advice on reducing your fuel bills, need some simple energy saving measures (such as tv power down plugs) installing, and are up for having the trainees gain some experience in the process.

Alternatively, the energy assessor’s final exam is in early March so if you’d like a visit from our energy assessors once they’re all trained up then do get in touch and we’ll put you on the waiting list.

Each group is asked to take a few notes and upload them to the blog so that a record is kept and people can carry on with the conversation online.

Head on over to the blog to see what came up at previous events and to join in the the discussions in the comments on each post.

http://chapeltown.wordpress.com/

Our trusty volunteers arrived on a rather soggy December morning to work out how to cram as many stalls as possible into Roscoe Methodist Church Hall. After a little bit of frantic geometry we managed to fit all of the 30 odd stalls into the venue and still leave enough room for the stage.

A selection of people from the Alan Cuckston Singers took to the aforementioned stage to entertain the shoppers and stallholders with a selection of classic carols sung in four part harmony. (If anyone who can read music is interested in joining a choir that sings classical music, contacts us and we’ll pass your details on)

We were glad to welcome some first time traders to join many of our faithful regulars, some of whom have been trading with us since the first trial markets in autumn 2010. A couple of the local churches had stalls stocked and staffed by members of their respective congregations which seemed to be doing a roaring trade, especially in some particularly delicious mince pies.

The aim of the event was to round off the year, celebrate the season, and give people a chance to buy presents and any festive goodies they might need. We had a great variety of items from all over the world and catering to the interests of the different cultures to be found in Chapeltown.

Chapeltown Development Trust was running a fundraising raffle and, thanks to the generosity of local businesses and indiviudals, we managed to make £134 which will go towards covering the costs of developing Chapeltown Market as we move forward in to 2012.

All four will be starting training based at Groundwork Leeds in late January. They’ll be out and about in Leeds learning the best way of doing household energy assessment visits, backed up by sessions back at the office learning the theory behind it all. In February two of them will be put forward for the National Energy Action Energy Awareness course and by the end of March they’ll be qualified Household Energy Assessors.

If you want some info and advice on saving energy and reducing your fuel bills then get in touch and we’ll arrange for our friendly local energy assessors to come and visit your home.

Chapeltown Development Trust is a community-led organisation based in the Chapeltown area of Leeds.  As a community organisation, it is our aim to encourage as much involvement and participation as possible from the community that we serve.

There are lots of different ways you can get involved.

• Suggest ideas for activities and/or services that you think would benefit the area.
• Come along to the open meetings.
• Volunteer for one of our project groups. Do you have a knack for publicity, experience with policies and procedures or ideas for fundraising?
• Help out at the Chapeltown Market held on the first Saturday of the month.
• Become a community shareholder – have a say in decisions about the Chapeltown Development trust, or an investment shareholder.

We are particularly keen to hear from you if you live, work or volunteer in the Chapeltown area of Leeds, have a business, organisation or provide a service/activity in this area, or just have an interest in Chapeltown.  If you would like to become involved or just want more information, please do get in contact with us.

Chapeltown doesn’t appear on the offical maps but locals know where it is. This map shows some of the things in the area.

Red marker – Charities/ Businesses that help people.
Red cross – Hospitals and health clinics.
Pink marker – Places of worship.
Pink camera – Culture/ Arts.
Yellow marker – Community centers.
Yellow spanner – Re-generation schemes.
Yellow house – Schools and Nurseries.
Yellow basket – Food shop.
Yellow scissors – Hairdressers.
Blue marker – General community businesses.
White knife and fork – Places to eat
Green tree – Parks

Energy Assessors Project

As global warming leads to changes in the weather and at the same time energy bills get higher it is really important to find ways to help people to reduce their energy use and to reduce their energy bills at the same time. Sustainable Chapeltown has has funding from Leeds City Council to train 2 young or long-term unemployed people to level 3 City and Guilds in energy awareness, the course to become household energy assessors is provided by National Energy Action. Those trainees will then work with locals to reduce their fuel bills. If you would like the energy assessors to visit your home (and you live in Chapeltown) then please contact us.

The conversations will allow relationships to be developed around common causes and provide a platform from which action and progress can happen.

Who are the Conversations For?

Chapeltown Conversations are not just for the usual ‘community leaders’, elected members and other officials - although they are all very welcome to join us.  Chapeltown Conversations will be an opportunity for people who live, work, learn or play in Chapeltown to talk about what matters most and the opportunities that we have to make things better.

The conversations will allow you to talk about what matters most to you and others who share your enthusiasm.  You will be able to set the agenda.  Whether it is things for young people to do, bus fares, jobs, housing, policing, bin collections or whatever – you will be able to talk about it.

Not JUST a talking shop…

The last thing that Chapeltown needs is more hot air.  This is not what Chapeltown Conversations are about.  They are intended to provide a space where people can find others with common cause and take action together to make things better.

Bringing People Together

Chapeltown conversations will be based around issues that really matter to local people, and often will work across communities, cultures and ages.

The conversations are hosted by Chapeltown Development Trust with support from Leeds City Council Area Management Team and other partners.