COUNCIL SCOOPS NATIONAL AWARD FOR CUTTING CARBON EMISSIONS
NEWS
Five Acres Community Garden CIC has received a £ 2,000 grant from Banks Group .
LOCAL DONATION
Young ‘ champions ’ building skills and self-confidence at community garden
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Newton Aycliffe-based community project is set to help its young “ champions ” develop new skills and self-confidence with the help of a four-figure equipment grant from a County Durham employer .
Five Acres Community Garden CIC is using a £ 2,000 Banks Group grant to buy a range of new woodworking equipment and accessories to be used to help build a workshop at its new headquarters in Brafferton , which it is expecting to begin to move into in the spring .
The organisation ’ s aim is to provide a unique service where more than 40 young adults with additional needs , or champions as they are known at Five Acres , are empowered to learn independent living , social and employability skills .
As part of this , the young champions will be involved in using the equipment to help build the new workshop themselves , with appropriate support and supervision provided by the Five Acres team where required .
Currently headquartered at the ROF 59 trampoline centre on Aycliffe Business Park , Five Acres was set up in 2019 by directors Debbie and Gavin Iceton , who had noticed , while running their transport business , a fall in the range of services available for young people with additional needs and decided to do something about it .
The equipment purchased with the grant will also be used by the champions to build other items at the Brafferton centre , including raised beds , fencing and animal enclosures . Donna Martin , funding and marketing manager at Five Acres Community Garden , said : “ Support from local businesses like Banks is absolutely invaluable and will help us make even more of a positive difference to the lives of our champions .”
COUNCIL SCOOPS NATIONAL AWARD FOR CUTTING CARBON EMISSIONS
Pictured ( from left ): Steve Bhowmick , environment and design manager , Durham County Council ; Jo Holmes , manging director , Genee Consulting Ltd ; and Stephen Beresford , principal officer climate strategy and policy , Durham County Council .
Durham County Council has secured a prestigious national climate change award while retaining its green accreditation for the third year running .
The local authority triumphed in the Best Carbon Reduction category at this year ’ s Investors in the Environment Awards in recognition of the significant steps it has taken to tackle climate change .
Judges were impressed by the breadth of activity underway at the council , which has led to a 64 % ( 50,000 tonne ) reduction in carbon emissions since 2008 / 2009 .
They also praised the local authority ’ s third Climate Emergency Response Plan , which sets out more than 230 actions that will have a direct impact on council and countywide emissions .
Cllr Mark Wilkes , Durham County Council ’ s cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change , said : “ We are delighted to have received this award and retained our green accreditation for the third year in a row from Investors in the Environment .
“ We are helping to create a better world for future generations that is less reliant on fossil fuels , has cleaner air and thriving natural habitats .
“ We look forward to continuing our journey of becoming an even more sustainable and environmentally-friendly council and are grateful to the Investors in the Environment programme for the support provided .”
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