EcoTeams in Nottinghamshire

Contribution to sustainable development and people’s quality of life:

The EcoTeams project helps motivate and encourage people to make some small but valuable changes to their lifestyles. These changes can help people improve the quality of their lives. For example, through reducing household bills, reducing their impact on the environment and improving their health. Through informing, engaging and sharing experiences with each other, EcoTeam members make and reinforce links between behaviour and environmental, health and economic issues. Previous research has shown that new habits formed during the project are sustained after completion.

The EcoTeams Project is built upon a few simple principles:

• No-one can do everything, but we can all do something.
• The work is shared by a group so that members can support and encourage one another and share experiences and ideas.
• It’s a step-by-step process that helps you to change your lifestyle by small adjustments that become good habits, benefiting you and the environment.
• By measuring what resources your household uses, you can see the improvements you have achieved during the course of the programme, as an individual and as a team.

Organisation: Global Action Plan

Sector: Voluntary

Location: The Boroughs of Rushcliffe, Broxowe, Gedling and Nottingham City

Start Date: January 2006 - December 2009

Summary: EcoTeams seek to engage individuals in positive action that will bring benefit to them economically, socially and educationally and to engender long term behavioural change - in all communities.

Background:

An EcoTeam is a group of 6-8 households who meet once a month for four months to share ideas and work together to learn simple yet effective lifestyle changes to become more environmentally friendly. The aim is that through measuring improvements each household can see its part in creating a cleaner, more sustainable future, as well as reducing household bills.

“An EcoTeam is not simply a discussion group, it is a practical workshop where words and thoughts are translated into action.”

Julie Jackson, EcoTeams Project Manager

Due to the programme’s success in Rushcliffe, the programme has expanded to cover the Greater Nottingham Area.

Project results: There are many key outcomes from the EcoTeams programme:

• Significant reductions in resources used. On average, previous EcoTeam members have achieved the following reductions:

                            Rubbish: 20%

                            Electricity 23%

                            Gas: 18%

                            Water: 5%

• Brings communities together by getting neighbours to work in teams.
• It can help the local economy through the promotion of buying locally produced food.
• Helps participants make financial savings.
• A number of local volunteers who are now coaching their own EcoTeams

Keywords: Sustainability, Eco Teams, Household, Community, Waste, Energy, Shopping, Transport.

Contact Details:

Julie Jackson, EcoTeams Project Manager

Tel: 0115 978 4679 or 07905 534 580
Email: julie.jackson@globalactionplan.org.uk

Web: http://www.globalactionplan.org.uk

 
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Updated: 11 April 2006