Government report highlights our Snow Angels

Public Health England has issued its evaluation report on Warm Homes Healthy People Fund for 2012/13 in which the excellent work of Ashton Hayes features as a case study (number 15 on page 29). The Fund aims to cut deaths related to cold weather that currently run at 24,000 per year.

Read the full report and the Ashton Hayes case study,

Can we cope in a crisis? Testing our resilience as a community

What would happen if we had to cope with a major weather event or other incident that stretched our emergency services? Could we help each other for a while until professional support arrived? This is scenario that a group of volunteers (in conjunction with the Parish Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council) have been investigating for a year or more. The result is a draft Community Emergency Plan that identifies village groups and resources that that we could call on in an emergency. On 21 November we shall be testing the robustness of our plan by using a tabletop training exercise with the help of the Fire Service, Police, NHS and Snow Angels and the Joint Cheshire Emergency Planning Team.

We believe that other groups could play a key role in helping in a crisis and you are invited to attend and participate in the exercise. It should be interesting and fun

See full notice of event here.

SPEN releases film on YouTube

SP Energy Networks, the Network Operator that owns the electricity distribution system in the village, has made a short film that highlights two years of research in understanding our energy use as a community. Supported by Ofgem, SPEN has installed power-monitoring systems in four quadrants of the village and now understands how the community electricity use changes every few minutes. This data has been invaluable in helping SPEN understand the implications and demands that devices such as PV Panels and Electric Cars place on networks. It also helped the Carbon Neutral Project see the dramatic drop in power use during Earth Hour earlier this year. The research is being shared as Open Source with other Network Operators. SPEN has made a donation to AHCE Company for its help in making the movie, which was produced by Monty Wates. If you would like to view the film please visit this YouTube link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTG9M5_tnDU

or visit the SPE or Going Carbon Neutral websites

www.spenergynetworks.co.uk

The Going Carbon Neutral Project, through the Ashton Hayes Community Energy Company (AHCE – a social enterprise), is now looking at further opportunities to install PV panels and earn revenue for the village. We shall be discussing ideas at our AGM later this year.

Visit by our European friends

Fabian Brökelmann from Amersfoort in The Netherlands is fact finding about our sustainability efforts in Ashton Hayes this week.  Fabian is involved in Research for the Dutch 'Raad voor het Openbaar Bestuur' (an advisory council/board on public government/authorities - issues for the Dutch Government) about the facilities and conditions for communities to accept responsibilities instead of the authorities. He is particularly keen on how communities embark and succeed in 'self determination'. Thanks to all the residents who have spared time to talk to Fabian. Ashton Hayes is a member of the Communities of Sustainable Europe, which is how Fabian heard about us.

AHCE lucky winners @ picnic in the park

We are delighted to sign up a substantial number of new members to the Ashton Hayes Community Energy Company at the Picnic in the Park - and those that joined us were entered into a prize draw for LED energy saving light bulbs. The lucky winners who will cut their energy use are Jacqui and Rick Malpas and David Lamb and Lesley Rickards.