Localgiving.com is now doubling up donations to Blackshaw Environmental Action Team

On 14th October LocalGiving.com started doubling up donations to local community groups, including Blackshaw Environmental Action Team (BEAT).

They have £500,000 to give away and on top of your doubled up donation you
can Gift Aid your donation if you are a tax payer, which will add an extra 25% to your
donation. Continue reading

Get hands-on with a startling array of fungi at Blackshawhead Chapel on 14th July!

Medical herbalist Jesper Launder’s Mushroom meeting at 7.30pm on 14th July will delight ‘shroom heads, foodies and everyone who’s curious about the wonders of nature.

The public meeting, organised by Blackshawhead Environmental Action Team, will provide opportunities to get close up with a variety of fascinating fungi. Continue reading

Blackshaw Environmental Action Team AGM, 9th October

The BEAT AGM and public meeting is at 7.30pm on 9th October at the Chapel (the Methodist Church in Blackshaw Head).
What should BEAT do in 2014?
All are welcome to come and discuss what BEAT should do in the coming year.  One option is to do more on energy conservation. Calderdale Council has suggested a partnership with BEAT and the Carbon Coop to apply to the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) for a minimum grant of £1 million to do insulation work of hard to treat houses (e.g. houses where the cavity wall cannot be insulated).

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Still time for households to apply for an air source heat pump free survey

As previously reported, Blackshawhead Environmental Action Team (BEAT) has been working with British Gas to have heavily-discounted air source heat pumps (ASHPs) installed in local houses which are not connected to mains gas. Finn Jensen of BEAT says,

“The British Gas ASHP offer is not just for Blackshaw Head so if anyone else who is not on mains gas is interested we will forward that to British Gas.”

Extended deadline means there’s still time for a free survey

The deadline for the installation of an air source heat pump with a discount of around £10,000 has now been extended by the government to the end of March 2013. So if you’re off the gas mains and want a free survey of your house to see if it’s suitable and to get a quote for the discounted installation cost (usually around £5-6,000) please email finn.jensen@rocketmail.com with your phone number(s).
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Pennine Community Power over the moon with grant

Blackshaw Head-based Pennine Community Power has won a grant of £30,000 from Village SOS, part of the Big Lottery Fund. The grant will part-fund a 10kW Bergey community wind turbine, to be erected on a 12 metre lattice tower at Blackshaw Head. It recently received conditional planning permission from Calderdale Council.

BEAT wind turbine will look like this

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