Visit Recycle Now
for tips and products to help reduce the amount we put into landfill sites.

David and his family have started composting in order to reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfill. He is using a composting bin purchased from www.recyclenow.com

Local Agenda 21 Grants

As part of Swindon Borough Council’s commitment to Local Agenda 21 and sustainable development, grants of up to £500 are available to any group involved in improving their local environment (e.g. a litter pick, a tree plant, etc.), local community (e.g. “reclaiming the streets”) local economy (e.g. schemes that encourage learning and skills development).

Ideally, projects should be a combination of all three areas, as these criteria form the basis of sustainable development and Local Agenda 21.

The grants are discretionary and are designed to pump prime projects that would otherwise not get off the ground. They can also be used as a basis to gain match funding from other organisations.

LA21 grants are one-off grants, so groups who may miss out this year can be considered again. However, we will accept applications from organisations who have received this grant before, but only for a different project and not to cover the group’s administration costs.

• Never use the facilities at night.
• Remember local residents - try to keep noise to a minimum.
• Take boxes and carrier bags home with you - remember flytipping is an offence!
• If the containers are full, take the materials home with you and try again another day.
• Never leave materials for others to put into the containers.
• Wash out bottles and cans and remove bottle tops.
• Return milk bottles to your milkman for re-use.
• Return prescription medicine bottles to the chemist.
• Re-use items rather than recycling them, if possible.
• Combine a trip to the recycling site with a visit to the shops or the school.

Quality of Life Awards

One of the key responsibilities of the Local Agenda 21 Co-ordinator for Swindon Borough Council is to engage the support of local individuals, groups, businesses and organisations, to take action now to help protect our local environment and thus contribute to the protection of our planet for future generations.

In order to promote such action, a special working group has developed the Quality of Life Awards. The scheme seeks to raise awareness of Agenda 21 and reward projects or activities that support the aims and objectives contained in Swindon’s Local Agenda 21 strategy ‘Seeds of Change’.

Individuals or groups who have helped Swindon to become more environmentally, economically or socially sustainable could win this prestigious award which recognises their contribution to improve the quality of life in the Borough.

Applications will be judged according to the following criteria:­

• Activities which will enable the Borough to meet its objectives with regard to Local Agenda 21, as set out in the document “The Seeds of Change — Swindon Borough’s Local Agenda 21 Vision and Preliminary Strategy”
• Activities which develop and support community capacity to meet local needs and aspirations.
• Activities which will help combat poverty and promote citizenship; provide equality of opportunity; involve community participation and consultation; help to protect or enhance the environment; develop the local economy; promote the interests and aspirations of people who are disadvantaged or under represented in decision making by reason of low income and poverty, gender, race or ethnicity, age, disability, sexuality

The closing date for applications is December 16th 2002 and the awards will be presented at an awards ceremony on February 20th 2003.

Further information regarding this briefing note can be obtained from Lynn Forrester (Local Agenda 21 Co-ordinator) on direct dial No. 466167.

Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation Grants

If you are promoting community or charitable activity in Haydon wick, you can apply to this body for a grant. Visit their web site at http://www.moneyshop.co.uk/charity/wiltshire.htm or call them on 01380 729284 for more information.