CLIMATE CHALLENGE FUND IDEAS BANK

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1 TEMPLATE FOR PROJECT IDEA 1. Name of Proposing Organisation The Surefoot Effect for Carbon Conversations 2. Contact details Address 17 Victoria Place, Stirling, FK8 2QT 3. Named individual which community groups can contact for further information about the project proposal. Phone Web address Name Pamela McLean Job Title Director Direct dial number Geographical focus of project idea Community groups in Scotland (CCs is used throughout the UK) 5. Outline of Project Idea (500 word limit) Description of Carbon Conversations Carbon Conversations Groups offer a supportive group experience that helps people halve their personal carbon footprint. The groups deal with the difficulties of change by connecting to values, emotions and identity. The groups are based on a psychological understanding of how people change. Groups of 6-8 meet with trained facilitators over 6 sessions which create a non-judgmental atmosphere where people are encouraged to make significant lifestyle changes. The groups offer: space for people to explore what climate change means for themselves, their families and their aspirations permission to share their hopes, doubts and anxieties time to work through the conflicts between intention, social pressure and identity reliable, well-researched information and practical guidance on what will make a difference support in creating a personal plan for change The meetings use professionally-designed materials to cover climate change basics, ideas for a low-carbon future and the four key areas of the footprint home energy, travel, food and other consumption. Discussions of practicalities are woven together with discussions of how people feel and what these changes mean personally. Carbon reductions of 1 tonne CO 2 are typically made by each member during the course, with plans developed to halve individual footprints over a 4-5 year period. (see various research here) Facilitation training equips suitable volunteers to facilitate effective, stimulating groups. CCs

2 groups operate well as a cascade scheme. Typically 10% of participants train to become facilitators of further groups. Along with the proven on average 1 tonne reduction per participant, CCs complements other carbon-reduction initiatives and community projects. Defining a Project: Working with a community, Surefoot will help to define how CC s can be used to complement the main aspects of community work envisioned. This could be for example: 1) Using CCs to help define which area(s) of carbon reduction are the most important to a community. By running 1-2 groups of 8 people each either at an early stage of community engagement or toward the end of a related project, facilitators can use the sessions to gauge interest across the areas of home energy, transport, food, and waste & consumption. This information could be used to support a CCF bid for a future project. 2) CCs can also be used to signpost people toward existing projects. For example, one transition group used CCs to signpost people to a Green makeover project from the home energy session; a cycling programme from the Transport session; community food buying and growing schemes from the food session; and a reuse scheme from the waste & consumption session. Groups can work with Surefoot in several different ways. We can train community members to be group facilitators; or we can run initial groups and then train facilitators to carry on with further groups. We can also help with the quantification of impacts on personal carbon footprints. We supply all CC materials (handbooks, games and facilitator s guides.) We also provide ongoing support to anyone trained as a CC Facilitator. 6. Fit with CCF Criteria (500 word limit) How will the project support communities to address climate change? How will the project deliver a realistic and measurable reduction in CO 2 e emissions and leave a legacy for the communities after the funded period? Carbon Conversations introductory session has an overview of climate change and the attendant issues and each session addresses the specifics of the impacts in that area. For example an activity called What s the problem with stuff? makes clear the impacts of consumption and waste. Carbon Conversations uses a Carbon Footprint Calculator designed by the Centre for Alternative Technologies. (any other evidence-based footprinting tool can be used) Participants work with facilitators to assess their footprint before beginning the group sessions. Whilst footprint details are not discussed during the group sessions, it is important people are aware of the size of each area of their footprint as the sessions progress. The reductions arising from changes in behaviour (eg, turning down the heating thermostat, increased use of public transport or eco-driving) and infrastructure improvements (eg, increased insulation, boiler replacement) can be assessed through changes in fuel bills. Legacy - Many people report an improved ability to talk to and influence change in family, friends and colleagues about addressing climate change after participating in the sessions. A recent longitudinal study of Carbon Conversations participants shows that even 2 years after

3 participating, people are still making changes to reduce carbon and are still able to influence others. About 10% of participants to date have gone on to be trained as facilitators. These people along with the people initially trained to facilitate in a community will gain transferrable facilitation skills which can be used in any sort of community work in future. 7. Previous work with communities short summary (500 word limit) of any previous experience of, or proposed activity for, providing project support to community organisations Our work with projects starts when we train pairs of facilitators to run the sessions. We support facilitators through creating initial carbon footprints, planning the sessions, reviewing feedback from the sessions and if required we can also help with quantifying the results. We can help with planning your project to incorporate CCs into framework of existing projects. Carbon Conversations has been used by many communities in the UK: Greener Kirkcaldy, Tweedgreen in Peebles, Carluke, Transition Edinburgh South, Going Carbon Neutral Stirling, Transition Stirling, Eco Congregations, Cathcart Road Community Awareness Project, Transition Edinburgh University, Transition University of St Andrews, Transition University West of Scotland, Lower Carbon University of Stirling, and Aberdeen University have all run groups. Over 400 people participated in CCs in 2012 in Scotland, and close to 300 from 2010 to Cambridge Carbon Footprint has run almost 50 groups in the past 5 years. Low Carbon Banbury, Low Carbon Headington and other groups in the Oxford area have run over 40 groups. Transition Tooting has run 9 groups and several have been run in other places across London, as well as Letchworth, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester and Lincoln. We are currently speaking to people in Denmark, Hungary, Spain, Australia, Canada and the US about the use of CCs in their country. We will be running the 3 rd annual facilitator training for Transition St Andrews in January 2014, and have run multiple trainings in each of Edinburgh, Oxford and Cambridge. In 2013, trainings have also been run in Brighton, Bristol, Manchester and London. 8. Other Support and Resources (500 word limit) Our website holds a great deal of supporting information and also has functionality to support facilitators in advertising groups, signing up participants, and recording results. Carbon Conversations sessions use well-researched and up to date participant handbooks and a set of games designed for use with 3 of the sessions. The participant handbooks are good athome guides for carbon reduction when the sessions are complete. Carbon Conversations also has a version for use in workplaces: past/present groups at Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh University, Buckinghamshire County Council, The Co-op, NHS Southwest

4 and Scottish Government. We work with several partners who provide training and services which could be of interest to community groups: Climate Outreach Information Network, who provide training on how to talk about climate change; Public Interest Research Centre who help groups with campaigning and messaging; and Reachability who help with community organising. The Surefoot Effect works with groups in community and workplace settings helping to effect change using workshops based on Common Cause and Non Violent Communication as well as Carbon Conversations. We are also currently evaluating for use a group work set of sessions designed to help community groups get up and running. Surefoot is a Community Interest Company and 20% of its revenue from commercial work is used as bursaries to support communities using values based methods and tools.

5 GUIDANCE NOTES FOR COMPLETING CCF PROJECT IDEA TEMPLATE - GENERAL Proposing Organisation - The Proposing Organisation is the body which is submitting the project idea to the CCF Ideas Bank. This can be an NGO, a national or local charity, a local authority, a community based organisation, an umbrella organisation or federation of organisations this is an indicative, not comprehensive list. The Ideas Bank aims to open up the CCF process to enable previously ineligible bodies to contribute ideas and expertise to grass roots communities to enable them to take action on climate change. In general, Proposing Organisations should be not-for-profit bodies. Community Group The CCF criteria for a community-led project is that those who are the target for the project activities (i.e. the individuals and households who will be the recipients of the awareness raising and behaviour change activities) should be involved in the design of the project at the development stage, and in the management of the project if successfully funded. A project which is delivered to, or imposed upon, the community from an external body would not meet the CCF community criteria. Partnership Agreement The unique element of the Ideas Bank applications is that a Partnership Agreement between the community group and the Proposing Organisation and must be agreed and submitted with the application form. This is a vital element of the application and will evidence the relationship between the organisations involved and the sharing of project implementation. Guidelines for the Partnership Agreement will be provided with the full CCF Application Form, but the main aim of the Partnership Agreement is to encourage the two parties to discuss and plan their respective roles, responsibilities and division of actions/project resources at the application stage. A Partnership Agreement will demonstrate to the CCF Team and CCF Panel the commitment of both parties to the success of the project, and will be used as a monitoring and assessment tool during project delivery. GUIDANCE NOTES FOR COMPLETING CCF PROJECT IDEA TEMPLATE 1 & 2 Details of Proposing Organisation Name and contact details of the organisation 3 Please include a named individual who is familiar with the Project Idea and can be contacted by community groups who are interested. If this named individual is only available at certain times, please include this information. 4 Geographical Focus if the organisation only works in a certain area (e.g. a local authority area) please ensure this is identified here. If the Project Idea could be delivered anywhere in Scotland, make it obvious here too.

6 5. Outline of proposed CCF Project Idea this should be a brief outline (500 word limit) which explains the main focus of the project, what the key outcomes could be for the community and examples of the types of activity that would be part of the project. The aim of this description is to sell the idea of the project to the community group and help them to decide if it is something they would like to take on. There will be further information available through contact with the organisation and negotiation of a partnership agreement, but there should not be any detail in this description which the organisation would not be willing to share with the general public this will hopefully assure you (the Proposing Organisation) that intellectual copyright will be maintained. 6. Relation to CCF Criteria brief (500 word) description of how the project will support community action on climate change, what the CO 2 e impacts will be in the community and what legacy will be left behind after the funded period. This section is to enable the CCF Team to assess the project for inclusion in the Ideas Bank, and to ensure that the Proposing Organisation is both familiar with and committed to the overall objective of the CCF. 7. Outline of experience of working with groups at a community level the Proposing Organisation should include an outline of how they would ensure community engagement and a sample of what they would include in a partnership agreement. This is especially the case if they have no previous experience of community based action. 8. Other Support and Resources available Additional resources that the Proposing Organisation could provide in the way of support, resources, experience, etc. This could be identified through a link to the Proposing Organisation s own website, where further information about both the Project Idea and other resources could be provided.