Tag Archives: Environment

News, Tech, Transport

Yotta fuels the drive towards sustainability and net zero with new features in Horizons

Updates to leading strategic asset management software will enable Highways Asset Managers to clean up their act with predictive capabilities and emissions visualisation

Horizons, the visualised software-as-a-service (SaaS) strategic asset management platform from Yotta, continues to help local authorities make greener decisions when managing Britain’s notoriously unsustainable roads. The company recently announced it had added new features focused on sustainability and carbon-offset to its cloud-based highway asset management software, with a raft of measurement and predictive capabilities to help those responsible for highways to meet the carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission objectives of their organisation.

The new features in Horizons allow Highways Asset Managers to measure the embodied CO2 and NOx across numerous treatment options. Crucially, councils can now measure the impact of their decisions, enabling them to manage and create optimal lifecycle plans that meet targets, deliver greener alternatives and offer more efficient investment scenarios.

Horizons’ revamp comes as authorities set ambitious targets to achieve more environmentally friendly road infrastructure. In January, National Highways highlighted its commitment to achieving net zero carbon by 2050, announcing the creation of a new division for Environmental Sustainability. By introducing these new environmental capabilities within Horizon, Yotta is positioning itself as a leader in the march towards sustainability on the roads.

“We all have a shared responsibility to strengthen our green infrastructure asset management,” commented Jonathan Shaw, Product Manager at Yotta. “With Horizons, we not only have the ability to track and measure emissions, but to actually do something with this data – to use it to analyse, predict and plan for the future. This is transformational for everybody using the roads – not just Highways Asset Managers or local authorities – as the whole planet will ultimately benefit from more sustainable infrastructure.”

Horizons has already achieved a governmental stamp of approval: National Highways’ P-DST, referred to within the organisation as its Programme Investment Tool (PIT), is powered by Yotta’s leading technology and numerous local authorities use Horizons as part of their strategic highway asset planning.

About Yotta

Yotta was acquired by Causeway in June 2022.

Yotta transforms the management of the built world to create safer, cleaner and more sustainable places for everyone.

Its Alloy and Horizons cloud-based asset management software connects people, systems and assets so that organisations can make better, more informed decisions and manage their infrastructure assets with greater efficiency, speed and clarity than ever before.

Based in the UK, Yotta has an international network of partners, supports over 200 public and private customers and its software is used to manage more than 35 million assets.  To learn more, visit https://weareyotta.com/

 

Climate, Food & Drink, Manufacturing, Midlands News, News

Birmingham entrepreneurs emerge from the den with ‘saucy’ £500,000 sales target for eco-friendly product

Two old school friends, who took on high-profile entrepreneurs in the Dragons’ Den twice, are setting their sights on a £500,000 sales return for their new eco-friendly solution to serving up sauce.

Ian Worton and Peter Neath are confident that Saucestream is going to prove a big hit with green-minded consumers after it saw an initial spike in online and Amazon orders.

Backed by the advisory expertise of Haines Watts, the duo is also about to close several major deals with leading homeware retailers to stock their product, which is a simple pump device that clips directly onto glass bottles and makes it easy to get the sauce out with a simple squeeze.

The device was inspired after a chance viewing of David Attenborough’s ‘Blue Planet’ documentary and is designed to encourage people to switch from single-use plastic bottles to the more sustainable glass alternatives.

“A few designs here, a few conversations there, prototyping in a garage and before you knew it Saucestream was born,” explained Peter Neath, a former automotive engineer by trade.

“Our product, which is now available in five commonly used bottles of sauces, presses all the right buttons. It is a green solution for individuals to replace plastic bottles with glass ones and still be able to get the same ‘squeezing feel’ that gets all the sauce out.”

He continued: “That’s just the beginning. We are only just starting discussions with restaurant chains about switching to our products and if we can get one of these conversations over the line that could be a real gamechanger.

“Sustainability isn’t going away; it’s only going to grow in importance and hopefully our innovation can play a small part in that.”

Peter and Ian have been supported by Haines Watts for the past seven years, helping them establish and grow their hugely successful Grillstream business, a business that has transformed the way BBQs operate.

The specialist accountant and business advisers have guided the entrepreneurs in securing Patent Box allowances and helping it establish the brand as the second biggest in the UK and a thriving export venture.

In recent years, the attention has switched to how they fund and get Saucestream off the ground quickly to make the most of the market opportunity.

Ian Worton continued: “Haines Watts just got our business straight away and understood our personalities, which are big drivers in Grillstream and Saucestream. As owner-managers your day is full of getting stuff done, from the core design and development work to trying to work out how the hell you are going to sell it.

“The last thing you need to try to do is try to understand the world of finance and all the different tax incentives and funding routes we could embark on. We just needed someone to step forward and take control of that.”

This is exactly what Haines Watts has done, firstly completing the Patent Box application on both products and, more recently, securing more than £20,000 of R&D Tax savings that the entrepreneurs have put towards development and tooling costs to get Saucestream up and running.

It has also ensured that both firms have moved to digital accounting, installing Zero software to help with stock management and to give everyone greater visibility on purchases, sales, investments, and future opportunities.

Haines Watts’ Daniel Montgomery picked up the story: “Peter and Ian are two fantastic innovators and have a track record of bringing new products to market successfully. We’ve started with compliance and making the business more efficient, and we’ve then used the expertise of our pan-regional teams to maximise Patent Box, R&D Tax Credits and, more recently, postponed VAT accounting.

“The latter is important as there is a lot of up-front costs associated with manufacturing products for sale and then a lag in the time it takes to sell the units and recoup the revenue. We can ease some of the pain with this clever approach to VAT.”

History has a habit of repeating itself and the duo lived up to this mantra when they became the first entrepreneurs to return to Dragons’ Den with a different offer in 2022.

This time, they managed to attract three offers from Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden and newcomer Steven Bartlett, all keen to maximise the sustainable opportunity Saucestream could deliver.

However, despite this interest, negotiations are still ongoing on how this deal will look, so for now the entrepreneurs are going it alone.

 

 

News

Flooring retailer reduces 300 tonnes of CO2e and plants 15,000 trees

Midlands-based flooring manufacturer and retail firm Factory Direct Flooring (FDF) is championing climate action and celebrating the milestone of planting 15,000 trees through climate action platform, Ecologi. Just 15 months ago, FDF became a Climate Positive Workforce® through Ecologi – which involves offsetting the carbon footprint of each employee by funding some of the world’s best carbon reduction projects, and funding responsible tree planting. The partnership is part of FDF’s commitment to sustainability across all processes and its future goal of carbon neutrality.

 

The offsetting is based on the approximate carbon footprint of FDF’s 25-strong workforce at its Hemdale Industrial Park-based warehouse and showroom facility. Becoming a Climate Positive Workforce® is part of FDF’s commitment to sustainability across all processes, and the verified carbon reduction projects FDF has been supporting each month has prevented the emission of over 300 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) into the atmosphere. To put this achievement into perspective, that reduction effectively offsets the same emissions produced from 233 long-haul flights.

 

FDF’s founder Paul Hambidge said: “This milestone that Factory Direct Flooring has reached of planting 15,000 trees in just 15 months is something our whole team is proud of. We’ve seen that by taking quite a simple step and becoming a Climate Positive Workforce®, businesses can easily fund climate action and make a difference. I certainly recommend Ecologi to other environmentally conscious SMEs.

 

“We are mindful about our operational impact on the planet and we moved to our current warehouse last year to consolidate and negate transport between units. FDF’s mission to reduce its environmental impact isn’t over; we are currently looking into utilising carbon accounting software Ecologi Zero to help us measure and reduce our emissions going forward,” he added.

 

Sam Jackson, Senior Climate & Environmental Impact Manager at Ecologi, said: “We congratulate FDF on this milestone and thank them for their commitment to taking climate action. However large or small the contribution we make in our personal and professional lives, committing to being part of the solution and implementing change is crucial in our collective effort to solve climate change.”

 

Ecologi is a social enterprise and certified B corporation with a mission to halve the world’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. To date, its users have collectively funded the planting of 45 million trees and the reduction of 2.1 million tonnes of CO2e emissions through supporting the world’s best climate solutions.

 

To find out more about the reforestation and carbon reduction projects FDF has supported, visit its Ecologi profile. More information on Ecologi can be found at https://ecologi.com/.

 

For more information about FDF and its luxury vinyl tile (LVT), laminate and engineered wood products, visit www.factory-direct-flooring.co.uk

As director of Factory Direct Flooring, he has been involved in all aspects of flooring and has worked with some of the largest producers of wood flooring, vinyl flooring and laminate floors in the UK.

News

Voting now open to crown the UK’s favourite parks

Fields in Trust has announced that voting has officially opened to decide the ‘UK’s Favourite Parks’, with the national charity calling on people to pick their favourite from the 364 put forward by the public. Votes will see ‘National Favourites’ being lauded from each of the Home Nations, with the one with the most being crowned the overall winner for 2022.

Having launched the campaign back in 2015, this year has seen more nominations received than ever before, demonstrating just how much the nation has grown to appreciate green spaces over the past few years.

Returning for the first time since 2019, this year’s campaign is particularly momentous it’s the first since the start of the pandemic, in which saw a significant rise in visits to local parks. Over 350 spaces have been nominated in 2022, with every region in the UK represented on the list. The full list can be found here, but some of the nominated parks for each region include:

  • South East (38 nominations) – Riverside Park, Southampton; Preston Park, Brighton; and Dunorlan Park, Tunbridge Wells
  • East (38 nominations) – Holywells Park, Ipswich; Priory Gardens, Great Yarmouth; and Southchurch Hall Gardens, Southend on Sea
  • North West (51 nominations) – Otterspool Promenade, Liverpool; Derby Park, Bootle; and Alexandra Park, Oldham
  • North East (17 nominations) – Carlisle Park, Northumberland; Gallagher Park, Bedlington; and Leazes Park, Newcastle upon Tyne
  • East Midlands (24 nominations)– Gedling Country Park, Nottingham; Brosscroft Park, Hadfield; and Corby Sculpture Park, Corby
  • South West (25 nominations) – Ludwell Valley Park, Exeter; Thanckes Park, Torpoint; and Eastville Park, Bristol
  • Yorkshire and Humberside (28 nominations) – Harold Park, Bradford; Clifton Park, Rotherham; and Sandringham Park, Wetherby
  • West Midlands (39 nominations) – Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham; Droitwich Lido Park, Droitwich; and Kings Heath Park, Kings Heath
  • Greater London (36 nominations) – Blondin Park, Ealing; Downhills Park, Tottenham; and Foxham Gardens, Islington
  • Wales (20 nominations) – Plascrug Park, Aberystwyth; Bute Park, Cardiff; and Bellevue Park, Wrexham
  • Scotland (44 nominations) – Blackford Hill, Edinburgh; Crombie Country Park, Dundee; and Knightswood Park, Glasgow
  • Northern Ireland (4 nominations) – Ormeau Park, Belfast; Castle Archdale Country Park; Enniskillen, Craigavon City Park, County Armagh and Solitude Park, Banbridge

Research commissioned by the charity has revealed that local parks are in the top five attributes that influence people when considering where to live, surpassing libraries, theatres, pubs, and restaurants. A further 32% of people surveyed found it very important that a park or green space was within the local proximity when relocating.

Following the annual Green Space Index report released earlier this year, the study – which analyses the provision and distribution of parks and green spaces in the UK – found that 2.8 million people live more than ten minutes’ walk away from a green space. With only 6% of green space legally protected in Great Britain, Fields in Trust worries that this will only worsen in coming years if we do not appreciate and advocate for our local parks.

Commenting on the commencement of the voting stage, Chief Executive of Fields in Trust, Helen Griffiths, said:

“We’re absolutely delighted to see that hundreds of parks and green spaces have been nominated up and down the country. It is incredibly heartening to hear the individual stories of significance for these spaces and this process has only emphasised the collective importance of having natural areas in our communities.

“As an organisation, we have worked for over a century to protect parks and green spaces, and there have never been such huge financial and development pressures threatening them. Now, it is up to all of us to prevent this cycle of disappearance and decline.”

The UK’s Favourite Parks was first awarded seven years ago and has already handed out the title to three parks from across the UK: inaugural winner, Telford Town Park; Rouken Glen Park in 2016; and Blackpool’s Stanley Park in both 2017 and 2019.

“We look forward to seeing the votes roll in over the next six weeks. In that time, I urge everyone to vote for their local parks and green spaces. This advocacy and support is so important to demonstrate the importance of local parks, and by voting for yours, you can send a message to show just how valued they truly are.”

Voting is now open and will be live until 18th August.

To learn more visit https://www.fieldsintrust.org/

News

York pollination experts make an international splash in biodiversity with innocent drinks partnership

York based pollination and insect biodiversity innovator, AgriSound has teamed up with innocent drinks to install its unique listening devices in apple tree orchards in Spain to tackle declining insect populations.  

 AgriSound has researched and developed a series of innovative agri-tech devices, which use a combination of acoustic technology and environmental sensors to monitor bee and other pollinator populations, remotely, through an app.    

 The pollinator counting devices (PollyTM) enable farmers and landowners to access new information about the abundance of local pollinating insects to help protect populations and boost local biodiversity.   

 The devices count the number of insects that visit a site and are able to identify which areas have higher and lower pollinator activity, both live and historically over a fixed period. This information is used to target the introduction of pollinator-protection measures to the areas of greatest need, such as planting wildflowers or creating new habitats. 

 AgriSound are a partner of innocent’s Beacon Project, which aims to protect pollinators in order to build biodiversity, improve farmers’ crop yields and reduce carbon emissions in innocent’s supply chain. AgriSound will implement 48 PollyTM devices across several orchards in Spain. Devices will monitor pollinators levels over a three-year period, in which performance of the devices will be monitored and the impact of crop yield and carbon emissions measured.   

 This will allow innocent to gain an in depth understanding of peaks and troughs of pollinator abundance across their apple orchards, identify the reasons for any fluctuations, and develop effective solutions to maximise pollination, increase crop yields andbuild biodiversity.  

 Ben Summers, Sustainability Manager at innocent drinks, said: “We’re delighted to collaborate with AgriSound as part of our Beacon Project to protect pollinators and our natural environment. It’s clear that their objectives and goals very much align with our own.    

 “86% of our ingredients rely on pollinators like bees and butterflies1, but their numbers are falling worryingly fast, so being able to understand how to create the best environment for pollinators across our fields and orchards is hugely important. We have no doubt that these innovative listening devices will give us the insight we need for our project, and, as we share what we learn, we hope the technology can become a time saving tool for other farms too.”  

 Dr Casey Woodward, Founder and CEO of AgriSound, said: “To work with a company like innocent, who share our enthusiasm for boosting biodiversity and protecting our natural environment, is fantastic and we’re confident that our monitoring technology can have a tangible positive impact.  

 “To be able to install devices on such a large scale internationally will allow both parties to gain a vital understanding of pollinators in the area and allow us to put things in place to help them thrive, while boosting yield at the same time.  

 “It’s an exciting project to be part of and we’re looking forward to seeing the results, whilst promoting the importance of biodiversity and the challenges it faces on an international scale.”  

 For more information on AgriSound’s products and how they are helping businesses protect pollinators and boost biodiversity, visit: https://www.AgriSound.io/    

 

News

Global outsourced marketing agency BBSA fights climate change with new reforesting pledge

In response to the climate crisis and the urgent need for a green agenda, global outsourced marketing agency BBSA has launched a new eco-campaign to begin reforestation, one tree at a time. 

Launching on World Environment Day (5th June) and as part of their ‘eco-tradition’, BBSA has pledged to plant one new tree for every client that they onboard, personalized with their name, marking their partnership with the eco-strategy. There is no limit on how many trees they are willing to plant, and their goal is to have planted 10,000 trees by 2030. 

BBSA’s reforestation commitment reaches far beyond the environment as they onboard local communities to help with the task. As such, their investment is twofold; not only do they employ the local community, but they also cultivate a desire in the community to become more environmentally active.

The positive impact that trees have on the environment has been argued to be broader than previously thought, recent studies have shown. Not only do trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they also play a role in cooling the air, which protects the environment from droughts, extremely high temperatures and floods which are caused by the climate breakdown. In addition to this, trees are home to a range of wildlife and so are important to protect these species. 

As part of their new Reforesting One Tree @ One Client initiative, BBSA has adopted a three tier approach in their pursuit of a greener earth:

  • Community participation and support  – They assert that the success of reforestation lies in community support, both planting trees and maintaining tree sites to ensure growth. 
  • Municipal and governmental support  – One of the biggest threats to planting sites is commercial enterprise or housing projects. Planting sites are only established in locations where BBSA have the full support of both local and national governments. This ensures sites will have the opportunity to  thrive. 
  • Business funding and support – With the support of other businesses, BBSA can launch and initially support the reforestation projects. The long term goal is to create a self-sufficient ecosystem that does not rely on outside investment. 

Commenting on the new Reforesting One Tree @ One Client initiative, Anna Stella, BBSA’s CEO says; 

“Often reforestation requires the financial support of businesses and invested parties. With BBSA’s additional funding support, we can launch and initially sustain reforestation projects. Our aim, however, is to cultivate a self-producing ecosystem not dependent on external funding. As forests are being regrown, the local community is the driving force in the efforts and benefits from the economic empowerment brought by the extra employment.

Our environment is important to us and we must take care of it and protect it. Sustainability today is a core business imperative, and we recognize both the opportunity and responsibility to deliver marketing solutions that enable our clients to manage their – and the planet’s – limited resources productivity, contribute to an inclusive economy and shape a sustainable future.”

For more information visit https://bbsa-marketing.com/reforesting-one-tree-at-one-client/ 

Food & Drink, News

Future Springs – The innovative water capsule revolution that respects the environment and is good for your health.

The problem of water quality is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity and is becoming a global priority. Distribution is mainly in plastic bottles – one of the main causes of plastic pollution. Each day, 67 million plastic bottles are thrown away. Every year, from 1.15 to 2.41 million tons of plastic enter the oceans and there are currently 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, 250 for every human being.

Future Springs launches an innovative technological solution capable of solving the problems at the root and without compromise: mineral water in biodegradable capsules. No more plastic bottles and CO2 emissions! 

The patented technology of Future Springs allows a distillation and sterilisation cycle at a very high speed with energy efficiency all within a very modern and small machine, perfect for domestic use.

The result is distilled H20, which can be produced at home and is the perfect base to allow the addition of hyper mineralised, biodegradable water capsules to enhance the distilled water and transform it into pure mineralised water, rich in nutrients, whilst providing a revolutionary and eco-sustainable model for the mineral water industry. The capsules allow you to have endless combinations of ingredients, nutrients, vitamins, as well as flavours with different levels of minerality, both with and without trace minerals,

Future Springs offers the market a ground-breaking technology not only for consumers but also for investors. Future Springs is a guarantee for very high margins, environmental protection and people’s health.

Eco-sustainability and tech disruption are the company’s mission and its goal is to radically revolutionise the current water ecosystem. Thanks to the solution of Future Springs, the need for plastic is removed, cuts transport costs and reduces over 90% of CO2 emissions.

Mauro Gazzelli, inventor of Future Springs comments: “It is now crystal clear to everyone that the excessive concentration of CO2 in our atmosphere is having catastrophic consequences. We also know that the release of carbon dioxide happens in the energy production. Energy with its ever-increasing cost is consuming the profitability of entire sectors of our economy and is causing so many social and political catastrophes. With this in mind, Future Springs approaches the bottled water industry by minimising energy absorption and maximises profitability with minimum carbon dioxide emissions. In a word: sustainability.”

The machine will be available on the market from the second half of 2023. Exclusive access to the pre-sale of the machine is already available by registering on the website.  

There is also a form where potential investors can find out more about Future Springs and become part of the water revolution at: https://www.futuresprings.com

News, South East

Homebuilder provides its top five walking locations in Aldershot for National Walking Month

For National Walking Month, Hampshire developer David Wilson Homes Southern is offering a list of scenic walks near its Bruneval Gardens development in Aldershot.

National Walking Month – which lasts through the whole of the month of May and is run by health charity Living Streets – aims to get people out into their local area, be active and appreciate all nature has to offer while taking a peaceful walk.

This year’s theme is #Try20, and Living Streets is encouraging everyone who is capable to try walking for a minimum of 20 minutes a day for the duration of the month.

David Wilson Homes’ Bruneval Gardens development, located on Pennefather’s Road, is ideally placed for both short and long walks in a variety of environments ranging from a casual stroll around Rowhill Nature Reserve, all the way to an extended walk along the Basingstoke Canal.

For those new to the area, David Wilson Homes has curated a list of recommended walks in the local area:

 

Walk through the town of Aldershot

  • Once a former village, Aldershot is known as being ‘the home of the British Army’ which offers fascinating insight into military history. A walk from our Bruneval Gardens along the High Street and back is the perfect length for the #Try20 challenge, and a great opportunity to view the thriving new neighbourhood.

 

Adventure through the Wellesley Woodlands

  • This stunning beauty spot is a fantastic place to enjoy a longer walk, perhaps over the weekend, with over 100 hectares of woodlands, wildlife habitats and lakes to explore. We recommend trying out one of the six routes around the area including the Chesnut, Oak, Beech, Plane, Holy and Birch Trails.

 

Farnham Park

  • Located a three mile walk from the development, this family-friendly location has plenty of opportunities for a leisurely walk, while taking in the scenery. It is the perfect spot for a picnic, with a café serving snacks, drinks, and lunches to take away.

 

Brickfields Country Park

  • One of the smallest country parks in Britain, this hidden gem is situated just over a mile from Bruneval Gardens and is perfect for a peaceful stroll. Enjoy walking through the many pathways across the area, as well as feeding the ducks in the nearby pond.

A variety of new homes are available at Bruneval Gardens, with David Wilson Homes offering a diverse range of one and two bedroom properties suitable for first-time buyers, professional couples and growing families.

More information on the properties available at Bruneval Gardens can be found by visiting https://www.dwh.co.uk/new-homes/dev001541-bruneval-gardens/, or by calling the sales team on 033 3355 8487.

Midlands News, News

Free support from CREST to help drive green revolution

Pioneering Shropshire businesses looking to help drive the county’s green revolution were today urged to take advantage of free research and testing.

Experts at the Centre for Research into Environmental Science and Technology (CREST) – based at University Centre Shrewsbury – can provide research and innovation support to SMEs across the county working on green and sustainable innovations.

Marches Local Enterprise Partnership small business champion Dave Courteen said the scheme could play a vital part in helping the drive to Net Zero – as well as offering crucial help to establish new businesses and products.

“This is an excellent example of the support that the Marches LEP and its business support service, the Marches Growth Hub, can help businesses access,” said Dave.

“Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, CREST is set up to help bring new environmentally-responsible businesses, products, processes or services to market by offering free research and testing support during the development process.

“It is available to businesses in both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin to help develop and test innovative developments which relate to the Environmental Science and Technology sector.”

Examples of businesses which have benefitted from CREST support include:

Caradoc Charcoal: The Leebotwood-based company wanted to make commercial use of sawdust and biochar produced as a by-product of its charcoal production to reduce waste. CREST completed detailed research and the company is now selling biochar as a soil improver whilst further trials are continuing to explore if the addition of biochar has an impact on milk yield/quality and cow/calf health.

Longmynd Travel: CREST academic experts completed research into alternative fuels and their suitability to be used either alongside or as a replacement for a standard diesel combustion engine. This included the likely costs associated with the switch over to these alternative fuels. They completed further research on emerging policy and infrastructure projects related to refuelling, which will be relevant to coach transport.

 Shrewsbury Cup: The founders of Shrewsbury Cup, Sophie Peach and Alison Thomas, wanted to help reduce the amount of cups thrown away every day and came up with the idea of a reusable coffee cup available at point of sale on a £1 deposit return basis. CREST supported with market research to analyse consumer behaviour patterns, and pitch development for Shrewsbury BID.

Project manager Kat Bevan said: “Our work has demonstrated the huge number of SMEs located in the region who are doing fantastic things in the drive to Net Zero. People have come to us with just the outline of an idea, and we have worked with them to advise how they could turn it into a commodity.

“Alternatively, businesses already have a product and we have helped develop it or introduced them to useful contacts at our professional and business networks. We are partnered with the ARLI project at University of Birmingham, which allows us to further our offer – they conduct research into reusing waste streams and alternative raw materials; really useful for the manufacturing industry.”

Marches LEP chief executive Rachel Laver added: “The success of these businesses, and many others which CREST has helped support, shows the value that their experts can bring.

“I would urge any business working to help develop green and environmentally-friendly products or processes to contact the Marches Growth Hub to see how they can help them tap into this excellent support.”

The fully-funded support includes research collaborations, bringing products to market, feasibility and testing, lab facilities on site, masterclasses and workshops.

It can include initial short term business support, support from Crest’s business development managers, access to a team of academic experts and state-of-the-art laboratory and opportunities to involve students in research projects.

For more information visit https://www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk/support/3511/

News

Applications open for ‘Young Darwin’ environmental scholarships 2022

One of the UK’s most notable environmental scholarship programmes for young people is taking applications for its 2022 scheme.

Now in its 10th year, the Young Darwin Scholarship, is open for applications from individuals aged between 16 and 25 who want to develop their environmental skills and further their understanding of the natural world.

The programme is operated on an annual basis by leading outdoor education charity, the Field Studies Council (FSC), and this year due to increased funding, there are a total of 75 scholarships on offer, all of which are heavily subsidised.

Dylan Byrne, Youth Engagement Officer for FSC, said the scholarships presented an “unmissable” opportunity for young people interested in developing their passion for the environment.

“We’ve been running this programme successfully for the last 10 years and it’s a fantastic way for young people to develop their environmental skills and knowledge as well as build long-lasting friendships with other like-minded individuals.

“Due to increased funding, we have 75 places available on the programme this year – which is a fivefold increase in the number of scholarships compared to previous years – so it really is an unmissable opportunity, and we would encourage anyone interested to get their applications in as soon as they can.”

The scholarship programme, which was first introduced at FSC’s Preston Montford field centre near Shrewsbury – the birthplace of Charles Darwin – starts with a five-day immersive experience integrating fieldwork, biodiversity identification skills, career guidance and networking opportunities.

Scholars will also have access to ongoing mentoring and support as part of the scholarship programme, as well as online and in-person training from a range of FSC specialist staff and mentors.

This year, the on-site training will be run at five locations across the UK including the FSC’s own field centres at Preston Montford in Shrewsbury and Caste Head near Cumbria. Scholars will also use the YHA site at Potato Wharf in Manchester and undertake local site visits to Risley Moss and Rixton Clay Pits. In Bristol, training will be based at YHA Bristol at Narrow Quay and visits to Leigh Woods and Avon Grow Wilder will take place. In London, scholars will use training sites at Stave Hill, Regents Park and Bushy Park.

The scholarship programme has received significant funding through the Generation Green project and the Our Bright Future project as well as generous donations from organisations such as the Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland (BSBI) and Ground Control UK.

Dylan added: “This programme is aimed at supporting young people with their long-term environmental goals, whether that be supporting them onto the correct pathway to an environmental career, ensuring they have the skills and knowledge to support a more sustainable lifestyle or enabling them to meet people who share the same mindset about the environment and nature recovery as they do.

“90 per cent of all scholarship fees are covered by the charity due to the funding and donations available. Successful applicants will only be asked to fund the remaining 10 per cent of the costs which works out to be either £45 or £90 depending on which location they visit. It really is a unique chance particularly for those who can’t easily access wide outdoor spaces from where they live. “

Applications for this year’s programme close on June 5, 2022, and extra support is available for those individuals who may financially struggle to cover the remaining 10 per cent of the fees.