About this group
The Hyson Green Eco House project will train and equip a group of volunteers to run regular informal workshops through the year for local residents. They will be recruited to learn a variety of cheap DIY improvements to apply in their own homes. Their workshop space and information displays will be in a small Victorian terraced house in central Hyson Green, lent to the Partnership Council, a registered Charity, for 5 years. The aim is to help reduce fuel and household bills, with a longer term aim of modifying residents’ behaviour to reduce energy and water use and carbon emissions. It is aimed at people suffering fuel poverty, unlike other Eco Houses that demonstrate expensive technology only accessible to affluent owner-occupiers or social landlords.
Our trained volunteers will give regular practical workshops in:
• Basic DIY e.g. making and fitting DIY secondary glazing, repairing and filling gaps in floors and skirting boards, installing window and door curtain rails, repairing furniture.
• Basic sewing with old sewing machines- creating or adapting thick curtains and draught excluders.
• Affordable solutions to reduce energy or water use e.g. DIY water reduction and re-use systems, installing a water butt, low energy cooking and food preservation.
• Food growing in small containers for back yards- using permaculture techniques, compost making, etc to train in low-costs gardening without needing fertilizer and weedkillers
• Use of basic electrical and house repair tools, and volunteer support to repeat techniques to make improvements in people’s homes.
• Create clear pictoral information displays for visitors on energy saving techniques and devices, including information on larger scale adaptations, to raise people’s understanding.
• Issue free energy saving devices and provide help to residents to apply for ’warm front’ or other insulation grants for households with poor literacy or who need help in a community language e.g. Urdu.
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