A Space for our Community to Grow
Research Project - Press Release
New Environmental Social Science Grant Awards announced: Empowering people to get more involved in climate action
The ACCESS Network has announced new funding for three environmental research projects. Together they examine and evaluate opportunities to encourage people to get more involved in climate action
By empowering young people in climate decision-making
Strengthening pro-environmental values amongst British Muslims
Improving our understanding of how acts of caring in communities can lead to a more sustainable future for us and the planet.
The three winners of the second round of the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded Advancing Capacity for Climate Environment Social Science (ACCESS) Flex Fund competition will share £750,000. The projects will all start this autumn and run for approx. 18 months.
‘Unlocking the power of youth’ aims to bring global youth expertise into climate governance, ensuring young people and marginalised voices can be included in decision-making.
The team led by Kaya Axelsson at the University of Oxford will work alongside The British Standards Institution (BSI) to bring youth climate justice representatives across six continents to develop equity criteria for net zero governance. These will be produced with UK-Plc to address the policy gap that fails to define how companies can address equity concerns when they decarbonise their footprints.
Kaya Axelsson explains “Youth are the engine of the global climate movement yet are frequently left out of the governance processes that determine our net-zero futures. With funding from the ACCESS Grant, we’re excited to begin our work with global youth, UK businesses and the British Standards Institution to define what an ‘equitable’ transition to net-zero might mean, and how corporates can enact this under the guidance of the voluntary net-zero standards landscape.”
Davide Pettinato at the University of Cambridge along with Mohammed Fezaan Azam from Cambridge Central Mosque will be looking at British Muslims and their pro-environmental values.
Together they will co-produce and evaluate a holistic programme of faith-literate environmental education to strengthen pro-environmental values, self-identity and personal norms among British Muslims. Cambridge is the first and only ‘green mosque’ in the UK and it is hoped it will become a model for other mosques in the UK and abroad.
The last project looks at how we might build more harmonious people-planet relations. Taking a socioecological care approach, Dr Sarah Parry along with Dr Rachel Hunt at the University of Edinburgh will explore the transformative potential of everyday caring practices and relationships between people, nonhumans and places, and their characteristics like love, respect and solidarity.
This approach will bring to the foreground, marginalised voices; give attention to un/caring actions and how these are linked; the contexts in which care is possible or not; and in/equalities within caring relations.
Sarah and her team will explore three sustainability initiatives that are already engaged in socioecological care: a community amenity project, a regenerative farm and a landscape restoration project in Badenoch and Strathspey in the Scottish Highlands. In collaboration with Mhairi Hall, the research will inspire the composition of new Scottish music to bring people together and better understand how a strong foundation of care can be used to help build sustainability.
Sarah’s partners include the Cairngorms National Park Authority, Carrbridge Community Orchard, Fèis Spè, Highlands and Islands Climate Hub, Lynbreck Croft, and Scotland’s National Centre for Excellence in Traditional Music.
Sarah Parry “We are excited to embark on this unique project working with partners and communities in Badenoch and Strathspey to elaborate socioecological care. The ACCESS funding affords opportunities to connect social scientific knowledge with those in communities with lived experiences of socioecological care to explore its transformative potential through academic, public and creative outputs.”
Professor Birgitta Gatersleben ACCESS Co-Director, from the University of Surrey, was impressed with the high quality of applications. “The large number of applications came from researchers across the UK and covered a wide range of different environmental social science challenges. It is very exciting to be able to support these three projects that address such different topics from “youth climate justice”, to the first “green Mosque” in the UK and socio-ecological care in the Scottish Highlands. I am very much looking forward to seeing the projects develop over the next couple of years”.
ENDS
Notes to the Editors
Award winners:
Kaya Axelsson at the University of Oxford
Davide Pettinato at the University of Cambridge
Dr Sarah Parry at the University of Edinburgh
ACCESS is a five-year (2022-2027) climate and environment social science project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) ACCESS | Home What is ACCESS about (accessnetwork.uk). The ACCESS team includes world-leading social science and interdisciplinary experts led by the Universities of Exeter and Surrey in a core team that includes the University of Bath, University of Leeds, University of Sussex and the Natural Environment Social Research Network (Natural Resources Wales, NatureScot, Natural England, Environment Agency and Forest Research).
The ACCESS Flex Fund provides funding to test and develop new ways of thinking, new approaches and new networks that will advance the impact of the social sciences to address the transition to a sustainable and biodiverse environment and a net zero society. These were the second and last Flex Fund awards https://accessnetwork.uk/flex-fund/.
About the University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a Russell Group university that combines world-class research with high levels of student satisfaction. Exeter has over 30,000 students and sits within the Top 15 universities in The Guardian University Guide 2023, and in the top 150 globally in both the QS World Rankings 2022 and THE World University Rankings 2023. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), more than 99% of our research was rated as being of international quality, and our world-leading research impact has grown by 72% since 2014, more than any other Russell Group university.
For further information please contact:
University of Exeter Press Office
tel: +44 (0)1392 722405 or 722062
email: pressoffice@exeter.ac.uk
About the Economic and Social Research Council
The UKRI Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government. We fund world-leading research, data and post-graduate training in the economic, behavioural, social and data sciences to understand people and the world around us. Our work helps raise productivity, address climate change, improve public services and generate a prosperous, inclusive, healthy and secure society. www.ukri.org/esrc
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. Is e buidheann carthannais a th’ ann an Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann, clàraichte an Alba, àireamh clàraidh SC005336.
AGM 2024 Agenda
Carrbridge Community Orchard
Annual General Meeting (AGM) Agenda
Date: 10th June 2024
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Riverside Bowling Club
Welcome and Introductions
Opening remarks by the Chair
Introduction of attendees
Approval of Minutes from Previous AGM
Review and approval of the minutes from the last AGM
Chair’s Report
Summary of activities and achievements over the past year
Financial overview
Acknowledgements and thanks
Treasurer’s Report
Presentation of the financial statements
Overview of income and expenditures
Questions and discussion
Terms of Reference with Carrbridge Ahead and related issues
Asset Transfer
Planning
Future Plans and Projects
Discussion of strategic goals and vision
Outline of activities for the year ahead
Election of circle Facilitators and Administrators> General Committee Members and key roles Facilitator, Administrator and Finance.
Nominees
Consent process.
Confirmation statement of the above
Open Forum
Opportunity for attendees to ask questions and provide feedback.
Discussion of any other business
Closing Remarks
Final thoughts from the Chair
Thanks to attendees for their participation.
DONM
#Socially Connected #Climate Conscious
A Community Orchard was an identified project in the Community Action Plan since 2011, most recently in the CAP 2022-2030
Why and What
Orchards have increased in communities across Scotland over the years and there is growing evidence of their importance in improving physical and mental wellbeing.
In a world of climate instability and global events the importance of locally grown food is not insignificant and increasing awareness of seasonality and providing habitat for pollinators will add value to the biodiversity of the area.
The Carrbridge Community Orchard aspires to meet the ambitions identified in the Community Action Plan for a more Socially Connected Carrbridge and a Climate Conscious Carrbridge
This is a space for everyone and we are excited that Carrbridge Primary School are interested as part of their Eco Schools project.
We aim to make this a multi ability and intergenerational space where we can meet and share friendship as well as produce.
We aim to increase the amount of fruit, herbs and some vegetables being grown and used locally. These will be free to anyone who wants to use it.
The project is open to all, it will develop over 3-5 years and then we will all need to pull together a few times a year to maintain the area and pick the fruit.
You can Get Involved at any stage in planning , developing and maintaining the orchard, there is something for everyone.
Get in touch at the email address below or watch this space and just show up and join us at any of our Events. You will be made most welcome :)