SWM Newsletter January 2021: Spotlight on Membership

SWM News January 2021: Spotlight on Membership

Hello to you all! My name’s Julie Pope and I have taken the mantle of keeping us all connected, or ‘Office & Stakeholder Manager’, to give it its proper title. For you, it means that you will always have someone at Sustainability West Midlands dedicated to our networks and our members. My vision is to get everyone in the know, knowing about each other and make it as accessible as possible. Bold? Well, look out for colourful changes in our communications coming to your inbox soon…

Firstly, a word from our members Place Partnership and new SWM Chair Andrew Pollard:

“I am delighted to have been appointed as Sustainability West Midlands’ new Chair at a time when the sustainability agenda is gaining the prominence that it deserves. Sustainability West Midlands have won a number of fantastic new projects recently, as well as gaining new members. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Board and with Anna and the team to continue building our profile as a leader in sustainability”.

We offer a vast range of membership benefits, including discounted consultancy work, invites to our events, monthly updates on sustainability opportunities and funding, a free place at our Annual Conference and a bespoke members-only networking event the ‘Summer Social’, where you get the chance to meet, make connections and learn from fellow members. There are many more advantages to becoming an SWM member; to see the full range click here.

In this edition, we would like to extend a special thanks to our loyal members. Some like Arden Estates, the Environment Agency and Groundwork West Midlands (to name a few) have been with us since way before we introduced membership fees in 2016. We grow every year and last year gained 15 new members, including National Express, Voi Technology UK and competition winners, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and Optimise Energy UK Ltd.

“We have had a trying year and cut back on networking and memberships but chose to stay with SWM as we see the value of being in a group of likeminded businesses. We are first and foremost focused on saving carbon and SWM has strong directives that marry up with our core beliefs” Nathan Badger, Founder and CEO of Optimise Energy UK Ltd.

With this glowing endorsement fresh in your minds, we are offering three new organisations FREE membership in 2021 via SWM’s annual membership competition! We would love to see applications from private, public and third sector organisations, so get your expressions of interest into us whoever you are.

To enter is simple, email ‘enquiries@swm.org’ with your email titled ‘Win SWM Membership’, include your name, organisation, job title and contact details and tell us in less than 300 words why you would like to be a member. Deadline for submissions is 28th February. Good Luck!

We are also looking to welcome a new Project Manager to our team at SWM. Full details on this exciting opportunity are available on our website and you have until 26 February to submit your application.

Julie Pope, SWM Office and Stakeholder Manager

Funding Opportunities

By 29 January. Staffordshire not-for profit organisations can apply for £1,000 through the Community Climate Action Fund to reduce the county's contributions to climate change.

By 4 February. SMEs in the electric vehicle battery sector can apply to be part of the KTN and the Faraday Battery Challenge Investment Readiness Programme.

By 5 February. BEIS are looking for potential suppliers for the GGR Technologies Innovation Competition for £75-£250k aiming to develop greenhouse gas removal technologies.

By 11 February. The Carbon Emissions Reduction Fund has launched with £1M available to charities that aim to reduce the climate change impact associated with energy use.

By 26 February. The Innovation in Water Challenge has launched where entrants can bid for between £50- £250K to fund innovate projects in the water sector.

By 30 June. The Worcestershire Natural Networks project aims to boost biodiversity in an ERDF-funded venture which includes our members Worcestershire County Council.

By 31 December. Businesses in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent can benefit from free energy audits and 60% grant funding towards energy efficiency measures.

By 31 December. Marches Renewable Energy Grant Scheme allows eligible applicants to apply for a 50% grant for the installation of renewable technologies.

By 31 December 2022. GBSLEP Habitats Grants Programme is focused on reducing dereliction and the improvement and development of natural habitats.

By June 2023. Coventry City Council has extended a further £8.1M of funding to support small and medium-sized business in Coventry and Warwickshire.

By 2025. The Severn Trent Community Fund is open for applications to support community groups making a difference and to help with the recovery from Covid-19.

Monthly. Monthly themed funding is available for Birmingham based projects that aim to deliver positive change.

On-going. Up to £2,500 in vouchers are available for SMEs to drive innovation and growth as part of the Innovation Vouchers Programme run by Aston University.

On-going. A recycling Fund for Communities is now available from Veolia. It is worth up to £50,000 in total and is offering grants of £2,000.

On-going. £12M is available under the Green Recovery Challenge Fund as part of flagship UK PACT programme, with target countries in Asia, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

On-going. The Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) is a £10M programme which supports rural communities in England to develop renewable energy projects.

On-going. The Community and Environment Fund is there to provide benefits to communities along the route disrupted by the construction of HS2.

Over the past year, we have promoted approximately £1bn of accessible funding.

Upcoming SWM and Member Events

Venturefest West Midlands is taking place on 28 January to provide businesses a chance to exchange ideas for collaboration, particularly in the fields of science and emerging technologies.

sben/LCBEP are hosting their 'Thinking of Solar' webinar on 2 February. It is free for businesses and will provide an insight into the realities of using solar power for your business.

Worcestershire County Council are hosting their 'Turning your Low Carbon idea into a profitable business' event on 3 Feb for local businesses within Worcestershire and Shropshire.

Energy Systems Catapult are hosting their `How to Delight Consumers' event on 4 February to introduce their Living Lab and discuss opportunities for innovators.

Oxfordshire Greentech’s ‘Access to Finance and Investment’ workshops will hear from investors specialising in the tech sector with sessions taking place on 4 and 11 February.

MMBEN are running the 'Business in a Changing Environmental Landscape' webinar on 10 February which will cover some challenges business have faced over the past year.

SWM will run a final engagement conference for the Midlands study into the Low Carbon Sector on 23 February where you can help shape the final recomendations. Register here.

EnTRESS at University of Wolverhampton are hosting their 'Stopping the Plastic Tide' event on 4 March. It will discuss the plastic problem and potential solutions.

SWM, in collaboration with the Innovation Alliance for the West Midlands, is running the next Innovative Low Carbon Working Group meeting on 16 March.

University of Birmingham are hosting the 'Shaping the Future of Responsible Business in a New World' webinar on 25 March that will highlight the importance building back better.

Climate Change Solutions has revised the date for the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells ‘The Time is NOW’ conference to 7 September with programme details released closer to the time.

SWM completed extensive engagement in January across the Midlands on the growth of the Low Carbon Sector. Presentations from the nine focus groups are available on our website.

A full list of upcoming events is available here as well as our full member list here.

Other SWM and Member Updates

SWM are recruiting for a new Project Manager. The closing date is 26 February and full details are available on our website.

Air-PoT joins SWM as new members. They are a platform for air pollution data and committed to sustainability through their vision for a cleaner UK.

The Binding Site joins SWM as new members. They are a leader in the development and manufacture of medical diagnostic products for blood cancer and immune system disorders.

Bryt Energy have released a guide on ‘How to Save Energy while you’re Working from Home' by sharing some simple steps you can take to minimise your energy use.

CR Plus have been announced as a partner to help lead the delivery of 'Repowering the Black Country' to support clean, industrial growth.

Department for Transport are seeking views and evidence on what could be incorporated into a Future of Transport: rural strategy. Have your say and respond here.

EBRI are offering bespoke one-to-one sustainability health checks to help your business by solving your energy, waste and environmental challenges.

Optimise Energy helped Park View Business Centre in Whitchurch to Go Green by producing 100% renewable energy.

sben recognise the struggle families are facing during lockdown with no computers to access online learning. More laptops are desperately needed. Could you help?

Southern Staffordshire Community Energy are recruiting a new Chair to help guide them through the next phase of their development. Apply by 31 January.

The Binding Site are recruiting a Sustainability Manager based in Birmingham, who will be responsible for addressing key business-related sustainability impacts.

Willmott Dixon is continuing to experience success with their Energy Synergy consultancy service. It has grown in popularity and now is part of the company’s sustainable future.

Veolia have put together a handy A-Z guide of key carbon reduction terms and how they can help your business meet its carbon reduction targets.

SWM members can send their events, research or other contributions to enquiries@swm.org.uk to be included in the next newsletter. Not a member? There are many advantages to SWM membership; find out more here.

Other News and Events

BEIS are hosting the 'Your Business Journey to Net Zero' webinar on 10 February. Aimed at Midlands based SMEs it will provide practical solutions to embark on a net zero journey.

Castle Bromwich Hall and Gardens Trust are recruiting an experienced and flexible Project Manager to oversee, plan and manage their part of the partnership. Apply by 29 January.

Flood and Coast are hosting their 3^rd session on 3 February to discuss the new era of digital innovation and will feature a short presentation from their keynote speaker Microsoft.

Flood and Coast Excellence Awards are accepting nominations from any project that has taken action on climate change linked to flood and coastal risk management. Apply by 28 Feb.

Government have opened the 2^nd stage of the consultation on proposed changes to Part L (conservation of fuel) and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations that closes on 13 April.

Naturally Birmingham are looking for the next generation of 'Green Champions' to be an advocate for green spaces in Birmingham.

Rushlight Show is taking place on 10-11 March which is the leading event for cleantech companies and sustainable solutions to meet investors and financers.

Smart Home Connected & Assisted Living 2021 is planning to take place at the NEC from the 9-10 March which will include panel debates, seminars and much more.

The Local Government Association is running its Climate Emergency Leadership Essentials workshop on 28-29 January to explore current climate change issues.

Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and Black Country has multiple job vacancies with upcoming deadlines from 1 February. If you're passionate about wildlife this could be for you!

Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country are working with Naturally Birmingham and the local community to fundraise for The Dawberry Fields Reptile Project.

For a full list of all our upcoming events, visit our events page here. For news items, visit our news page here.