In January, the National Grid and Improvement and Development Agency staged the fourth National Grid Community 21 Awards in London. This year's awards attracted a range of entries from local authority and community group partnerships, 119 in total, reflecting some varied and innovative local sustainable development initiatives. Here, Tracey Khanna reports on three of the winning projects, and one highly commended entry.

FRUITY VEG

Middlesbrough Council's prospectus sets out the way in which the council works with its partners to improve the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the town and its citizens. A key target is to work with health partners on health and social care to improve opportunities for healthier lifestyles. The Middlesbrough "healthy eating in low income communities" project is a partnership funded by the Tees Health Action Zone, Middlesbrough Council, Middlesbrough Environment City (MEC) and Tees Health Authority. In recognition of its work, the project won a highly commended award in the National Grid Community 21 competition this year.

The project widens the opportunities for adopting a healthier lifestyle through the promotion and availability of healthier foods to encourage behavioural change. It has strong links to Middlesbrough's LA21 strategy and corporate policy documents such as the Best Value Performance Plan and the Environmental Sustainability Strategy. The community's LA21 process has identified health as one of the 13 themes for a sustainable community. The healthy eating project aims to improve the health of the residents of targeted disadvantaged wards in Middlesbrough by encouraging them to eat a healthier diet, primarily by increasing their consumption of fruit and vegetables. Middlesbrough exhibits some of the worst health records in England and there are unacceptable health inequalities across the borough. The death rate for the Tees area is consistently higher than the England average and local death rates lag behind the national average by about seven years. The indices of deprivation, published in August 2000, ranked three of Middlesbrough's wards in the ten most deprived wards nationally. Five wards in Middlesbrough are ranked in the ten highest in the Tees Health area for the incidence of coronary heart disease and cancer and these conditions correlate with the most socially deprived wards.

The evidence indicates that higher rates of morbidity, coronary heart disease and cancers among poor people is partly due to dietary differences. Children from poorer families have the lowest consumption of fruit and vegetables, but it is well documented that eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day can protect against coronary heart disease and some cancers. Recent research indicates that even eating one extra portion of fruit a day can reduce the chance of developing coronary heart disease and circulatory problems by 14 per cent, so there are real opportunities to help people live healthier lives.

In January 2000, the MEC partnership co-ordinated a lifestyle survey which sampled two per cent of the population of Middlesbrough. The results indicated that only seven per cent of the population eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, and 35 per cent of people in deprived areas say that they eat only three a day.

The healthy eating in low income communities project aims to improve the health of targeted deprived communities by encouraging residents to understand the benefits of eating a healthier diet of fruit and vegetables and foods which are low in fat and salt content. The project challenges the myth that eating a healthier diet costs more money and uses practical, hands-on methods, such as cookery sessions and food sampling to encourage individuals and groups to make positive behaviour changes to modify their diet and lifestyle. The majority of the project's work is conducted in local community settings utilising existing community groups, schools and local venues, such as community centres, leisure centres and local food retail outlets. The project covers all ages ranging from young children in parent and toddler groups, to teenagers using the local cafe during lunchtime school break and the elderly through the "Better government for older people health forum". The project has also worked with young homeless people and residents of a local women's refuge.

A publicity-raising local competition was conducted last year where local chefs were challenged to devise a healthy menu which would "feed a family for a fiver". A "master chef" style cook-off was carried out and entries are being compiled into a healthy recipe book which will be circulated to the targeted communities. As eating habits tend to be formed in childhood, educating children at primary school age on healthy lifestyles and the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables offers the potential to break unhealthy habits and form healthy ones. The project is managing the Department of Health's "fruit for schools" pilot, as set out in the NHS Plan, currently underway in six schools in Middlesbrough.

Middlesbrough is leading the way in the development of breakfast clubs in primary schools, in the targeted communities, to encourage children to start the day with a healthy breakfast. Innovative schemes covering a wide range of targets will have a long-term impact to reduce coronary heart disease and cancers. The work undertaken is being continually evaluated and the views and needs of the targeted communities are used to shape and develop the project. The project also supports a developing healthy living centre which will focus on the health and wellbeing of young people.

ENVIRONMENTAL VISION

The Wai Yin "environmental vision project" is a partnership between Manchester Housing's energy team and the Wai Yin Women's Society (WYWS) based in Chinatown, Manchester. It is a further objective of Manchester Housing's affordable warmth strategy to raise awareness of energy efficiency and environmental issues with local ethnic minorities. The environmental vision project will break new ground for the WYWS, which works to promote and benefit the Chinese community in Greater Manchester and has been running for more than ten years. It is well placed to deliver various community projects, including projects concerned with mental health, involving children, women, the elderly and young people.

Although energy efficiency and environmental issues have not been a priority until now, this project will provide an opportunity to build a sustainable community. Moreover, raising awareness about the importance of energy efficiency in the home will help to eradicate fuel poverty. Helping people to change habits, coupled with insulating homes, will help save the residents money as well as reducing cold-related illnesses and improving the environment.

The project will enable residents to have access to information on energy efficiency and grants available from central government, as well as other initiatives developed by Manchester Housing's energy team. The project will also promote within the community the positive effects that residential areas can have on the environment. Issues such as consumption of energy and water, and the production of household waste can have a direct impact on households through the costs of services as well as occupants' health. It is important that the Chinese community is made aware of all these issues and an educational package, as part of the project, will develop "environmentally friendly" policies and energy efficiency practices through workshops and talks, develop a recycling scheme for Wai Yin and the community and build a permanent educational environmental exhibition.

Manchester Housing and the WYWS hope to change attitudes within the community and improve the quality of life for residents. The promotion of the benefits of sustainable development, through a multi-agency approach, will enable the community to become more sustainable and other local environmental agencies will be asked to become involved in order to achieve the objectives.

SUSTAINABLE CYCLEWAYS

Kirklees Metropolitan Council's sustainable cycleways project is based around the building of maintenance-free cycle paths from a product created out of scrap tyres and recycled plastic. In conjunction with Sustrans, they are working with Dewsbury-based plastics recycling company Intruplas Ltd, which recycles different types of mixed and contaminated waste plastic, which would otherwise be disposed of to landfill, creating saleable moulded products.

The company, set up by the Kirklees and Calderdale Green Business Network (GBN), received over £70,000 of landfill tax credits from Waste Recycling Environmental (accessed through Kirklees Council) and Calderdale Council to carry out production trials of a new product - the porous groundblock. To ensure a non-slip surface to the ground blocks, rubber crumb from shredded car tyres was incorporated into Intruplas' normal blend of mixed plastics. The tyres used had been illegally dumped in the River Calder in Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire and came from a river clean-up carried out by environmental group Calder Future. A National Grid Community 21 award of £5,000 was used to conduct controlled trials to determine the required blend of plastics and rubber and a ratio of 10:1 proved to be the optimal blend. The trials involved constructing sufficient groundblocks to lay several stretches of pathway, which was thought to be the best way of assessing their suitability in different locations and under different conditions. The technical monitoring and testing of the paths is being carried out by Calderdale Council and Sustrans.

The unique design for the groundblock has been developed using criteria specified by Sustrans and means they are particularly suited for use on canal towpaths. The blocks are easy to lay and require minimal use of invasive construction plant. Their shape and ability to interlock, minimise movement once in situ while seed can be sown in their drainage holes and, in time, grass growth will minimise the visual impact while still maintaining a sound surface which can be used all year round. The design has also taken account of the needs of cyclists in ensuring minimum discomfort from surface vibration. In addition to use on cycleways, the groundblocks would appear to be ideal for many other applications, both as a temporary solution to a short-term increase in pedestrian or vehicular traffic and as a more permanent solution, for example, in areas where surface water run-off from large areas of impermeable surfaces can cause problems. If successful, it is hoped that the trials will open up new markets between Intruplas and other local authorities across the UK.

TRAINING FOR SUSTAINING

Nottingham Green Partnership, in conjunction with Sustainability Notts (all the environment and LA21 co-ordinators in Nottinghamshire), is developing a pilot programme of informal training and other activities around the theme of sustainable living called "training for sustaining". The partnership is attempting to go beyond awareness raising and provide people with some of the knowledge and practical skills that sustainable living requires. Sustainability needs to become more tangible and accessible to all sectors of the community if they are to embrace the concept and reap the benefits. The activities will be provided by people drawn from membership of the Nottingham Green Partnership, including teachers, lecturers, community workers, campaigners, professionals and community activists. Initially, a three to six month programme will be launched in summer 2001 which will build up over time, as a clearer idea emerges of what interests people and what activities organisations are able to provide. The initial programme will include around 20 activities and some currently being developed include:

Money saving: through economical gas, electricity and water use and by obtaining good food less expensively. Advice on the health, cost and environmental benefits of breastfeeding and nappies etc and information on local exchange trading schemes, credit unions, community shops and other ways of getting by on less.
Sustainable DIY: products and processes for a greener home, including paints, timber, products, lighting, heating, appliances, furnishings etc. An introduction to installing solar water heating and advice on rainwater harvesting.
Driving: how to reduce the environmental impact of driving, alternative travel, car hire, leasing, sharing and other arrangements and information on public transport.
Food: this programme aims to educate on healthy eating, give advice on growing fresh organic food (even in small spaces), allotment and community gardening for beginners and wildlife gardening.
Healthy living: food, exercise, relaxation, alternative therapies - the programme will explore ideas on how to integrate a healthy outlook with a busy urban lifestyle.
Recycling and composting: home and community composting - from building a container to what to put in it and using the finished product and setting up a community recycling project.
It is anticipated that up to 300 people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire will have developed new knowledge and skills that will help them to live a sustainable lifestyle by the end of the six months.