Beacon Award

In March 2008, we were awarded the prestigious Beacon Authority Status for our work on Tackling Climate Change. The prestigious Beacon Award Scheme recognises excellence in local government.

In the 2008/09 awards Worcestershire County Council was one of six councils to achieve Beacon Status for 'Tackling Climate Change'.

Read our successful Beacon Award application  (136KB).

The Assessment Process

Stage 1: The Application.

This outlined the council's work on tackling climate change in the community, through our own operations and more. 

Stage 2: Assessment Visit.

Government assessors visited Worcestershire to find out more about our work. They saw various presentations and had the opportunity to question officers, councillors and others. They were also taken on a tour of Red Hill School by several pupils.

Stage 3: Final presentations.

Several senior councillors and officers gave a final presentation and interview to a panel of experts in London. The awards were then announced at a ceremony in March 2008. Just six councils in the country received the award in the Tackling Climate Change theme.

During the Beacon year, Worcestershire County Council worked with the other five Beacon Authorities (London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, City of London, Eastleigh Borough Council, Middlesbrough Council and Woking Borough Council) to disseminate information about the good practice that led to the award. This work was funded by money from central government, provided as part of the Beacon Award.

Resources

• Leading the drive towards sustainable design and construction in Worcestershire  (4.6MB).
• The Worcestershire approach to low carbon design  (7.2MB).
• Campus, curriculum, community, culture and carbon: The Sustainable School  (6.4MB).
• Energy management and cost effective renewable technologies in public buildings  (1.7MB). As part of this presentation a payback predictor for low carbon energy sources was discussed.
• The planning response to climate change;  a Worcestershire County Council perspective  (771KB). and the West Midlands Sustainability Checklist  (646KB).
• Worcester's Library and History Centre.

Presentations from the 'Responding to Climate Change through Learning for Sustainability' event - 10th March 2009

• Introduction  (3.7MB).
• Outdoor and Environmental Learning  (2.2KB).
• Designing a sustainable school  (5.7MB).
• Energy Management in schools - a work in progress  (1.8MB).
• Guest Speaker - David Selby  (1.5MB).
• Exploring the work of Tenbury High School  (3.5MB).
• TIDE (Teachers in Development Education) projects  (312KB).

Presentations from the 'Tackling Climate Change in Worcestershire' Open Day - 8th January 2009

• Plenary Session   (5.0MB).
• Climate Change Adaptation  (3.6MB).
• Reducing the council's carbon emissions through energy management & renewables  (897KB).
• Local Climate Impacts Profile (LCLIP)  (1.0MB).
• Waste:Mission Impossible  (373KB).
• Reducing Community Emissions  (6.4MB).

Case Studies

• Bewdley High School and Sixth Form Centre  (932KB) - One of the UK's most sustainable school buildings to be constructed off site.
• Internal awareness on sustainability and climate change  (388KB) - Staff training and awareness campaigns.
• Preparing the next generation for climate change - Our work in Worcestershire's schools.
• Red Hill School, Worcester - How we developed one of the UK's first climate-resilient schools.
• Tackling Climate Change  (246KB) Through the Worcestershire Local Strategic Partnership.
• Worcester - Sustainable Travel Demonstration Town  (47KB) - Our five year sustainable travel project.
• Worcestershire's Wood Fuel Project - Use of renewable energy in our own buildings.