KEVI Gnomes & Dark Knights visit Hockerton Housing Project
Barnabas Safe & Sound is developing a youth support and activity centre in Morpeth and because one of the key features of the development is to improve the sustainability and environmental impact of the project, Barnabas have been consulting with a group of young people from King Edward VI School (KEVI) who are interested in the Environment.
The Dark Knights are a group who meet at KEVI to look at improving the environmental impact of the school. The KEVI Gnomes are a group who meet at KEVI to develop a sustainable landscape garden on the site of the former dry ski slope.
Barnabas Safe & Sound was offered funding through the Community Foundation to organise an educational visit to an environmental demonstration project.
After considering a number of options Hockerton Housing Project was selected for a visit because of its combination of sustainable buildings, sustainable landscape features, technology and the lifestyle of the members.
It was decided that the group visit should use environmentally sustainable travel arrangements and so a combination of train and taxis were used for the visit on 11th March.
It was envisaged that trip would enable participants to gain an understanding of sustainable development in practice and identify how they can take positive actions to reduce energy consumption.
Feedback (from students):
What stood out the most during your visit to Hockerton?
- The community and how they put up with being green
- The technology
- What they do with their waste
- Water systems & price of construction
- The houses they were pretty smart
- The houses
- Community spirit within the neighbourhood to conserve electricity and reduce their carbon emissions as far as possible
- The wind turbine
- Looking around the houses - the fact that the residents were all willing to pitch in and pay equally for equipment
- The way they were almost completely independent
How do you feel about your environmental impact after your visit?
- That it is too bad
- I think I can reduce my environmental impact more
- Very pleased that I went
- A lot guilty and ready to make changes
- Different
- I am more cautious about it
- I can reduce my impact
- It has made me feel like I should do more for the environment
- How much there is that can be changed with our lifestyles
- That we could do an awful lot better to save energy
What will you do for the environment when you get home?
- Always save energy when I can
- Turn off unused (not being used) appliances
- Recycle more and use more organic produce
- Ideas for reducing carbon foot print
- Blow up the tumble dryer it wastes electricity
- Not leave the lights on
- Turn things off and reduce tumble dryer use and build an allotment
- I will benefit by the solar panels by helping the Dark Knights
- Turn off more appliances, (TV, Radio, Microwave clock) and buy more local food and grow some of my own.
Conclusion:
The visit was a huge success. It was enjoyed by all participants and provided an opportunity to learn and gain motivation to use what has been learnt to make a positive contribution.