Formed in 2008, Linlithgow Climate Challenge are a community group based in Linlithgow. We aim to promote awareness of climate change, peak oil and environmental issues and support local solutions to make us more resilient to future changes and also to lessen our impact on the wider global environment.

We are actively driving various projects in town in partnership with local schools, councillors, Town Management Group, WLC, Burgh Beautiful, Civic Trust, Linlithgow Business Association and the Energy Savings Scotland advice centre, to name but a few.. !

Optional but recommended membership is only £1 and membership forms can be filled in and posted, or just handed in at one of our meetings.

As well as meeting as a core group every month, we also have sub-groups who focus on specific topics : Food & Gardening / Energy Saving / Renewables / Waste & Recycling / Transport. A Steering committee covers broader issues that affect the whole group like finance, newsletters, events, film and social nights, etc.

Current Activity :
* We have been successful in obtaining funding from the Climate Challenge Fund (along with many others in Scotland) to enable LCC to progress on a number of large projects over the next two years. We have achieved a lot in the first year and look to expand our efforts with financial backing and continued voluntary support.
* Food sub-group uses the project name LinlithGROW to promote local food growing and purchasing. They have their own dedicated website www.linlithgrow.org.uk and provide a monthly newsletter to over 120 people. In Sept 09 a Harvest Feast was run to celebrate local food and have a range of projects lined up on local community orchards, fruit picking and open garden days. Over 200 people attended and were fed completely from local produce.
Going forward this group hope to continue to identify opportunities for providing local food and building a level of resilience within our town with support from local farmers and land owners. Over 200 local fruit trees are being maintained for community use and more are being planted. Research is under-way to see if a local CSA-Community Supported Agriculture scheme would work locally, and in Feb 2010 we hope to bring a local Food Summit to Linlithgow to allow residents to discuss what they would like to see developing.

* Renewables sub-group are looking to identify possible technologies that could be developed within the town. They have meet with consultants and looked at a broad range of suitable technologies and also taken a look at some of the buildings in and around town that have the greatest potential to benefit from renewables. Our current project is to offer a bulk discount on solar thermal panels, and plans are progressing to get the right panels and price for suitable for the homes in Linlithgow. More details will follow as this project progresses.

* Energy Saving sub-group are recommending that everyone install loft and cavity wall insulation as a priority for the town. Far too many homes have un-insulated cavities and lofts are under-insulated. These are the cheapest things you can do to your home to save money. Group members are now trained to City & Guilds 6176 standard and are ready to visit your home and perform FREE energy audits.

* Waste sub-group, are promoting the Mail Preference Service, and the Post Office Opt-Out from un-addressed post service. Both save you filling your blue bin with unwanted paper. We are also working with the Council to find suitable locations for glass recycling and working on a number of other projects to improve the recycling rates from within the town. Additionally we are promoting our local FREECYCLE service which is an excellent way to donate items for free.

* Transport sub-group are working with the local Cycle Action Group to identify ways of improving cycle routes and cycle racks around the town. The Scottish Gov has some tough targets to get us using more sustainable transport and our local efforts will be with schools and reducing the car-2-school runs to a minimum. A focus project for the Springfield end of town is being planned right now and we hope to run a pilot in early 2010. Additionally, air quality on our High Street is being monitored weekly.
Our new LinlithGO project has been defined and will be launched in Springfield with a Bike Week event. www.linlithgo.info

* At a broader community level, we will soon be opening an advice shop/office in the centre of town (watch this space) and we have a new quarterly newsletter Resilience. Meetings are monthly and are listed on the front of this website and in the Linlithgow Gazette.

* Talking to schools. We've been to Low Port, Linlithgow Bridge and Springfield Primary Schools. We are also assisting Low Port Primary School to lower its energy consumption by tracking the energy use within the school and encouraging their ECO committee to identify projects to run next year. We've spoken to the Academy and are working with ECO co-ordinators on projects which you will see more of next year. Linlithgow Academy Debating Society had a special debate on Climate Change, and S2 recently produced posters, models and slide presentations/videos on Linlithgow 2050.

* Books books books. We've managed to get lots of excellent books in the library. So why not borrow a few and learn some more. OR watch the excellent film HOME on youtube. [Search for Home Project].

* Energy Monitors. We have several of these which you can borrow by simply visiting the library and checking them out just like a book. Try a meter for 3 weeks and see if it helps to lower your energy consumption and energy bills.

* We have given talks to a number of community groups and hope to expand this over the next year or so. We also help other towns who come to us asking for advice on how to run projects and how to apply for CCF funding. There's a very large network of towns in Scotland who are busy working on sustainable living and Linlithgow Climate Challenge are proud to be doing our part for our local community.

There's lots more that we are working on but the list above is just a flavour of what we are doing.

We welcome your ideas and suggestions and if you are interested in contacting or joining our group, please us use the Contact Form. We will then reply as soon as we can. Optional membership is only £1 and membership forms can be filled in and posted, or just handed in at one of our meetings. Donations are always welcome. All residents of Linlithgow and Linlithgow Bridge can be members and only members can vote at AGM.

If you would just like to follow our progress then please sign up to our Newsletter service.

Thank-you
Linlithgow Climate Challenge

Some facts about Linlithgow :

HOW MUCH GAS & ELECTRICITY DO WE CONSUME IN LINLITHGOW ?

Using data supplied annually by power companies to the government [Department for Energy and Climate Change DECC] data, we can report on the amount of electricity and gas that homes and commercial/industrial users consume per meter.

Below are charts for Gas and Electricity for 2005-2008 for Linlithgow North, South and Bridge.