Who delivers environmental education within the department?
Neighbourhood Teams
Neighbourhood Teams work with schools, businesses and communities within Wigan Borough, where environmental issues are most pressing. For example, the team carries out anti-litter campaigns in our main town centres, targets businesses through the Tidy Business Awards and is also responsible for delivering the Eco-Schools Programme throughout the borough. Through these campaigns it aims to challenge people's behaviour to become more responsible citizens. An environmental volunteer network has also been developed.
It is also the responsibility of the team to co-ordinate the delivery of educational services within the Places Department to bring about a more coherent and consistent standard of service as well as to help communicate this work to the general public.
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Waste Management Team
The Waste Management Team works towards reducing landfill by minimising the amount of waste produced and increasing recycling and re-use. If this does not happen the cost of waste disposal will increase for everyone.
In the last four years the team has worked in setting up borough-wide recycling schemes for paper and garden waste. A new recycling scheme for cans, plastics and glass bottles / jars is being implemented at the current time, which will be borough-wide by the end of 2010. For further information please click on the link.
Waste Management
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Sustainability Team
The Sustainabillity Team works to embed more sustainable policies and practices into the work of Wigan Council and the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP). The principal roles undertaken by the team include: research, advice, support, training and awareness-raising for specialists and other officers across the council who need to embed sustainability into their work; developing a Sustainability Strategy and a Climate Change Strategy; carrying out sustainability appraisals of Local Development Framework (LDF) plans and other strategic Wigan Council plans and policies; sustainable travel planning within the council and across the borough; and community development framework in relation to sustainability. For further information please click on the link.
Sustainability Team
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Local Transport and Road Safety Team
The Road Safety Team works to increase the knowledge for all road users through a variety of educational and training resources by use of promotional and publicity programmes. It is necessary to target all aspects of road safety education, training and publicity around statistically-based evidence.
The team focus on improving walking, cycling and public transport use, monitoring travel to and from schools due to the correlating influence on reducing congestion, improving child road safety, and the potential health improvements for families through the promotion of healthier travel options. The team also works closely with other colleagues to develop accessible routes, deploy pedestrian and cycle training, and actively encourage a shift away from car useage. For further information please click on the link.
Local Transport and Road Safety Team
Carbon and Energy Management Team
The Carbon and Energy Management Team aims to reduce energy use and lessen our impact on the environment. They have a target to reduce carbon emissions from schools and council buildings by 15% by March 2012.
They offer advice to schools and council staff on how to reduce their energy consumption as well as suggesting different energy saving tecnologies that can be installed. Wigan Council is taking steps to tackle Climate Change and we would encourage you to do the same at home by saving energy wherever possible. This is not only good for the environment but can also save you money. For further information please click on the link.
Carbon and Energy Management Team
Wigan Borough in Bloom Programme
Wigan Borough in Bloom aims to enhance the local environment by creating year round floral displays in town centres and neighbourhoods. By working in partnership with local councillors, businesses and community groups the aim is to achieve a cleaner, safer, greener place to live, work and visit.
Working with new and established community groups a record number of awards was achieved from the Royal Horticultural Society with a total of eleven in 2010, including overall winner in the large Metropolitan Borough category along with the best local environmental quality award. For further information please click on the link.
Wigan Borough in Bloom Programme (external link)
Environmental Education Steering Group
In order to bring about a more co-ordinated approach and consistent standard of service an Environmental Education Steering Group was set up and brings together the Neighbourhood Team, Waste Management Team, Sustainability Team and Road Safety Team, Carbon Management Team and the Wigan Borough in Bloom Programme.
The steering group meets regularly to share information and best practice as well as to develop an annual programme of works. The group has also been responsible for developing an Environmental Education Strategy.
What are we trying to achieve through environmental education?
Our vision is "Collectively trying to deliver our Cleaner, Safer, Greener and more sustainable borough by changing people's behaviour towards respecting the environment in which they live, work and visit. "
We recognise that it is only by working with members of the public, schools, the business community and others that we can change people's behaviour. Part of this challenge involves offering training and capacity development opportunities so that individuals and groups feel that they can deliver environmental improvements of their own.
How you can get involved in delivering Environmental Education?
If you would like to know more about how you can get involved in improving the environmental quality of the area in which you live or have any ideas please click on one of the links above, depending on which type of environmental activity you are interested in.
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