Net Zero Fund

Net Zero Fund Projects Update

The Greener Together Net Zero Fund provided grants of £2,000 to £20,000 to support the delivery of innovative impactful sustainability projects in St Albans linked to energy and transport. The funding was available for not-for-profits, community groups and small to medium sized enterprises.

Priority themes projects could focus on included: energy, transport, sustainability in businesses or organisations, circular economy principles and wider sustainability issues.

Successful Fund Recipients:

Herts Disability Sports Foundation (HDSF)

HDSF received funding to deliver the Bikes without Barriers project in St Albans District. The project aims to ensure every child they work with learns to ride a bike safely and owns a bike that is fit for purpose.

Achievements

• Bike-ability sessions have been held at three schools in the District with 143 young people benefitting.
• 133 of these individuals are now able to ride independently
• 129 have a roadworthy bike with 37 young people being given a reconditioned bike and helmet.
• In partnership with Everyone Active a bike donation event was held in St Albans resulting in 25 bikes donated.

By encouraging and giving the opportunity for children to cycle who might not have otherwise the project is creating active transport behaviours at a young age.

The Green House

The Green House received funding to run a pilot model incorporating two projects; the ‘Library of Things’ and ‘Green Your Home’. The Library of Things is a stock of items that people can pay a small fee to borrow rather than buy and throw away to lower over-consumption and waste. Items include those related to DIY, gardening, home and entertainment. The project Green Your Home provides personalised advice from local experts and installers on how to become more energy efficient in the home. This is through monthly 1:1 sessions with a retrofit expert at the Green House and a monthly stall offering advice and guidance on how to implement energy saving measures in the home.

Achievements

• 164 members registered for Share St Albans and 140 items donated
• Range of events held regularly including:
  • What next? Wednesday events
  • Eco book club
  • Wildlife friendly gardening drop in sessions
  • Junior climate club (engages with local primary schools)
• Talks, demonstrations and displays
• Facilities for hard to recycle items such as blister packs, dental care, printer ink cartridges

Please watch the video about The Green House below:

Soil Squad CIC

Soil Squad is a new CIC in St Albans District. The funding was used to establish a Composting Hub to empower the local community and businesses to see the true value of organic waste. Soil Squad transforms the waste into a vital resource by providing a weekly collection for paying subscribers, both residents and businesses. The compost created from the food waste collected from subscribers is then given back to the subscriber or provided to local schools. Soil Squad also hosts composting workshops to educate the community on the importance of soil to the local ecosystem.[NW1] 

Achievements

• Successfully launched and operated St Albans’ first Community Composting Hub on Sandridge Road Allotments
• Collected food waste from 10 homes and businesses, 1 school and supported composting in 3 schools.
• Diverted over 500kg of food waste and created over 1 tonne of compost.
• Hosted composting workshops and attended community events and have educated over 140 local people.
• Collected food waste using an e-bike therefore providing an ultra-low emission solution.[NW2] 
• Created a professional brand and online presence, including a website, newsletter and social media channels.

Please watch the video about Soil Squad CIC below:

Sustainable St Albans

Sustainable St Albans received funding to scale up their annual sustainability festival (SustFest) to hold four events across 2025:

• March: Nature & Biodiversity
• May: Local to Global
• September: Travel & Transport
• November: 10 Years of SustFest!

Within the festival weekends and the surrounding weeks local organisations are encouraged to host events and get the community more involved in sustainable action.

Achievements

• 500 attendees to the March Sustfest.
• 1000 attendees to the May Sustfest.
• 21 local events held ranging from open gardens to showing of environmental films. The events were led by different groups including faith, local theatre, environmental, community gardens and litter picking groups. This increased the sustainable action taking place in communities across St Albans.
• Provided a catalyst for community action for example a team of people from different groups came together to do a clothes swap during May Sustfest and they are now going to do quarterly events.

The sustainability festival increases the visibility of sustainability themed events within the District.

London Colney Parish Council

The Net Zero Fund provided a grant to London Colney Parish Council to purchase an E-Cargo Bike. The bike has been used by the Parish Council and loaned out to members of the wider community. It has been used for a variety of activities including litter picks, tree planting, pond digging, meetings with businesses, visits to schools and for Parish Council staff travel.

Achievements

• Between Feb-April 2025 over 60 bike miles were logged, with zero idling emissions saving an estimated 30kg of CO2 with the bike being charged only once.
• Reduced miles driven for Parish Council operations.
• Helped lower the emissions for the installation and running of local environmental initiatives including those produced by local litter picks, pond installation and planting of trees.
• Alongside lowering Parish Council emissions, the bike has acted as a visual impact and conversation starter promoting community discussions about active transport, reducing air pollution and changing behaviours.

Please watch the video about London Colney Parish Council below:

Jefferson Eco CIC

Jefferson Eco CIC received funding for a sewing/repair project where the public can use equipment to mend clothes to reduce waste and attend courses to learn more e.g. create soft furnishings to help keep homes warm and increase energy efficiency. The project encourages individuals to buy less materials reducing emissions from production, transport and storage processes.

Achievements

• Fitted out the workshop room with equipment
• 50 participants have had their clothes mended or learnt how to mend clothes with some learning new skills with the sewing machine.
• Mending circles have been introduced to help people learn how to mend their own clothes.
• Repair cafes are held where people can bring items for repair. Four repair cafes and two mending circles have taken place with around 10 people at each.

By teaching people new skills, more clothes will be repaired rather than thrown away which will reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

Please watch the video about Jefferson Eco CIC below:

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