SEAD (Scottish Education and Action for Development)

Background

The idea for an Eco Renovation Network, an online tool to swap ideas and know-how in eco actions to upgrade the efficiency fabric of domestic dwellings started in spring 2006. It was inspired by the online success of Freecycle and the fact that

• a huge proportion of the UK’s emissions comes from the 99% of existing housing stock which has poor thermal efficiencies, and
• at that point, no project had been brought to the table to meet this gap.

The two founding activists felt that their activity needed to be website dependent, be cheap and time efficient to run, replicable and run by activists. They took their idea to funding body Scotland Unlimited, who agreed to fund £3,000 for a six month set up period.

What are they doing

The founders used this time to engage onto the board ‘experts’ such as green surveyors and architects leading to an initial steering group of six. This group initiated the set-up of the website as well as launching a series of talks which were publicised via existing email bulletin groups and networks, and also, (and very importantly) by local posters. Within a matter of just a few weeks, there were over 300 members. The group soon realised that the growth and demands of the network far exceeded the resources which had been brought in to support it, and despite the exciting success, and hi media profile, this placed a considerable strain on the volunteer network that ran it.

As well as running an on-line ideas exchange forum, the group also facilitates monthly face to face information sharing sessions over specific topics, for example ‘the best ways to reduce energy requirements in a tenement flat’ – which, because of their focus and extensive publicity, receive good attendance. The group has noticed a strong coupling between success of an event, and the care that has gone into its marketing. It has also noticed, like other groups, that the flurry of concerned early adopters passes quite quickly, leaving it harder, more time-consuming, and requiring of specific skills to engage the mass audience.

Going forward, despite a full calendar of talks, and a worldwide presence, the group has recognised that it needs to make a decision re-visit its vision, which is that of a global network. It recognises that on existing resources and also importantly, key volunteer changing life-stages, that the project may be jeopardised without more formal revenue and employment structures.

Eco Renovation Network Top Tip

It’s vital to balance out the commitment within the volunteer group, realise that everyone has different ways of working, and find out what volunteers expectations are: some volunteers are self motivated, but others like to be minutely managed.

Contact details

Web address: www.eco-renovation.org