Many are distributed free of charge to people in fuel poverty. The rest are sold to the public, raising cash for local charities and community projects.

Initial funding for the pilot was provided by Stroud Town Council and the District Council’s Tenants and Residents Forum.The briquettes are manufactured by inmates at Leyhill Prison, which was keen to use waste sawdust from its furniture-making workshop in a sustainable way.

Launched just over a year ago, Wood-u-Waste is today celebrating after being judged the ‘Best in Britain’ by leading fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA). It beat over a hundred other national projects to win the Affordable Warmth - Sustainable World Award and a cheque for £5,000.

It was ‘a resounding winner’ amongst the judging panel, which contained representatives from NEA, The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and competition sponsors British Gas.

Now the three volunteers behind the idea are looking at ways in which it could be rolled out across the country. They have already expanded by taking additional waste sawdust from local joiners to meet the growing demand.

“The approach is simple,” said director Adrian Jacques. “We take the briquettes from the prison to be sold though a network of local community shops and charities. They take some of the profit to help their work and we use the rest to distribute bags for free to vulnerable households in fuel poverty.”

Dozens of households across the district, who rely on solid fuel and are struggling to heat their homes, will receive a complimentary supply in the lead-up to Christmas. The oldest recipient is a lady aged 88.

Fellow director of the not-for-profit company, Debbie Hewitt, added: “This is an innovative way of both reducing waste sent to landfill sites, and of providing affordable and sustainable warmth to people struggling with rising fuel bills.”

Briquettes are available priced £2.50 for a 5kg bag from: Stroud Valleys Project in Stroud, Teckels Animal Shelter, Whitminster, Goddards Garage in Painswick, the GL11 Project in Cam and community shops in Horsley, Whiteshill, Chalford and Coaley. For more information visit www.wooduwaste.com

Affordable warmth is a big issue in the Stroud district as most of the area is rural, with many communities off the gas network where homes are heated by expensive and inefficient heating systems. 

Maria Wardrobe, competition judge for NEA said: “The Briquette Project has succeeded in bringing together people from around the community in the fight against fuel poverty. This award scheme has demonstrated just how much support, enthusiasm and determination there is amongst all of those who entered, to devise schemes that help to tackle fuel poverty in their communities.”

National Energy Action (NEA) is the national charity that tackles the heating and insulation problems of low-income households through improved energy efficiency.  For more information please contact Lesley Snodin, NEA’s Press Officer, on 0191 269 6107.

 

Pictured left: Mick Morris (Temporary Governor at Leyhill Prison), Debbie Hewitt (director Wood-u-Waste), Wendy Donnelly (regional co-ordinator for National Energy Action), Sue Beaumont (recycling manager at Leyhill Prison) and  Adrian Jacques (director Wood-u-Waste).

 

Photos by Andy Read

Article added online; 2nd December 2009