The winners of the 2018 Environment Awards were announced at a ceremony in Durham last week (Thursday 8 November). The awards, now in their 29th year, are organised by the County Durham Environment Partnership to recognise great design, environmental guardianship and community spirit.
The judges, who included architects, councillors and university experts, were thrilled with the quality of this year’s entries which came from all over County Durham. Unusually, two ‘outstanding’ awards were awarded – one to Durham Cathedral (whose work to widen public access to the hidden treasures came top in both the Built Environment and Craftmanship categories), and another to social enterprise café REfUSE (which makes meals from food that would otherwise be binned, and lets people pay what they wish in money or in kind).
LOCAL SUCCESSES
To our delight, Newton Press won in the ‘Greener Business’ category. The judges were impressed by our environmentally-friendly print technology and practices, which include using eco-friendly products (including vegetable oil litho inks, and paper which is sustainably sourced and carbon neutral); press plate imaging (means no harsh chemicals); waterless print technology (so no contaminated water); reduced energy consumption (biomass used for the entire production site); an electric van for local deliveries; low energy lighting throughout the site; and 98.6% recycling of all our waste!
Meanwhile, local community group Horndale Residents’ Association achieved ‘Highly Commended’ in the fiercely contended ‘Community Partnership’ category. It took the judges more than two minutes to summarise the achievements of this amazing group, which include a MUGA; a reindeer visit; multi-functional monthly meetings; regular subsidised trips; an annual ‘Summer Fun Day’; fundraising for a variety of causes; bulb-planting and litter-picks; and ground-breaking cohesion work with the Syrian community.
Congratulations must also go to local community group ‘Shildon Alive’, which won in the ‘Community Partnership’ category. Shildon Alive has developed a community garden; offers advice and advocacy work; supports the work of the local foodbank and credit union; and undertakes learning projects with local schools.
PRAISE FROM DCC
Cllr Simon Henig, Chair of the County Durham Environment Partnership, said: “Congratulations to everyone who was shortlisted this year, the range of entries was fantastic. What all of these finalists are doing is making County Durham a better place for everyone.”
Oliver Sherratt, Chair of the County Durham Environment Partnership, said: “The awards highlight the work of committed individuals and groups who contribute to making our county a wonderful place to live and visit. There was a real range of achievements, showcasing the innovative spirit apparent in County Durham when it comes to improving the environment. Well done to all involved.”