Local capacity has been enhanced with the training of twenty six local facilitators. We have provided facilitation services and training for local groups to run creative meetings and workshops, and have made a start at developing a new local culture for how to hold constructive meetings. We expect that these skills will be valuable in the implementation of elements of the Local Resilience Action Plan in the years to come. An action plan for regenerating Dunbar Town Centre is now being implemented in partnership with Dunbar Trades Association and other groups. We now have capacity to support other Transition initiatives with advice, consultancy and services and to date we have worked with Transition North Berwick and Transition South Edinburgh.
Our Community Mapping facility is now available for use by any local organization requiring to access, print or create maps to assist and enable their work while the ‘ourlocality’ web platform is creating new opportunities for local groups, organisations, individuals and businesses to communicate effectively and form local networks.
Our energy auditors have developed extensive expertise and have developed a reputation for high quality expert, impartial and personalised home energy advice across the community. We have achieved a good uptake of home energy advice with an average energy saving of 18% by those audited. Barriers to greater savings have been identified and strategies to overcome these have been developed and are about to be implemented, including a locally based revolving loan fund to finance energy efficiency measures. We have also trained 15 neighbourhood energy advisors to carry out basic home energy awareness interviews with householders.