Community

Peterborough Environment City Trust: making a difference to Peterborough

The Moment magazine meets Carly Leonard, Chief Executive Officer of the charity Peterborough Environment City Trust, where exciting developments are underway...

The charity Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) has been operating since 1993, when Peterborough was named as one of only four Environment Cities in the UK. PECT was formed to respond to this challenge. During its two decades of work PECT has been involved with some fantastic achievements – Green Wheel cycle route anyone? But 2016 brings with it a marked stepchange for the organisation; with a new CEO at the helm, a revised vision and mission and a strong ambition to work together with people in the city to really shape environmental initiatives based on their input and wishes. The Moment settles down to find out more about the environmental force that is PECT, and to discover how local residents can get involved to make a real difference in Peterborough.

Can we start with you explaining why you made the decision to join PECT?

I’d known of PECT for many years and really admired the way that the charity works on environmental projects that make a difference on the ground, in the here and now. I saw the role of CEO back in the summer of 2014 and felt that it would be a great opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge that I have…and I’m so pleased I did! I’ve previously worked in the water industry, for regional and local government and for a social enterprise. PECT is a fantastic place to work and it’s very rewarding to do work that is positive for people and the environment.

Where did your environmental interest spring from and why does it matter to you?

Growing up, my parents’ house was (and still is) the place where people took injured animals to be nurtured back to health. As a result I grew up with a real love for nature and an inbuilt drive to help and to protect. With this, I started to have an increasing awareness of broader environmental issues. I was putting up recycling posters in the school staff room at primary school – not such a big deal now, but this was the 80s! This interest has continued to grow and led me to completing an Open University degree in Environmental Studies and working in the field for about 10 years and counting. It’s hard to describe why it matters because caring for the environment is so inbuilt that I can’t imagine it not mattering.

How can Peterborough as a city make greater improvements for its residents?

Making improvements on a city-wide scale is complex and, to have a big impact, it needs a joined-up approach. PECT is really well placed to bring different organisations and initiatives together so that we can all gain a better understanding and achieve more. We have always worked in partnership on the work we do, and we’ve started a regular process of asking our partners for ideas and input against the areas of work we do (such as energy, land use, wildlife, and health) so that we can build a good evidence base of current research and activity and develop new work based on the gaps. This year we also have a big focus on talking with people about what they want to see for the city. It’s very important to me and to PECT that local residents are involved in informing and being part of what we do and that PECT is the place to come to for support and information.


Tell us about PECT as an organisation.

PECT is a registered charity working with communities, schools and organisations on making environmental improvements. Lots of our work is focussed here in Peterborough but we also work further afield in neighbouring counties and across the county. As a charity, we rely entirely on donations, grants for managing projects and income from delivering contracts to fund our work. An example of what we do is our Forest for Peterborough project – we have planted over 93,000 trees over the past five years with the aim of planting one tree for every person living in the city by 2030. These native trees provide habitat for biodiversity, make the air cleaner and help to reduce impacts of climate change. We encourage volunteers to get involved with planting the trees too, giving people ownership and the chance to meet others and do something positive together. We also work with organisations to manage resources and take positive action through our national Investors in the Environment (www.iie.uk.com) membership and accreditation scheme. In addition to this we work with 97% of schools in Peterborough – encouraging awareness of environmental issues in the younger generations of city residents. The city is leading the way nationally with PECT’s bespoke Peterborough Eco Framework for schools.


What is PECT aiming to do with its work?

When we were set up in 1993, it was with the charitable objective of protecting and enhancing the environment in Peterborough and beyond. This is what we are here to do. We get involved in lots of actions that have a direct link to this, such as Forest for Peterborough, Werrington Brook Improvements and many more. This mission is also linked to our focus on making improvements for peoples’ wellbeing, both now and for future generations. For example, we run a number of projects on affordable warmth with advice on reducing energy use, access to skills/ training and grants to improve the efficiency of homes. We’ve also recently carried out projects on improving cookery skills and healthy food knowledge in schools and hostels around the city. We want to support people to make choices with environmental considerations in mind. We recognise that people respond in different ways and no one likes being preached at or told what to do! So it’s part of our job to make it appealing for people to get involved in whatever way they can! We want to have a genuine ongoing conversation with people about what they think is important and what they would like to see happen, here in the city and beyond.


PECT’s vision is for Sustainable Places – what do you mean by this?

To us, sustainable places are where the natural environment is healthy, communities are involved in their area, health and well-being is a priority and resource use is responsible. Our mission of ‘protecting and enhancing the environment of Peterborough and beyond’ means that we focus our attention here but we ultimately want to see sustainable places develop everywhere. That’s no mean feat but we are determined about making positive change and excited about working with other organisations and involving people in how we make our place sustainable. There are critical issues that need to be discussed, debated and action taken and Peterborough could be a place where this happens. We recognise that radical thinking may be needed to challenge the issues that are causing many of the environmental, social and economic challenges we face. Everything from climate change and its wide reaching implications locally and globally, now and in the future, to inequity, food and energy security – all of these vast issues and many more need people to become more aware, involved and inspired if changes to the norm and a brighter future is going to be possible.


Has Peterborough achieved its vision of becoming the UK’s Environment Capital?

The Environment Capital vision is a long-term one and by being in place it has initiated and put an emphasis on environmental activities in the city, which may not have otherwise happened. A range of different partners from across the city carry out linked actions and, by bringing these together, this builds a shared picture, avoids duplication and focuses efforts where they are needed. It’s important for PECT to support city wide initiatives and, in terms of Environment Capital, all of our work links into this to help make the city a better place for people and the environment.


What makes PECT different from other organisations?

We work on this huge, fascinating and challenging subject of ‘environment’ with schools, communities and businesses, so we have an ability to work together with all elements of the city. We are a grassroots organisation and we are close to the people we are working with which helps us to know the city inside out. PECT’s team and volunteers make this a unique organisation. We have a lot to achieve and funding is always a challenge. Everyone here is passionate and driven and environmental considerations run through every element of our decision-making and our culture. See www.pect.org.uk/blog for thoughts on this from our team.


How can everyone get involved?

Our focus for this year is on being informed by what people want to see. We believe that there is a huge opportunity to take action and raise the level of public consciousness on issues and involve people in making change. We want to build on our relationships and create new ones so that our focus and action is informed by local needs and priorities and is more transformative as a result. Whether it’s from getting involved with PECT by volunteering, donating, attending our events or even feeding back on what we can do to help make Peterborough better, we would love to hear from everyone.

Get involved PECT would love to hear from you. Call 01733 568408, email or visit www.pect.org.uk. You can also find PECT on Facebook at /Peterborough EnvironmentCityTrust or Twitter @SustainableCity

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