South Lanarkshire families and young researchers lead the way in healthy and sustainable living

THE RESIDENTS of six local communities in South Lanarkshire along with pupils from Lesmahagow High School are taking part in a pioneering project to learn how to lead a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle at home.  

Leading renewables developer OnPath Energy is delivering a series of behaviour change workshops in Coalburn, Lesmahagow, Rigside,Douglas, Duneaton and Carmichael and as part of its commitment to support communities located around their projects to reduce their energy consumption.  

The Healthy and Sustainable Living Programme is a response to feedback from local people as part of the Bodinglee Wind Farm consultation. Respondents wanted to see tangible opportunities to reduce energy consumption, lower bills and tackle the rising cost of living. 

The initiative aims to empower residents from 90 households through peer-to-peer learning to build confidence in the transition to clean energy. Over the next six months participants will learn how to make small, sustainable lifestyle changes that will help them save money, reduce CO2 output, and learn new life skills.  

The project is based on research by Dr Partick Elf of Middlesex University in 2013, which saved participating households on average £1,440 per year.¹ 

Dr Elf is leading OnPath Energy’s programme, using the same principles to guide students from Lesmahagow High School who are undertaking research as part of their STEM Leader 7 programme, a Scottish qualification that develops leadership, communication and independent research skills.  

Aileen McCreadie, partnerships and community manager at OnPath Energy, said: “This project is about working in partnership with local people to understand what healthy and sustainable living looks like in practice.   

“By bringing together organisations like Middlesex University, Healthy Valleys and young people from Lesmahagow High School, we’re creating a programme that is rooted in real experiences and local insight.  

“The workshops and research is helping us to listen, learn and respond to what matters most to households across the six community council areas, while also giving young people meaningful skills and opportunities. It’s exactly the kind of collaborative, community-led approach we want to see shaping our work around Bodinglee Wind Farm and beyond.”  

The workshops include sessions on energy reduction, food waste, growing your own food and upcycling furniture. The research will form a core part of OnPath Energy’s efforts to understand and respond to community needs as part of the dialogue around the proposed Bodinglee Wind Farm, which aims to deliver up to 245MW of clean energy and around £50 million in community funds over its lifespan.  

The 90 households received £100 of energy saving products from sourced from IKEA, through their IKEA for Business Scotland team including items such as rechargeable batteries, rugs, blankets, LED bulbs and pressure cookers. Participants will also be given guidance on sustainable living by members of the OnPath Energy team.  

When IKEA ran a similar scheme, their Live LAGOM Programme, participants saved an average of 317kg of CO2 per year with 92.4% saying they learned new life skills as a result of taking part.   

Rebecca Johnstone has been living in South Lanarkshire for over six years with her husband and two children, aged eight and five. A designer running her own business, Dainty Dora Surface Pattern Design & Print, she specialises in creating fabric and wallpaper patterns, and she was excited by the idea of getting involved in OnPath’sHealthy and Sustainable Living initiative. 

“I’m genuinely interested in sustainable living and helping the environment, and I’m concerned for the future of the world, for myself and for my children and their children,” said Rebecca. “So, I was interested to see what else I could learn and it opened up a conversation with my son so we can talk about these things. 

“During the first workshop I started making a draft excluder which I’ve since finished at home but to have that time and space with the materials and just a camaraderie of like-minded people is really helpful.  

“I think it’s great that something like this project is happening and obviously connecting with the high school students is great too. I think it could be expanded to other areas and renewable projects.” 

Monitored by Dr Patrick Elf, the fifth-year Lesmahagow High students will work with and interview participants in the workshops to collect qualitative and quantitative insights on the items they’ve used, what positive behavioral improvements they have seen and what barriers they still face in reducing energy use and improving wellbeing at home.  

Jennifer Pate, one of the Lesmahagow students involved in the research explained more about her involvement in the programme so far: “At first, I didn’t really know much about renewable energy or being sustainable at all.

“Through OnPath Energy I’ve learned a lot more and I’m applying that to my life. Knowing that our small research project could lead to bigger things feels great.”  

The Healthy and Sustainable Living programme is being delivered in partnership with Healthy Valleys, a long-established community-led charity based in rural South Lanarkshire that focuses on improving health and wellbeing for local people and families.  

Amanda Taylor, team leader at Healthy Valleys, said: “We were delighted to be invited to take part in the pilot programme. Healthy Valleys will be facilitating the workshops across the six local communities, supporting residents to engage with the programme and take part in the activities.  

“This is about working with communities over time, supporting behaviour change and giving people the tools and resources to start their sustainability journey.”  

The planning application for Bodinglee Wind Farm currently lies with the Scottish Energy Consents Unit. The project aligns with both local and national planning regulations and energy policies and OnPath Energy is confident the project will secure consent later this year.    

To learn more about the Bodinglee Wind Farm project visit https://www.onpathenergy.com/bodinglee/