Student & Graduate Placements

Overview

Over the last year, Home Energy Scotland has been working with Scottish Water to distribute water saving packs. One of the most successful aspects of this programme has been the community based campaigns where feedback from householders showed they were motivated to take action because it is part of a community campaign.

Coimhearsnachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh (Barra & Vatersay Community) Ltd has been approached to help deliver a pilot scheme in Barra and Vatersay. As a result the opportunity of a fully funded student placement for 8 weeks over the summer with Coimhearsnachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh (Barra & Vatersay Community) Ltd acting as the host organisation.

The key objectives of the local water advice project will be as follows:

• Engage and provide water advice to individuals in the community,
• Provide households with a free water saving brochure and free water saving devices (aerated showerheads, shower timers, kitchen and bathroom tap aerators, “Hippo” cistern displacement devices, universal plugs, and trigger-guns for hoses), or else ordering free devices and recording details of who received / ordered what.
  The appointee will also be expected to liaise with local stakeholders/partners, help organise and distribute packs at events and help collate activity and outcome reports.

The student will work 35 hours per week with a primary focus on helping with the delivery of the water saving project and ideally would be able to start with immediate effect. 

Background

Barra & Vatersay Water Saving project

Scottish Water currently suppliers 1.37bn litres of water a day to households and business premises across Scotland.

Scotland’s water environment has steadily improved over the last 20 years as the result of investment by Scottish Water and as a result of this investment leakage has been reduced by more than 50%. With more people using water every day and with the risk of prolonged dry spells increasing, Scottish Water is now engaging with customers to promote the benefits of using water wisely, helping to protect future water suppliers and keep more water in the natural environment.

As part of this engagement Scottish Water is working in partnership with Energy Saving Trust and Home Energy Scotland to help householders save water, energy and money by distributing 49,000 water saving packs to householders across Scotland over the next 4 years.

The purpose of the pack, which will be free to householders, is to promote the benefits of using water wisely. The aim is not to restrict water use, rather it is about avoiding wasting water and helping householders benefit from the financial savings from saving hot water.

As Scottish Water remains publicly owned any savings achieved will be re-invested in the business to help keep customer charges down.

Aim of the project

• To encourage Barra and Vatersay to be water-wise islands and to help optimise the use of water, save energy, address climate change and minimise the impact of the infrastructure required to treat and process water.
• To help householders and those working in Barra and Vatersay to benefit from the free water saving advice and devices which will help them save energy as well as water.
• To work with Coimhearsnachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh (Barra & Vatersay Community) Ltd (CBaB) to deliver the project in their area and look at future opportunities.

Key objectives

You will support the delivery of a local water efficiency project with the key objectives of:

• Engaging and providing water efficiency advice to individuals in the community.
• Providing households with a free water saving brochure and free water saving devices (shower timers, universal plugs; showerheads; hippos; tap aerators), or ordering free devices and recording details of who received / ordered what.

Devices will need to be suitable and appropriate for each householders needs.

There may also be opportunities to help distribute free water-saving butts as long as suitable delivery, storage and transport logistics can be identified.

The Role

Your role will involve:

a)      Encouraging uptake

• Encourage uptake of the water saving packs, by
• Working with Scottish Water, Home Energy Scotland and Transition Black Isle to identify ways to promote the packs in the community and encourage uptake.
• Working with Scottish Water, Home Energy Scotland and CBaB to distribute promotional materials which encourage attendance at events.
• Working with Home Energy Scotland and CBaB to promote events through other channels.
• Attending other local events to help promote the water saving packs.
• Engaging with local businesses and community organisations to promote water saving packs to their staff.

b.) Distributing the packs

Support the distribution of the water saving packs, by:

• Engaging with householders at events and other opportunities
• Distributing free water saving brochures and recording who receives them
• Taking orders for free water saving devices or distributing them
• Organising free water saving butt distribution days, including organizing transport, storage and logistics.

c.) Other tasks

• Understanding national and local services which householders and businesses can benefit from to save money and save energy such as Home Energy Scotland and Resource Efficient Scotland and; signposting or referring householders and organisations to the appropriate service
• Collating and analysing information to help assess the impact of the campaign.

The Candidate

• Excellent communication skills
• Experience of events, with weekend working required to attend some events
• Knowledge/ interest in environmental issues and ideally in water use and efficiency
• Willing and able to work on own initiative
• Good IT skills
• Report writing
• Own driving licence would be useful, otherwise ability to fulfil transport requirements of the post