Context: The Brighton permaculture is located within the grounds of stammer house, an 18th century Georgian manor house surrounded by acres of beautiful park land. The Brighton permaculture trust is a non-profit, volunteer run charity that was founded in 2000 as a member of the national Permaculture Association. The charity promotes greener lifestyles and sustainable development through courses and events for the public that educate upon and promote energy saving tactics.

Aims: The predominant aim of the permaculture trust is to ‘promote sustainable development for the benefit of the public by the preservation, conservation and the protection of the environment and the prudent use of resources’. They also wish to educate the public regarding sustainable development achievability within their own homes. Initiatives:

Eco renovate your home course- Participants will develop a plan for retrofitting their home as part of the course and learn about practical changes that will make their homes eco-friendlier by reducing energy consumption and emissions.

The hand building a wind turbine course gives citizens the ability to harness renewable energy in their homes, thereby reducing energy consumption derived from unsustainable sources such as the combustion of fossil fuels. Green roof education course- Educates the public on the benefits of green roofs, for instance they not only insulate buildings to reduce heating costs but also well lessen the amount of energy required to heat homes.

Building an earth ship, is a course designed for those looking to build their own eco-friendly homes, it teaches valuable ways to incorporate energy saving methods into the designs. For example, earth ship buildings use passive solar heating and cooling and only renewable technologies that reduce energy consumption and harmful emissions being released into the atmosphere.

Furthermore, the Brighton permaculture earth ship is an example of an eco-open house. Operating all over the country eco-open houses allow people to view houses equipped with energy saving technologies and methods. Viewings promote energy efficient behaviour by educating citizens of methods they may wish to install in their own homes.