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A national award could be on the cards for a resource sharing platform that is helping organisations across Peterborough make better use of resources and reduce waste.

Share Peterborough, which was launched in November 2016 by the Future Peterborough programme, is in the running to win the Environmental Services category at the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards 2018.

The Future Peterborough programme is run jointly by economic development agency Opportunity Peterborough and Peterborough City Council. Share Peterborough, which now boasts over 250 members, is part of the programme’s work to create a Circular Economy in the city; reducing reliance on raw materials by keeping resources in the economy for as long as possible. Examples include listing old office furniture free of charge, reusing or repurposing old equipment, like making bags from old coffee sacks, right through to making stale bread available for brewing beer!

The LGC Awards are the biggest celebration of excellence in local government across the sector, from health and housing through to business transformation.

Following a presentation to a judging panel in January, the team will find out if they have won on the awards night of 21 March 2018.

Steve Bowyer, chief executive of Opportunity Peterborough said, “Share Peterborough was set up with a very clear purpose – to help businesses use their resources more efficiently. There’s been fantastic engagement from local organisations who are now using the platform to make sure they make the most of their skills, products and resources.”

Cllr Peter Hiller, Cabinet Member for Growth, Planning, Housing and Economic Development from Peterborough City Council said, “We’re delighted to see the work of the Future Peterborough team gain such recognition for the city. The LGC Awards are extremely competitive and as one of the UK’s smaller cities, we’re really proud to show that you don’t need to be big to make a difference.”