Barbara Richardson (left) and Pat Davies
Two opponents of Cuadrilla’s plans to frack in Lancashire have won a national award established in memory of the campaigner, Sheila McKechnie.
Pat Davies and Barbara Richardson, of the Frack Free Lancashire coalition, received the Environmental Justice Award from the Sheila McKechnie Foundation at the House of Lords last night (13 April 2016).
The award recognises community members who campaign on issues such as climate change, carbon reduction, renewable energy and energy efficiency. It was established in 2005 after the death of Ms McKechnie, a former director of Shelter and the Consumers’ Association.
Pat Davies, of Preston New Road Action Group, and Barbara Richardson, of Roseacre Awareness Group, have opposed Cuadrilla’s plans to frack at two sites in the Fylde near Blackpool.
Earlier this year, they represented their community groups at the public inquiry into the proposals, turned down by Lancashire County Council in June 2015. The inquiry inspector will submit her recommendation on or before 4 July. The Communities and Local Government Secretary, Greg Clark, will make the final decision.
Barbara Richardson said:
“It was a great night, attending an awards ceremony at the House of Lords. I feel very honoured and proud of Frack Free Lancashire and all of our campaigners. It was a real privilege to accept this award on behalf of Frack Free Lancashire.”
Pat Davies said:
“This award is for us all. My incredible team work tirelessly to ensure our community and beyond remains frack-free. Frack Free Lancashire and Friends of the Earth campaigners are remarkable for their unstinting work and passion. Lancashire hasn’t just spoken when we said no to fracking: Lancashire has roared!”
The Environmental Justice Award is sponsored by the charitable trust, the Frederick Mulder Foundation
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Categories: Opposition
DRILL OR DROP? 
Brilliant news and well deserved recognition. Their campaign was inspiring and highly effective and made us all sit up and see how appallingly the government is behaving.
There’s still a long way to go as plans to start fracking Bowland from East Yorkshire to Lancashire is already being supported by licensing for KM8 from the EA, hell bent sending out the fracking WMD across the north.
Congratulations to two very deserving women who are also very successful high achievers:-)
Well done and congratulations to all, it is inspiring to see what committed members in a community can achieve.
I thought everyone who protest and give evidence at the inquiry deserve an award for their hard why single these two out.
TW they have already said the award is for everyone involved . Many thanks to everybody who gave evidence many of whom Im proud to call my friends. When we these greedy people realise once you Frack you cant go back and you cant after all drink money . Namaste.
Brilliant news . TW they have said in the article the award is for everybody involved . You are right every single person deserves recognition for all the hard work in raising awareness about the atrocity they call Fracking. No Fracking worldwide. When will they realise you cant drink the money ? Once you Frack you cant go back . Namaste .
I do apologise for putting a dampener on the party, but I dont think that there is anything to celebrate until justice has actually been received… and for the record I think that the most powerful thing to have done in this situation would have been to attend the awards ceremony but to have declined to accept the award until justice had actually been implemented… and I think Sheila McKechnie would’ve agreed with that principle. Nothing has been won yet, so do not let your guard down, and the fact that this “awards” ceremony took place in the very house that is imposing the injustice should tell you everything you need to know about it’s organisation.