This year saw a record number of entries to our Community Benefit Programme from communities close to our clean energy sites – more than double the number of applications received in 2019!
With the support of Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), we have now awarded over £29,000 in grants to local communities, helping them to make shared buildings more accessible through energy efficiency and sustainability improvements.
As part of the process, applicants completed a full energy survey of the building using guidance from CSE, which helped to identify potential improvements, including zero-cost measures, and calculate carbon and cost savings. From insulation and draught proofing to improved heating measures and LED lighting, we have awarded up to £4k in grants each to:
- Alfriston War Memorial Hall, Alfriston – East Sussex
- Pill Village Hall & Community Centre, Pill – North Somerset
- St Mary’s Centre, Whickham, Barrow-in-Furness – Cumbria
- Bedfield & Monk Soham Community Club, Bedfield – Suffolk
- Impact Initiatives, Brighton
- Halton Community Association, Halton – Lancaster
- St Peter's Church, March – Cambridgeshire
- Shutlanger Village Hall Charity, Shutlanger – Northamptonshire
- Strichen Community Park, Strichen – Fraserburgh
- Holy Trinity Church, Nailsea – Bristol
"The buildings these grants go to are often the focal points of their community, so it’s brilliant to be able to give back to those living close to our renewable energy projects and help make these shared spaces more inviting this winter. Now more than ever it’s important to give community hubs a helping hand, especially as these buildings are often cold, draughty and expensive to run. Our hope is that we will encourage more people to use these vital community spaces, while also helping to set them up for a more sustainable future.” – Matthew Clayton, Managing Director, Thrive Renewables
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, last year we repurposed our Community Benefit Programme and added savings made on business travel to meet the urgent needs of the communities who host our projects – donating £39,050 to organisations fighting poverty, loneliness and supporting education. This included foodbanks, a care home to provide iPads to residents enabling them to speak to their loved ones, a baby bank providing essentials to new families experiencing poverty, and a local school to support home learning.
With round five included, we’ve awarded 41 grants to 33 buildings, totalling over £120,000. These improvements save 68 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
