15 Aug 2025
It’s back! New round of Thrive’s Community Benefit Programme is now open
The latest round of Thrive’s Community Benefit Programme is now open to applicants. Community centres located within a 20–mile radius of the clean energy projects we own can apply for grants of up to £4,500 to make energy efficiency improvements such as insulation and draught proofing – helping to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs, whilst improving comfort and warmth.
Thrive has been working with the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) since 2015 to deliver the programme which has awarded over £224,000 nationally so far, saving a combined estimate of 94 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. In 2024, £33,000 was awarded to nine community buildings across the UK, including St. Werburgh’s City Farm in Bristol who used their funding to install LED lighting and a new heating system.
To apply for a grant, applicants will be asked to complete an energy survey of their community building using guidance supplied by CSE. This will calculate carbon savings for different options and identify the most effective potential improvements. Applications will remain open until 7th November 2025. Full details on how to apply can be found on CSE’s website here.
“Community centres and village halls are the beating heart of our communities, providing a space for people to gather, make social connections and access important services. Unfortunately, these vital hubs often fall victim to funding cuts and we see many struggling to keep their doors open. Through our community benefit programme, we hope to make things a little easier, giving them access to energy efficiency grants which will help bring their bills down at the same time as making the building warm and cosy for the people that matter most.”
“We’re excited to be partnering again with Thrive Renewables, supporting communities to save money, save carbon and keep their buildings warm through the Community Benefit Programme. Grants are available for improvements to community buildings resulting in carbon savings or fuel bill reductions. These could include changes like insulation, draught-proofing, improved heating or lighting controls, LED lighting and other energy-saving improvements.”
In celebration of our 30th anniversary, this year we’re making an additional £30,000 available to install solar panels on two community buildings close to our sites.