Breathing Life into Local Projects with Our Powering Communities Fund

Rousay, Egilsay & Wyre Development Trust have created a Sharing Shed to help their community live more mindfully and give pre-loved clothes, appliances, and goods a new lease of life.

A hands-on Youth Training Programme for young Londoners, packed with loads of experiences—from fun classroom sessions and trips to see solar panels in action, to visiting the Houses of Parliament, building your own mini solar panel, and even getting stuck into outdoor gardening and biodiversity activities.

Awel Aman Tawe has been running a monthly repair café in Cwmgors since 2023, and with support from the Powering Communities Fund, they’ve been able to expand it by adding workshops that teach a variety of skills.

In 2024, we supported North Kensington Community Energy's Voyage to Repower course, designed to help young people aged 18–24—many not in education, employment or training, gain the skills and confidence to start a career in the green industries.

Earlier this year Awel Aman Tawe partnered with Llanmartin Primary School, to take the pupils on an innovative educational journey known as the Dengineers project. This project was inspired by the amazing work at Cardiff University and was proudly sponsored by the Powering Communities Fund.

In December 2023, Aldgate Solar Power (ASP) held its final Creative Energy Club of the year and it was a resounding success! The club used art and creativity to make community energy more fun, engaging and inclusive and the results didn’t disappoint.

In October 2023, the Pant Memorial Hall, with a little help from the Powering Communities Fund, completed its journey to becoming a fully sustainably powered building, by finishing the installation of 28 solar panels across it's roof.

In partnership with Weston College, Burnham & Weston's vision is to enable young people within their local community deliver a Community Energy Youth Summit. 

Isles of Scilly Community Venture are looking to engage local young people to grow awareness about where energy comes from on their islands.

Cwm Arian Renewable Energy would like to purchase thermal imaging household survey kits.

Killington Hydro (Rainepower) have some exciting news to share with their local community. They are setting up and running a much needed local Energy Club. 

Tamar Energy Community are working with a researcher at Plymouth University on how best to utilise and access substation and domestic meter data.

Ynni Ogwen Cyf would like to expand their existing community solar scheme, which provides clean electricity to community owned buildings. The funding will finally allow them to install PV’s and a battery to assist with the site becoming even more self-sufficient.

Repowering London developed ReCreate, an education programme for Y5 Primary school children to teach them about climate change in an age-appropriate and positive way through the art of drama. 

The Harbury Future Energy project needed to purchase and erect a wind data monitoring and recording device for them to gain more accurate estimates of potential energy generation.

Southill Community Energy (SCE) requested funds for the purchase and installation of cattle fencing at Southill, to allow conservation grazing on the southern portion of the site.

SELCE is committed to fighting fuel poverty amongst the most vulnerable residents in South East London. 

Awel Aman Tawe wanted to develop an online education resource pack for teachers, youth groups and home educators on renewable energy, co-ops and low carbon solutions to climate change. 

Creating opportunities for school leavers and graduates to learn about running an environmental business? That's a cause Younity just had to help. 

Blending sustainable agriculture with solar energy... what could be better? Southill Community Energy wanted to enable sheep grazing within the solar farm, to replace the system of mowing which is carbon intensive and compacts the ground.