Council throws a lifeline to community groups facing soaring energy bills with new grant opportunity
Telford & Wrekin Council is urging local community groups facing difficulty or even closure due to soaring energy bills to apply for a grant from its Climate Change Fund, which groups can use to make their premises more energy efficient, helping them reduce fuel bills.
Launched today, the second round of the council’s Climate Change Fund offers grants of up to £10,000 to a wide range of local organisations – such as community centres and faith groups, schools, charities, Town and Parish Councils and local small businesses – to help them reduce their carbon impact.
Applications for projects can include upgrading of heating systems to renewable alternatives, secondary or double glazing, installing solar panels and battery storage systems, introducing electric bike share schemes, cycle storage and more.
The fund, which originally launched in 2021, supports the council’s aspiration to reach borough-wide carbon neutrality by 2030. Its first round proved hugely popular with local schools, community groups and businesses, whose projects have already helped to reduce local emissions by many tonnes.
Last year, Little Wenlock Village Hall received £5k from the fund to help replace its oil-fuelled boiler with a low carbon heating system as part of the group’s wider carbon efficiency improvements. As a result, they have seen their carbon footprint reduce from more than 7.5 tonnes CO2 in 2019 to less than 1.5 tonnes in 2021, significantly reducing their climate impact and saving them hundreds of pounds per year in energy bills.
This year’s funding round sees the total available amount double from £100,000 to £200,000 which the council hopes will enable organisations to carry out even more impactful work.
Applications to the Telford and Wrekin Climate Change Fund are open to:
- Town and Parish Councils
- Voluntary and community groups
- Faith groups
- Charities
- Not-for-profit organisations
- Social enterprises
- Friends of Parks
- Local Nature Reserves and similar groups
- Schools
- Nurseries
- Parent Teacher Associations
- School Friends groups
- Small businesses (having 49 or less FTE employees)
Applications can be made at www.sustainabletelfordandwrekin.com/get-involved/climate-change-fund before noon on Friday 9 September 2022.
Cllr Carolyn Healy (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member for climate change, green spaces, natural and historic environment and cultural services, said:
“This year, we're particularly keen to reach out to community groups who may be struggling with rising energy bills. We recognise that energy costs pose a real threat to these groups' existence, so please spread the word that Telford & Wrekin Council wants to help – by making your premises more energy efficient you'll not only reduce your carbon emissions but your bills too.
“As a council, we’ve pledged to protect, care and invest to create a better borough. That means supporting these invaluable groups at the heart of our communities when they face challenges.
“This new round of our Climate Change Fund not only provides local organisations with much-needed support against energy costs. It also helps them be part of our borough’s journey to net zero.”
“We have committed to making our council operations carbon neutral by 2030, and we want to support the rest of the borough to meet this same goal.
“It’s necessary and it’s achievable; we reduced the council’s emissions by 58% between 2019 and 2021 and are on track to meet our 2030 commitment, 20 years ahead of the government’s deadline.
“I commend the many local organisations that are already taking similar steps and would urge others to join them.”
Apply for up to £10,000 from the Telford and Wrekin Climate Change Fund here: www.sustainabletelfordandwrekin.com/get-involved/climate-change-fund
For any Climate Change Fund enquiries please email: sustainability@telford.gov.uk
