£53K granted to green projects around Bristol

It’s been an exciting couple of weeks as community groups across the city waited with baited breath for the results of Bristol Community Energy Fund’s first round of grant funding. Over 30 funding applications were submitted to Bristol City Council’s panel which is made up community leaders and local energy partners including Bristol Energy Network, Age UK, Black South West Network, Bristol Disability Equality Forum, UWE, Centre for Sustainable Energy, Quartet Community Foundation and Bristol Energy Co-operative. 

All of these applications were reviewed by the Bristol Community Energy Fund panel, and Bristol City Council will shortly be awarding funding to 12 local energy projects totalling over £53,000. Projects have been chosen on the basis of their potential to support local people to: 

• Reduce energy use

• Move towards cleaner and renewable sources of energy

• Adopt measures that can help meet their energy needs affordably.

The grants have been aimed at not for profit organisations in Bristol and non-energy related groups were encouraged to apply to broaden the reach of the fund’s energy projects into new communities, resulting in applications from numerous groups, artists and even a primary school!

Bristol Community Energy Fund is a scheme set up by Bristol City Council with seed-funding provided by the Department of Energy and Climate Change to kick-start the Fund. The Fund’s judging panel prioritised applications from equalities-led groups or organisations working in partnership with them, as well as proposals by groups representing communities most affected by energy issues such as fuel poverty, older or disabled people, BME and migrant communities. 

The council will be running another round of funding in the coming weeks, to give those projects that were unsuccessful a second chance to develop their bids further and try again as well as encouraging new groups to apply.

Some of the successful projects that have been offered funding are:

Awaz Utaoh, a local charity who will use their funding to raising awareness with South Asian women over 50 by addressing issues like switching energy suppliers, managing payments and ways to save money through energy efficiency. 

Hillcrest Primary School will be running an energy auditing project where children take responsibility for saving energy in and outside of school hours. 

Bristol Energy Network will be using thermal imaging technology to engage hundreds of householders across the city and advise on home energy efficiency improvements.

Litterarti will run an arts arts project to light up a youthclub in East Bristol to raise awareness about energy-related topics, and a smile, whilst engaging local residents through art workshops and a winter exhibition event in Hillfields.

Community interest company, Demand Energy Equality will be delivering solar power awareness and solar panel manufacturing workshops to minority groups across the city.

The Bristol Playbus local charity who will add solar panels to their “Sensory Truck” (pictured top), a mobile sensory environment for children with a disability or life-limiting illness. The solar panels will mean that the equipment on the truck can work without the use of diesel generators.

These are just a handful of the amazing projects being funded across the city, with many more to come throughout 2016.

To find out more about the Bristol Community Energy Fund and its projects visit: www.bristolcommunityenergy.co.uk