Community groups

CSE believes that communities are key to achieving a low-carbon future.

Central government  and local authorities have their role, as does the private sector, and individuals can also act. But communities – by which we mean neighbourhoods, schools, faith groups, voluntary organisations, clubs, societies and other associations – are a critical part of the mix, too.

Currently, the main focus of our work with communities is PlanLoCaL. This wide-ranging programme provides communities with the tools to embark on their own low-carbon projects, whether that is insulating the village hall or developing their own £1m wind farm, or anything in between.

Community event in Wedmore, Somerset, July 2011. Our PlanLoCaL scale model can be seen in the foreground

thumbnail 1

CSE provides a range of services to engage people in their communities – from training volunteers and facilitating consultation to providing expert advice and project development. Our aim is to help communities understand the issues – often by making links with existing concerns such as poverty, housing and health – and find appropriate local solutions.

The services we offer include:

• training for volunteers to be community energy advisers
• advice to community groups on how to develop and secure funding for their own projects
• support and advice on energy saving and small-scale renewable energy projects (including detailed feasibility studies)
• presentations to local groups
• free energy advice
• longer-term advisory support for projects such as Carbon 60 aiming for  radical carbon reductions

We also provide help to renewable energy developers and energy utilities on effective community engagement [see A South West Protocol for Wind Energy Developments].

You can download a document outlining our bespoke services for community groups here.

See also
Training for communities
Useful tools for community groups
Support for communities in Bristol and Somerset

Our approach to working with communities is informed by other projects in which we’ve provided support to communities:

• Green Communities, formerly CAfE: a CSE-designed, developed and managed national programme run on behalf of the Energy Saving Trust (2001-10).
• And between 2008 and 2010, CSE was a registered consultant under the Community Sustainable Energy Programme.

Read more about our work engaging communities here.