CSE encourages communities to take local action on the climate crisis, and one way we do this is to support them in making energy efficiency changes to their local community buildings.

Since 2015, we have supported communities to save money, save carbon and keep their community buildings warm through the Thrive Renewables Community Benefit programme. This programme gives grants of up to £4,500 to cover improvements such as insulation, draught-proofing, LED lighting or improved heating controls.

2025 will be the ninth year this grant programme has run, with a total of £33,000 made available.

The programme is open to community buildings within a 20-mile radius of one of the 16 wind and hydro sites in which Thrive Renewables is invested (see map and list of postcodes below).

Eligible areas

Below is a list of site names and postcodes of Thrive Renewables developments. Community buildings need to be within 20 miles of one of these to be eligible for the fund.

1	Sigurd	KW17 2NL
2	Clayfords	AB43 6RQ
3	Auchtygills	AB43 6RQ
4	Beochlich	PA33 1BW
5	Dunfermline	KY11 8UD
6	Drumduff	FK1 2JU
7	Haverigg II	LA18 4NB
8	Caton Moor	LA2 9HF
9	Feeder Road	BS5 9BU
10	Avonmouth	BS11 0YS
11	Boardinghouse	PE15 0YN
12	March (Greenvale)	PE15 0UW
13	Ness Point	NR32 1UZ
14	Eye	IP23 8BW
15	Wicken	MK19 6BS
16	Dunmow	CM6 3AN

A map of Thrive Renewables developments

How to apply

1) Read the guidance document

Check that your building is within 20 miles of a Thrive Renewables site and meets other eligibility criteria listed. See the map of Thrive sites above.

2) Complete the basic energy survey

This will help to help identify appropriate improvements to the building.

Obtain two quotes from installers for each improvement you have identified as most appropriate using the energy survey.

Read our energy survey guidance for how to complete your own assessment.

3) Fill in the application form

Email your completed form, energy audit and installer quotes to us by 12 pm (noon) Friday 7 November to thrive@cse.org.uk or, if you prefer, by post to Martine Fitt, Centre for Sustainable Energy, St James Court, St James Parade, Bristol BS1 3LH.

We can help you with your application

If you need more support to identify appropriate upgrades for your community building, get in touch. We can get you started and provide guidance on things like:

• How to find an installer.
• Low and zero cost energy saving improvements.
• Turning your energy audit into a report.
• Other sources of funding and finance for community buildings.

Awards will be made to groups which demonstrate that the improvements to their building will achieve the most impact in carbon savings and social value to their community.

Need inspiration?

Over the last few years, the grants have been awarded to many buildings, including community centres, village halls, a museum and a city farm.

St Werburgh’s City Farm (Bristol) has been strengthening connections between land, animals and people for more than 40 years. They wanted to improve their site’s energy efficiency to address rising energy costs. They used the funding from Thrive to replace their heating system and install LED lights in their community building, office and connection centre.

The city farms director, Jenny Howard Coles, says it has made a big difference to the charity:

The improved lighting in the community building, connection centre, and office has created a brighter, more welcoming environment for both staff and visitors, giving the impression of more natural light. The upgraded heating system has made the community building significantly more comfortable and usable, especially for the Supported Farming & Green Care service (for adults with learning disabilities). The heating system has also reduced the need for plug-in heaters in the office.

If you would like to see what other groups delivered through the Thrive Community Benefit programme, read our 2023 round-up blog here.

Energy essentials training for applicants

As part of our 2023 offer, and in response to the energy and cost of living crises, we delivered energy essentials training to all applicants to the fund.

This training was delivered as a series of webinars, and recordings of all three are available below:

• Fuel poverty awareness and basic energy advice. This webinar looked identifying fuel poverty and what community groups can do to support energy saving initiatives. You can watch the recording here.
  As part of this session, we signposted to energy advice services near each Thrive project location. Download the details of the advice services here (Excel spreadsheet — 11KB)
• Community approaches to tackling fuel poverty. This webinar explored community-level initiatives for supporting people to reduce their carbon emissions and lower their bills. Watch a recording of the webinar here.
• Energy efficiency in your community building. This webinar looked at what to consider to make your building more energy efficient – from zero-cost behaviour changes to higher-cost measures like renewable energy. Watch a recording of the webinar here.