Community Energy People
Bringing people power to community energy
We help to create communities where everyone can take part in positive climate action!
The Community Energy People project aims to grow the capacities of 11 local community energy groups by supporting them to recruit, develop, and retain new staff and volunteers. By creating green jobs in 11 counties, we will empower more local people from a diverse range of backgrounds to help tackle the climate crisis. This extra people power will allow our partner groups to develop more projects faster contributing to a just transition in their local communities.
The project is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund
Project aims
Over a three-year period, the project will:
- Create 33 paid jobs across 11 community energy groups across England.
- Provide support for at least 100 volunteer roles.
- Guide our partner groups on how to develop their new teams and deliver bigger projects in their local communities.
- Engage more people from traditionally under-represented backgrounds with community energy and empower them to play a bigger part in the transition to net-zero.
Employment opportunities supported by the project
Project manager vacancy
Energise South Downs is seeking a Project Manager for two days a week.
Project manager vacancy
Energise South Downs is seeking a Communications Manager for two days a week.
Project manager vacancy
Sustainable Danbury is looking for an experienced team leader.
Project manager vacancy
Rossendale Valley Energy is hiring a Finance and administration officer.
Interested in offering your skills as a volunteer?
Sustainable Danbury are also looking for volunteer directors to join their board. Read more here.
Our partner groups
In our first year, we are working with five established community energy groups to pilot the project before engaging six more groups for the remaining two years.
It is up to each group as to what roles that they recruit for to support their development and project delivery. By allowing our partner groups to decide what is best for them, the project will support them to make the biggest possible impacts in their local areas.
Zero Carbon Guildford
Zero Carbon Guildford is a vibrant registered charity that delivers a range of community-based climate and environment activities to help the Guildford and surrounding area achieve net-zero by 2030.
They are working with the project to hire a marketing and communications manager who will work to grow participation across their diverse programmes, as well as hire people to support the business energy survey in their local area. They aim to grow their engagement with minoritised people.
MaidEnergy
MaidEnergy is an experienced Community Energy Benefit Society operating in East Berkshire and North Surrey, having successfully delivered several solar photovoltaic projects, and a heat pump project and are now investigating the feasibility of a hydro project on the River Thames.
They already employ one part-time staff member, and are recruiting two additional coordinators to expand their capacity, skill set and stakeholder engagement. This will help the group to deliver more renewable generation in their local area.
Sustainable Danbury
Based in Essex, Sustainable Danbury is looking for people to help with their strategy and planning, as well as comms and engagement. They are also hoping to expand their board by recruiting new volunteer directors. This will help them to achieve their aims of local sustainability, biodiversity, and community energy.
Unlike other groups, they are initially hoping to recruit freelancers to help them develop before eventually exploring the options for taking on staff longer term. They are also hoping to expand their board by recruiting new volunteer directors. They are particularly excited to collaborate with and learn from the other project groups.
Rossendale Valley Energy
Rossendale Valley Energy are an ambitious group looking to grow their team. As they hope to move away from relying on grant funding, they are looking to recruit someone with financial and administrative experience.
This will help them to continue to deliver energy advice in their community and roll out their innovative Net Zero Terrace Streets project, which aims to improve the sustainability of some of the lowest income houses in their area.
Energise South Downs
Energise South Downs is a fast-growing group working to deliver sustainability initiatives in and around the national park. They deliver Future Energy Landscape workshops that have engaged over 200 people from across Hampshire, and their first rooftop solar project will generate 280kW and save 56 tonnes of carbon in their first year.
The group have already used project funding to employ a team leader to steer them as they undergo a period of crucial growth. They plan on recruiting people to help with marketing and comms and project support in the near future.
The project is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and is made possible by National Lottery players.