The Hammersmith & Fulham Community Energy (HFCE) Share Offer is open, and with it, a great opportunity to invest in a greener, fairer future for the borough. To celebrate this achievement, we took a few minutes to catch up with some of the volunteers and Directors of HFCE to find out more about their involvement in the growing community energy group.
David Wilkins
David Wilkins is a volunteer Director and HFCE Co-founder. He met other founders at projects such as Imagine2030 before helping to bring the group to life. David finds the most exciting part of his day-to-day is going to outreach events, such as street fairs, and explaining to public what the group are trying to do: “It’s such a good story!”.
This story began in 2022 when a group of neighbours got together for collaboration and idea-sharing. And Hammersmith & Fulham Community Energy was born. Since then, with the support of Repowering London, and endorsement from Hammersmith & Fulham Council, it has set itself up as a Community Benefit Society, with a drive to bring community energy to the borough.
David says: “One of the best things about Community Energy is the different things it involves. I find being involved in decarbonising, helping community-based organisations, and creating funds for local democratic initiatives equally interesting.”
The group has already seen this vision begin to come to life. Last summer, just over 270 panels were installed on the roof of Jack Tizard School, which are now powering the building with clean, green electricity. This will directly benefit the community by reducing the school’s energy bills, and a portion of the profit made from the sale of the electricity will go into a Community Fund to support local initiatives.
Steve Huxford
Jack Tizard is a school focussed on teaching children with a range of learning disabilities, and therefore its operation is more energy intensive. Being able to support its energy needs really speaks to volunteer Steve Huxford: “I love being part of a team that is not only passionate about reducing the impact on our environment but also reducing the costs of a school in the borough that caters for those with severe disabilities and complex needs.”
In his spare time, Steve has also “been volunteering in a foodbank and helping to raise awareness of the challenges people with disabilities face”. This has given him the opportunity, he says, “to meet lots of new people that also want to make a difference in our borough, which is exciting.”
Lily Robertson
HFCE volunteer Lily Robertson got involved in driving the marketing for the HFCE share offer thanks to a personal connection: “A good friend of mine is a Director of North Kensington Community Energy, so I was aware of the initiative through him. It’s very personally gratifying to be able to use my skill set to make a positive impact.”
Lily is passionate about the share offer and this type of community energy action. “I’ve spent a lot of my career working in financial services and financial wellbeing,” she explains, “so I’m really interested in how people can make their money matter for the planet and for their own financial security. I also believe change should come from the ground up via local communities, as well as the top down from institutions.”
“I’m really interested in how people can make their money matter for the planet and for their own financial security.”
HFCE hopes those who can support renewable electricity generation through the share offer, will also support others within the borough and help fight climate change. But they know that it makes good financial sense to investors as well, with a target 3% return on investment and the return of their invested capital at the end of the 15-year project term.
Lily is passionate about HFCE’s potential impact. “I’ve volunteered with other organisations in the past but what’s stood out to me about HFCE is the commitment of everyone involved, and how well organised the group is. This is a credible, trustworthy initiative that takes their investment seriously and is going to manage it well, now and into the future.”
Wilf Macdonald-Brown
Finally, we caught up with Wilf Macdonald-Brown who is a climate activist on many fronts. Wilf is Co-founder and Director of HFCE, a volunteer with North Kensington Community Energy, Sustainability Lead at the school where he works as a teacher, and has also started a new initiative in his street to make green improvements. He believes that HFCE is: “good for climate, good for community, and good for energy resilience. In short, Sunshine + Community = Power!
“Our long-term vision is to roll out community energy projects across the borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. Right now though, we’re looking to raise £106,500 to bring the Jack Tizard School solar installation into community ownership: the good news is that we’re already well on the way to achieving it.”
From its earliest beginnings, HFCE has been full of committed volunteers and Directors, who show just how a handful of people can make a difference. Starting from very different points, they are now working together to create a real impact on community and climate.
As Wilf says: “We’ve only just begun!”
You can be a change-maker with HFCE
You can join HFCE now and own shares in the panels on Jack Tizard School. Learn more about the share offer and how it will make a difference to the community by clicking on the button below.
