We’ve recently introduced our exciting Repowered Community project in Newham, and now we would like to shine a light on the partners who are making this ambitious project happen.
We are excited to be collaborating with five partners to create a blueprint for implementing Repowering London’s flagship clean energy neighbourhood model – The Repowered Community. This model will offer a route to strong communities by delivering clean energy hand in hand with long-term local services and benefits. We are grateful to every partner that is contributing their specific expertise and helping to deliver a toolkit so that the Repowered Community can be rolled out all across the UK.
But first, a bit about our funder: The National Lottery Community Fund
Our first partner is actually a funder. We have received £1.5m from The National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF). NLCF distributes more than £600m a year to communities across the UK, funds raised by players of The National Lottery. And it hopes to “make a difference in the years ahead, both by listening and responding to communities, and being more focused on supporting the greatest impact”.
Its research has shown that genuinely democratic governance models for energy infrastructure will help share the benefits more fairly and build a more just transition. On the mission to bring this into reality are our partners with expert knowledge and experience, who will help us deliver on different aspects of Repowered Community Newham.
Community Energy Newham (CEN)
Community Energy Newham the first community energy co-operative in Newham – is crucial to this project. It is taking ownership and control of the solar and heat assets (for instance, solar panel installations) that will be created across the borough as part of the project and leading on-the-ground community engagement and model co-design. By building on the community-owned solar panels already installed on local libraries, it will bring together key learning to test and review the toolkit we produce.
Olawale Ajibola, a CEN Voluntary Director, says: “The forward-thinking decision of the National Lottery Community Fund to support and fund our ambition towards creating Repowered Community Newham over a five-year period with the aim of potential UK wide replication of the model cannot be understated. It is much welcomed and to be applauded! This is a very exciting project and I’m privileged to be involved with it at the start alongside other like-minded stakeholders.”
Olawale Ajibola talking to members of the Newham community at its Power Up! event
Newham Council
A like-minded stakeholder is Newham Council, which is integral to creating a scalable structure for people-led change, providing outreach to residents and access to local sites. This project goes hand in hand with Newham’s Just Transition Plan.
Jacob Heitland, Climate Lead at the Council, explains that: “Community energy has the potential to empower and directly benefit residents whilst contributing to our mission to deliver a broader just climate transition. The programme is creating opportunities for ordinary people to invest in their local energy infrastructure, and helping local workers to build green skills, which can lead to better jobs.”
By working closely with the Council on this project, Repowering London aims to deliver an approach that can be replicated with other Local Authorities across the UK.
Jacob Heitland giving a speech at Stratford Library where CEN held a community event, Power Up!
London South Bank University (LSBU)
Replicating the energy model is something that Oliver Riley, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineering at London South Bank University (LSBU) is excited about. Oliver believes that: “We need new blueprints for living. This project – developing a place-based approach to community energy, addressing systemic inequalities, and embracing entanglement – might help us draw them.”
"We need new blueprints for living. This project - developing a place-based approach to community energy, addressing systemic inequalities, and embracing entanglement - might help us draw them.”
LSBU is leading development of the community heat element of the project, also providing technical input into the toolkit, and will ensure they are delivered to the highest standard. Kristina Roszynski, who leads the GreenSCIES Centre of Excellence at LSBU, also brings a wealth of experience. She says: “It’s a privilege to be collaborating with the team on such an inspiring community-led project”.
LSBU’s Kristina and Oliver (far left and right), with members of the Repowering London team
Dark Matter Labs
Dark Matter Labs is committed to transforming urban environments through decentralised, community-led solutions. It will lead the system design process that will determine a governance structure for the wider Repowered Community model. Jack Minchella and Emma Pfeiffer from the Neighbourhood Futures team at DML, together with Bob Thust of PG Collective, say they are thrilled to be working on the project.
They told us that: “By integrating local energy systems with long-term future-readiness, we aim to empower Newham’s residents to take control of their energy future, reduce costs, and take action in the face of the climate crisis. Our systems design will be geared toward creating a scalable, inclusive model for the Repowered Community, contributing to a just transition towards a low-carbon, equitable energy future beginning in Newham, and across the UK.”
Glasgow Community Energy
Finally, Glasgow Community Energy (GCE) will also help test the Repowered Community framework for scale across the UK. It will be piloting the toolkit we produce so that it can be refined and readied for use. GCE is a co-operative that develops community-owned renewables projects across the Glasgow city-region. In 2020 it installed solar panels on two local schools, and these generate income for its Cathy McCormack Community Activism Fund.
GCE says: “As part of the Repowered Community project we are expanding our [2020] model, with a target of 1MW of solar capacity across Glasgow by 2030, backed up by wide-ranging engagement and partnership building, working to make our governance and membership stronger and more inclusive, and generally building more solid foundations for a more just energy system in Glasgow.”
Clyde Arc bridge in Glasgow where Glasgow Community Energy will help test the Repowered Community
Spreading the model, creating the movement
All of our partners are excited to bring forward a cleaner energy model that will be tried and tested – making sure it is fit for widespread use across the UK. Working together we want to provide the fuel for a just transition to net zero.
Community-led decision making is at the core of this work. Together and with the help of everyone in Newham, Repowering London and our partners are ensuring that more people will have a voice, and a choice, when it comes to energy.
Be part of creating Repowered Community Newham
We are almost six months into the Repowered Community Newham project and already so much is underway. But there is still time to get involved. We are now putting together a Newham Steering Group to be a part of the decision-making and help to decide on major heat and solar asset locations. Head to the link below to register your interest.
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