Local organisations who want to shrink their carbon footprint or address fuel poverty and climate change are being invited to apply for a grant from the Bath & West Community Energy Fund.
The Bath Repair Café benefitted from funding last year
The Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) Fund grant programme is now open for the sixth year running.
Administered by the Quartet Community Foundation, the fund has awarded in total over £145,000 in grants to date.
The 2019/20 programme opened on 17th September and runs until 25th November. Applications are sought for grants of up to £5,000.
The funding for the grants comes from Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) as part of the work it does in supporting the communities in which it operates.
Award-winning company BWCE was set up in 2010 to own and develop renewable energy projects and has since become one of the largest community-owned energy companies in the UK.
As a Community Benefit Society, it gives surplus income to the BWCE Fund, which has asked Quartet Community Foundation to administer the BWCE Fund grant programme.
Interested projects need to apply through the Quartet Community Foundation website.
Last year 11 projects received over £30,000 in funding to lower carbon emissions and address fuel poverty.
These included Marksbury Village hall, who received £5,000 towards installing new insulation and low energy lighting and Time Bank Plus, who got a £3,660 boost to their ‘Library of Things/Borrow it’ scheme.
People in Bath & North East Somerset can get regular help to mend items at the Bath Repair Café which runs out of Southdown, Larkhall, Weston and Peasedown St John. This work was supported by a £950 grant to increase capacity by investing in resources for the repair cafes.
Lorna Montgomery from Bath Share & Repair said: “Thanks to this grant we could give each of the Repair Cafes in Southdown and Weston a set of their own banners and resources including the all-important PAT tester as the majority of items we see are electrical.
“This gives users peace of mind and it saves travel miles transporting these things between our regular Cafes.
“We are incredibly grateful to the BWCE Fund for the grant to make this happen and start a Library of Things also in Weston by providing the all important shelving for storage.”
Sophie Hooper Lea, Chair of Trustees for the BWCE Fund, said: “I am very grateful to BWCE and their members for giving surplus income to the BWCE Fund for us to redistribute to vital community projects that reduce local carbon emissions and address fuel poverty.
“BWCE is a not for profit community benefit society. It contributes a huge amount to the local environment and economy by generating clean, community-owned energy and paying interest to its members as a return on their investment.
“As if that weren’t enough, BWCE then gives surplus income to the BWCE Fund to provide even more benefits to our local communities.
“I am very proud that, since 2015, the BWCE Fund and BWCE have together awarded 50 grants worth over £155,000.
“We work with Quartet Community Foundation to provide the BWCE Fund grant programme in Bath and surrounding areas, giving grants to community groups and local environmental organisations.”
“We’re delighted to be working with the BWCE Fund”, said Quartet Community Foundation’s Chief Executive Sue Turner.
“This grant programme has the double benefit of supporting projects which reduce carbon emissions and those that tackle fuel poverty.
“Many of the projects reduce the energy costs of the funded organisations, helping them to carry on providing important community services and facilities well into the future.”
The deadline for applications is 25th November 2019. For full details of the fund and to check if your group is eligible to apply, visit and apply online at www.quartetcf.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant or you can call or email Quartet Community Foundation on 0117 989 7700 or [email protected].
