Our #OwnIt fund-raise has reached over £950,000 so far to bring more clean energy to Bristol and Somerset. And we haven’t wasted any time to put that money to good use.
Last week, we installed solar panels on Brentry and Henbury Children’s Centre in North Bristol at their Brentry site. The community-based centre is a charity, set up 11 years ago to provide support to families with children under five years. They offer universal childcare support as well as targeted support for families with priority needs including those dealing with domestic violence or substance abuse. In addition, the centre supports the community in a variety of ways from health, such as breast feeding clinics, to education, for example by providing ESOL classes.
Dave Jones, Manager of Brenty and Henbury Children’s Centre sees the solar panels as part of a wider strategy to reduce their carbon footprint to protect the futures of the children who use the centre. When asked why he wanted to install the panels, the financial benefits of reduced energy bills were an incentive but he also felt an ethical responsibility:
“The financial side was important for us to save on energy costs. However the ethics of solar has a big appeal. We see the youngest children coming to the centre and we want to leave the smallest footprint possible. It’s the right thing to do.”
Ecocetera, an experience and accredited installer of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, installed the solar panels over three days. Dave praised their work and said that the process was easy with minimum disruption to the centre.
Jeannie Meyer from Ecocetera said:
“This is the sort of project we love! A project that is a true community one – financed by ordinary (and extraordinary) Bristolians through BEC’s share offer – that benefits the youngest members of the community. The Centre itself benefits ethically and financially – meaning everybody is a winner.”
Our #OwnIt fund-raise helped make this solar installation happen. The building benefits from cheaper solar energy, contributes to a reduction in C02 and individuals get a return on their investment. You can see how it works in our animation.
Can you help us bring more clean energy to the community so that children like those at Brentry and Henbury Children’s Centre will have a brighter future? Find out how to join our #OwnIt fund-raise today.
