Sussex-based community benefit society Energise Sussex Coast (ESC) and community interest company Eastbourne Eco Action Network (EB Eco Action Network CIC) are delighted to announce that they are on the lookout for volunteer community Energy Champions in Eastbourne.
Funded by Energise Sussex Coast’s recent three-year funding from the National Lottery Reaching Communities fund (a branch of the National Lottery Community Fund), Energy Champions will receive free training and ongoing in person support from ESC Energy Advisors. Once trained, Energy Champions will be able to give energy advice to local people, helping them to save energy and bring down their energy bills. Energy Champions can also help set up Community Energy projects such as thermal imaging surveys, draught busting, and solar streets, as well as host energy workshops and other energy saving and educational initiatives.
So what does it take to be an Energy Champion? Ideal volunteers are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable local people who are passionate about making a difference to the environment as well as the welfare of their local community. The role provides a rewarding chance to genuinely help people in a very tangible way: Energy Champions not only address the cost of living crisis by helping to bring down energy costs, they work to tackle the climate emergency by bringing down carbon emissions too. You can learn more about the role here.
To train new volunteers, Energise Sussex Coast and Eastbourne Eco Action Network are hosting a free, interactive training day on the 20th May at the East Sussex College Green Training Hub, running from 10am until 4.30pm. The course will be facilitated by ESC Director Kate Meakin, who runs the organisation’s multi-award winning Energy Advice service. You can learn more about the training day, as well as book your place here.
This training forms part of a wider project funded by the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund, which will also train volunteer Energy Champions across the East Sussex area, as well as supporting communities to start their own energy projects – providing mentoring and support to get them off the ground. Ideal community projects could be putting solar on the roof of a local school, a group buy scheme, retrofit projects, renewable heat, or community decarbonisation.
If you have any questions about the training, or would like to register your interest as a volunteer for other areas, please contact Energise Sussex Coast by emailing hello@energisesussexcoast.co.uk or calling 01424 390062.
Energise Sussex Coast
Energise Sussex Coast is a community benefit co-operative. Our mission is to act co-operatively to tackle the climate crisis and energy injustice through community owned renewable power and energy saving schemes.
Eastbourne Eco Action Network
We are Eastbourne ECO Action Network, based in the coastal town of Eastbourne in East Sussex.
We are a Community Interest Company with a growing number of people and a reach to over 974 businesses, charities and social organisations locally who are united by the same goal – to turn Eastbourne carbon neutral by 2030 and to make it one of the best places to live in the UK.
We are working in close collaboration with the local charities and grassroots organisations, representing a fresh approach to engaged citizenship.
The National Lottery Community Fund
People use this funding to do extraordinary things, taking the lead to improve their lives and communities. Every time you buy a National Lottery ticket, you help make this happen.
Communities come in all shapes and sizes, and National Lottery funding is there for everyone.
There are 12 distributors of money raised by the players of The National Lottery, which fund projects and activities that transform communities, protect our heritage, and enrich lives through arts, sports and culture.