The Fit for the Future Network is two years old! Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate in Wilmslow, and to the ninety plus organisations and hundreds of practitioners who have shared advice, experience and resources so far. The Network team look forward to welcoming new members over the year ahead.

Exciting developments are happening for community energy in Wales with the creation of a new community energy consortium. The group aim to create jobs, increase capacity, cut costs, add value, raise funding and enable new community energy projects to get off the ground. Read more here. 

An ambitious retrofit project at the historic Charterhouse, a former carthusian monastery in London, has reached conclusion and been a huge success. The refurb has meant a 26% reduction in gas use and huge leaps forward in terms of energy efficiency.

At Crown Estate’s Windsor Gardens, renewable energy is creating enough electricity to charge all electric gardening equipment and vehicles used on site.  The PV panels also power the mess room, which provides facilities for the gardeners and is heated by an air source heat pump.

Three years in the making, the Combine project has now come to the end of its  successful research phase. The project has  proved the viability of producing biomass fuel from roadside cuttings and conservation matter (bracken, gorse, soft rush). Read more about it and watch the video here. 

Northern Rail won a LUX Award this month for the Industrial and Transport Lighting Project of the Year. A 57% saving on energy use at Rainhill Station has been achieved after the conversion of all lighting to LED.

National Trust have celebrated achievements including using 1 million kWh less energy than their baseline year at their second ever Environmental Awards Ceremony. The awards are part of the Trust’s approach to improving environmental performance through behavioural change, and recognise achievements at properties across the country. You can read more about the winners here.

And Finally…

Fit for the Future welcomes new members to the Network including Devon Wildlife Trust, The Bedford Estates, The Whitworth Art Gallery and the Jerwood Gallery. Check out a full list of our members.