Do you have a background in the building industry? If so, would you like to train and become a Retrofit Coordinator?

Cosy Homes Oxfordshire is a partnership project being delivered by Low Carbon Hub, RetrofitWorks and the National Energy Foundation to help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their homes. It's a scheme which is new to Oxfordshire, but which has been tried and tested by RetrofitWorks in other parts of the UK, such as Sussex and London.

As it grows the project is seeking to recruit more Retrofit Coordinators to support homeowners on their retrofit journey – from small jobs such as insulation to full-scale domestic retrofits. This is a vital role within the project as we look to provide excellent customer service to the growing number of homeowners keen to start home improvement work.

To fill this need, RetrofitWorks are holding Retrofit Coordinator training in Oxford on the 6th and 7th February 2020. If you work in the industry it's a great chance to learn new skills and gain new work.

Interested? Please email Rachel.cull@cosyhomesoxfordshire.org to find out more about the training and to book your place.

What’s involved in being a Retrofit Coordinator?

As a Retrofit Coordinator for Cosy Homes Oxfordshire you will be producing Whole House Plans and advising our customers on planning energy efficiency measures for their homes.

You will be reviewing quotes for the measures from our trusted team of installers and overseeing the quality of the work as it is installed. You will be the first point of contact for our customers throughout the installation and will be monitoring and evaluating the installation once complete.

What experience do I need to have?

You will need to have several years’ experience in the building industry, including issuing contracts and tenders and you must have excellent customer service skills. This is an excellent opportunity to become involved in a growing new project to minimise the carbon footprint of homes across Oxfordshire.

If you have a minimum level 3 qualification in a built environment discipline, work experience in the building industry, plus excellent customer service skills with experience at issuing contracts and tenders, we'd love to hear from you.

How is the course delivered?

The course is delivered via a two day ‘boot camp’ (to take place on 6 and 7 February 2020) and online learning.

There are 12 online assessments to complete. We are asking candidates to complete it in 4 months which means you will need to commit to approximately 6 hours a week study time. Once qualified we need people to be available for at least 2 days a week to work for us.

Is there a cost for the training?

The cost of the training is valued at £1440. However, Cosy Homes Oxfordshire are only asking for payment of half the cost of the course (£720). This will also be refunded once you have completed some work for the project.

How do I book on to the training?

Please contact Rachel – Rachel.cull@cosyhomesoxfordshire.org to find out more about the training and to book your place. Places are limited, so please book as soon as possible to secure your place.

Exciting news everyone. We’re moving to a new office!

Over the past eight years, the Low Carbon Hub has more than trebled in size. At its smallest, our team consisted of 3 members of staff and we have grown to our current number of 16! We have also increased the number of our investor members to over 1000, a number which we hope will continue to rise with the upcoming share raise in 2020. All this growth has exceeded our expectations, and our office capacity at 9 Park End Street.

Don’t worry, we’re not moving too far away. From this December you’ll be able to find us in our new location, the Wood Centre for Innovation (WCFI), located at Stansfeld Park in Headington Quarry.

Our new address is:

Low Carbon Hub CIC

Wood Centre for Innovation

Stansfeld Park

Quarry Road

Headington

Oxford

OX3 8SB

This new location is much larger than our previous office, so we will finally be able to fit all Low Carbon Hub employees in one space! There are a number of meeting rooms and an auditorium that we are able to book and make use of. This new space will allow us to work together much more effectively and spend more time working hard on our community energy programmes.

Why the WCFI?

The Wood Centre is the partner centre of the Oxford Centre for Innovation) OCFI). It has been built as a new home for business and science start-ups innovating within science and technology. Being based here means we will be able to join this thriving community and mix with other entrepreneurs and social enterprises which will help us build and grow.

The Wood Centre has been specifically designed as an eco-friendly, energy-efficient building, meaning that it also fits perfectly with our central mission at the Low Carbon Hub, one of our main reasons for choosing this new location. The building has a 30kW solar array of PV panels on the roof which helps to power the building, and the structure has been orientated east-west so that it maximises solar gain. There are also air-source heat pumps that provide energy for underfloor heating.

Building materials were sourced locally where possible, with wood from British poplar trees cladding the exterior of the building – it’s the largest building in the UK that is clad with heat-treated timber. There’s also a ‘green roof’ on top of the building, and mixed planting all around the Centre, as well as being set in 15 acres of picturesque woodland.

We are very grateful for the support package offered to us by The Oxford Trust which has enable us to find a home at the WCFI and we can’t wait to move in!

How to find us

We might be moving but we’re still not far from the city centre, there are regular buses leaving Oxford Station and taking you almost to our new front door in around 45 minutes. The nearest Park and Ride is Thornhill and is only a 10-minute walk from the WCFI.

Visitor carparking is available, please contact reception to arrange this for your visitor as parking needs to be booked in advance. Electric vehicle charging points are available at the Wood Centre and if you require one of these please mention it when you book parking in advance.

Walking or cycling is one of the easiest and best ways to get to the WCFI if you live in Oxford. The local area has wide pavements, good provision of cycle lanes.

Visit the following links to find out more about the location of the Wood Centre and a more detailed description of the transport methods you can use to reach us.