Our community group membership hits a Fantastic Fifty!
By Cathy Ryan
We are thrilled to welcome three new community groups to the Low Carbon Hub IPS Limited; Go Green Hanborough, Heat Clanfield Limited, and Phoenix Energy Community, bringing the total amount of community group members to a ‘Fantastic Fifty!’
Our community groups are a vital part of Low Carbon Hub’s work across Oxfordshire and continue to be inspirational in tackling climate change. We appreciate just how much commitment, creativity, and determination it takes to run and sustain a thriving community group, and it’s energising and rewarding to witness the breadth of exciting events and programmes created by our community groups to reduce the effects of climate change.
About our community group network
Low Carbon Hub’s 50 vibrant community groups play a crucial role in helping to increase public support for the transition to a zero-carbon energy system. We are delighted to offer financial support through our Community Grants Fund to help organise events and community energy activities that generate renewable energy, make buildings and homes more energy efficient, and create sustainable transport solutions.
If you are interested in learning more about our network and discovering if there is a group in your area, please explore our community pages for further information.
Welcome to our three new community groups
Go Green Hanborough
Go Green Hanborough, a new community group in West Oxfordshire, formed in 2025 in response to the Community Action Plan for Zero Carbon Energy, (CAPZero), in the Eynsham Primary Substation Area. CAPZero is the first local energy action plan in the UK to be developed at community level and aims to achieve a 78% carbon reduction by 2035 and net zero by 2050.
They are starting small with four key members but aiming big to engage with the local community to work with households, community organisations and businesses to encourage them to reduce their energy usage and to switch to renewable energy sources. They are using a small grant from Low Carbon Hub to produce materials and content for stalls, workshops and pop-up events aimed at residents, community organisations and businesses, to encourage energy demand reduction.
The group held their first event on Saturday 1 March, with a stall outside Hanborough Coop, and opened up 30 conversations with local people on reducing energy demand and increasing home energy efficiency. Working closely with other low carbon groups, Green TEA and Freeland Energy Group, they played an active part in the Big Home Energy Day at Eynsham Village Hall and participated in a thermal image training workshop for CAPZero residents.
Future plans include:
- Working with Hanborough Primary School to help to engage pupils on thinking about the environment and renewable energy.
- Setting up a thermal imaging campaign to help households see where their homes are leaking heat.
- Spreading the word about solutions for home & business energy efficiency through stalls at regular events.
Go Green Hanborough’s purpose is to encourage residents, community organisations and local businesses to consider the impact that the transition to a low carbon economy will have and what options are available to help them prepare for the future.
Stuart Brooks, founder member
If you are interested in getting involved with the Go Green Hanborough, please email Cllr Lidia Arciszewska lidia.arciszewska@westoxon.gov.uk
Heat Clanfield Limited
Heat Clanfield Limited is based in the picturesque village of Clanfield, West Oxfordshire and was set up by a group of enthusiastic, long standing Clanfield residents, to give households, local businesses and organisations the opportunity to choose affordable low carbon and renewable energy options for heating and hot water.
They were originally part of existing low carbon community group, One Planet Clanfield, but decided to form a separate Community Benefit Society in 2024 to develop community energy projects in the parish to serve the broader interests of the community.
They received a Community Energy Fund grant from the Greater South East Net Zero Hub to carry out a Phase One Feasibility Study into renewable heating technologies, grid connection & battery storage facilities. Having commissioned low carbon technology consultants, Scene Connect, to advise on the most suitable and affordable solutions for Clanfield, the group are consulting with the community on potential options and ideas, which include:
- Possibilities for two ground mount solar arrays on land in the village.
- Rooftop solar array on the Primary School and Nursery.
- Home Energy Decarbonisation campaign to increase energy efficiency & take up of heat pumps.
- Home energy assessment scheme with guidance on grant funding and energy efficiency measures from trained volunteers and experts.
- Thermal imaging campaign to provide tangible results for residents, with advice on low –carbon measures.
They have attended Low Carbon Hub’s thermal image training sessions and begun a thermal campaign in the community.
If you would like to get involved with Heat Clanfield Limited, please email heatclanfieldlimited@gmail.com
Phoenix Energy Community
Phoenix Energy Community grew out of thriving Low Carbon Hub community group, Thame Green Living, joining together members of three local environmental groups in South Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire: Thame Green Living, Green Crendon, and Zero Carbon Haddenham.
In 2024 Phoenix Energy Community became a separately constituted Community Interest Company (CIC), to focus on developing community energy projects. The three groups are working together, sharing knowledge and resources, with the aim of ensuring that all homes and businesses in their community become energy efficient and are powered by a renewable energy source.
Aims and visions include:
- Everyone in the three communities has an energy efficient home.
- All organisations have energy efficient buildings, powered by locally generated renewable energy.
- Encouraging the community to be engaged with all aspects of renewable energy.
- Partnership with the Renewable Thame project that offers local residents and businesses solar PV and battery solutions with the potential to include heat pumps.
The group were awarded a large grant from Low Carbon Hub’s Community Grants Fund to develop a website and create an engagement plan. They successfully delivered over 14 stakeholder presentations to Town and Parish Councils, residents’ associations and businesses.
They successfully applied for a Community Energy Fund grant from the Greater South East Net Zero Hub to carry out a Stage One Feasibility Study into how a community battery could be used alongside new or existing large-scale renewable energy installations for community benefit.
Working alongside Locogen as their consultants, they are investigating whether this could help to increase the amount of renewable energy available at peak times for use by the community and potentially be used to charge electric vehicles overnight.
If you would like to contact Phoenix Energy Community, please email hello@phoenixec.org.uk
Inspired?
If you’re feeling inspired to take part in local carbon cutting action, join one of our low carbon community groups – see what’s in your area. If you don’t have an active group, talk to us about setting one up.