Community Climate Fund Success Stories
Below are examples of how the Council's Community Climate Fund is improving environmental and social standards throughout the District. These stories exemplify how to meet the grant criteria to implement climate action locally.
The Climate Change Action Map reflects how the climate network is growing across Horsham District and West Sussex. Do not forget to plot your projects onto WSCC's map!
1st Shipley Scouts
Project Sunshine
Project cost: £10,824
Amount awarded: £5,000
Funding for this project allowed Shipley Scouts to install their own 16 panel solar PV system to generate solar energy and become more sustainable in terms of their impact as well as the long-term financial viability of the group. This reduced their carbon emissions by around 1.9 tonnes per year and has allowed them to share the space with others who would benefit from the rural location. It will help them save £2,050 per year across 25 years.
1st Storrington & Sullington Scouts
Queen Elizabeth II Community Garden
Project cost: £2,791
Amount awarded: £955
The community garden will introduce hot bin composting, rainwater harvesting and an insect hotel to support pollination. This work will form waste, water and biodiversity benefits, whilst developing environmental awareness amongst the children involved.
2nd Horsham Scout Group
Energy, Water and Waste Eco-Project I
Project cost: £1,000
Amount awarded: £1,000
The Community Climate Funding has allowed 2nd Horsham Scouts to install a rainwater harvesting system to avoid using 25,000 litres of mains water annually. In addition, two hot composters will continue to reduce landfill disposal and the installation of a heating programmer is predicted to reduce carbon emitted for energy by 20%.
https://www.horshamscouts.com/about-us/groups/2nd-horsham-scout-group
2nd Horsham Scout Group
Energy, Water and Waste Eco-Project II
Project cost: £1,381
Amount awarded : £1,000
A second successful application in 2022 went towards automatic water taps and LED lighting. Their lead fundraiser said “the Community Climate Funding has allowed us to become more sustainable in lowering our carbon footprint and environmental impact as well as reducing our running costs. Our initiatives have help create, a bright, clean and operationally efficient environment which is more accessible to all.”
https://www.horshamscouts.com/about-us/groups/2nd-horsham-scout-group
5th/10th Horsham Scouts
Solar PV and LED Lighting Installation
Project cost: £21,919
Amount awarded: £5,000
This project enabled solar PV installation for renewable electricity generation and batteries for on-site storage. On top of this, funding supported a switch to LED lights in an attempt to reduce lighting costs by 50%. These actions represent 5th/10th Horsham scouts' ambitious target of saving 64 tonnes of Carbon emissions over 20 years.
Amberley Museum
Energy Saving
Project cost: £4,662
Amount awarded: £2,500
Amberley Museum has saved around £200 per year on energy usage as well as saving around 1.82 tonnes of Carbon dioxide over five years by upgrading to LED lighting across the most commonly used areas within the site. This project has also raised awareness among the 4000 volunteers and staff about the financial benefits of reducing energy consumption in the museum and at home.
Barns Green Primary School
Solar PV Installation
Project cost: £24,000
Amount awarded: £5,000
CCF funding is combining with other grants to drive Barns Green Primary School towards net zero. The project involves installing a 40 solar PV panel array to generate approximately 17,846 kWh of electricity generation per year. This will showcase climate action in the community and attaches to the environmental education featured as part of the school curriculum. Using West Sussex County Council’s estimates, they anticipate savings of 7 tonnes of carbon per annum.
Beeding and Bramber Village Hall
Solar PV and LED Lighting Installation
Project cost: £15,114
Amount awarded: £4,714
This funding gave Beeding and Bramber Village Hall the financial support to complete their collaborative sustainable energy project. They worked with Greening Steyning, Brighton and Hove Energy Services Cooperative (BHESCo), Lightfoot LED and CC Solar to install a 5.94kWh solar PV array and LED lighting. The project outcomes will be an estimated 33 tones of Carbon dioxide saved over 25 years and financial savings that will return value for community users.
The Community Climate Fund has allowed us to be a beacon for other organisations, in the village and beyond, to do something positive and change their carbon footprint.
Sue Albury (Beeding and Bramber Hall Chair of Trustees)
Billingshurst Men's Sheds
Shed Insulation Project
Project cost: £4,491
Amount awarded: £2,500
HDC are helping this local group launch by supporting their sustainable building. The DIY project involving skilled volunteers will add insulation, as well as double-glazed doors and windows to the new shed facility. Avoiding heaters across the colder months will save approximately 288kWh and 80kg Carbon dioxide per annum. Subsequently, it creates a warmer environment for users throughout the winter and reduces costs for a soon to be important community hub.
Chanctonbury Church
Bicycle Rack Installation
Project cost: £1,038
Amount awarded: £878
Installing a 5 capacity bicycle rack within the church grounds promotes sustainable mobility for both church visitors and the wider public. This action contributes towards a reduction in GHG emissions, air pollution and congestion locally, not to mention how it also help to encourage active lifestyles.
Chanctonbury Leisure Centre
LED Studio Replacement
Project cost: £11,858
Amount awarded: £5,000
Chanctonbury Community Leisure Centre and their users will benefit from an estimated annual saving of £6,583 due to an LED lighting upgrade in their studio (NRG Group, 2022). As a result, their carbon emissions will fall by 4.5 tonnes Carbon dioxide equivalent since LED's are much more efficient.
Colgate Memorial Hall
Solar Panel Installation
Project cost: £12,444
Amount awarded: £5,000
By installing a 13.05 kw system of 30 solar panels on the village hall roof, the memorial hall will be able to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 4.1 tonnes per year, while simultaneously helping them to reduce their overall energy costs by 72%. Helping the environment while saving money, as much as roughly £90,534 in savings over 30 years on energy bills.
Comptons Tennis Club
LED Floodlight Replacement
Project cost: £40,000
Amount awarded: £5,000
Exchanging metal halide light fittings with far more efficient and reliable LED floodlights will save carbon, energy, and capital over the long-term. Specifically, the Club expect the replacement of the lights will save nearly 2 tonnes of carbon each year, which equates to driving nearly 7,000 miles in a car. In addition, the freed up electrical capacity supports plans with Lower Beeding Parish Council to create on-site electric vehicle charging points.
Friends of Horsham Park
Sense the Change
Project cost: £12,352
Amount awarded: £2,082
The Community Climate Fund has supported developments for a drought resistant sensory garden in Horsham Park. Watch their video on Twitter that explains their intentions for the grant. The area is free to access and you can follow any project updates via their website:
Greening Steyning
The 2030 Project
Project cost: £13,500
Amount awarded: £5,000
Greening Steyning have been a highly organised and proactive environmental group since 2010. Their 2030 Project tackles a range of environmental issues to become 'one of the greenest, healthiest and most sustainable communities in the UK'. The initial CCF grant in 2020 helped them to establish a Repair Café, the Active Travel Survey and engage with local schools.
Greening Steyning
The 2030 Project (Year 2)
Project cost: £7,250
Amount awarded: £5,000
As the second stage to their 2030 project Greening Steyning has requested funding to increase the reach of their current activities by establishing new ways to involve, inspire and engage with the local community. To do this they have begun to trial certain activities such as the Home Energy helpdesk which aims to provide support to householders seeking to cut their energy bills and carbon footprint. They also want to try to bring nature to life by illustrating the richness of the local countryside using maps. Other activities include things like a Climate café, a sustainable fashion show and wildlife gardens open day, all which they hope will aim to increase public engagement and awareness with environmental issues and help them to enjoy the benefits that nature can bring.
Greening Steyning
Green Day and Eco Open Houses Event
Project cost: £11,717
Amount awarded: £4,000
CCF funded Greening Steyning’s Green Day and Eco Open Houses which are a part of their 2030 project which was inspired by the community feeling that “it was time for ordinary people to step in and show that we’re ready to take action to defend our children’s futures.” Their Green Day and Eco Open Houses include hands-on activity stalls available for all ages, a children's ‘Wildlife Adventure’ theatre re-enactment of a wildlife corridor, an EV and e-Bike parade, Open houses showing a wide range of eco-improvements, expert sessions providing more detailed information on particular retrofit approaches such as installing insulation, as well as much more all including members of the local community such as Steyning Grammar school and Steyning festival.
Henfield Hall
Community Solar in Henfield
Project cost: £27,028
Amount awarded: £5,000
The installation of 60 PV solar panels represents work with Sustainable Henfield to reduce energy usage across community buildings. This development leaves them hopeful that they can avoid over 10 tonnes of carbon annually, with 40% of this clean energy being exported to the national grid. Henfield Parish Council and Rampion have also been key supporting players for this project.
Henfield Hall
Battery for Solar
Project cost: £21,251
Amount awarded: £5,000
The hall returned with another application for the next logical step of their project; batteries to store excess renewable energy. Estimations indicate potential for the hall's carbon impact to reduce by up to 1.6 tonnes. The Community Climate Fund team were thrilled to see this project progression and the managing trustee team at Henfield Hall were also very grateful to receive the maximum grant for their project, pleased that the council recognise the value of their integrated scheme.
Henfield Haven
Solar PV Project
Project cost: £30,106
Amount awarded: £5,000
A sustainability feasibility study by Henfield Community Partnership and Sustainable Henfield led to CCF funding a new solar PV array producing an annual output of 23,000 kWh. Operation of the dementia day centre can now continue sustainably and reduce 7 tonnes of carbon annually.
Henfield Leisure Centre
Sports Hall Lighting Improvements
Project cost: £11,700
Amount awarded: £5,000
This leisure centre upgraded their 30-year-old lighting with 15 LED lighting fittings. They are aiming for a 273% energy reduction and subsequent carbon saving above 2 tonnes. Other benefits include extending product life cycles of lights to 20,000 hours for less waste and financial savings maximising returns for community centre users.
Henfield Youth Club
Solar PV installation
Project cost: £8,620.63
Amount awarded: £4,310
Installation of 24 solar panels have allowed Henfield youth club (which is a part of Sustainable Henfield’s continuous work, that aims to reduce carbon emissions across Henfield's community buildings). To reduce their Carbon dioxide emissions by 1.2 tonnes per year which has led to annual savings of around £1,350. The youth club specializes in providing social activities for all ages and hosting project nights on some evenings, the space is used as a nursery during the weekdays.
https://sustainablehenfield2030.org/summary-carbon-reduction-projects-in-henfield/
Holy Trinity Rudgwick
Waste Reduction & Green Roof Shelter
Project cost: £3,134
Amount awarded: £2,500
Holy Trinity Rudgwick, Rudgwick Youth Centre and Go Greener Rudgwick have worked collectively to extend community recycling to cover items otherwise missed with kerbside collection. Our grant helped expand their recycling hub and increase recycling capacity beyond the 400kg deferred from landfill in a previous annual trial. Also, construction of a green roof will increase ecological stability by attracting pollinators, providing provision for species and absorbing Carbon dioxide. We look forward to hearing how they will spread waste education and build partnerships throughout the village. More information about their project is available on the District magazine:
Horsham Community Fridge
Saturday Pop-up Events
Project cost: £1,830
Amount awarded: £1,000
Financial support from the Council helped scale up the critically important Community Fridge service. This volunteer scheme simultaneously tackles issues of food poverty and food waste that are pressing when facing cost of living and climate crises. Extra Saturday sessions in different neighbourhoods means extending outreach of support for Horsham District residents. The further savings on food waste converted to around 1.5 tonnes of carbon emissions yearly and strengthen community resilience during times of uncertainty.
Horsham Sports Club
LED Tennis Courts Floodlights Upgrade
Project cost: £26,050
Amount awarded: £5,000
Horsham Lawn Tennis Club committed to upgrading court floodlights in 2021. The development ensures a leading example for other local sports clubs who similarly wish to reduce their carbon footprint and save money by minimising their energy consumption.
Horsham Trafalgar NC
Dr. Bike Maintenance Classes
Project cost: £3,938
Amount awarded: £2,498
These free classes offered core cycling maintenance skills to impower local cyclists with independence and confidence. By promoting a climate friendly alternative to cars, they also matched with their desires to reduce the speed limit in the area with prioritising cycling and walking and improving air quality for all.
Lower Barn Allotment Society
Rainwater Harvesting
Project cost: £4,050
Amount awarded: £2,400
This local society applied resourcefulness, environmental awareness, and collaboration to design an effective water conservation project. They will use funds for the raw materials to complete community DIY to incorporate three water harvesting stations into the community allotment which is accessible to around 100 people. Using typical rainfall and consumption over the past two years, they anticipate decreasing water consumption by 20% and save 27,000 litres per year.
North Horsham PC
Holbrook Tythe Barn LED Replacement
Project cost: £4,152
Amount awarded: £2,076
The barn has upgrade 65 lights with new LED fixtures using professional electrical services. Estimated carbon savings are 1.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year due to the efficiency of using LED's. This energy saving then converts into lowered costs on electricity by roughly 20% that can then go towards improving community services.
One Church, Rock Farm
Community Carbon Sink
Project cost: £28,182
Amount awarded: £5,000
This investment went towards creating an outdoor space for a carbon-negative farming project with a specialist focus on including the marginalised members of the community. Here educational programs focus on alternative methods for growing food, including biochar farming and methods to improve soil fertility, as well as for planting trees.
One Church, Rock Farm
Carbon-Negative Horticulture Courses
Project cost: £11,000
Amount awarded: £5,000
A series of 1-day courses educating 50+ people of carbon-negative and nature-friendly growing methods. Upskilling 4-6 long-term unemployed/underemployed people to learn horticulture and landscaping and providing employment assistance. Estimated 1.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions saved per year, plus any actions from education.
Pulborough Social Centre
Entrance and Foyer LED Lighting
Project cost: £2,330
Amount awarded: £1,930
The proposal to invest in 8 new LED lighting fixtures was accepted during the February 2023 round. These upgrades will produce monetary savings for the community organisation and improve usability for users. It will also help to increase the energy efficiency of the foyer lighting by 73% which then converts into 1 tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions being avoided per year.
Rudgwick Parish Council
LED Lighting in Changing Rooms
Project cost: £1,996
Amount awarded: £1,996
As the council’s first step towards investing in climate action strategies, they will start by replacing 20 lights in the changing rooms of their sports facility with LED’s, specifically the Rudgewick football club changing rooms. This will help reduce energy consumption and subsequently reduce their use of fossil fuels as well as saving money over the long term. It may help avoid 0.116 tonnes of Carbon dioxide emissions per year.
https://www.snapsponsorship.com/rights-owners/football/rudgwick-football-club#toggle Or https://rudgwick-pc.gov.uk/
Shipley Community Hub
Relove Preloved Station and Borrow Library
Project cost: £2,150
Amount awarded: £2,150
CCF has funded Shipley Community Hub’s “Re-love Pre-loved station", their “Borrow Library” as well as making improvements to their “Repair Cafe” which all aim to decrease the amount of waste that ends up in landfill sites and reduce Shipley’s carbon footprint. So far their target of repairing 48 items per year would save over 3 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Shipley’s “Repair Cafe” is aiming to go from hosting one repair station a month to three or four as well as offering home fixes for bigger items. Additionally, their “Borrow Library” targets loaning larger items such as Jet Washers to save items being unnecessarily purchased and their “Re-love Pre-loved" also facilitates the selling of second-hand goods.
Slinfold Tennis Club
New Floodlights
Project cost: £18,679
Amount awarded: £3,000
Switching from 18 metal halide lights to highly efficient LED’s will help the tennis club to avoid the emission of 0.68 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year since they will help to reduce the amount of electricity used by 42%, saving the club roughly £1,526 per year. https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/slinfoldtennisclub
Slinfold Village Hall
LED Lighting
Project cost: £4,775
Amount awarded: £2,500
Upgrading 42 light fittings and controls with energy-efficient LED's in the hall will save the village hall 500kWh and 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per annum, whilst sustaining hall user charges for the community. The village hall decided to go ahead with this project since their electricity bill went up from £65 to £300, so by switching to LED they will be able to reduce the amount of energy the hall consumes as well as keep the hall hire charges down as a result.
Southwater Parish Council
LED Streetlights
Project cost: £31,285
Amount awarded: £5,000
By switching 33 sodium streetlights throughout the Southwater area into more energy efficient LED’s the parish council will be able to reduce their energy consumption by roughly 10,377 kWh annually. As well as energy, the LED’s will help to reduce overall costs and increase the quality of the lighting within the area on top of reducing pollution and carbon emissions by 3 tonnes per year. This will help save roughly £3,800.
https://www.southwater-pc.gov.uk/post/southwater-street-lights-upgrade-to-led
Southwater Village Hall
Air Source Heat Pump System
Project cost: £29,700
Amount awarded: £5,000
A successful application eased the cost of installing an air source heat pump to replace a gas fired boiler. This not only reduces immediate energy use and carbon emissions, but also acts as investment in preparation for future cost and policy changes. This decision was spurred on by the fact that the village hall works with a lot of young people with compromised immune systems, so it was important that the centre can be a warm space for people to enjoy without costing a fortune to heat.
Springboard
Springboard Green Fund
Project cost: £2,749
Amount awarded: £2,749
The provision of Smart Radiator Valves improved the energy efficiency of their building and a new electronic bike purchase now encourages sustainable mobility for their staff.
Springboard
Springboard Solar
Project cost: £15,726
Amount awarded: £5,000
The Springboard project will be extending on their original application by following up with 23 solar panels which will eventually cover up to 60% of their energy usage. Helping the project reduce fossil fuel dependency by reducing their carbon dioxide emissions by 1.084 tonnes per year. This follows Springboard's goal of mitigating the organisation's impact on future generations as well as educating children and young people on renewable energy and reducing their carbon footprint.
Steyning Tennis Club
New Energy Efficient LED Lights
Project cost: £24,050
Amount awarded: £5,000
Steyning Tennis Club will shortly replace 12 floodlights with LED capabilities to decrease Carbon dioxide equivalent contributions by 61%, increase the product life of lights by 4-5 times and improve lighting quality for 224 users. As the club says "changing to LED bulbs will provide the club and local community with significant benefit, including greatly improved energy efficiency, reduced energy costs and a reduction in carbon emissions. The LED bulbs will also provide an improved playing experience for the public and club members who use the tennis courts."
St. Mark's Church
Holbrook Community Orchard
Project cost: £1,000
Amount awarded: £1,000
St. Mark's Church have been accredited with Eco Church recognition. They have been selected to develop their community garden via tree/bulb planting, food recycling, rainwater collection, whilst completing wildlife and local community surveys to review their progress.
St. Mary's Church
Thermostat Installation
Project cost: £3,595
Amount awarded: £1,095
By installing 5 intelligent thermostats that use motion sensors to collect data on when and where energy is needed, the church was able to save 10% on gas usage across the building. This helped to remove 7 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year and consequently reduce their spending by £2567.43 per year. This will help to reduce the climate impact in the district whilst also saving a considerable amount of money for the church.
https://www.stmaryshorsham.org.uk/index.php/get-involved/eco-church/
St. Peter's Church
Church House Insulation
Project cost: £8,170
Amount awarded: £2,500
The Church is using this funding to increase its energy efficiency by insulating the ceiling to help reduce energy usage from heat loss. Since the roof is having to be changed new LED lighting will be installed as well which will also help reduce energy consumption since LED’s are very efficient. After these actions, it is estimated that there will be a 70% reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent emissions and a 55% decrease in electricity usage. These actions will then help lower the overall church running costs and improve the quality of facilities within the church, helping them avoid 1.56 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
Storrington & Sullington PC
Heat Pump Air Conditioner Replacement
Project cost: £10,980
Amount awarded: £5,000
A 2-phase project to replace 5 heat pump units to reduce energy consumption on heating by 30%. The 800-kWh reduction per year will save 1.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent being emitted per annum.
Storrington Community FC
Replacement LED Lights
Project cost: £2,985
Amount awarded: £2,485
A series of lighting upgrades including 18 circular polo fittings, 13 LED batten, 13 emergency bulkhead fittings, 1x 30w food light and PIR with new protective cage. These measures will present energy reductions of community facilities open to 250+ regular users.
Sussex Green Living
Bright New Future Roadshow
Project cost: £17,000
Amount awarded: £5,000
Sussex Green Living are an award winning charity known for their climate endeavours since 2012. Financial support was given towards creating an 'Eco Innovation Station' as a retrofitted milk float that tours events across the District. Here individuals can receive information regarding how to reduce their carbon footprint. You can discover more about the project on their website:
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/bright-new-future-roadshow/
Sussex Green Living
3 R's Roadshow
Project cost: £5,000
Amount awarded: £3,000
The environmental charity will be touring 10 communities across Horsham District. These funday-type events will encourage repair and refill, over replacement. Funding will support refill services, engagement games, waste awareness education, 1 new repair café and 2 new recycling drop off points.
Sustainable Henfield
SH2030 - Plastic Waste Reduction
Project cost: £956
Amount awarded: £956
Sustainable Henfield are a well established community group who lead a 10 year plan centred around carbon reduction, biodiversity, consumer issues and transport. The Council's Community Climate Fund supported the recycling of disposable PPE via the introduction of Zero waste bins at strategic points around Henfield. "The project has helped highlight the problems of masks having plastic components being allowed to enter the water stream and hopefully has encourage more responsible mask use and disposal throughout the village".
Thakeham Primary School
Classroom LED Lighting Replacement
Project cost: £1,104
Amount awarded: £1,100
Swapping 10 outdated and failing fluorescent lights for new LEDs in a classroom. It is the final classroom without LED's.
This will increase energy efficiency by 50% subsequently reducing 0.12 tonnes of Carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per annum. This will help improve the learning environment for the children.
Transition Horsham
Community Allotment Outreach
Project cost: £690
Amount awarded: £690
As a local sustainable network, Transition Horsham play a key role in driving climate action within the District. This grant assisted with their desire to extend access to a free and mutually supportive sustainable food producing community. The funds contributed towards developing a ‘heritage bed’, continuing to support over 25 people in seed circles and also expanding the already successful Seedy Saturday seed swap initiative.
"The Community Climate Fund grant has been the stimulus we needed to embark upon solar panels for electricity at The Hub, so we would like to express our sincere thanks to HDC for their support in making the project happen."
Andy Sharpe (The Hub Beeding Trustee)
Upper Beeding Baptist Church
The Hub Beeding Solar Panels
Project cost: £13,768
Amount awarded: £5,000
Back in November 2022, this key community organisation won funding for an 8kW solar PV array to reduce fossil fuel dependency. The project is now completed and on target to save 25 tonnes of carbon over the next 25 years. The Hub have said they are delighted with energy cost savings, the climate awareness created in the community and the wider benefit of feeding excess renewable energy into the National Grid.