Lewes social enterprise that helps communities decarbonise ‘over the moon’ after receiving King’s Award for Sustainable Enterprise

Community Energy Pathways (CEP), a not-for-profit community energy social enterprise, received the King’s Award for Sustainable Enterprise on Tuesday, May 6.

There were 197 recipients this year who were recognised by His Majesty The King for playing a key role in the Government’s mission to go ‘further and faster’ for economic growth as part of its Plan for Change.

Ollie Pendered, CEO of CEP, said: “Community Energy is all about supporting communities across the country. We want to help people be smarter with their energy, reduce their energy bills, and decarbonise their energy, all while creating local job opportunities.

“We’re over the moon to receive the King’s Award for Sustainable Enterprise – it’s a bit of a pinch me moment, really. It’s amazing to have our work recognised, and we hope this will help promote community energy nationwide, in turn leading to the creation of several more community energy groups, helping people to live cheaper, warmer, and safer.”

Ollie added: “I’m super proud of my team and also all the communities we work with for the effort they put in as well. It's a great recognition of many years of hard work.”

CEP looks to work with local authorities and communities that want to reduce their energy use and generate low carbon heat and power for their communities.

Ollie said CEP’s focus is to ‘capacity build’ for these organisations. He said: “Community Energy is designed to bring local people together to delivery community led renewable energy projects and energy advice programmes.”

He said: “We need to have a low carbon future for our children. Climate change is a real thing and empowering communities to do local projects, to be involved with their future, is really important.”

Ollie said CEP is approached by communities every week.

The social enterprise is set to receive the award at a Royal reception this summer for empowering local communities to swiftly deliver locally owned, low-carbon energy and reduce their energy bills. CEP’s projects can include: smaller scale solar panels on buildings and homes, and communities securing shared ownership of larger renewable energy projects in their area.

CEP said it works with community energy groups and local authorities to create job opportunities for Energy Champions, a role that helps people understand how they can improve their homes and buildings, spend less money on energy and help the environment.

A CEP spokesperson said: “CEP has supported over 60 community energy groups across 15 different counties and towns. Last year, CEP secured £1 million funding from UK Power Networks to help expand the work of up to 20 new community energy groups with the aim of reaching 20,000 people and conducting over 1,200 in-person home visits. Community energy projects enjoy far more support from the public than privately-owned projects according to polling by Common Wealth. The research reveals that 62 per cent of the public would support a community-owned renewable energy project in their area, compared to 40 per cent support for a privately-owned project, demonstrating the vast potential of community energy to accelerate low- carbon energy projects and deliver cheaper energy bills.”