A network of community groups who are, or aspire to be, active in developing community energy, green space and resilience schemes.
Introduction
The West Midlands Green Communities Network provides advice, guidance and good practice sharing for local community groups in the West Midlands. It brings together this group of passionate people who are doing their bit towards the sustainability agenda. Examples of projects are not limited to the following:
- Developing local community energy share schemes;
- Improving green spaces;
- Growing local food;
- Becoming more resilient to extreme weather;
- Tackling fuel poverty;
- Providing energy saving advice;
- Working with volunteers to help improve quality of life.
Why run this Network?
Launched: Tuesday 23 September 2014
We aim to provide a platform so that community groups can share good practice by helping them promote their projects and ideas to each other around the themes of our 2030 roadmap and other networks and helping show that work and lifestyle changes are desirable and realistic. It is also important to help lever in support from funders and SWM members by signposting to a growing network of green communities to partner with on local action around sustainability. We also want to help new communities to flourish in this space by feeling like they have a network of like-minded and empathetic professionals around them.
Audience
This network is for community groups from across the West Midlands that either already work on sustainability projects or that aspire to do so. It is also for organisations that can support community groups and help them flourish.
Chair of the Network
We are delighted that Mike Kinghan MBE representing Southern Staffordshire Community Energy, Chase Community Solar and Whittington and Fisherwick Environment Group chairs this network. Along with representing these three successful groups that align with the Networks aims, Mike is one of the top figures in the space and we are lucky to have him based in the West Midlands. Mike was also awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to Sustainability and Biodiversity in Staffordshire and the West Midlands. Find out more about Mike here or follow him on Twitter.
Key Resources and Tools
Energy Saving Trust – for community energy resources
Asda Foundation – funding opportunities
Princes Trust – for a list of funding opportunities
Climate Just – for community resilience support
National Energy Action – for fuel poverty info
Wrap – for life cycle analysis and waste minimisation
Joseph Rowntree Foundation – for poverty and neighbourhoods
Interested in joining?
If you’d like to join this network, please contact enquiries@swm.org.uk.
Browse through our Events and News pages for any information and workshops coming up that focus on sustainable communities, and do interrogate our Resources page to find any adaptation related resources from SWM or elsewhere, including events we have previously run for the network. For each of these, you can filter results using the ‘communities’ tag.
Interested in sponsoring?
Download our network sponsorship offer.
We have many sponsorship opportunities for organisations to help them raise their profile and become an integral part of the running of this network. This could include sponsorship of an individual event or the Network as a whole. If this is of interest, please contact enquiries@swm.org.uk initially and check out the flyer above.