Since December 2024, the AURORA Forest of Dean team with the support of facilitators at Holding the Space have been on a journey to help our energy community Forest Community Energy (FCE) get to the point of self-organisation. The purpose of this process has been to ensure a long-lasting and sustainable energy community beyond the AURORA programme.
The journey started with a member survey at the end of last year, followed by an initial workshop in February where the group were facilitated to build a shared understanding of FCE membership’s areas of interest, look at the current local energy landscape and collectively identify options for action/direction of FCE going forward. You can read about this workshop in our article aqui.
In March, the group were brought together again to consider their vision for FCE in one year’s time and to start discussing the “Nuts and Bolts” of running the group. Here the discussion focused on how the group communicate with each other and externally and how they make decisions as a group.
A final workshop in this series was held on the 7th of April, where the FCE core group members were brought together to agree their overarching purpose and objectives, key roles and responsibilities and how the group will communicate with each other and others going forward.
The outcome
Forest Community Energy’s overarching purpose is:
“Forest Community Energy is an active group of people supporting the wider Forest of Dean on its journey to Net Zero. This includes increasing local solar energy generation, with a focus on our shared community buildings and spaces and other related activities.“
We achieve this by connecting and engaging deeply with our networks, bringing people and opportunities together.
We put community benefit, local energy generation, and achieving positive increases in biodiversity at the heart of all we do.
And their objectives are:
- Doing the work: Getting more community solar onto roofs of local community buildings and running other energy-related projects.
- Growing the movement: Using active projects to engage, inspire, and inform community members.
- Adding value: Solar projects will save community buildings money in terms of their overheads/ costs and bring about increased social value as a result.
On top of this, they now have a Chair to set meeting agendas, lead meetings, help lead FCE’s work including liaising with members and stakeholders. They also have two co-secretaries to support with note taking, booking meeting venues and sending invites.
They have also decided to set up their own website, and email address and have started discussions on being more closely aligned with Gloucestershire Community Energy Co-op to avoid re-inventing the wheel, lean on the expertise and systems this established group has and apply for funding under a formalised legal structure.
What’s next for FCE?
There is still a lot to be done, but FCE are in a strong position to move forward as a sustainable energy community to drive forward local projects in the Forest of Dean. The AURORA Forest of Dean team will continue to support the group to ensure they have what they need to progress during the rest of the AURORA programme but we look forward to seeing the group grow and coordinate themselves.
“It is an exciting and pivotal time to be a community energy group and I am delighted that Forest Community Energy is evolving as a positive force for change in the wider Forest of Dean. The strength of the group lies in the amazing people involved and the tight communities we have here. I hope that the group will build on the past and go on to support a wide range of projects that pave the way for cleaner energy, warmer homes, and stronger communities in the Forest. Onwards!” - Helen Jeffrey, Chair of Forest Community Energy
If you’re interested in getting involved in Forest Community Energy or finding out more information, please email hello@forestcommunityenergy.org.uk.
