We’d like to extend a huge congratulations to the Hook Norton Community Land Trust for winning the prestigious Best affordable housing development – less than £5m award at the Inside Housing Development Awards 2024! This award is a true reflection of what a community can achieve when it rallies together for a shared, sustainable future.…

Achieving a just transition to a net zero energy system will look different from one street to the next. Helping communities to nimbly overcome barriers and patiently untangle the complexity of new technologies and tariffs is the job of the Grid Edge Coordinator. This blog post looks at the background to this newly created role…

Our Community Action Plan for Zero-Carbon Energy (CAPZero) outlines the crucial role businesses need to play in the journey to net zero carbon emissions in 2050.  To make the transition to net zero possible, 20% of businesses need to develop an energy strategy by 2030. A great starting place for businesses of any size is…

Mim Saxl, Net Zero Communities Manager at Low Carbon Hub and Sarah Couch of Eynsham community group GreenTEA recently joined Witney Radio’s Grant Grindley to talk about our Community Action Plan for Zero-Carbon Energy (CAPZero).  You can hear the half hour interview, and learn all about our ground-breaking project on WRFM’s website here.

Join us in Freeland on Saturday 14 September, 1100-1600, at our first CAPZero drop-in event! Join us in Freeland for a warm home energy day. Find out how to reduce your energy bills and make your home more comfortable, greener and cheaper to run. Enter a prize draw to win one of 3 fully-funded home…

Hook Norton Community Land Trust (a Low Carbon Hub Community Group Member) have developed a community-led housing project that is in the process of building affordable, energy efficient homes for local people in the Oxfordshire village of Hook Norton. The team are currently looking to raise £500,000 through a community share raise to complete the…

We are inviting our community groups to nominate their candidate for the post of Communities Director to the Low Carbon Hub for a three-year term, starting in October 2024. Low Carbon Hub has been lucky to have Al Kitchen as our elected Communities Director for an extended period of four years, and his final term…

Our community groups are at the heart of Low Carbon Hub’s work across Oxfordshire and continue to be inspirational in tackling climate change. We have just welcomed five new groups, from rural South Oxfordshire to bustling Kidlington, to our network of low carbon community groups, bringing the total to 46.   Burford BEAgles Burford Environmental Action…

We were recently delighted to award large grants of £5,000 from Low Carbon Hub’s Community Grants Fund to two of our community groups:  Low Carbon Oxford North to develop a user-friendly website that helps people find alternative, low carbon ways to travel around Oxfordshire.  Thame Green Living to promote the foundation of a community energy project titled, Phoenix Energy Community. This was…

Botley West is a 840 MW solar park proposed to be built to the West and North of Oxford. The project is currently in its second phase of consultation until 8 February. During this time residents are invited to provide their feedback.

We sometimes get questions about how people can get involved in our work. At Low Carbon Hub we know that community members themselves are in the best place to be a catalyst for change within their local community. That’s why we have our Energy Champions – these individuals play a vital role in disseminating knowledge…

There’s so much interest in thermal imaging from our community groups at the moment and it’s easy to see why. The nights are drawing in and It’s starting to get colder, heating is being switched on and energy prices are rising, making it increasingly important to heat our homes efficiently. A thermal imaging project is…

It was wonderful to hold our annual Low Carbon Hub Community Group’s Big Get Together 2023 on Saturday 7 October at Harwell Village Hall, Harwell. It was a joyous event where community groups from across the county met and shared the latest developments in their communities. It was a great chance to meet and get…

Community groups from Low Carbon Hub and CAG Oxfordshire were joined by experts from Oxfordshire County Council Retrofit Team, Cosy Homes Oxfordshire and the Barton Retrofit Cooperative, at this online event held on 20 September.  

That’s the message from Sustainable Wantage’s Draughtbusting team, who recently shared their experience of setting up their Draughtbusters project in Wantage, with other Low Carbon Hub and CAG community groups from across Oxfordshire, at a meeting at County Hall, Oxford.   The evening was hosted by Low Carbon Hub, CAG Network and Oxfordshire County Council Retrofit…

Change is afoot at Low Carbon Hub. As many of our supporters know, we have had a somewhat complicated double legal structure. But over the past few months our staff and board, with support from our members, have been working to simplify things. Previously Low Carbon Hub had operated as two separate organisations working in…

We are delighted to welcome Hook Norton Community Land Trust as our community group of the month for May/June 2023.  At a time of climate emergency, when many new housing developments lack sustainable measures, the people of Hook Norton set up Hook Norton Community Land Trust (HNCLT) to develop an innovative community-led project of affordable…

The CAPZero report was met with enthusiasm at Eynsham Village Hall, on 26 April 2023. Eynsham Smart and Fair Futures, one of the six Project LEO Smart and Fair Neighbourhood Trials, has developed a Community Action Plan for Zero Carbon Energy, for the parishes within the Eynsham Primary Substation Area. This is the first local energy action…

Low Carbon Hub were out and about at the Abingdon Eco Fair, held in the Market Place in the heart of Abingdon on Saturday 13 May. The event, organised by One Planet Abingdon, with additional support from Oxfordshire Greentech and Vale of White Horse District Council, was spread over a whole day and featured stalls…

We are pleased to welcome Chinnor & Thame Friends of the Earth as our community group of the month for April 2023.  Chinnor and Thame Friends of the Earth are a long-established group that formed in 1989 to campaign for change in the community, to make a positive difference to the environment at a local,…

It’s been a bumper year for Low Carbon Hub large grant applications and we’re delighted to announce that we have awarded large grants to five of our community group members to support a diverse range of fantastic community projects:  Our Community Grant Fund offers financial support for community energy activities across Oxfordshire. All Community Members…

We are pleased to announce that Low Carbon East Oxford is our Community Group of the Month for March 2023 Low Carbon East Oxford is a small, friendly group of people living in East Oxford, who came together ten years ago to take small climate positive actions in the hope of encouraging others to do…

With the cost-of-living crisis and the energy price rises making it increasingly important to heat our homes efficiently, many of our community groups are carrying out thermal imaging projects in their communities. Thermal imaging provides a visual and engaging way of introducing people in a local community to home energy efficiency and we were delighted…

What happened when nine community groups worked together with Low Carbon Hub Community Grant funding and an inspired idea? Low Carbon Hub were delighted to award a large grant and several small grants in 2022 to support Energy Saving Homes, a fantastic collaborative project between Low Carbon Oxford North, Rose Hill & Iffley Low Carbon,…

We are delighted that our community group of the month for February 2023 is Sustainable Harwell. Sustainable Harwell is a community action group that began in 2019 in Harwell village, working on sustainability projects to help tackle climate change, reduce waste and pollution, and improve the local environment. They are members of CAG Oxfordshire and became…

We are thrilled to announce that our community group of the month for January 2023 is Sustainable Botley. They joined the Low Carbon Hub in 2022 and became our 40th CIC community group member. Sustainable Botley is a recently formed community group of volunteers, based in Botley in the parish of North Hinksey, West of…

If you are looking for a grant project that encourages children to love cycling at an early stage and can be replicated in your community, then this is it.   We were delighted to award a large grant to Sustainable Wantage from the Low Carbon Hub Community Grants Fund in March 2022.   They had the inspired…

We are delighted that One Planet Clanfield is our community group of the month for October 2022. Clanfield is a beautiful village in West Oxfordshire with around 800 residents, a thriving primary school, a café/bakery, a popular pub, and a hotel. One Planet Clanfield was set up in 2020 by an enthusiastic group of volunteers…

The launch of Communities for Zero Carbon Oxford’s Energy Saving Bite Sized films took place during Great Big Green Week at the Town Hall, Oxford on 27 September 2022. The films form a vital part of the Energy Saving Homes project, carried out by a group of nine environmental community group members of Low Carbon…

Green TEA, Low Carbon Hub and Project LEO (Local Energy Oxfordshire), organised the Great Big Energy Saver event during Great Big Green Week, held at St Leonard’s Church Hall on Thursday 27 September, from 4pm to 9pm. Green TEA are working with Low Carbon Hub on Smart and Fair Futures as part of Project LEO,…

We are delighted to announce that Sustainable Kirtlington is our September 2022 Community Group of the month. Kirtlington is a calm and beautiful village just north of Oxford that is blessed with a small but active community group that thinks big. It’s always a pleasure to visit the Sustainable Kirtlington team to see the results…

Earlier this year, the Vale of White Horse District Council invited community groups to apply for funding from its Climate Action Fund of £50,000 for projects that help to address climate change at a local level. Thirteen projects across the district were successful. Several Low Carbon Hub Community group members had successful bids, including: Sustainable…

Barford Environment Network, based in North Oxfordshire, is the Low Carbon Hub’s 41st community group member!  Barford Environment Network (BEN) formed in October 2021, inspired by the work of neighbouring Low Carbon Hub community group, Deddington Environment Network (DEN). The group aims to raise awareness of sustainable initiatives and funding opportunities that will enable the transition to…

Sustainable Woodstock formed in 2008 with the aim of bringing their community together to identify actions that could be taken to reduce the carbon footprint of Woodstock. This has been achieved by running successful working groups, which involve the whole community, that raise awareness of the climate and ecological emergency. The group focus on energy…

On Saturday 21 May we celebrated 10 years of partnership between the Low Carbon Hub and our 40 community group members in the atmospheric surroundings of the Story Museum, Oxford. The event was designed to be creative and celebratory and the Woodshed Theatre at the Story Museum was decorated to feel welcoming and festive. It…

We are pleased to announce that Cholsey Environment Champions are our Community Group of the Month for June 2022 Cholsey Parish Council declared a Climate and Environmental Emergency in 2019 and then set up a Climate and Environmental Emergency Working Group. They have appointed an Environmental Coordinator and surveyed the community to find out their biggest concerns…

Promoting Cycling in Abingdon May 2022 Low Carbon Hub were pleased to award a small grant of £500 to Abingdon Carbon Cutters for an imaginative project that aims to involve young people in an initiative to promote cycling and active travel in Abingdon. Our Community Grant Fund offers financial support for community energy activities across…

We welcome our 40th community group member at Low Carbon Hub! We are really pleased to welcome our newest community group – Sustainable Botley – who are joining our existing 39 community group members from across Oxfordshire, to bring our total membership to 40. Sustainable Botley is a newly formed community group that recognises the…

Low Carbon Oxford North (LCON) & Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel (CoHSAT) awarded a large grant of £5,000 from Low Carbon Hub Community Grant Fund. Low Carbon Hub were pleased to award a third consecutive large grant of £5000 to Low Carbon Oxford North and a consortium of community groups that form the…

Our community group of the month feature is one year old this month and we are celebrating with Abingdon Carbon Cutters as our May 2022 Community Group of the Month. Abingdon Carbon Cutters are a long-standing environmental group that started in 2008 as one of Oxfordshire’s Community Action Groups. They formed during a time of…

We are delighted to announce that we have awarded large grants this year to three fantastic community projects: Our Community Grant Fund offers financial support for community energy activities across Oxfordshire. All community members of the Low Carbon CIC can apply for a small or large grant that can be used to fund activities that…

We are delighted to welcome Greener Henley as our April 2022 Community Group of the Month. Greener Henley is a group of committed volunteers from a range of backgrounds that all share the common aim of working together to help build a greener, zero-carbon future for Henley and the surrounding villages. The group started out…

We are delighted to announce that our Community Group of the Month for March 2022 is Low Carbon Oxford North. Low Carbon Oxford North (LCON) were established as a community action group in 2010 with the aim of cutting carbon emissions through local activity. They became a registered charity in 2011 and launched Oxford North…

2021-2022 has been a bumper year for Low Carbon Hub’s Community Grants Programme and we’re delighted to announce that we have awarded a total of 14 small grants of £500 each to community groups supporting seven great projects. The grants are made by the Low Carbon Hub IPS Limited as part of its community benefit…

We are delighted to announce that Watlington Community Action Group (CAG) is our  Community Group of the Month for February 2022! Watlington Climate Action Group was founded in April 2019 and started life as a Facebook community group, with the aim of helping Watlington to address the Climate Emergency. They became a member of Low…

We are delighted to announce that Osney lock Hydro is our  First Community Group of the Month for 2022! Osney Lock Hydro is the first community-owned hydro scheme to be built on the Thames. Set on the banks of the river Thames at Osney Lock, opposite the site of Oxford’s first electrical power station, it…

Whether you live in a city, town or village in Oxfordshire, the Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel (CoHSAT) want to know what amenities you consider most important to have within a 15 minute walk or cycle ride. The concept of a 15-minute neighbourhood (15MN) is that the amenities that are most important to…

We are delighted to announce that Greener Great Coxwell is our  Community Group of the Month for December 2021! Greener Great Coxwell formed earlier this year and have already brought several carbon reducing initiatives to their beautiful village. They are one of the Hub’s most recent members and we were impressed by their ambitious plans…

We are delighted to announce that Low Carbon West Oxford (LCWO) is our  Community Group of the Month for November 2021! Low Carbon West Oxford are an energetic group with a creative and inclusive approach to community activity. They play an important role in highlighting the need to live more sustainably in the community of…

We are delighted to announce that Banabury CAG is our  Community Group of the Month for October 2021! Despite the challenges of the pandemic Banbury CAG have continued to raise awareness of climate change and to provide solutions to the crisis in their community. They continued to meet on a monthly basis by zoom and…

An interactive workshop hosted by Low Carbon Hub during Great Big Green Week 21 September 10.30am. The climate crisis is an emotional subject and discussions in our everyday lives with family members, friends, colleagues and strangers, who all have different opinions on climate change can sometimes be difficult to initiate and sustain. As a result…

In September communities across the country will join together for the Great Big Green Week. It will be the biggest event for climate and nature ever in the UK, and everyone’s invited! Great Big Green Week The Great Big Green Week will take place 18 – 26 September 2021, and will be the largest event…

We are delighted to announce that GREEN TEA (TRANSITION EYNSHAM AREA) is our  Community Group of the Month for September 2021! Green TEA (Transition Eynsham Area) is a vibrant and dedicated group that has been finding local solutions to climate change for twelve years. They are part of the Transition Network, a grassroots movement that…

We are delighted to announce the addition of four new community groups bringing our total community membership to 36! At the Low Carbon Hub, we work with community groups across Oxfordshire which have a focus on low carbon and sustainability actions. Many of these groups join the Low Carbon Hub and become CIC (Community Interest…

A short film about the Tree Planting and Community Orchard project from Rose Hill & Iffley Low Carbon. The film was made with a Small Grant of £500 from Low Carbon Hub Community Grants Fund. Low Carbon Hub were delighted to award Rose Hill & Iffley Low Carbon (RHILC) a small grant of £500 in…

We are delighted to announce that Thame Green Living is our  Community Group of the Month for July 2021! Thame Green Living are one of the Low Carbon Hub’s most recent groups but they have lost no time in carrying out impressive town-wide actions on climate change identified in their extensive and strikingly designed Green…

Our community group of the month for June 2021 is Rose hill and iffley low carbon, otherwise known as rhilc! RHILC are a thriving group who have an inclusive approach to tackling climate change and always strive to involve the whole community in their activities. They have responded positively to the changing situation brought about…

On Wednesday, 12 May, the Energy Collaborate meetings re-launched with a collaboration between CAG and Low Carbon Hub. Energy in your community, what’s possible? Low Carbon Hub and the CAG Network were pleased to restart their Energy Collaborate meetings last month to learn more about how we can support our community groups and individuals with…

We are delighted to announce that Sustainable Wantage is our first Community Group of the Month for May 2021. They are a vibrant group with a creative and inclusive approach to community activity and have been quick to respond positively to the changing situation brought about by Covid-19 restrictions. Their initiatives have not only saved…

Our Community Grant Fund offers financial support for carbon cutting activities across Oxfordshire. All Community Members of the Low Carbon CIC can apply for a small or large grant that can be used to fund activities that contribute to the Hub’s aims: to cut Oxfordshire’s carbon footprint and contribute to creating a decentralised and locally-owned…

Oxford City Council are offering free solar panels to a local community project Oxford City Council have 42 solar panels (350 watts) and an inverter which they are now no longer able to use. They’re hoping to find a new home for them and so are looking for a local community project which could make…

We are pleased to announce the awarding of five Low Carbon Hub small grants of £500 each. All Community Members of the Low Carbon Hub CIC are eligible to apply for funding. Our community groups can either apply individually or in consortia with other Community shareholders. The grants can be used to fund activities that…

We held our first Low Carbon Hub community coffee morning of 2021 on Tuesday 23 February and discussed the challenges and rewards of running a successful community group. Setting up and running a community group takes a lot of work, coordination and enthusiasm. It can be time consuming and frustrating but inspiring and wonderful when…

Low carbon community group Sustainable Charlbury successfully applied for a £5000 large grant from Low Carbon Hub’s 2020 Community Grant programme to assess the energy efficiency and heat loss of a group of homes in Charlbury. The tests on The Green are part of a much bigger, long term project to build up a picture…

In our latest blog, our Social Impact Director Saskya Huggins makes the case that putting fairness at the heart of a net-zero energy system is not only the right thing to do, but is the most effective way to achieve the mass engagement we need to achieve our 2050 commitments. The UK Government published its…

At the Low Carbon Hub, we work with community groups across Oxfordshire which have a focus on low carbon and sustainability actions. Many of these groups join the Low Carbon Hub and become CIC (Community Interest Company) community shareholders, giving them access to advice, support and grant funding. Over the past few months, we have…

Sustainable Didcot are one of our community group shareholders that work to promote sustainability in the town of Didcot. In response to the Town Council declaring a climate emergency, Sustainable Didcot applied for and received a grant, to help the community to investigate ways to lower energy usage and carbon emissions on the path to zero carbon.…

As part of the Oxford Preservation Trust’s all-new virtual Oxford Open Doors format for 2020, earlier this month the Low Carbon Hub participated by entering a virtual tour of the Sandford Hydroelectric plant in Sandford-on-Thames. We created the Sandford Hydro tour so that anyone can take a look inside the control room and turbine hut at…

Demonstrating the power of locally-owned community energy projects to accelerate the UK’s low-carbon transition Westmill Solar Co-operative, the UK’s first community-owned solar farm, has opened and is accepting applications for funding up to £5,000 from its new Community Grants Scheme. The 5MW solar park has now been operating under community ownership for nearly 8 years.…

The Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel (CoHSAT) is a group of voluntary and campaigning organisations working across Oxfordshire to create attractive, accessible and people-friendly streets. They are working to promote efficient, active, low carbon and sustainable travel, which will reduce traffic, air pollution and noise, and enable healthy and thriving communities. The group…

Join us to discuss the future of energy, in our series of webinars The world may be focused on the immediate threat of coronavirus, but we feel strongly that it’s as important as ever for us to continue with our work to tackle the climate crisis and create a zero carbon energy system that’s good…

Each year every Community Member of the Low Carbon Hub is eligible to apply for a large grant of up to £5000, to support carbon-cutting activities, and we are usually able to award 2-3 grants per year. This year one of our grant recipients is GreenTEA (Transition Eynsham Area). They applied for a Low Carbon…

How to keep the momentum going on climate change and ensure a green recovery from COVID-19: advice and ideas from low carbon community groups across the UK From the very start of lockdown restrictions in the UK we’ve been impressed and inspired by our Low Carbon Hub CIC Community Groups, who have been adapting to the…

Join us for a Community Coffee Morning on Tuesday 16 June at 11am Date: Tuesday 16 June 2020Time: 11am-12pm We’re holding an online Community Coffee Morning at 11am on Tuesday 16 June for low carbon community groups across the UK – and we’d love to see you there. This event forms part of Community Energy…

Communities in lockdown: how Oxfordshire’s low carbon community groups have been adapting to lockdown and continuing their carbon-cutting activities From the very start of lockdown restrictions in the UK we’ve been impressed and inspired by our Low Carbon Hub CIC Community Groups, who have been adapting to the situation in a myriad of ways and…

Our Low Carbon Hub Board helps to direct our future direction and strategy, as well as ensuring that we’re always best serving the interest of our shareholders – both our Low Carbon Hub IPS Investor Members and our Low Carbon Hub CIC Community Group Members. As part of the Board we have a Communities Director,…

Active Oxfordshire and Cyclox are partnering up to provide free of charge, refurbished bikes for Oxford’s NHS and social care heroes to ensure they can get to work if they aren’t able (or don’t feel comfortable) to use public transport during COVID-19 lockdown. They are aiming to raise enough funds to provide 100 bikes to…

Your feedback is vital in making sure we’re doing as much as we can to meet our mission of creating an energy system that’s good for the planet, and for people. We always want to be improving our work, and how we communicate it with the people who support us, just like you. That’s why…

We often get questions from people who want to get involved with our work on tackling climate change in Oxfordshire. Unfortunately, we aren’t currently set up to take on volunteers at the Low Carbon Hub, so we’re limited in the ways you can be directly involved in our work. However, there are lots of other…

Hook Norton Community Land Trust is developing a group of affordable and sustainable homes in the village of Hook Norton. The Trust was officially set up in July 2019 and since then they’ve shared information through hosting a webpage on the website of Hook Norton Low Carbon. But, they now have a wealth of information…

The Low Carbon Hub Community Energy Champions Guide Councils across the country, including Oxford City Council, have now that we’re in a state of climate emergency. It’s time to act. We all have our part to play when it comes to mitigating the effects of climate change. Here at the Low Carbon Hub we’re primarily…

We would like to say a massive thank you to all who came to the ‘Inspired by Communities’ event prior to the Low Carbon Hub Joint AGM on 7 October and who helped to make it such a genuinely inspiring experience. The room at the Town Hall was full with many of our CIC Community…

Large grants We are offering two grants of up to £5,000 for this year’s large grants fund, available to our community group members. These grants are part of the ‘community benefit’ we return to communities.  The year’s theme is energy efficiency. We are interested in applications relating to residential, commercial and public buildings; your project…

As well as providing help and advice, Low Carbon Hub also offers financial support to  our community shareholder groups wanting to carry out carbon-cutting activity in their community. Here is a case study of what one group did with a small grant we awarded them. Westmill Sustainable Energy Trust (WeSET) was one of the last community groups to successfully…