Suffolk

The Suffolk Climate Change Partnership (SCCP) faced the challenge of building a resilient community energy sector from scratch in a region dominated by rural communities and volunteer-led initiatives. Key barriers include limited volunteer capacity, complex project development processes, and intense competition for suitable renewable energy sites. 

Over a three-year partnership, through our comprehensive Capacity Building Programme, we provided structured mentorship, 8 masterclasses covering technical and legal aspects, and brokered crucial funding through a dedicated Development Fund. SCCP supported events and communications, while we facilitated a bi-monthly practitioners’ forum to foster collaboration across the emerging sector. 

 
The programme successfully built a thriving community energy network with significant measurable outcomes: 

  • Four new community energy enterprises established, driven by 16 dedicated founders 
  • £130,000 secured in direct project funding, plus an £80,000 National Lottery grant 
  • Three new part-time staff roles created to ensure long-term capacity 

Major project pipeline developed, including 10% shared ownership in two solar farms 

“Community Energy Pathways has been instrumental in helping us engage local communities and build capacity for community energy projects. Their expertise and collaborative approach have empowered residents to take an active role in shaping sustainable energy solutions. Thanks to their support, we’ve seen increased awareness, stronger partnerships, and real progress towards energy resilience” 

Emma Dixon, Suffolk Climate Change Partnership Manager   

“Deben Climate Centre started working with CEP in 2024. From the outset, we were impressed by the comprehensive service which they offer to new organisations taking their first steps in this new market. 

DCC had until 2024 been focused solely on the Environment: we ran conferences, seminars, pop-up hubs and film shows, all aimed at increasing local awareness of the fast-approaching climate crisis. We had a following of about 350 at that stage, and it was clear to us that we were in a position to broaden our influence in East Suffolk. Community energy quickly became the obvious next step for us. 

We are grateful to CEP for finding us, schooling us, making us aware of funding and appropriate projects, and above all for having faith in us. They provided funding through the LNOB and Community Energy People projects which enabled us to create five jobs, and our energy champion team is fast becoming known as the go-to people for free and unbiased energy advice. Coupled with that, we are now developing dialogues with local villages with community-owned generation as the aspiration. 

We are also very pleased that the CEP relationship with the Suffolk Climate Change Partnership has worked so well. Emma Dixon and her team have supported our work, and have recently stepped in with complementary funding to enable us to open two high street hubs. We believe that this approach will greatly increase our penetration into the community, with Community Energy as the clear lead offer. 

Finally, we are hugely grateful to Kelly Dibbert for her absolutely tireless drive, her amazing patience, and most of all her encyclopaedic knowledge of how to make progress in this new landscape. We couldn’t have done it without her.” 

Deben Climate Centre