Case Study - Wenhaston Energy Support Group - Carbon reduction project

Wenhaston Energy Support Group (WESG) has completed the energy efficient refurbishment of their village hall with £70,000 funding from the Cut your Carbon competition.

With poor access to local services, the village hall provides a vital facility for this rural community in Suffolk including, housing at risk rural services such as a Post Office, doctors surgery and a youth group.

The residents of Wenhaston have a higher than average carbon footprint. This is due to the fact that the main fuel used is oil, (they have no access to mains gas), the houses are mainly old and, as a remote community with limited public transport provision, car use is high.

Janet Dillaway, spokesperson for WESG comments: “Our aim is to reduce Wenhaston’s carbon footprint by initiating schemes for developing a more energy efficient community. In particular with the Cut your Carbon funds we aim to provide an effectively heated community facility at our village hall, reducing heat loss and CO2 emissions.” David Smeaton –Small, chair of the Village Hall Management Committee added “Our hall was built to a high standard in the 1970s and has served us well; we recognise, however that it needed to change to meet modern day aspirations towards becoming a greener community.”

The village hall refurbishment is part of a much wider carbon reduction project in Wenhaston, which has already won an award from Suffolk County Council, having been awarded Suffolk’s Greenest Community (Energy) 2008. As well as many awareness raising activities within the community WESG has distributed more than 400 low energy light bulbs and established bulk buying programmes within the community for solar panels, loft and cavity wall insulation, food and heating oil, implemented recycling schemes within the village for cans and foil trays and influenced the establishment of a bus link to rail transport from Wenhaston.

Janet continued: “The overall carbon reduction project benefits around 1000 people and over 20 community organisations helping both to improve the lives of the public and tackle fuel poverty. Our community has and will continue to act as Trail-blazers for other communities.”