Ringing the changes to support Little Eaton Village Hall and Environmental Action Group on its decarbonisation journey.
Home to 2,500 people on the outskirts of Derby, Little Eaton is a small place with a big heart. That heart is embodied by its volunteer-run village hall, a vital asset.
The hall hosts a range of wellbeing initiatives, including sports clubs for all ages, social activities and a preschool. But with electrical costs rising from £300 a month to £1,200 over the past two years, it has been operating at a loss and struggling to continue.
Little Eaton Community Association was an ideal recipient of our £20,000 decarbonisation transition fund, part of our commitment to achieve Net Zero Carbon in operation and support meaningful carbon reduction beyond our estate. Alongside offsetting 300 tCO2e of building-related emissions and investing in verified international and UK community projects, the fund enables our people to support schemes delivering measurable carbon savings and social value.
A solar-powered community hub
To address rising operating costs, the Parish Council and Environmental Action Group proposed a 13.77kW photovoltaic installation to reduce emissions and improve the hall’s long-term sustainability.
We installed 34 x 405W solar panels on the roof to cut heating and electricity costs while reducing carbon emissions. They’re expected to generate 12,376kWh annually, saving around 3.1 tonnes of CO2 each year and delivering significant reductions in electricity bills, helping secure the future of this important community resource. Funding also supported enhanced litter-picking equipment for volunteer clean-up events, environmental education activities for young people, and native tree planting in the village coppice to boost biodiversity and sequester carbon. Each mature tree will absorb around 25kg of carbon dioxide annually.
Wider environmental action
In line with the proposal’s holistic approach, the remaining funding supported community-led initiatives, including a repair café to extend the life of everyday items and promote a circular economy.
The Parish Council has also progressed tree planting and transformed the old telephone box on Alfreton Road into a recycling hub, making specialist recycling streams more accessible and encouraging sustainable behaviours. Volunteers from the Environmental Action Group collect and redistribute items ranging from bras and perfume bottles to empty blister packs. Wool and bubble wrap are made available for reuse by other residents.
Combining carbon reduction, energy resilience, skills development and community cohesion, the project exemplifies the kind of high-impact local initiative our fund was established to support. “The hall is used by all ages, every day, and, as a volunteer, it’s fantastic to see the solar panels already generating 50% of its electricity during summer. It’s a real milestone,” says Hoare Lea Director and Little Eaton resident Richard Brown. “By creating lower emissions and running costs, this project is helping secure a more sustainable future for a facility at the heart of Little Eaton life.”
