Our Story
SGCEN brings together a network of community energy organisations in South Gloucestershire to share skills and resources, and create a thriving community energy sector in the area. We are a Community Interest Company (CIC). We are really pleased to learn from and collaborate with community energy networks elsewhere, including in Bristol, Stroud and Gloucestershire. We have a number of projects to educate and share information about home energy, and we are also looking for ways to support community buildings to get solar panels on their roofs.
What is community energy?
Community Energy refers to energy related projects that are for the benefit of, or owned by local communities.
Community energy groups have a wide range of activities – some are focused on renewable electricity generation such as solar panels, hydropower or wind turbines. Others are more about education on how to make homes more energy efficient.
Our Aims
Our aim is to work with people and organisations in South Gloucestershire to:
Create community owned renewable energy generation projects that save money on bills and potentially bring funds into local communities
Give advice and information on home energy saving and where to get support
Facilitate greater connections and knowledge and idea sharing between community climate, nature and energy groups within South Gloucestershire
Governance
We have recently registered as a CIC to reflect the not-for-profit aims of the organisation. Our members are local climate and nature groups and anchor organisations based in South Gloucestershire.
As a CIC we have Directors who provide governance oversight and take the strategic decisions needed to progress our founding aims. We also have a steering group composed of representatives from local climate and nature groups, or local council representatives, whose ideas and expertise inform our strategy.
We are working closely with Bristol Energy Co-operative (BEC) and Bristol Energy Network (BEN) to learn from their experience and bring some of their skills and knowledge with a specific South Gloucestershire focus.
Our Members
Marshfield Energy Group
Our People
Directors
Andy O’Brien
Andy is a co-director of CATSA (Climate Action Thornbury and Surrounding Areas). He’s a co-founder of Bristol Energy Cooperative, which has funded and developed over 20 clean energy projects. These include rooftop and ground-mount solar, battery storage and microgrids.
Before moving into community energy he worked in teaching and IT.
Grace Courtney
Grace is the Community Projects Manager for Emersons and Lyde Community Energy CIC (ELCoE). With a background in Participation, Marketing, and Theatre Producing, she moved from Bristol City Council to join ELCoE as she was keen to work for an environmentally-focused organisation. She is particularly interested in helping people to feel engaged in their local area, creating projects that develop social connections and promote community ownership.
Philip Francis–Barber
Phil is the Deputy Clerk in Bradley Stoke managing the day to day running of the services. He has an aim to bring Bradley Stoke and other parish areas to the front of the Net-Zero targets by finding cost effective and funded way ways to reduce their carbon footprint develop their Local Nature and Climate Action Plans.
Steering Group
Laura Fogg-Rogers
Laura Fogg Rogers is a South Gloucestershire resident and the Chair of Winterbourne and Frome Valley Environmental Group. She is a social psychology academic at the University of the West of England, Bristol, teaching about sustainability and researching how communities can engage with and co-develop climate and nature action.
Sally Pattison
Member of Climate action Yate and Chipping Sodbury. Professional ecologist. Long held interest in climate solutions.
Louise Harris
Louise has been involved in campaigning on sustainability and climate issues since her student days in the 1980s. She has worked in the voluntary sector for 30 years, mainly supporting people with mental health issues and learning disabilities. She has held elected office in London, Hampshire and South Gloucestershire where she is currently the Cabinet Member for the Climate and Nature Emergency.
Dave Tudgey
Dave is the Project Development Manager for Bristol Energy Network, and was one of the founders of the Network since 2009. He is dedicated to the community energy sector and the need to ensure everyone can afford to heat their homes.
Team
The team is Melinda Evans and Emilia Melville. We each work 2.5 days/week
Melinda Evans
Project Manager (solar projects) – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays.
Melinda is an experienced environmental professional who first got involved in local climate and nature action, including community energy initiatives, through her involvement with Sustainable Thornbury and as a founding director of CATSA-CIC. Driven by a desire for sustainable, locally-led climate action, Melinda is eager to help accelerate the transition across South Gloucesterside by supporting local groups and community energy projects to create lasting benefits to communities and the natural world.
Emilia Melville
Project Manager (network development) – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
Emilia draws on a variety of experiences of community energy in the South West and further afield. She was a founding director of Bristol Energy Co-operative in 2011, worked at Carbon Co-op in Manchester in 2018, and at Bristol Energy Network in 2020-2021. She is passionate about inclusive organising and the amazing things that can happen when people work together. She believes that the wealth from community owned energy generation can make a great contribution to reinvigorating our shared resources, or ‘commons’.
Stay updated
If you would like to hear our news and find out about upcoming events, please sign up to our email list.