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Hello again supporters, industry colleagues and friends.  The reason that you haven’t heard from me for a little while, I have, in my advancing years, been supporting a really worthwhile community power group in my village called Tutbury EcoPower.   I have been banging on about saving energy in my articles in the Processing Industry and this is no accident as I believe that it is also good business.

Likewise, with community-based projects, it is essential to get such projects onto a sound financial footing and be organised, even though all the team are volunteers.  I have the honour to be an integral part of one of the most well-organised community groups in the UK who really do have a good range of professional skills in the team.  We are all volunteers and we believe passionately in changing attitudes with respect to a sustainable future both financially and in energy terms in the local community and now further afield.

Ye Olde Dog & Partridge hostelry

In the summer of this year, Tutbury EcoPower, as one of nearly 1,000 other community groups entered the EngergyShare (a consortium of British Gas, River Cottage and the eco-group EnergyShare) competition to win a big cash prize to be spent on sustainable energy projects.  After 2 phases of voting, Tutbury EcoPower is now one of 6 finalists to win £75,000 in the medium-sized project section.

Tutbury EcoPower has committed to installing Solar PV Panels on community buildings such as the village hall which is used for all sorts of adult education, keep fit, children’s groups, wedding receptions and many other events, the old school house which is in full use by the scouts, mother and toddler group and youth club.  With such installations, the venue custodians get cheap energy and Tutbury Eco Power gets the Feed-in-Tariff to re-invest in other such projects and thereby grow over time rather than relying on scarce handouts.

Tutbury EcoPower’s flagship project of a 75kW archimedean screw generator on the River Dove, when operational will generate some £30,000 per annum to re-invest in other community projects in a sustainable way.

As this group is a great exemplar for good community and business practice that relies on profit/surplus to keep it going, I am now making an appeal for you all to vote online for for this most worthwhile of projects.  If you want to know more and see how we are progressing see us on Facebook.

I can recommend getting involved in this way just as I have.  I still have my day job but it really gives one a real fillip.  If you are a professional person, you would want to see it succeed not only because you are made that way, but the community knows where you live – No pressure then!

Hasta mañana