Recently, we had the opportunity to speak with Chief Executive Steve Sayers about Windmill Hill City Farm’s journey with the Bristol City Leap Community Energy Fund and our first community heat funding application. Steve provided valuable insights into their efforts to connect the farm to the Bristol heat network and enhance energy efficiency across their site.
Windmill Hill City Farm spans approximately four and a half acres and features a variety of buildings dedicated to environmental stewardship, food production, and farming education.
“Understanding our carbon footprint has been crucial to our mission,” Steve explained. “We learned through a survey from the Centre of Sustainable Energy that half of our carbon emissions stem from heating our buildings. By focusing on decarbonising our heating system, we could significantly reduce our overall carbon footprint.”
The fund presented an excellent opportunity for the farm to explore alternatives to gas boilers, including heat pumps and the potential connection to the Bristol heat network, which is currently being installed within the grounds.
Steve shared, “The farm itself has been here for about 50 years…what started as a derelict site filled with rubble has blossomed into a thriving community hub, thanks to the dedication of local volunteers.”. Reflecting on their upcoming plans, the team is motivated to decarbonise, with the objective of lowering their net carbon impact.
To date, the farm has received three grants aimed at enhancing its sustainability efforts:
- Bristol heat network initial feasibility study – An initial assessment to establish the possibilities of community connection to the Bristol heat network.
- Bristol heat network detailed feasibility study – The detailed feasibility study examined the heating potential of seven buildings within Windmill Hill City Farm. The study, conducted by Method Consulting, also provided recommendations on project phasing, costs and utility service layouts. The final output provided Windmill Hill City Farm with the necessary information to produce a final funding proposal.
- Retrofit options appraisal – Windmill Hill City Farm completed an assessment across their property portfolio, which determined what measures, such as insulation, the community group could benefit from. This enables them to receive match funding from large grants, which has since seen improvements delivered within the Old Dairy building.
Steve emphasised the benefits of the funding: “The progression we’ve made step-by-step has been fantastic. We began with a micro-grant, which gave us the time and space to explore our challenges. Then, we secured a small grant for an options appraisal, assessing possibilities across our different buildings. This was followed by development funding for a detailed feasibility study, which evaluated each building and provided tailored recommendations for decarbonisation. The bite-sized approach offered by City Leap has been incredibly effective in advancing our project.”
As part of works to install the Bristol heat network through Windmill Hill City Farm, Vattenfall is delivering a package of wider community improvements, including enhanced walkways to improve accessibility, resurfaced vehicle paths, new entry gates and fencing. Vattenfall has also funded new cattle equipment for the improved cow shed, in partnership with Dandara Living.
The collaboration with Bristol City Leap has also introduced the farm to various partners who provided expertise and support, which can enable the community group to accelerate their efforts.
When it came to the application process for the fund, Steve found it to be manageable: “As a professional organisation accustomed to handling applications, we found the questions reasonable and direct. There wasn’t an overload of jargon, which made the experience quite pleasant.”
The support from the fund has been instrumental for Windmill Hill City Farm, with Steve encouraging more local community groups to get involved: “We’ve had a positive experience…I’d encourage anyone considering applying to go for it!”
About the Bristol City Leap Community Energy Fund
The Bristol City Leap Community Energy Fund, totalling £1.5 million, is designed to support community-led energy projects through a combination of grants and loans. Established with contributions of £750,000 each from Ameresco and Vattenfall, the fund aims to foster advancement in community energy initiatives throughout Bristol. Profits generated from funded projects will be reinvested into the fund, creating a sustainable cycle of support for future initiatives.
This funding underscores our commitment to social value and is geared towards accelerating the decarbonisation of Bristol while supporting projects that benefit local communities.
The fund focuses on developing energy-related community projects in Bristol, specifically aimed at:
- Facilitating community engagement with the Bristol heat network
- Reducing fossil fuel usage
- Supporting communities in lowering their energy consumption
To achieve these goals, the fund will:
- Encourage applications from diverse communities, particularly those with limited previous experience in energy projects and funding applications
- Build the capacity of staff and volunteers to deliver successful projects in the future
- Emphasise projects that offer clear, quantifiable long-term benefits for local communities, positioning them for further engagement in energy initiatives
Are you interested in applying for the Bristol City Leap Community Energy Fund? Click here to find out more: https://www.bristolcityleap.co.uk/community/community-energy-fund/
