Wiltshire Wildlife Community Energy (WWCE) Ltd, one of the county’s largest not-for-profit solar energy enterprises, has launched its first investment opportunity in nearly a decade. Managed by Communities for Renewables (CfR) CIC on behalf of WWCE’s volunteer board, the share offer aims to raise up to £500,000 to finance the provision of over 1,000 solar panels on Silverwood School’s Rowde campus near Devizes.
Silverwood School, which serves young people aged 4-19 with special educational needs, has recently undergone a £38 million redevelopment funded by Wiltshire Council. The new net-zero building will act as a state-of-the-art centre for SEND education, health, care, and training. The 1,087 solar panels installed as part of this project will generate green electricity to power the school, with any surplus energy fed back into the local grid, benefiting the wider community.
This project isn’t just about renewable energy, however. WWCE has also committed to creating a £5,000 annual income through its charitable fund, which will be used to promote biodiversity and environmental education at Silverwood School. The fund will be managed by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWCE’s sister organisation), ensuring that students benefit from hands-on learning opportunities about nature and sustainability.
WWCE has already kickstarted the fundraising effort by investing £121,000 but now seeks public support to raise an additional £500,000. The community energy group is calling on local residents and supporters to get involved through Ethex Crowdfunding or the WWCE website.
Julian Barlow, chair of WWCE said, “This is a really exciting project, working with such an important educational asset in Wiltshire alongside WWT. This scheme will generate funding for initiatives which support nature’s recovery while enriching the education and wellbeing of the students at Silverwood School. By investing in this opportunity, local people can help us to achieve our key aims of restoring wildlife as well as reducing carbon in Wiltshire, a fantastic legacy for us and the Silverwood School community.”
Sean McKeown, executive headteacher at Silverwood School, added, “Through this partnership with WWCE and with the support of WWT members and other stakeholders, we’ll receive a supply of clean solar electricity from the panels installed on our fantastic new centre for SEND education, benefiting from long term agreements which protect us from future energy market volatility. In addition, the project will generate funds for ecological initiatives which enhance our educational offering and will be delivered with our project partners – I hope that those who are in a position to support the project get behind it.”
This share offer, managed by CfR CIC, presents a unique opportunity for individuals to not only support clean energy and carbon reduction but also invest in the future of local young people and the environment.
Set up in 2013, Wiltshire Wildlife Community Energy (WWCE) is a not-for-profit community benefit society that develops renewable energy projects to reduce carbon emissions and promote wildlife in Wiltshire. In addition to owning two large-scale solar farms, WWCE has funded solar installations on Wiltshire Wildlife Trust buildings. Surplus income from these solar farms supports community-led carbon reduction, biodiversity projects, and helps tackle fuel poverty. WWCE’s solar farms are funded through community shares and ethical loans, with professional management provided by CfR CIC.
