Communications and Impact Co-ordinator - Cornwall, United Kingdom - Communities for Renewables CIC

Description

Communications and Impact Co-ordinator at CfR CIC in Cornwall

What would you do with over £20million to help 7 communities make a just transition to
a low carbon future? If that question gets your mind cogs turning, and you would thrive being
part of a hard working mission-led team living Cornish life to the full, then read
on.

What we do

CfR is a mission-led community interest company which helps communities, public sector bodies
and not for profits to develop, finance and manage their own renewable energy generation.

Since setting up in 2012, CfR has worked in over 40 localities from villages to cities to help
deliver locally-owned energy generation ranging from solar panels on school roofs to one of the
largest community solar farms in the UK. CfR has managed megawatt-scale renewable energy
projects through business planning and feasibility development, procurement, construction,
financing and operation.

CfR's contribution to the community energy sector has been recognised through CfR winning a
number of industry awards and being listed in the Natwest SE100 index of top UK social
enterprises.

As a Community Interest Company (CIC), any surplus made by CfR is re-invested in supporting
further community energy projects.


CfR's work involves:

Local energy enterprise strategy, business planning and start-up support;
Project development (including site finding and feasibility assessments, planning consent,
landowner engagement, grid connection, power purchase strategy and construction and operations
contractor procurement);
Managing the purchase of development-stage and operational projects from commercial
developers into local community ownership;
Raising construction and long-term finance from commercial banks, social investors and
community share / bond offers. Our team has managed over £70million of loan finance and crowd
funding for community energy;
Ongoing company and asset management;
Developing and implementing business models to help our clients innovate and grow their
local energy enterprises beyond their 'anchor asset'.

Who we work with

CfR's 'Local Energy Collective' of local energy enterprises own nearly 50 megawatts of
community solar across 7 diverse localities. They are all not for profits, governed by local
volunteer directors and operating for the benefit of their communities. Together they are
projected to generate over £20million of surplus income (after operating and finance costs)
over their lifetimes to support net zero transition, fuel poverty and other community projects
in their localities. Each year they produce around 50,000 megawatt hours of electricity from
the sun, equivalent to the consumption of 13,500 homes.

This is a start, a seed from which they can support their communities response to the climate
change emergency and transition to an equitable local low carbon economy.

Burnham and Weston Energy CIC, which owns a 9.3MW solar farm and serves the communities of
Burnham and Highbridge, Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding rural area.

Gawcott Fields Community Solar CIC, which owns a 4.2MW solar farm and serves the
communities of Buckingham and the surrounding area.

Meadow Blue Community Energy Ltd, which owns a 5MW solar farm and serves the Bognor Regis
conurbation, Chichester and the surrounding communities.

Ferry Farm Community Solar Ltd, which owns a 5MW solar farm, and serves the communities of
Selsey and Sidlesham (West Sussex).

Heart of England Community Energy Ltd, which owns a 15MW solar farm and serves the
communities of South Warwickshire.

Wiltshire Wildlife Community Energy Ltd, which owns 2 solar farms (6MW) near Swindon, and
serves Wiltshire, with a focus on the communities local to the solar projects (Swindon) as well
as supporting the Wildlife Trust.

Sheriffhales Community Energy Ltd, which owns a 3.2MW solar farm and serves the village and
surrounding area (Shropshire).

Values and culture

CfR seeks to think big, innovate and collaborate to work to the common good of growing the
local energy sector to a scale where it is making a material contribution to the low carbon
transition.

CfR's team are its most important asset. CfR provides long-term services and, therefore, needs
to build a team committed and supported for the long-term. CfR nurtures a working environment
which supports the long-term aspirations, health and economic needs of its staff and has a
progressive employee-centric ownership model, including eligibility for a profit-share based
team bonus after one year.

The role

1/ Communications

You will be responsible for managing investor and local community communications on behalf of
the community energy enterprises we manage. The objective is to build local awareness of and
engagement in each enterprise and help embed them in their communities


Your role will include:
Working with the volunteer boards to define their communications objectives and develop
their strategies.

Helping the community energy enterp