Energising Horden

This innovative community energy project will develop community-led governance infrastructure in Horden, a former coalfield village in East Durham, to ensure local residents, particularly those in vulnerable situations, can shape, lead, and benefit from a range of renewable energy projects currently underway.

Opportunities include the Horden Mine Water Heat Scheme, Community Energy Fund feasibility studies (wind, solar, and anaerobic digestion), and the Energising East Durham programme. Without dedicated local governance and coordination, there is a risk that community voices will be excluded from decision-making on these projects.

The grant will fund staff time and resources to support local residents to design and establish an accessible, inclusive governance model—such as a Community Benefit Society or Trust—empowering them to act from an equitable and informed position. This body will guide how energy infrastructure is developed, owned, and reinvested into local energy-saving and poverty reduction schemes.