Adventures in Community Energy - a Youth Training Photojournal
Energy Garden’s next Youth Training Programme begins in September. There are still a few spots left on the programme so be sure to check out all the details and sign up here. For inspiration, we thought we’d put together a photojournal from February’s cohort. While not all 16 modules are covered, it will give you a good sense of the programme’s breadth. Without further ado, let’s get started!
On a steely winter day in February, trainees meet for the first time on the roof of Elmore House in Brixton, the site of Brixton Energy Solar 1. This is the UK’s first inner-city, co-operatively owned renewable energy project on a social housing estate. Trainees learn about the history of the project and receive an introduction to the world of community energy.
Next up is the media and communications session, led by guest instructor Jay Amin. Trainees learned about the topics of greenwashing and media literacy. Activities included headline writing, logo design and social media content creation. Check out one of their deliverables on TikTok here.
/
We stay in the classroom for the next few sessions on professionalism and employability. Trainees invoice for their time on the programme (earning London Living Wage £13.15/hr), practise CV writing and learn about equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
They then spent time on energy studies, learning about current energy markets, and fossil fuel-based production versus renewable generation. In the middle of these sessions, they got the opportunity to hand-solder a solar panel and wire a back-up battery.
/
^Creating a hands-on connection to energy studies. Trainees build a solar panel and back-up battery during a workshop at our office.
Next, we visited Triple Point Partners for business studies. Trainees met with Claire Ainsworth, a Managing Partner at Triple Point. We discussed the pros and cons of different business structures and delved into the specifics of Energy Garden as a purpose-driven, community organisation that puts people before profit.
A first chance to don the inimitable Energy Garden hi-vis vests for the community engagement session. Trainees learned about the importance of gathering data to measure the impact of our gardens and how we use this data to grow the organisation. They then carried out surveys with commuters at Hampstead Heath Station.
It’s Spring and the gardens are awakening. That means it’s time for a visit to the garden at Brondesbury Park for environmental studies. Our horticultural lead Bea led the way, diving into the subjects of food growing and biodiversity improvement on London’s railway corridors.
In the final session, trainees visited the Houses of Parliament to see the centre of political power. This complements their class session on politics and policy, where they dive deep into the topic of why EVERY VOTE MATTERS! This cohort’s guest speaker was Joe Fortune, General Secretary of the Cooperative Party.
Spread the word- new cohort starting in September!
If you would like to dive into these subjects, earn AQA certificates for your CV and get paid for every hour you learn, now is your opportunity! We are actively recruiting trainees for our next cohort, starting in September. Sign up at the link here, or email our Senior Education Coordinator Leila leila@energygarden.org.uk if you have any questions. And please spread the word to someone you think might be perfect for the programme. Here is a flyer to share:
