In Caerwedros, a small rural village just outside New Quay, Ceredigion, a group of committed residents are making big changes.
Connecting the Dots
The journey started when Wayne Lewis, an active member of Pwyllgor Neuadd Caerwedros (the local village hall committee) and several other community groups, began exploring green energy options. While researching potential funding for PV panels and sustainability measures, they came across Egin and were put in touch with facilitator Anne Marie Carty.
Anne Marie immediately recognised that the community were already thriving, having the hall as a central hub, and also the network of four local villages who were working together to create more local, affordable housing. They certainly weren’t lacking in motivation, but what they needed was more help to pool their resources so they could create a bigger impact.
Egin’s encouragement and professional support would go on to propel two major projects that were still at their embryonic stages: installing solar panels on to the village hall and the creation of a brand-new Community Land Trust (CLT) to tackle the housing crisis. Community energy emerged as the connective force between these separate challenges, and helped to focus their energy into one clear mission.
Turning Ideas into Impact
Supported by Egin mentor Teresa Walters, who was assigned to help with project planning, community consultation and fund-raising, the group received help structuring their community meetings and successfully applied for two National Lottery grants – one for the village hall and one for the CLT. According to Wayne, the Egin grant acted as a crucial enabler: “It brought carbon reduction in its widest sense onto the agenda. Without it, I’m not sure anyone would have pushed it.”
The impact has been both practical and strategic:
- Solar panels have been installed in the village hall since February (making the building 75% self-sufficient in electricity),
- A freelance development worker was hired to move the CLT forward,
- And thanks to the connection with a trusted electrician who came to install the PV panels (funded via the Lottery’s Egin Grant), the group secured a second grant to support electrical safety in the community provided by Electrical Safety First.
Through multiple face to face sessions with Teresa, the group planned how to engage and represent the community, holding three meetings and conducting a survey, consulting experts and visiting several organisations carrying out similar community-led projects. Conducting outreach in this way resulted in them forming a constituted organisation which could successfully deliver the projects that the community wanted (i.e. the Community Land Trust).
Teresa also encouraged the group to collect data (as this would be helpful for future grant applications) and identified key funding sources. By acting as one entity – representing interests of both energy and housing – they were able to think bigger.
Teresa reflects on her time with the group: “It was an incredible experience, working alongside a truly grassroots organisation as it evolved during its early months. Board members have deep connections to people and place and culture in their communities, and see the interdependence of affordable homes, energy, nature, climate, wellness and enterprise. Although I was the Mentor (or a ‘critical friend’), I learned at least as much as I brought to the group through the process of working with them.”
Laying the Groundwork
While much of the work has taken place behind the scenes, the foundations are now firmly in place to further involve the public. As Wayne said, “What Egin has done is help us put the foundations in – and we can now build.”
Having a paid worker in place has also freed up time and capacity for volunteers, allowing them to focus on strategic priorities like housing.
Looking Ahead
The group is taking inspiration from another local group who set up a turbine – a connection made through a casual coffee meeting after seeing a post that Egin had shared. “What suits me is short summaries of projects doing something different, supported by contacts I can follow up when the time is right,” Wayne reported.
The impact of taking part in the Egin programme has been clear. “It’s felt like we’re working with an organisation who are trying to enable us to move forward.”
And that’s exactly what we’re here to do.
You can check out the community group’s new website here.
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