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Author: Erica Purvis

JUST WHAT IS A COMMUNITY BENEFIT SOCIETY?

11/01/201822/01/2018 Erica PurvisLeave a comment

So you’re not for profit, but not a charity? You’re not a business, but you’ll be looking for investors for the hydroelectric project? People can join as members and vote for directors at your Annual General Meeting, and agree where community funds can go, but you’re not a cooperative or a Community Interest Company, Social Enterprise……

These questions and many more are what we get asked frequently and are even queries we had when choosing the best model to enable Reading Hydro to become a reality and support it thriving in the future.

Why a Community Benefit Society?

Just like a charity we have “Objects” which specify what we do and how we commit to benefiting the community and the environment. Our reason for being!

The objects of Reading Hydro CBS are, to carry on any business for the benefit of the community by:

  1. The development, financing, installation, management, operation, generation, transmission and supply of energy from renewable and low carbon energy sources
  2. The conservation of energy through supporting energy efficiency and energy use reduction.
  3. Returning proportional benefit to the community.
  4. The promotion and awareness of environmental and related issues with support for educational initiatives
  5. Enabling the local and wider community to invest in renewable energy and low carbon generation.

What’s so important about Community focus and involvement?

We are set up for the benefit of the local community and look to achieve this through building a hydroelectric scheme on the river Thames at Caversham to generate clean electricity that can be sold to raise community funds for further projects.

It will take a while to get to this stage. To begin with the scheme will be funded by early stage donations and grants, before it is opened up for public investment, probably through a share offer.

The assets (hydro scheme) and liabilities will be held by the society and once all the shareholders have been paid back the hydro scheme and the profit from it will be for the benefit of the local community.

The assets are locked which means that they cannot be sold for the benefit of the directors or members.

In the initial years we have to pay back our investors, so only a small proportion of the income from selling electricity can go to the community. When investors are fully paid back, all the profit will go to the community. We are looking at generating long-term, sustainable funding here.

Why Membership for £1?

Reading Hydro members elect the directors on the basis of one member one vote: in this respect we are similar to a cooperative, autonomous and controlled by members. Part of becoming a member includes paying £1 for a share. This entitles you to one vote at general meetings, as well as getting involved in our day to day activities as much as you’d like.

Will I be able to invest more?

We are always happy to receive donations, no matter how small, and in-kind support. When we open the hydro scheme for public investment, you will be able to invest more in it, and this investment will earn a small return.

It all sounds great, right? So what are you waiting for? Join us!

For more information on Community Benefit Society you can read about them on the Community Shares website    or on DECC. Alongside this we recently went to an inspiring conference from The Plunkett Foundation, which gave examples of the many forms a CBS can take, from pubs, farms to Whiskey distilleries!

HYDRO REFLECTIONS

10/01/201810/01/2018 Erica PurvisLeave a comment

Wouldn’t it be wonderful for Reading to have a Hydro Energy scheme on Caversham Weir that would be able to fund and support sustainability community projects in Reading?

Only a few years ago, in 2013, this was the origins of the idea being explored the Transition Town Reading Energy Group. Like all good ideas, it has developed over time and gone with the flow.

A brief history of Reading Hydro

From this, in January 2014 Reading Sustainability Centre launched out of the Greater Reading Environmental Network (GREN) as a community group. It was then  formalised as The Reading Sustainability Centre CIC in January 2015 and was able to apply for and be awarded grants from several local charities and the Urban Community Energy Fund, to explore and develop the hydro project further.

Securing the Site

This enabled the Reading Hydro Project to

A planning permission celebration picnic

invest the time and energy into assessing and getting all the Environmental requirements together for obtaining the Environment licences in 2016.

The last big milestone happened in the spring of 2017 when planning permission was finally granted to allow the scheme to be built at Caversham Weir.

Becoming an Independent Organisation

In 2017 Reading Hydro also moved from being a project under The Reading Sustainability Centre into a stand alone Community Benefit Society (CBS), in readiness for the launch of a public share offer to raise the capital necessary to build the scheme.

Growing our Community

From an initial 4 directors, 2017 saw us growing to 6,  bringing a range of skills and enthusiasm to the team. Alongside this, and perhaps more importantly, we’ve seen our membership grow to now over 50, and with a number of active volunteers supporting in areas from publicity and logo design to technical advice and funding applications. Members and supporters are now able to get involved during one of our Open Action Evenings  , through discussions on our facebook group interact via Twitter, Instagram and get updates via our website and newsletters. We’re also connecting with schools and are looking forward to working with the ORSAnauts on renewable energy projects.

Bringing Renewable Energy to 2018!

What will 2018 bring for Reading Hydro?  We look forward to developing it further with our active volunteers, supporting members and the local community! Join us at our next Open Action Evening.

SEASONAL HYDRO GREETINGS

20/12/201720/12/2017 Erica PurvisLeave a comment
Happy Hydro Festivities! – gif Hydro Sparkle – credit volunteer Nicky Johnson Designs

A huge thanks to all our volunteers, members and supporters for helping Reading Hydro progress so much in 2017.

Here’s to an amazing and energy filled (renewable) 2018 where we’ve already got some exciting plans in the “pipeline” from your ideas (so better recharge those batteries before):

  • Working with schools on educational resources and activities
  • Building awareness through open data and signage in collaboration with The Things Network Reading
  • Supporting the environment through enhanced Fish Passes
  • Ensuring financially and environmentally viable by finalising the preferred tech
  • Monthly Open Action Evenings and  Socials
  • Community and fundraising events – quiz’s, walks, runs, picnics, riverside photography competitions……and?

Don’t forget, there are loads of ways you can get involved and support bringing Renewable Hydro Community Energy to Reading.

Festive Fundraising Cards Available Now – Limited Edition

29/11/201729/11/2017 Erica PurvisLeave a comment

We’re excited to announce that you’re now able to reserve and get your hands on our Reading Hydro Festive* cards.

Just fill in the reservation form here

If you indicate how many you’d like, we’ll be able to get back to you to confirm the availability, cost and the best means we can get them to you locally in Reading.

We have a batch ordered so they will be available from the 1st of December.

Many of us live locally and enjoy cycling and walking,  so if we’re not able to find a local event, spot to exchange them, we may even be able to deliver to your door.

PRICES ARE

  • Individual – £1
  • Packs of 5 – £4
  • Packs of 10 – £7

All profits will go towards the development of Reading Hydro Community Benefit society, enabling us to cover some of the cost involved in taking the project forward.

They’re blank inside so can be used for any occasion and come with either a bright Kingfisher blue or Poppy red envelope. On the back is a reference to Reading Hydro and thanks to supporters.

So get your orders in quick!

And while we’re on that, another HUGE thanks to one of our wonderful volunteers – Nicky Johnson Designs – for helping to design them

*after all a card isn’t just for Christmas…… they’ve been left blank inside so can be used for any occasion.

Oh and don’t forget the upcoming all things Science, Tech, Hydro and…. Things…… Seasonal Gathering on the 12th of December from 7pm at Walkabout

What Could Reading Be Like In 2050?

07/11/201708/11/2017 Erica PurvisLeave a comment

Reading 2050 was established in 2013 by the School of the Built Environment, Barton Wilmore and Reading UK CIC to deliver a strategic, long-term vision that will support the delivery of Reading’s legacy of a truly smart & sustainable city. 

The Reading 2050 lecture series  was recently launched at the newly opened Thames Lido,  as a platform to further some of the visions created and the potential around these.

As you can imagine Reading Hydro are excited to see sustainability and energy such a key focus alongside connecting this with “smart“, so also recognising the potential possibilities linked with integration of Iot and opendata (bottom up and top down) to support a more sustainable Reading.

As with so many sustainability initiatives, it is important to make sure considerations on technology and the surrounding infrastructure are made alongside that of the community and the environment.  As well as this, all with a view to the longterm. This is similar to Reading Hydro, where we are looking at both the short and longer term steps to bring hydro electricity generation to the river Thames at Reading, considering:

SMART TECHNOLOGY 

Integrating building up further knowledge, education and resources for schools on renewable energy generation, through data, sensing and communication. In collaboration with The Things Network Reading and open commuication and collaboration with the local community and organisations.

SUSTAINABLE

Showcase sustainable renewable energy production via practically doing! Alongside this, improving the local biodiversity by an enhanced fish and eel pass, as well as increasing care for the area by our growing supporting hydro  community.

FINANCIALLY VIABLE 

Exemplify a sustainable Community Benefit Society business model that both pays for itself and is able to support the community projects through supplying funding.

Back to Reading 2050 Public Lecture series and highlighting two of the talks we’ll definitely be attending: 

Public Lecture Series
  • The Future of Energy in Reading on the 16th of November
  • Climate Change and flooding in Reading: Current and future risks on the 14th of December

Perhaps see you there, to work on Readings’ sustainable future, or one of our other meetups?

 

All Things Hydro – Field Trip – 10am Sunday 29th October

26/10/201726/10/2017 Erica PurvisLeave a comment

One of the aims of Reading Hydro is also to be able to provide useful and educational data and resources to the local community (and wider).

We’re excited to be linking up with The Things Network Reading to start to explore opportunities to do this at the site, that then may be integrated into our website, a dashboard and perhaps even have live visible data at the lock.

If you’re interested to support or find out more, then join us this Sunday, the 29th of October at 10am down at Caversham Lock for our first Field Research Trip to explore possibilities as well as identify challenges.

This will be followed by coffee and planning close by in Caversham. We’ll confirm where we end up to those that want to join later on our twitter feed – @rdghydro

If you are interested or have ideas already in how IoT can be applied to a community hydroelectric project (or even want to find out more about the Internet of Things or Hydro electric generation) then please join us – the more the merrier !

You can also indicate if you’ll be joining here so we know who to look out for.

Reading Hydro – Action Evening 7pm Wednesday 8th of November

22/10/201722/10/2017 Erica PurvisLeave a comment
Our next Action Evening is in the diary! Come and join us for a drink and discussions, while helping us out on keeping the Reading Hydro Project moving forward.

If you are not already a member you can join us at this or any other open members’ event.

Topics we’ll be looking at include:

  • Applying for seed funding
  • Building our Hydro Community, publicity and awareness
  • Education and open data
  • Next steps with choosing the Technology
  • ???????

There’ll also be some specialist ‘jobs’ you could take on or suggest to suitable friends. Bring your ideas, pens and digital devices.

Find us in ‘Area 3’ (middle right) in Great Expectations, London Street, Reading RG1 4PS from 7pm. If you like, you can let us know you’re joining via our facebook group event or ask any questions in advance.

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