Since 2023, The Linbury Trust has been supporting almost 30 organisations with their aspirations to improve energy efficiency, and reduce utility costs; work that helps to benefit the environment, and free up organisational budgets to spend on their core mission, whether that is providing support for homeless people, or making theatre accessible to everyone. Grants were given for energy audits, to help charities understand the detail and options for their energy use, as well as grants for interventions that would put that thinking into real practice; solar panels, new lighting, building management systems, improved insulation etc. – all to help bring down rising energy bills, carbon emissions and maintenance costs. Grantees came from across the Trust’s portfolio, and a fellow Sainsbury family charity, Ashden, has been leading on a learning network, bringing the grantees together once a quarter to share updates, best practice, and to help maximise the grant through encouraging wider organisational changes. Four of those grantees, Chiswick House, Crawley Open House, Northern Ballet, and St Michael’s Hospice feature in the film below, sharing the positive impact the grant, and the network, has had on them.
If you are an organisation thinking about embarking on your own programme of energy efficiency and sustainability, a first step might be to think about commissioning an energy audit, to understand how you are using energy, and options for reducing / changing use. The guidance document on this page sets some questions for you to consider to help you get the most from an energy audit. The links below provide a wealth of advice, guidance, and funding sources. If you are a funder, and would like to know more about this programme, please get in touch.
Energy Audit Guidelines
Energy Audit Guidelines (Accessible Plain Text Version)
Energy Audit Guidelines (PDF)
Other Resources
- Welcome to Julie’s Bicycle | Homepage | Culture & Climate Non-Profit
- Sustainable Screen Resource Hub | Taking Action
- Resource Hub – SAIL
- Energy efficiency improvements for community buildings – Centre for Sustainable Energy
- Theatre Green Book |
- Ashden • Climate Change Charity
- Creative Climate Charter – The Creative Industries
- Making an environmental action plan | The National Lottery Community Fund
- Energy Resilience Fund | Co-operative and Community Finance
- Risks of Energy Efficiency Interventions in Buildings of Traditional Construction | Historic England
- Historic England – developing a decarbonisation plan
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