Empowering Communities from Seed to Solar Power

Energy Garden works with urban communities to help redefine cities' relationship with nature

Over the last ten years, Energy Garden has secured funding to negotiate the legal permissions of solar installations; paid staff to oversee the development of community gardens; run 70 schools’ programmes and 5 youth training programmes; and bought the materials and equipment necessary to help communities transform their schools, estates, and overground rail stations into green, health-giving spaces. Across the 26 gardens, over 140 people are now actively involved in Energy Garden, making a positive impact for residents and millions of train passengers.

A decade of gardening on the railway

The first Energy Garden was established in 2012 at Brondesbury Park Station in Northwest London. It's still going strong and has now been joined by 25 other railway gardens. These gardens are seen by 365,000 London commuters per day.

To date, this programme has:

• Transformed thousands of square metres of London Overground trackside space
• Activated over 300 volunteers
• Supported 130 community groups over 14 local authorities
• Held 120 public consultations 
• Put on 70 sessions in 44 schools with 2,400 children
• Provided AQA-accreditation for 62 young Londoners in renewable energy and horticulture

Gaining Access for Communities

We gain access to urban spaces like railway stations and rooftops. We then support communities who live locally to garden at the stations. And we pay for the installation of solar panels on rooftops through community share offers. Our financial model allows communities to invest in solar projects and earn a financial return from the sale of clean energy. The excess revenue is then used to fund the gardens and youth training initiatives at the core of Energy Garden. Everyone is welcome to invest from £50. Find out more and pledge to invest here. 

We provide a model for communities and businesses seeking to address the environmental and social crises we face

Our purpose is to:

• create green spaces, green energy and green finance solutions.
• inspire & empower urban communities to turn climate anxiety into action
• bring joy and opportunity to urban communities
• help businesses to become truly sustainable through a transformative green finance solutions

Energy Garden navigates barriers that are traditionally seen as too large for individuals to overcome by using the power of the collective. Our project matters because it provides a platform for ideas and collective action in the face of the climate crisis. By 2024, we plan to be financially self-sufficient through revenues from the sale of decentralised, community-owned energy. This 'energy and gardening' cooperative is community-led, with every member receiving one vote, regardless of the size of their investment.
 

More clean energy and more community gardens in London

Transport remains the largest emitting sector in Great Britain, responsible for ~27% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Energy Garden works with transport providers in London to decarbonise the rail with solar energy and green space. To do this Energy Garden is co-creating the journey with passengers. Our vision is to support communities to own and operate 4MW of solar capacity and 50 community gardens in the next four years.

The UK's first community energy project on the railway

On 17 November 2021, Energy Garden launched its first community share offer to install 231kWp of solar on London’s rooftops. The share offer closed on 22 December 2021 with 115% of the target raised by 168 community investors. Revenue from these solar panels will support London's Overground community gardens, bringing huge benefits to the environment, commuters and local people.

Help us install a new garden on the London Overground!

Your contribution to our Crowdfunder will be spent directly on developing a new community garden on the railway. We will use £30,000 to work with rail companies and local communities to co-design, build and maintain the garden from scratch. A further £15,000 will enable us to pay our youth trainees to take part in the creation and maintenance of the garden. Every penny will help us deliver the cleaner, greener future we all deserve!

Our Supporters

"The Mayor has set the ambitious target for London to be net zero carbon by 2030. This means switching to zero emission transport, retrofitting homes and workplaces to make them energy efficient and supplying our city with a range of clean energy sources. He has also committed to making our city greener to help keep the city cool and adapt to a changing climate as well as improving access to green spaces for Londoners. The Mayor cannot achieve these objectives alone and we welcome the range of innovative new community investment models being created around the city. Projects like Energy Garden not only create new green spaces but allow Londoners to get involved in renewable energy programmes that benefit their local area and stimulate a green recovery."

-Shirley Rodrigues, London Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy

“It is fantastic to be bringing this project with Energy Gardens to life. This project offers so much; it is taking an area which previously had no real use and turning into something of tangible value for the community and our environment, while also supporting our journey to becoming a net zero company. It’s been really exciting to work with a team so driven by creating community value with such an innovative approach.”  

-Keith Jipps, Infrastructure Director at Govia Thameslink Railway 

“Energy Garden is an impact multiplier which goes beyond decarbonising the two most carbon intensive sectors of the economy – energy and transport. In a highly visible way with highly visible local community benefit, it provides community gardens, cleaner air, youth apprenticeships and education, and reinforces a sense of local community. Investors looking to maximise their environmental and social return on investment, to support community resilience and regeneration, and to deploy capital in support of a just and net-zero energy transition, should be looking at Energy Garden.” 

-Colin Baines Investment Engagement Manager, Friends Provident Foundation

‘London Overground is often at the heart of the communities it serves, so it has been great to partner with Energy Garden to help make our stations look and feel even better for our customers. With many successful community-led gardens already in place and more to come, we welcome the great work Energy Gardens is doing.’

-Rory O’Neill TfL’s General Manager for London Overground

“The Energy Garden model proposes an important way to pair retail and institutional investors in a process that helps solve our looming climate crisis, builds community wealth and empowers neighbourhoods.” 

-Michael Berkowitz former CEO of Rockefeller’s 100 Resilient Cities and now CEO Resilient Cities Catalyst

Energy Garden Highlights

Energy Garden featured as an exemplar project on the World Economic Forum;  it was championed in the UK Government's COP26 #OneStepGreener Campaign; featured in Patagonia's Film on Community Energy 'We The Power'; on BBC Radio 4’s You & Yours; in The Guardian, ITV, and the Evening Standard; and won the UK Renewable Energy Awards. Showcased in Climate of Change Audible Original Podcast alongside Cate Blanchett & HRH Prince William.