Council Fund Gives Power Boost to Age Concern Chiswick
Community groups encourage to apply for grant for energy projects
The charity hopes that new solar panels will reduce its energy bills. Picture: Hounslow Council
October 19, 2026
Age Concern Chiswick has been highlighted as one of the organisations already benefiting from Hounslow Council’s Community Energy Fund, a scheme that has now reopened with £150,000 available to support local environmental projects. Applications are open until next year, with grants of up to £40,000 on offer for charities, community venues, faith groups and neighbourhood organisations looking to reduce energy use and improve their buildings.
The fund is designed to support practical, measurable improvements: air-source heat pumps, LED lighting, insulation, solar panels and other upgrades that cut carbon emissions while strengthening community spaces. Among the previous recipients is Age Concern Chiswick, which received £11,000 to install solar panels at its centre.
For the organisation, the investment has been more than an environmental upgrade. As Mark Pritchard of Age Concern Chiswick explains, managing running costs is central to keeping the charity’s doors open. “We hope the solar panels will help reduce our electricity bills over time, allowing us to direct more of our limited resources towards the activities, services and social opportunities we provide for our members,” he said. The centre plays a vital role in supporting older residents, offering companionship, reducing isolation and providing a welcoming space for social contact. Any savings made on energy bills, Mark added, help maintain those services.
Age Concern Chiswick’s experience illustrates the wider purpose of the Community Energy Fund: environmental improvements that directly strengthen community life. Other beneficiaries include the Arts Centre Hounslow, which used £25,000 to install energy-efficient lighting, and Friends of Northcote Nature Reserve, which received £40,000 for insulation and glazing upgrades.
Councillor Salman Shaheen, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Public Spaces, said the fund is intended to support projects that deliver “real, measurable improvements for communities,” whether through lower energy costs, better facilities or more sustainable spaces. The council is encouraging organisations to apply with proposals that demonstrate clear benefits for local people alongside environmental gains.
Full details of the scheme, including guidance and application criteria, are available via the Hounslow Community Energy Fund web page.
Applications close on Friday 22 January 2027.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |