The Provincial Environment Group (PEG) is seeking ten volunteer congregations to take part in a series of Net Zero Workshops starting this autumn. The workshops will focus on energy use in SEC buildings, an important part of net zero that also affects congregational finances.

The workshops are based on the HeatHack programme funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Ingenious programme and already running across the UK. Past churches taking part have discovered simple things they can do to save energy now and made long-term plans for change. The workshops are, according to the HeatHack website: “a programme of facilitated group sessions that community building operators can use to understand what a net zero future holds for their own premises. It will help them not just understand energy efficiency and thermal comfort in difficult buildings, but also to think about how their buildings should be used in their local contexts and how to make this change happen.”

The workshops are for a group of six to ten people from within a congregation, from amongst church building users, and within the local community. They should take around six hours to complete in total, split over a few sessions. PEG is also looking for volunteers who might be interested in helping congregations to run these workshops or joining another congregation’s group as a fresh pair of eyes, as well as gaining insight that they can take to their home congregation.

PEG intend to run a webinar about the programme in early October, offering the chance for interested congregations to get more information about the workshops, however registrations for the workshops are already open if your congregation is ready to participate.

• You can sign up to get more information here – or you can also email join@heathack.org.

Calling all engineers

PEG wants to get an engineer involved with every congregation running Net Zero Workshops to help them be practical in their planning and support them to understand some very basic facts about heating buildings. Simple materials will be made available to tell you what you need to know. Past engineers have found volunteering for the programme fascinating and rewarding. If this sounds like you, please get in touch using the same link or email above.