As part of a visit to Greater Manchester, Phil Wynn Owen, Director General for National Climate Change and Consumer Support at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) visited one of Foundation’s demonstration projects.

The South Manchester Carbon Co-op, based in Hulme, received £3,000 from Foundation at the start of the year to set up two community cooperatives with the aim to stimulate discussion and encourage communities to develop their own ideas to respond to energy and climate change concerns. Since then, the Co-op has secured additional funding to develop and expand the project from the Mancheter Innovation Fund and ‘Big Green Challenge Plus’, a collaborative scheme between DECC and NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts).

During the visit, which took place at the Work for Change theatre in Hulme, Jonathan Akinson, who project manages the Co-op’s workshops, spoke about the work that Foundation supported as well as other project developments he is working on in the Wythenshawe & Moss Side districts of Manchester.

Phil’s role at DECC sees him responsible for encouraging the transition to a low-carbon economy, with help for those who need it most. As part of his visit to the region he also met with the Greater Manchester Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre and took a trip to the Manchester Eco House. With so much positive action being taken in the Northwest, we’re sure he was very impressed with what he saw!