Helping Norfolk’s Community Buildings Go Greener 

There’s no shortage of passion in Norfolk’s community buildings when it comes to tackling climate change, but knowing how and where to start can be a real challenge. Many are run by volunteers, rely on tight budgets, and serve rural or low income areas where every penny counts. 

That’s why we were so pleased to work with the Norfolk Climate Change Partnership to deliver free support to community buildings across seven Norfolk districts: Norwich, Great Yarmouth, North Norfolk, West Norfolk, South Norfolk, Broadland, and Breckland. 

This project was a way of saying “thank you” to the brilliant groups who took part in the wider Net Zero Communities Project, and to help them take real, practical steps toward becoming more energy efficient and climate resilient. 

What We Did 

We rolled up our sleeves and worked directly with a range of venues, from Churches to busy historic Town Halls and modern Community Centres. Every building was different, but they all shared a desire to do the right thing. 

We carried out individual energy efficiency audits, checking lighting, heating, insulation, and general energy use.  Each group received a tailored Decarbonisation Plan, helping them make sense of their next steps.  We also hosted an online seminar, open to all Norfolk community buildings, focused on energy-saving and funding tips. 

“When we think about making energy improvements in the home,” explains Clare Fiander, our Operations Manager (Funding and Development), “many of us aren’t sure where to start or who to ask for advice.  What we found is, it’s the same for community buildings!” 

What We Found 

We saw some brilliant work already happening, but also some common challenges: 

• Lighting: Many venues had started switching to LED lighting but couldn’t afford to replace older fittings like strip lights. 
• Insulation: A lot of older buildings lacked insulation, especially those with single brick construction or listed status that made upgrades tricky. 
• Heating: Some had installed air or ground source heat pumps, but others still relied on expensive and inefficient electric systems. 
• Renewables: A few had solar panels (great!), but none had battery storage, which means lots of that power was going unused. Wind and solar thermal options were rarely on the radar. 
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“There are so many ways halls can reduce their carbon footprint and save money on energy,” says Clare, “but this is regularly undermined by being unaware that it’s more important to ‘shore-up’ your insulation first, or thinking about less commonly adopted options.” 

Some Halls were already performing well and looking to fine tune their systems, while others were just beginning their journey, but despite them all being in different places on their energy effiency journey, everyone wanted to do more. 

What’s Holding Groups Back? 

Despite the enthusiasm, three key barriers came up time and again: 

1. Funding for small jobs like replacing light fittings or doing feasibility studies is rarely covered, even though it can make a big impact. 
2. Access to expert advice, especially for older or listed buildings, is often expensive or not clearly available. 
3. Confidence when applying for funding - while many groups could show how much energy they’d save, they were less sure how to explain the social benefits, like warmer spaces, greater use, or stronger community resilience. 

“With even just a little bit of awareness raising,” Clare shared, “We’ve seen groups go from uncertain to inspired. There’s so much potential once they know what’s possible.” 

Learning Together 

Our online workshop brought people together to learn, share, and support one another. We explored retrofit options, funding ideas, and busted some big myths, like the belief that only large-scale projects can get grants. (Not True!) 

We also encouraged groups to think beyond the basics.  Battery storage, smart heating zones, rainwater harvesting, and even green roofs, all have potential, and every small step counts. 

Looking Ahead 

There’s no doubt the appetite to go greener is strong across Norfolk. But community buildings need tailored advice, practical solutions, and funding that reflects their size and capacity. 

“We hope to support even more community buildings going forward,” Clare says.  

At Community Action Norfolk, we’re proud to be part of that journey. Whether you’re looking to cut energy bills, reduce carbon emissions, or just make your space more comfortable year-round, we’re here to help. 

Want to know more? 

Drop us an email: office@communityactionnorfolk.org.uk 
Give us a call: 01362 698216