The Directors of Gawcott Fields Community Solar Project CIC (“Gawcott Solar CIC”) are pleased to present our annual report to bondholders.
Our solar farm continues to demonstrate how locally-owned generation can be of considerable advantage to the community that it serves and mitigate the lasting impacts of global spikes in the cost of energy. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 drove up consumer bills across the country, pushing many into the terrible position of being unable to pay their bills. The higher value of electricity meant that generation plants were in the conflicted position of profiting from the crisis. However, profits generated by community-owned projects like ours go back into the community.
We have been using our profits to support the local community through this challenging time. In 2023, we looked to provide direct relief to those in need by providing over £45,000 of funding to support breakfast clubs, top-up free school meal funds and subside school trips. We have since strived to provide further local resilience by funding long lasting measures to decarbonise the community’s sports clubs and reduce their bills. Our Bee Green grant fund supported the development of over 50kW of rooftop solar and battery storage systems. It also funded energy efficiency upgrades for community spaces and projects that support children with environmental awareness and nature-based learning. Read the full report below to find out more about our community impact.
Download the full 2024 Annual Report
Download the June 2024 Annual Accounts
The second bond interest payment of 6.5% on the new bonds was made in September 2024 along with the second instalment of capital repayment into Ethex’s wallet system. Under withholding tax rules, interest payments are paid to bondholders net of tax at the basic rate for income tax (currently 20%) unless they were purchased through Ethex’s IFISA. If you have any queries regarding the payment then please email registry@ethex.org.uk or give them a call on 01865 403304.
Thanks to all our bondholders for their support and we look forward to another successful year of operation.
Last spring we rolled out further rooftop solar schemes across two more sports clubs in our local community. The first of these was Buckingham Golf Club, which is now celebrating one year of clean, renewable energy. A year on, the project is proving to be a win for the club and its finances, the environment and the local community.
...read moreOne year on from receiving a Bee Green grant from Gawcott Solar, the Greener Padbury Group’s “Go Wild in the Woods!” programme has made a fantastic impact
...read more