On Saturday 27 June, Milton Keynes Community Energy joined the city’s Great Get Together Community Picnic at Camphill MK, and found a warm welcome and real appetite for community-owned solar.
Last Saturday our team spent a memorable day among neighbours, families and community groups at the Great Get Together, hosted by Emily Darlington MP for Milton Keynes Central, alongside Camphill Communities MK’s Midsummer Fair.
As part of the national initiative created by the Jo Cox Foundation, the event marks the tenth anniversary of Jo Cox’s death and the belief she is remembered for: that we have far more in common than that which divides us.
It was a day made for it. Glorious sunshine drew crowds across Camphill’s grounds, from the craft stalls and music by the theatre and cafe to picnic blankets under the trees.
An accordion player struck up in the shade, while Milton Keynes Muthamizh Mandram, the city’s Tamil community group, gave a beautiful dance performance and served up delicious food. They were also inviting visitors to their Sports Day on Saturday 4 July at Shenley Brook End School, as an extension of the community spirit we were all feeling from the day.
We were tucked away in the paddock at the back, or so we thought. From opening until we packed up at 2pm, a steady stream of visitors came to our table to hear how community-owned solar works. We were raising awareness of MKCE and our Home Energy MK programme, marking our recent Green Business Fund success, and introducing our new Community Solar for MK Organisations programme. We came away with new mailing-list sign-ups and plenty of good conversations with new people interested in reducing their energy bills.
By the end of the day Jane’s voice had all but gone and the team was looking a little sun-baked, but nobody minded. We’d had a great day meeting old friends and new. The conversations we had were useful and exciting, and proof that what MKCE is doing is important: keeping energy, and the benefits it brings, in the hands of local people.
The timing was fitting, too. Community Energy Fortnight runs from 1 to 14 July, a national celebration of the difference community-led energy is already making, and we will be sharing more of our work with Community Energy England throughout.
Our warm thanks to Camphill MK and to Emily Darlington MP for organising such a worthwhile day, and to everyone who stopped by to see us.
