We’re delighted to share some brilliant news —we’ve successfully powered up another school with clean, community-owned solar energy!
Thanks to the amazing support of our community, we raised almost £200,000 in our latest share offer. This has already enabled us to install 166 solar panels at The Divine Mercy RC Primary School in Moss Side, which have been generating clean, green electricity since December 2025.
A Real Community Effort 💚
We can’t say this enough—this achievement belongs to all of you. Local residents and supporters came together to invest over £160,000, with an additional £25,000 match investment from the Community Shares Booster Fund. Your support keeps projects like this moving forward.
For us, it’s exactly what community energy should be: local people coming together to support local schools, cut carbon, and keep money circulating in our communities.
Director, Kate Eldridge said:
“We’re thrilled with the response—it means we can continue a programme that’s a win for everyone: schools, the environment, our investors, and the children themselves.”
Making a Difference Where It Matters 🏫
At The Divine Mercy, the benefits are already being felt. The school is now enjoying reduced energy bills and lower carbon emissions—while also gaining a fantastic real-life resource for teaching pupils about sustainability and climate action.
The team at the school told us:
“Taking steps to reduce our carbon emissions is essential given the climate emergency. Being able to do this through community-owned solar panels is wonderful. We’re excited to use them as part of our environmental education.”
That’s exactly why we do what we do.
And There’s More to Come… 🔋
We’re not stopping here. Thanks to this successful share offer, we’ll soon be installing solar at two more sites:
- Springwood Primary School (Swinton)
- Springwood Primary School (Craig Hall, Irlam)
That means even more schools—and more pupils—benefiting from clean energy and hands-on learning about the transition to a greener future.
Our Impact So Far 🌍
Since 2016, we’ve already helped nine schools and a local charity go solar, and together we’ve:
- Saved over £200,000 in energy costs for schools
- Prevented around 950 tonnes of carbon emissions
- Supported local environmental projects through our GMCR Community Fund
That’s money staying in classrooms and communities—not going to big energy companies.
Thank You 🙌
We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us—whether by investing, partnering, or championing community energy.
And we’re just getting started.
Want to be part of what we do next? Sign up to our newsletter to stay right up to date or reach out to us directly at info@gmcr.org.uk
