As part of National Grid’s community team for the Bramford to Twinstead project, Gabby Waterman spends much of her time speaking with communities, local organisations and community representatives across Suffolk and Essex.
She knows that major infrastructure projects can raise questions, but that they can also bring opportunities when funding is offered and shaped around the places and people.
For Gabby, that connection to the area matters. She is from East Anglia and worked in the region’s offshore wind sector before joining National Grid.
That background has given her a strong sense of how the transition to cleaner energy depends not only on new infrastructure, but also on local understanding and the right support for communities along the way.
“It’s really important that communities can see tangible benefits from projects like this,” Gabby said. “These are places people care deeply about, and the fund is about supporting projects that matter to them.”
The Bramford to Twinstead Community Fund is a multi-year £4.2 million investment linked to National Grid’s plans for new electricity infrastructure between Bramford in Suffolk and Twinstead in Essex.
The fund is designed to support people who live, work and volunteer in communities near the project route.
It has two parts, with the Local Fund offering grants of up to £20,000 for projects that directly benefit communities near the route.
Applications are reviewed every three months and assessed against clear criteria, including how well the project supports local communities and fits with the fund’s themes.
The Strategic Fund will support longer-term priorities across the local area and wider region.
The first round of funding is already helping a wide range of local organisations.
At St John the Baptist CEVA Primary School in Suffolk, the parent teacher association (PTA) has received £19,940 to replace ageing climbing equipment with a new play structure.
The funding will help create improved outdoor play space for pupils, giving children more opportunities to be active, build confidence and enjoy time outside during the school day.
The fund is also supporting organisations providing direct help to local families.
New Life Church’s Abi’s Footprints Baby Bank in Sudbury has received more than £5,500 to fund a part-time support worker.
The role will help deliver free parent, baby and toddler groups and provide home visits to families experiencing child poverty and parental isolation.
“When you look at what this funding is supporting, it becomes very real,” said Gabby. “Whether it is a school having better play equipment, a village hall reducing its energy costs, or a baby bank being able to support more families.”
In Alphamstone, Essex, the village hall has received nearly £10,000 to install a 14-panel solar photovoltaic system and battery storage, which is expected to help reduce energy costs.
Similarly, Stour Power Community Energy has also been awarded £5,000 to commission a technical feasibility study for a run-of-river hydro project, which could supply renewable energy to local homes and businesses.
Gabby said projects like these reflect the wider shift taking place across the energy system, supporting sustainability of community facilities.
“We are all using more electricity in our everyday lives, from the way we heat our homes to how we travel and use technology,” she said. “That means the electricity network needs to be upgraded so it can carry more clean, home-grown power to homes and businesses.”
For communities across Suffolk and Essex, these first awards are only the beginning. National Grid will continue to publish updates on how funding is allocated and the difference it is making locally.
Gabby said: “The projects supported in this first round are very different, but they all have something in common. They are rooted in their communities, and they respond to real local needs. That is exactly what this fund is here to do.
“As the Bramford to Twinstead project progresses, we want to keep listening and keep working with communities so the funding supports the things that will make a genuine difference locally.”
For more information on the project and how to apply, visit tinyurl.com/bramford-to-twinstead-fund
This article is part of LOCALiQ's Clean & Green campaign, which aims to promote our region as the biggest in the UK and Europe for all forms of renewable energy.
Share