A NEW eco-friendly initiative has been announced in Stroud as it has been selected as one of six pilot areas in the UK to lead the roll-out of The Midcounties Co-operative’s ‘Sustainable Communities’ programme.

The project aims to build stronger local communities by engaging local people to work together to be more eco-friendly, and to help combat the rising issue of fuel poverty.

Sustainable school initiatives will also empower young people, and raise awareness about the sustainable Co-operative business model.

The ‘Sustainable Communities’ pilot will kick off in Stroud later this month with an event at Cainscross Co-operative Food store.

The aim of the event was to raise awareness of energy saving methods available and of initiatives already in place, for example the solar panels fitted on Cainscross Nursery.

Since their installation, the panels have produced enough energy to power three households for a year and saved 4,208 kg of CO2.

The aim of the initiative in Stroud is to educate the community about energy saving and promote services available to help people reduce their energy use.

Phil Truman, Leadership Team Ambassador at The Midcounties Co-operative in Stroud, said: “Stroud is perfectly placed to lead this sustainability initiative and we are looking forward to seeing the roll out of more facilities and educational sessions in the area in the future.

“As a co-operative, we’re committed to working with the communities that we operate in to create a lasting impact on the things that matter to them. It’s encouraging to see young children and adults alike showing an interest in green energy and the environment and a great pleasure to be able to provide the community with this information which will hopefully help answer their questions.”