SmartKlub Help Launch New Regeneration & Retrofit Vision
On 11 October in Manchester, Charles Bradshaw-Smith co CEO of SmartKlub, presented a critical element of the UKGBC’s new report on how to better retrofit communities with energy efficiency measures in order to meet UK 2050 climate change targets and regenerate social value in neighbourhoods.
The new approach is well summed up by the following sentence from the executive summary:
“Retrofitting houses with energy efficiency measures can create warm and healthy homes for residents. But retrofitting whole neighbourhoods, working with local people, ideas and skills, can create healthy sustainable communities.”
Charles detailed an example of this by describing a vision where every city region should have a social enterprise assisting with community regeneration, ensuring local people are embedded in any regeneration project acting on behalf of residents in terms of their community know-how and their trades and skills.
Charles’ presentation followed a year’s pro bono work on the UKGBC task group where he led the Social Enterprise innovation stream. He was supported in this work by formerSmartKlub intern Joanna Davies. Charles sat on Q&A panel from the audience of 100+ industry experts and interested parties. The panel also included:
- Alex Willey, Head of Regeneration Projects, Clarion Housing Group
- Andy von Bradsky, DCLG Adviser
- Mark Atherton, Assistant Director GM Environment, Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
The executive summary and full report can be downloaded from here:
The UKGBC press release can also be found here: