Green charity seeks Brixton interns to earn and learn

Innovative London energy charity Repowering is expanding its quest to provide young Londoners with the opportunities and skills to become the city’s future green leaders in Brixton, Eric Schloss explains

A successful community energy organisation is offering local young people the chance to gain qualifications and experience in green energy – seen as a vital and expanding industry in the UK and the world.

Repowering has been generating sustainable energy through locally owned projects in Brixton and Hackney since 2012. The community benefit society also works to tackle fuel poverty. It provides paid internships for young people in the neighbourhoods where it has installed energy generating solar projects.

Programmes have been offered at the Loughborough Estate and Roupell Park on Brixton Hill as well as in Hackney.

Now Repowering is launching internships for young people in Brixton who want to help the community and the planet; get paid and learn.

Repowering interns have already achieved amazing things. Victoria Omubuwajo was the Solar Power Portal Intern of the Year in 2015. Interns Ziggy and Israel had their concerns about the government’s change in support for renewables raised in Parliament. Kemal Callender from Roupell Park used his Repowering experience to jump start a media enterprise with supercars.

Last year as part of Repowering’s energy garden internship young people from all over London learned about community empowerment through gardening. They discovered how to use food waste to generate electricity and how to identify community needs as well as the ins and outs of setting up a social enterprise.

These sessions were rewarded with certificates from the AQA – the largest provider of academic qualifications in schools and colleges – and all interns received six certificates each. They will boost the holders’ employability in any sector – although environmental champions are what London needs most.

Being able to offer this stepping stone for young Londoners was a Repowering exclusive. Now the organisation wants to build on these successes by launching a Brixton-wide internship for all young people who are motivated to help the community and the planet; get paid and earn qualifications whilst doing it.

Repowering will return to its roots in 2017 by focusing on developing energy efficiency models as part of Brixton Energy along with the Transition Town Brixton group and the Brixton Impact Hub.

If you are under 26, live in Brixton and are keen to be involved in the internships coming up this year, send an email straight away to info@repowering.org.uk.