The Keech Solar Legacy Project

Keech Hospice is a well known charity in the area, supporting terminally ill children and adults and their families across the region. It’s also the beneficiary of a unique solar project, one of the largest in the town, and a model for community solar that is the first of its kind in the UK.

The project began when Eddie Doherty of Renewable Edtricity Systems was introduced to representatives from Keech at an event. They told him how rising energy prices affected their charity, and it set Doherty thinking about what he could do. “Not knowing what was ahead of us, we went back to them and said we’ll install something for free for you.”

This rapidly became a collaborative effort, as “it would have been an uphill struggle with square wheels if we had tried to do it on our own,” as Doherty puts it. What followed was “a lot of begging, many, many hours of designing, of liaising with Keech,” and slowly a team came together. Business connections led to a donation of 504 panels from Astronergy, while another major solar supplier, Clenergy, donated the bars and clips for mounting the panels.

Without the support of these national suppliers, “there would be no project at all”, says Doherty, but it would take a lot more teamwork to carry out the install. At the local level, support first began to come in from Irish construction companies in Luton, including Capital Sky who are currently working on the new Luton Town stadium. Companies offered support in kind, such as scaffolding or the use of a fork-lift hoist. Others lent staff time, sending teams to work on the electrics or the panel installation.

Some of these companies would normally be in competition with each other, but found themselves working side by side on the roof of the hospice. “We’ve got some of the UK’s biggest suppliers, wholesalers, and they’re all working together,” says Doherty. “It’s a unity between giants of the sector that would normally be – not at loggerheads exactly, but certainly in healthy competition. They’ve put that aside, and what better way to come together than for Keech?”

When the installation is complete by the end of November 2025, it will be an array of 504 solar panels. That will save Keech a significant amount of money, estimated to be worth 50 to 60 thousand pounds a year for the life of the panels. “Lower energy bills mean we can reinvest that saving directly into specialist compassionate care for children and adults with life-limiting conditions in our community,” say Keech.

Luton Town’s sustainable new kit

Do Luton Town have the most environmentally friendly football kit in the country?

Quite possibly. This year’s kit is the first made by Reflo, a sustainable sportswear company. It will use their Reloop fabric, which is made of recycled polyester and is in turn fully recyclable. It means the kit can be taken back and processed into new polyester at the end of its useful life.

The club say it’s “a meaningful solution to the 92 million tonnes of textiles that end up in landfill each year, transforming shirts into a circular product that can be reborn season after season.”

Reflo are signed up for three years, and are making the away and third kits too. All of them have been designed in collaboration with the Luton Supporter’s Trust, ensuring that the material innovation still honours the club’s tradition and branding.

This isn’t just a first for Luton, it’s a first for football. No other team has a shirt with environmental credentials like this one. Not even Forest Green Rovers, often hailed as the greenest team in the land. Admittedly they may be about to unveil a new kit with Reflo too, but Luton have beaten them to the announcement and get to say they were the first.

The recyclable shirts are part of Luton Town’s rather impressive commitment to sustainability, with the new stadium due to be among the greenest in the country.

Pupils share tech innovations for a better world

Students from across Luton and the region have taken part in the Climate Change and Digital Innovation Summit, presenting their work on environmentally themed apps. Teams from 16 schools in the Chiltern Learning Trust met at Venue 360 to display their apps, give demonstrations of their tech, and hear from other young coders and tech professionals.

Each team presented their app from the stage and at a stand in the hall, with visitors and experts voting for a favourite. The winning project was Cedars Upper School with an app called Cedars Uniform Marketplace. The team identified the multiple benefits of reuse as a climate action: reusing school uniform reduces waste, and also builds community and saves families money.

Marston Vale Middle School created an app to help their teachers cut down on paper use and took second place. Third place went to an eco-art app developed by a team of girls from Lark Rise Academy, which creates artwork and music from walks in nature. Sophie and Grace, both in year six, developed new skills in working together as a team, and found new confidence in presenting their app. “I was kind of scared to go on stage, and then when I was on, it was fun,” says Sophie. “I loved talking to everyone about our idea.”

Among the other projects were apps that educate users on deforestation or recycling. The team from Chiltern Academy focused on food waste and the benefits of composting. Lea Manor High’s wellness app helped people to draw the connections between their own health and the health of the planet.

The Climate Change and Digital Innovation Summit, now in its third year, is organized by Denbigh High School, the Chiltern Learning Trust, and Apps for Good. Students use lessons from the tech education charity Apps for Good, along with their app development platform. Some take part in the programme during computing lessons, others as an extra-curricular activity. The winning team from Cedars High School meet as a lunchtime coding club.

For an organization that mainly works online, the event has become a fixture in the calendar for Apps for Good. “The best bit is hearing students so confidently sharing their ideas with our industry volunteers and getting real life feedback,” says Natalie Moore, CEO at Apps for Good. “I feel reassured that our future is in good hands with these inspiring young people, and excited about the app ideas they’ve come up with to combat climate change.”

Apps for Good work with over 28,000 students every year, challenging pupils to take on a tech project that tackles climate change or a social issue. With lessons exploring the problems and practical tools for building solutions, pupils develop working prototype apps that could make a difference in their community. The programme nurtures skills in two key areas of the economy, green jobs and the tech sector.

“The inspiring innovation we saw from students of all ages at CCADIS underscores the vital importance of this work,” says Emma Darcy, Director of Technology for Learning at Denbigh High School. “By using tech to tackle climate change and social issues, these young people gain crucial digital, oracy, and problem-solving skills. This not only opens doors to sustainability and technology careers, but also empowers them to actively address their concerns and build a more climate-conscious future.”

Luton’s efficient social housing

Luton is in the top ten towns in the country for energy efficient social housing, according to a study from U-Switch.

The study looked at average Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) scores across all 317 local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland. In first place was Exeter, where the average EPC was 82, with 14% of their social properties scoring an A. Exeter has been a national leader on Passivhaus standards, which is one of the leading design codes for creating homes with low energy needs.

Luton squeaked into the top ten at number 10, thanks to an average EPC score of 73.6. It shows a commitment to energy efficient homes, and lower bills for Luton residents in council houses. There’s more to come too, as visitors were able to see at the retrofit open house that ran for several weeks in 2023. There are plans for further improvements to insulation, heating controls, and low carbon heating sources.

Drop in on the repair cafe

After a succesful pilot last year and a clothing repair session at the Utilita Hub, the repair cafe returns on the 1st of March. Drop to Utilita in the mall on the afternoon of March 1st and experts will be on hand to help repair clothing and textiles.

Keep up with future events by following Luton Repair Network on Facebook. See the Repair Cafe website for more on this international movement, and read Julie Furnivall’s article here for how people are bringing it to Luton.

A call to action on fly tipping

Tamar Lovindeer-Robinson writes:

“One hand can’t clap” – Jamaican Proverb

This timeless Jamaican saying reminds us that collective effort is the heartbeat of progress. Fly-tipping, the illegal dumping of waste, is not only an affront to the beauty of our shared spaces but also a stark warning about what happens when responsibility falters and we fail to work together.

The Environmental Toll of Fly-Tipping

Fly-tipping scars the environment with devastating consequences. Harmful chemicals leach into soil and water systems, endangering wildlife and ecosystems. Piles of discarded waste attract pests, contribute to air pollution when burned illegally, and block drainage systems, causing flooding. What’s worse, these acts of neglect are not isolated—they set a precedent for more dumping, fostering a culture of disregard for the natural world.

In Sikh teachings, Guru Nanak said, “Air is the Guru, Water the Father, and Earth the Great Mother.” When we pollute and abuse these sacred elements, we jeopardize not just the environment but the very essence of life that sustains us. The next generation—those little ones walking among us today—are inheriting a planet poisoned by inaction. What kind of legacy is this?

The Ripple Effect on Community

When elders show disdain for their surroundings, it sends a toxic message to young people: “Your space doesn’t matter, and neither do you.” This disconnection breeds disengagement. Fly-tipping and neglect alienate young people from their environment and heritage, leaving them feeling unattached to the streets, parks, and public spaces that should be sources of pride and inspiration.

It’s not surprising that these feelings of disassociation can lead to deeper divides—social and emotional. Imagine a cricket pitch strewn with garbage; it’s no longer a place to practice the artistry of the game, to hear the satisfying crack of bat against ball, or to connect with teammates. Disheveled surroundings extinguish joy and community spirit.

Transforming Ugly Eyesores into Pride

It doesn’t have to be this way. Across the globe, the most breathtaking destinations remind us of the power of human care and collective pride. Think of the serene Masuria lakes of Poland, the Himalayan peaks of Pakistan, the Sundarbans mangroves of Bangladesh, Jamaica’s lush Blue Mountains, Ghana’s Kakum National Park, Nigeria’s Yankari Game Reserve, and the Lake District in the UK. What do they all have in common? They are spaces nurtured by communities who understand that beauty inspires and sustains us.

In Luton, we can take a page from their book. Swift action to tackle fly-tipping, whether through communal clean-ups or lobbying for better waste management infrastructure, can have transformative effects. Beautification projects such as community murals, greenery planting, or restoring cricket pitches can turn “eyesores” into vibrant places of pride and connection.

A Call to Action

To all passionate, transformative people—regardless of age or background—this is your moment. The fight against fly-tipping is not just a task for the council or environmental agencies. It’s a mission that calls on us all to become caretakers of our shared spaces.

Plant a flower where trash once lay. Call out bad behavior when you see it. Rally your friends and neighbors to clean and beautify the neglected corners of your community. As Sikh wisdom reminds us, “When the hands are united, what work cannot be accomplished?”

The world is a cricket match, and every individual has a role to play in ensuring our fields are green, our skies are clear, and our communities are strong. Let us honor our elders by respecting the earth they leave behind and inspire the young by showing them how beautiful their future can be. Together, we can create a Luton—and a planet—worth loving.

About the Author

Growing up in an area plagued by fly-tipping, I’ve witnessed firsthand how illegal waste disposal destroys the beauty of a community. The mountains of rubbish, unpleasant smells, pests, and obstructions have been a persistent reminder of the harm this neglect causes—not just to the environment but to the people who live there.

Determined to make a difference, I’ve channeled my passion for environmental action into creating Red Hand, a crime-fighting character armed with a red workman’s glove, symbolizing a rallying cry against those who harm our environment. Through Red Hand, I aim to inspire others to stand up for the spaces we all share and protect the beauty of our communities.

I’m especially proud of Luton’s beautiful Green Flag parks—Brantwood Park, Leagrave Park, Memorial Park, People’s Park, Stockwood Park, and Wardown Park. These incredible spaces represent the best of our town, earning recognition from the prestigious Green Flag Award as some of the finest parks and open spaces in the UK. They are a source of pride for Luton, and it’s vital we work together to keep them and the rest of our environment clean and welcoming.If you’re passionate about making a difference, I invite you to join Luton’s Very Own (LVO), a growing community of environmental advocates. Follow us on Facebook (227 members strong), Instagram (168 followers), and Patreon to stay updated and get involved. Or, better yet, join the conversation and action on our Discord server, where passionate locals are uniting to transform our town for the better. Together, we can create a cleaner, greener Luton.

A Repair Café – coming soon to a place near you!

Julie Furnivall writes:

Do you feel angry when you read about the huge quantities of electrical goods, textiles, and “stuff” that we throw away? So do we!

A few of us from Luton Green Hub and from Luton Friends of the Earth decided to do something about the massive quantity of things that go to landfill. So, we put the word out about what we wanted to do, and we rapidly gathered around 30 people who were passionate about trying to fix things.

It’s been nearly a year in the planning, but we are now almost ready to launch Luton’s very own Repair Café. You might be wondering what a Repair Café is.  Read on ….

A repair café is a group of volunteers who meet on a regular basis (usually one Saturday a month) in a place where people can bring things that they don’t want to throw away.  The volunteers try to mend the clothing, electrical equipment, bicycles etc that the public bring in. While the volunteers are casting their expert eyes over the things that have been brought in, members of the public can share a cup of tea and a piece of cake, or similar. Our Repair Café is intended to be sociable and fun, so one of our aims is to reduce social isolation. Everything provided in a Repair Café is free of charge, but the people who come are asked to make a donation to go towards the costs of things like insurance, hall hire and refreshments.

Members of the public can also watch their possessions being repaired and can learn from the volunteer repairers how to care for their things.  For this reason, acquiring additional skills is another of our aims – and of course, the repairers will be constantly learning as they are faced with ever more challenges.

So why has it taken us almost a year to plan Luton’s Repair Café?

Well, we want to make sure we get it right!  I personally am obsessive about health and safety and the legal documentation, and I want to make sure that everything we do meets the highest standards.

To make sure we get it right, we decided to visit all the Repair Cafés in nearby towns. We had such a lovely welcome everywhere and learnt a lot from our neighbours at the Stevenage and to Hitchin Repair Cafés.

The next stage in our journey was to join the international Repair Café Federation, which is based in Amsterdam. Paying for our membership in Euros was a challenge, and receiving e-mails in Dutch was even more of a challenge. However, we now have a very detailed manual (in English!) about how to set up a repair café, and much more besides.

We then had a “dress rehearsal” when we ran a mini repair café, just looking at our own possessions. Even though it was only a rehearsal, we carried out a detailed written risk assessment of everything we did, and we used full documentation. We learnt a great deal about the need for a booking system, about managing the flow of people, and about the exact wording for our paperwork. Above all else, though, we had huge fun and developed massive enthusiasm for the future. 

What are our plans now? Well, we need to identify and firm up a location (or locations) for future repair cafes. We’re looking for an organisation (perhaps a faith organisation?) that will share our enthusiasm for developing this community resource and will help us to develop. We need a largish accessible hall (to begin with, we need it just once a month), plus storage for small tools and consumables. While we can pay for hall hire, we do – of course – want to keep costs to a minimum. Do you know of any organisations that can help?

We are also continuing to develop our database of willing volunteers. We particularly need someone with food hygiene qualifications to help with the provision of refreshments, and we need a qualified first aider. Could you be that person?

Very long term, we have loads of ideas for how we could develop. Perhaps a library of things; some skills workshops; clothing swaps; links with groups of skilled asylum seekers who are not allowed to do paid work but could volunteer. Or perhaps links with allotment holders to prevent food wastage …. The ideas just go on and on. But we need to walk before we run.

Finally, if you share our enthusiasm for preventing waste to landfill, and you want to join in, in whatever way, then please do get in touch. My name is Julie Furnivall and my phone number is 07890 004521. My e-mail is Julie.furnivall@icloud.com. Thank you! 

Luton Town’s green new stadium

Luton Town’s new stadium will include a range of sustainability features, according to detailed plans unveiled this month.

The indoor areas of the stadium will be heated and cooled using air source heat pumps “strategically located in the roof space of the North Stand.” A separate set of heat pumps will produce hot water.

Ventilation will come through a heat recovery system that will capture heat on the way out of the building, and use it to warm incoming fresh air in winter.

To power these electrical systems, the developers propose an extensive solar PV system on the roof. A proposal in the planning documents suggests there is room for 1,784 panels. This would reduce carbon and would also reduce the running costs of the stadium in the years to come.

The development is aiming for an ‘excellent’ rating on the BREEAM standards for sustainable construction. There aren’t many stadiums that meet that standard. Tottenham’s new ground does, and so does West Ham’s Olympic retrofit. Everton are aiming for an excellent rating for their new stadium.

Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium was recently named the greenest in the Premiership, in part because it has added an enormous battery bank in the basement, but its BREEAM rating is the next one down at ‘very good’. If the final build lives up to the ambitions in the planning documents, then it looks like Luton Town’s new home would be joining those clubs in the top five.

Luton Rising ads banned by ASA

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an advertising campaign by Luton Rising for misleading claims about its green growth plan.

The ads appeared in magazines and on posters, including billboards at Westminster tube station – the station most likely to be frequented by members of parliament. The ad copy stated that Luton Airport’s expansion would be halted if it breached environmental limits.

As we have described before, the airport’s Green Growth Plan doesn’t include the emissions from planes – by far the biggest contributor of carbon pollution. Since the ad didn’t mention this, complaints were filed by the Badvertising Campaign, Possible and others.

The ASA upheld the complaints. The purpose of the ads was “to reassure people about the efforts being taken to mitigate the environmental impacts caused by expansion,” they stated in their ruling. People seeing the ad would be “likely to assume that limits relating to emissions from an airport would include those from air traffic movement.”

Indeed they would – the purpose of an airport is to facilitate flights, after all.

While the ASA ruling applies to two specific adverts, Luton Rising has run a concerted campaign on airport expansion in recent months, including ads at Kenilworth Road and on screens at the mall.

Campaigners hope that the ruling will set a precedent for future adverts making green claims on aviation.

Reporting from the Youth Climate Conference

Travis Waller reports on the third Youth Climate Conference:

The Luton Youth Climate Conferences, delivered by Youth Network, started in 2022 and are a collection of workshops that help children to learn about different elements of the environment, and why the mindset people have towards the natural world should be altered. 

Youth Climate Conference 2024 marks the 3rd instalment of the annual event which is organised and delivered by the Climate Ambassadors, a group of young adults from Youth Network, who advocate on behalf of other young people. This year the conference was split into two days, with the first being attended by seven local primary schools with 65 students attending. Day two was attended by 45 students from five local secondary schools.

The vision is to inspire young people on sustainability at the point that they are transitioning into secondary school or into their GCSE years, and therefore making important choices about their lives. The focus for this year’s conference was food and biodiversity – chosen because of issues around both the environment and food poverty and the impact of food on young people.

The success of YCC2024 lies in the engaging workshops, including making bug hotels or bird boxes, harvesting potatoes or growing tomatoes, putting on beekeeper suit and working with hives or identifying different trees and animals in the woodland area. To embed the learning, students wrote down their findings in their Climate Action Booklets, which form part of their plans they continue to explore the issues back at their school.

YCC 2024 was held at the Stockwood Discovery Centre, primarily for its stunning views and a multitude of sustainable areas, meaning the students can see first-hand an array of differing environmental elements. One topic that repeatedly arose during the conference was Net Zero 2040, Luton Borough Council’s pledge to reach net-zero on carbon emissions. 

Several different organisations/companies supported the climate conference including the Wildlife Trust and Luton Borough Council. This is really important as not only does it mean that the conference is acquiring support, it also means that we can use the expertise of those who constantly work within the environment to further the legitimacy and usefulness of the conference.