Churches in Scarborough are celebrating significant energy savings following the completion of a major project to install sustainable energy systems across York and North Yorkshire.
The ‘Building Sustainable Hope’ project has retrofitted twenty churches in the Yorkshire North & East Methodist District with technology such as solar panels and low-energy LED lighting.
Two Scarborough churches, Wreyfield Drive and Westborough, were among the initial five congregations included in the funding agreement. The work at Wreyfield Drive is now complete, and the church is already seeing substantial benefits, its new solar panels provided 98 per cent of its electricity needs throughout April.
The project, which began in 2024, was managed by the Yorkshire North and East Methodist District and received £739,465 from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s £7 million Net Zero Fund. The fund itself is part of the UK Government's devolution deal for the region and aims to support schemes that reduce energy bills and carbon emissions.
At a gathering to mark the project's completion, The Rev Leslie Newton, Chair of the Yorkshire North & East Methodist District, highlighted the initiative's dual purpose. He said,
"Through our Building Sustainable Hope project, we have been taking important steps on our journey to net zero, affirming that caring for creation and caring for communities go hand in hand".
He added that by working together, the churches have reduced their carbon footprints and created "greener, more welcoming spaces that serve both congregations and their neighbours".
York and North Yorkshire Mayor, David Skaith, praised the project's impact on community hubs.
“We're backing community hubs, like these churches through my Net Zero Fund,"
"New solar panels are helping to reduce their energy costs, freeing up money for what matters most – supporting people in need".
The Mayor also described the initiative as "a great example of how our Net Zero Fund is supporting projects to save money, reduce emissions and move towards carbon negative by 2040".
The Methodist District was one of only 25 successful bidders out of 180 for the Net Zero Fund grants. An opportunity for further expansion arose in February when the Combined Authority offered additional funds, leading to twelve more churches joining the scheme. All work was completed by mid-June 2025, meeting the project's challenging targets.
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