OUR COMMUNITY ROLE
RES encourages staff to share their skills and knowledge outside work and we support a number of charitable, voluntary and educational initiatives. All our projects go through extensive community consultation to ensure that they bring benefits to local people and businesses and we are proud of the positive relationship we enjoy with the
public as a result.
Charity
RES offices worldwide raise money for national and local charities selected annually by staff. A variety of fundraising activities are undertaken each month, from quiz nights, raffles, and Dress Down Fridays to abseiling, sponsored haircuts and a Red Nosed Wind Turbine.
Education
RES is committed to supporting educational initiatives that increase awareness about renewable energy and the environment and that develop skills and knowledge.
RES has sponsored and supported a number of educational schemes such as the Energy Engineering Scheme run by the Royal Academy of Engineering. Students from the John F Kennedy School in Hemel Hempstead have worked with us on projects, with support from RES staff mentors.
The Educational Facility at the RES Group’s award-winning low-emission headquarters in Hertfordshire hosts regular visits from schoolchildren, university students, community groups and professionals.
Techfest
In 2007 and 2008, RES staff participated in ‘Techfest in September’ - North East Scotland’s annual festival of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Its aim is to promote these subjects to young people and the wider community, through an accessible and entertaining festival programme.RES participated by making presentations entitled ‘Understanding Wind Energy’ at various secondary schools in the region.
Open Day
Our head office annual Open Days attract several thousand visiting members of the public who come to learn about renewable energy, visit exhibits from other green organisations and to have fun!
Supporting communities near our wind farms
There are many ways in which local communities benefit from having a wind farm in their area – such as rental payments to farmers and landowners; local taxes; tourism and recreation; and community funds and sponsorship that can help finance local projects. During the consultation process when we are developing a wind farm, we hold exhibitions in nearby towns and villages and arrange trips for local residents to see existing wind farms.
Supporting events
RES installed the temporary turbine in London that provided power for the Electric Storm art installation in the South Bank.
Celtic Blue Rock
RES is a main sponsor of Celtic Blue Rock, a charity-based, free festival in West Wales. Held annually near Llanfyrnach, Pembrokeshire, within sight of RES’s Dyffryn Brodyn wind farm, the attractions include a wide variety of live music on 6 different stages, craft workshops, circus entertainers for the kids and an expanding eco zone plus a family workshop area. It has a clear focus on youth and families with youngsters very well catered for.
National Eisteddfod of Wales
RES is also a sponsor of the National Eisteddfod of Wales. This major festival attracts around 160,000 visitors annually to be part of a convivial gathering which celebrates Wales' wealth of culture and the arts. In 2008, the festival was held in Cardiff, where RES sponsored the 'Cerdd Dant' section of the Eisteddfodd. This is a form of traditional Welsh melody folk singing, usually accompanied by a harp, and is one of the highlights of the whole event.
