Community Share Offer launched to fund four solar arrays in Greater Manchester.
- Thursday, July 10, 2025
- Posted By The Growth Company
Local social enterprise, Greater Manchester Community Renewables (GMCR), has launched a new share offer to fund solar arrays on two special schools in Salford, a primary school in Manchester and a leisure centre in Trafford.
If successful, this will result in the installation of over 600 solar panels. In the first year alone these panels will generate enough electricity to make around 16 million cups of tea [2]. This will help the schools and leisure centre save money on their energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint. Investors in the share offer will receive share interest of up to 5% per year, subject to performance.
Val Williams, School Business Manager at Springwood Primary School, said:
“We first had solar panels installed at our Swinton site with the support of GMCR in 2019. That’s gone really well and we’ve already saved over £30,000 on our bills. This year we’ve decided to add more panels at the Swinton site and install a new array at our Craig Hall site in Irlam, so we can run even more of our buildings on solar power.”
Dr Clare Campbell, Head Teacher at The Divine Mercy RC Primary School said:
“Caring for our common home is an important part of our teaching and we wanted to do more to make our school more sustainable. Installing solar panels on the roof is a practical way we can cut our carbon footprint - as well as helping our pupils to learn more about climate change and renewable energy.”
GMCR was set up in 2015 and has over 330 members who have funded solar arrays at eight primary schools in Salford and Bury, a secondary school in Trafford and community centre in Trafford.
GMCR’s solar panels have so far generated over 2 million kWh of clean energy. That’s enough electricity to make 120 million cups of tea! In the process, schools have saved over £190,000 on their energy bills and prevented 800 tonnes of carbon emissions from polluting power stations. [3]
Once online, the four new solar arrays will add over 350kWp to GMCR’s capacity - bringing the total capacity of GMCR’s sites to over 1MWp. In the first full year of operation, the new sites are estimated to:
Over the next 20 years, GMCR expect to deliver:
Tudor Baker, Director of GMCR said:
“We’re thrilled to open our fifth share offer and give the community another chance to invest in clean, ethical energy right here in Greater Manchester.
“Since setting up GMCR, we have always wanted to increase our reach across the region and this share offer will help us enter into a new part of Greater Manchester.
“Potential investors can be buoyed by our track record so far which has seen the project perform in line with expectations. Surpluses have also added £60,000 into our Community Fund for schools to use on more eco-friendly projects.”
The community share offer is open to individuals, businesses and organisations who want to make a positive difference with their money.
Anyone who buys shares will be eligible for share interest of up to 5% and GMCR aims to repay the shares over the next 20 years.
Profits are donated to a Community Fund to support carbon reduction, energy efficiency and environmental education.
The share offer is open until 20 July 2025.
Anyone interested in investing should read the Share Offer fully and take appropriate financial advice.
For more information and to read the Share Offer and Business Plan visit GMCR’s website. You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.