HUNDREDS of Schools, NHS trusts and communities across the UK will benefit from new rooftop solar power and renewable schemes to save money on their energy bills, thanks to a total £200 million investment from the UK Government and Great British Energy.

In another step forward for the Government's Plan for Change, the Energy Secretary on:- Friday, 21 March) announced the 1st major project for Great British Energy; a company owned by the British people, for the British people. It will immediately begin working with Schools, the NHS, and devolved Governments to install solar panels, build local clean power and bring down energy bills.

In England around £80 million in funding will support around 200 Schools, alongside £100 million for nearly 200 NHS sites, covering a third of NHS trusts, to install rooftop solar panels that could power classrooms and operations, with potential to sell leftover energy back to the grid. The 1st panels are expected to be in Schools and Hospitals by the end of summer 2025, saving Schools money for the next academic year.

Schools and Hospitals have been hit with rocketing energy bills in recent years, costing taxpayers millions of pounds, and eating into School budgets. This has been driven by the UK's dependency on global fossil fuel markets. The NHS is the single biggest public sector energy user, with an estimated annual energy bill of £1.4 billion, that has more than doubled since 2019.

Great British Energy's 1st investment could see millions invested back into frontline services, targeting deprived areas, with lifetime savings for Schools and the NHS of up to £400 million over around 30 years.

Estimates suggest that on average, a typical School could save up to £25,000 per year, whilst the average NHS site could save up to £45,000 per year on their annual energy bill if they had solar panels with complementary technologies installed such as batteries.

In addition, local authorities and community energy groups will also be supported by nearly £12 million to help build local clean energy projects; from community-led onshore wind, to solar on rooftops and hydropower in rivers; that can help drive growth. These could generate profits which could then be reinvested into community projects or take money off people's bills. A further £9.3 million will power schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including:- community energy or rooftop solar for public buildings.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:- "Right now, money that should be spent on your children's education or your family's healthcare is instead being wasted on sky-high energy bills. Great British Energy's 1st major project will be to help our vital public institutions save hundreds of millions on bills to reinvest on the frontline. Great British Energy will provide power for pupils and patients. Parents at the School gate and patients in Hospitals will experience the difference Great British Energy can make. This is our clean energy superpower mission in action, with lower bills and energy security for our country.”

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:- "With this investment we are backing our teachers and delivering for our young people; saving Schools thousands on their bills to reinvest in a brilliant education for each and every child. The installation of solar will not only benefit Schools financially, but will support pupils to develop green skills, promoting careers in renewables and supporting growth in the clean energy workforce. With tough choices needed when it comes to public finances, cuts to energy bills is just 1 part of our continued support for Schools, providing better life chances for our children and delivering on the Government's Plan for Change.”

Minister of State for Health Karin Smyth said:- "This investment in clean energy will power our NHS while saving the taxpayer millions in energy bills. Crucially, we will divert the savings to where it matters most for patients and staff; frontline services. As part of our Plan for Change, we are improving care for patients, boosting economic growth, and securing our country's energy supply.”

Great British Energy Chair Juergen Maier said:- "This is the 1st step in Great British Energy's work with local communities to help them generate their own energy. By partnering with the public sector as we scale up the company, this will help us make an immediate impact as we work to roll out clean, homegrown energy projects, crowd in investment and create job opportunities across the country. We will work closely with communities to learn from the scheme so we can scale up energy projects across the country.”

Currently only about 20% of Schools and under 10% of Hospitals have solar panels installed, but the technology has huge potential to save money on bills. For example, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust installed a solar canopy over the car park at its Wharfedale Hospital site that will reduce carbon emissions by 43.7 tonnes per year and save the trust £75,000 annually.

A large project at Hull University Teaching Hospital has 11,000 solar panels which saved it around £250,000 a month last summer. The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust's new solar farm at a former landfill site is expected to power the entire Hospital site with self-generated renewable energy for around 288 days a year; saving around £15-20 million over the next 2 decades.

The support will target Schools and Hospitals with buildings that are able to accommodate solar panels in areas of England most in need. As part of this, Government will select the Schools which will be primarily clustered in areas of deprivation in the North East, West Midlands and North West, as well as at least 10 Schools in each Region. Each cluster will include:- a further education college which will work with the contractors appointed to promote careers in renewables to support growth in the construction and renewables workforce. This could be through work placements, skills bootcamps and workshops.

Alongside this, the NHS ran an expression of interest process to identify the selected Hospital sites, with installations managed by the NHS.

The funding will support the Government's clean power mission as well as helping to rebuild the nation's public services. It forms Great British Energy's 1st local investment, kickstarting the Local Power Plan and ensuring the benefits of this national mission are felt at a local level, with energy security, good jobs and economic growth.

Backed by £8.3 billion over this Parliament, Great British Energy will own and invest in clean energy projects across the UK. This will range from supporting local energy; like the solar power schemes announced today; to unlocking significant investment in major clean energy projects that will revitalise the UK's industrial heartlands with new jobs, alongside securing Britain's energy supply.

Tom Campbell, CEO of E-ACT academy trust, said:- "This new Great British Energy solar scheme marks a vital step forward for Schools across the country. At E-ACT, we've seen first-hand how solar energy can transform our Schools by reducing carbon emissions, cutting energy costs, and creating lasting savings that we reinvest directly into our students' education. With the scale of this initiative, hundreds of Schools will now have the opportunity to achieve similar benefits, accelerating the journey to net zero while empowering young people to lead the way on sustainability."

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Film Office backed BBC drama gives multi-million pound boost to local economy

NEW BBC drama:- 'This City Is Ours' is already proving to be a smash hit, after figures show it boosted the Liverpool City Region economy by £9 million.

The latest TV show to be broadcast on BBC 1 and BBC iPlayer that was filmed within the Region was aired on:- Sunday, 23 March 2025. What you might not know is that this production received investment from Liverpool City Council's Film Office via Liverpool City Region Combined Authority LCR Production Fund.

The series is from Left Bank Pictures, the award winning team behind:- 'The Crown,' and has been created by local writer Stephen Butchard (The Good Mothers, The Last Kingdom) and spent around 17 weeks filming in the Liverpool City Region, throughout 2024, generating and safeguarding 300 direct, indirect and induced FTE jobs for local people, while also supporting 17 trainees into the industry, as well welcoming 2 apprentices from the Film Office.

This City Is Ours stars Sean Bean as:- Ronnie Phelan alongside Scousers James Nelson-Joyce who plays Ronnie's friend Michael Kavanagh, and Jack McMullen as Ronnie's son Jamie Phelan, Hannah Onslow as:- Diana Williams, Michael's partner and Julie Graham as:- Elaine Phelan; head of the Phelan family, alongside her husband Ronnie.

Other Scousers in the cast include:- Kevin Harvey as Bobby Duffy, Mike Noble as:- Banksey, Bobby Schofield as:- Bonehead, Darci Shaw as:- Melissa Sullivan, and Stephen Walters as:- Davy Crawford.

The fund was launched by Mayor Steve Rotheram in 2019, supported by £3m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and is facilitated and operated by Liverpool Film Office.

Over the last 5 years, the Liverpool Film Office has been responsible for bringing 1,564 film and TV productions to the Liverpool City Region, which has resulted in 5,279 direct/FTE jobs being created within in the industry, generating £168m inward investment to the local economy.

Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:- "This City Is Ours is another shining output of the LCR Production Fund, not only championing local crew, businesses and locations but providing fantastic step-up opportunities to those starting out in their film and TV careers. A total of 10 projects have now received investment from the fund and when you see the positive impact each 1 has had, it's a fantastic success story for our Region. I'm looking forward to hearing more about the careers of those who have been given their start in the industry thanks to this project!”

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "The LCR Production Fund isn't just bringing millions into our local economy, it's opening doors for local people, giving them life-changing opportunities and helping them get a foot in the door of the industry. By backing projects like This City Is Ours, alongside the world-class talent and infrastructure we've got here, we're making sure our Region isn't just part of the conversation—we're leading it by working to cement the Region as the:- 'Hollywood of the North,'”

Head of Liverpool Film Office and Fund Manager, Lynn Saunders said:- "This City Is Ours is a fantastic example of how the LCR Production Fund has worked to not only draw in production but bring great benefit the local economy. The project has reported a total spend for the Region at just under £9m which equates to just under £20 for each £1 spent of the Fund's investment; which is an outstanding achievement. With a gripping script from creator and local writer Stephen Butchard and championing our home grown talent, there's certainly a special buzz around this project and we can't wait to see how it plays out on the screen.”

Production Assistant Apprentice at Liverpool Film Office, Isobel Lewis, said:- "During my placement on This City Is Ours I was mainly based in the production office, shadowing the team and finding out what the role entails. I also had the opportunity to visit the set and unit base which was great as I got to see what was going on each day. There was so much happening and it was fantastic to see how production teams come together to create the final project. My favourite part was meeting so many new people and visiting different departments to gain an understanding of what they do; it's just so fascinating being able to go around and learn so much from the crew.”

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