A Year of Positive Change

At the Dorothy Parkes Centre, we’re passionate about making Smethwick a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable place to live. Over the past year, two of our flagship environmental projects — our solar panel installation and community fridge — have made a real difference to both the planet and our local community.

Harnessing the Power of the Sun

Since January, our solar panels have generated 6,554 kWh of clean electricity, cutting our reliance on fossil fuels and saving the Centre around £1,547 in electricity costs so far.

Even with Britain’s unpredictable weather and a few months of lower performance, our panels have prevented an estimated 1.5 tonnes of CO₂ emissions — the same as planting 70 trees or avoiding 6,000 kilometres of car travel!

By the end of the year, our total savings could reach nearly 2 tonnes of CO₂ and £1,700, helping us invest more in the services that matter most to our community.

We’re now looking into ways to make the system even more efficient — such as cleaning panels more regularly and checking for shading from nearby trees — so we can continue leading by example in local sustainability.

Sharing Food, Not Waste

Our Community Fridge has been another star performer. Together with local partners and volunteers, we’ve prevented 3.14 tonnes of good food from going to landfill — that’s the equivalent of around 7.8 tonnes of CO₂e emissions avoided!

It’s not just about reducing waste — it’s about supporting people. Every item saved from landfill goes to a family or individual who needs it most. And by keeping perfectly good food in use, we’re also saving an incredible 4.7 million litres of water that would otherwise have been wasted in food production.

Together for a Sustainable Future

From the roof of our building to the shelves of our community fridge, these projects are proof that local action creates global change. The Dorothy Parkes Centre is proud to be part of Smethwick’s growing movement toward sustainability — and we’re only just getting started.

If you’d like to get involved, volunteer, or learn more about our green initiatives, contact us or drop by the Centre. Every small step counts towards a cleaner, brighter future.