Egni Coop has taken on two student marketing interns, Matthew Kilgariff and Jordan Coller, from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. This is a joint effort with the university and National Union of Students – Placements for Good to encourage sustainability in education throughout Wales and the UK. The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) has already established an award-winning reputation, both nationally and internationally, as a leader in higher education sustainability. Their Institute of Sustainable Practice, Innovation and Resources Effectiveness (INSPIRE) places sustainability at the centre of education. 

Egni Coop is aiming to install up to 5,000 kw of solar on 250 sites across Wales. This will save the sites £8m over the next 30 years and prevent 35,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. Egni has a Share Offer open to raise up to £750k – the students have already reached £473k. 

As part of the project, Egni will create a £2.9 million education fund for work with Welsh schools and universities.  

This money will help fund: 

• An Education Officer who will visit schools and support teachers 
• Funding for student internships 

• Development of resources to enable schools to integrate data from the solar panels and information on renewable energy into a range of lessons. 
• Ongoing hosting of free school and university trips to Egni solar sites and Awel Coop’s community wind farm. 

Egni has already worked with schools across Wales, including Ysgol y Bedol in Garnant, delivering talks to pupils about climate change. Solar panels were also installed on the school saving money and cutting their carbon footprint.       

Environmental groups such as Extinction Rebellion have been putting pressure on the government to declare a national climate emergency with demonstrations throughout the UK. Sustainability and recycling resources are more important than ever. Egni Coop believes that education concerning climate change from primary school to university level has never been more important.  

For further information, please visit www.egni.coop or phone 01639 830870. 

Jane Davidson, Pro Vice-Chancellor for External Engagement and Sustainability at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David:   

“This is a great opportunity for our students to work on an all-Wales coop share offer with Egni and I’m delighted to see they’ve already raised more than £473k. Sustainability is a focus of our Business Studies course at Trinity St.Davids and we’re delighted that our students are able to use their skills to support this project.” 

Matthew Kilgariff, Marketing Intern for Egni from University of Wales Trinity Saint David: 

“I have been fortunate to become an intern at the Egni Coop. It has given me the opportunity to apply my knowledge first hand whilst at the same time helping Egni achieve their environmental and community goals across Wales. Learning about the importance and structure of community energy projects such as Egni has enabled me to discover the future possibilities of the sector. I believe that incorporating environmental sustainability into my education will give me an advantage in a competitive job market.” 

Jordan Coller, Marketing Intern for Egni from University of Wales Trinity Saint David: 

“Through UWTSD’s partnership with ‘Placements for Good’, they were able to find me an internship with Egni Co-op. Working as Egni’s marketer, I have learned fundamental skills through experiencing the working/marketing culture, which is not necessarily taught in the classroom. For instance, within the social enterprise environment, collaboration is considered more valuable than competition.” 

Dan McCallum MBE, Chair of Egni Co-op:  

“It’s great to have Jordan and Matthew working with us. They are both very talented and committed. Their enthusiasm and hard work has really helped us.” 

Meg Baker, Senior Project Officer – Education for Sustainable Development, National Union of Students: 

“We are absolutely delighted to see our first two NUS Placements for Good students making genuine social and environmental impact through work based learning at Egni. This is exactly what the programme intended to achieve and it is a pleasure to be working with a forward thinking cooperative who could see the benefits of partnering with students on their work.”