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Become an energy champion

Published on

27 Jan 2026

Are you a local authority officer looking for practical training and peer support to strengthen how you engage communities on local energy projects?

With rising bills, uncertainty about energy and misinformation creating anxiety for residents and staff alike, this programme trains you to engage with communities in ways that address concerns, focus on energy security, affordability and local benefits, and help create uptake and buy-in. It creates space for listening that will genuinely create decisions with support 
and shared ownership.

Shaped by local government, for local government, and grounded in years of public engagement experience, the training is relevant, applied and designed for the realities of local authority work.

Who this training is for:

Whether you're in an energy team or working in planning, housing, or community engagement where the benefits of energy decisions intersect with your role, this training is for you. This programme will help you navigate conversations that matter.

We're looking for people who can champion the cross-cutting benefits of clean energy across their organisations and communities, and who are committed to sharing what they learn with colleagues.

What you’ll gain

By the end of the programme, you will have:

  • Practical tools for engagement that go beyond consultation - including dialogue, deliberation, and participation that influences decisions.
  • Understanding of why public engagement matters for complex decisions - and the confidence to communicate this both internally
    and externally, including handling tough questions and scepticism.
  • Knowledge of what works - through facilitated conversation exploring community energy projects and engagement: what has worked well, where challenges have arisen, and what needs to be different. You'll also have access to case studies from across the UK, drawing on insights from the Net Zero Living Programme.
  • A practical seven-step framework you can use immediately - for planning deliberative engagement on a specific, manageable piece of local work (such as shaping an energy or heat strategy, a retrofit programme, or another local engagement activity). (see below)
  • A peer network - connecting you with fellow champions across councils and disciplines for ongoing learning and support.
  • Awareness of Great British Energy - including their ambitions and offering for local government.

We’ll equip you with the tools to:

  • Turn community scepticism into genuine engagement.
  • Navigate conversations with various audiences, including those who may be resistant.
  • Design engagement that actually influences decisions (not tick-box exercises).

What we're offering

We're delivering flexible training and support for up to 45 energy champions across England, with opportunities to connect with colleagues across councils and disciplines. The programme includes:

  • A training workshop with your regional cohort in the North, Midlands or South of England.
  • Supported local engagement activity - an opportunity to apply what you’ve learned, with mentoring and peer support.
  • Peer learning sessions to share progress and troubleshoot challenges.
  • Shaping Energy Engagement Guidance - contributing your insights to practical resources that will be shared nationally via Net Zero Go.

Your participation will also help the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and Great British Energy understand the barriers local government faces in building support for clean energy - shaping future support and resources.

Ongoing support

By participating in this training programme, you’ll receive continued support until the end of April 2026. While you put your learning into practice you’ll have:

  • Access to an Involve adviser for one-to-one or small group guidance
  • Online peer learning sessions with other energy champions
  • Templates and tools to capture and share your learning

You will also have the chance to help shape national guidance on energy engagement. We will work together to share ways to stay connected and continue learning beyond the programme.

Interested?

If this sounds relevant to your work, get in touch by emailing us at [email protected]. We will close recruitment on the 20th of February. 

We will be running full day sessions in:

  • 4th March 2026: Birmingham
  • 11th March 2026: London 
  • 20th March 2026: Bristol
  • 9th April 2026: Manchester

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Energy Champion training programme? ▶

The Energy Champions training is a free, fully funded programme for local authority officers and Local Net Zero Hub staff.

Whether you're in an energy team or working in planning, housing, or community engagement where the benefits of energy decisions intersect with your role, this training is for you.

It focuses on supporting engagement skills, be that internal organisations or external local communities.

The context will reflect around clean energy decisions, especially where topics are complex, sensitive or contested.

Public engagement skills include things like: listening, framing conversations, handling scepticism, and designing engagement that genuinely informs decisions.

Where will the training take place? ▶

We're running regional workshops across England in the Midlands, London, the South West, and the North.

We will be running full day sessions in:

4th March 2026: Birmingham
11th March 2026: London
20th March 2026: Bristol 9th April 2026: Manchester

You'll be invited to the session nearest to you.

Specific venues will be confirmed when you register.

How is this different from other energy or net zero training? ▶

This programme is not technical or policy training.

You'll learn about deliberative approaches to engagement - methods that go beyond consultation to enable genuine dialogue and shared decision making.

It focuses on:

● How to design engagement that builds trust
● How to meet people where they are and bring them on a journey toward shared outcomes
● How to ensure public input meaningfully shapes decisions.

Public engagement skills are highly transferable and relevant across many streams, such as housing, planning, regeneration and community engagement roles, all of which have a part to play in conversations about energy and net zero.

While our focus is on training you in skills required for better public engagement, we will touch on case studies that can be specifically applied to work in areas like shaping an energy or heat strategy, or a retrofit programme.

We will also explore how local authority-led and community-led energy projects are often perceived differently, and what this tells us about trust, ownership and accountability.

This helps participants better understand community experience and how engagement can bridge perceived divides, and add deep value regardless of who is leading the project.

Is this about promoting net zero or persuading the public? ▶

No. This is public engagement training, not advocacy or persuasion training.

The programme focuses on building core engagement skills: how to listen well, design inclusive processes, frame complex issues clearly, and ensure public input can meaningfully shape decisions.

Energy, climate and net zero provide the context for the training because these topics are real, current and often sensitive.

They help participants think about how engagement works when issues are hard to understand or contested.

The programme also brings together people from across regions and organisations who are working on similar challenges, creating space to learn from one another.

Participants receive direct, practical support informed by over two decades of experience supporting public bodies to engage communities on complex issues.

What will participants be expected to do as part of the programme? ▶

Participants will:

● Attend a regional training workshop
● Apply their learning to a specific, manageable piece of local work
● Gain access to an online space to discuss the process and their learnings with their peers.

The work does not need to be a large project or new initiative.

It could involve improving engagement around an existing decision or programme.

Support, mentoring and templates will be provided throughout,

Is this a significant additional workload? What is the time commitment? ▶

No. The programme is designed to fit alongside your existing work.

The time you’ll be committing to:

● A regional training workshop
● 2-3 hours for online peer learning sessions
● Time to apply your learning to an existing work
● Optional one-to-one adviser support until the end of April.

There will be additional optional opportunities to share learning to inform the development of national guidance.

The training runs from February to April 2026, with regional workshops taking place in March and April.

The focus is on doing engagement better, not adding to your workload.

What if my manager is concerned about time or capacity? ▶

The programme is designed as professional development for Local Authority Officers.

Managers may find it helpful to know that:

● The training is fully funded, free to attend and we can help cover travel
● Skills gained are transferable across teams and projects
● Learning is expected to be shared with colleagues
● Participation supports better-quality engagement and risk management.

Who is the programme suitable for? ▶

The programme is suitable for people who:

● Work directly on energy, climate or net zero
● Work in housing, planning, regeneration or community engagement
● Regularly engage residents or stakeholders on complex issues
● Want more confidence handling scepticism or difficult conversations.

You do not need to be an energy specialist to take part.

What support is provided during and after the training? ▶

Participants receive:

● Access to experienced public engagement advisers
● Peer learning sessions with officers from other councils
● Practical tools and templates
● Ongoing support after your training workshop until the end of April 2026.

The training also covers how to bring in expert knowledge effectively and use communication tools that help residents engage confidently with technical topics.

There are also opportunities to stay connected and continue learning beyond the programme, with a digital collaboration hub.

How does this benefit my local authority/community/workplace? ▶

Benefits include:

● Improved confidence and consistency in public engagement
● Reduced risk of conflict or mistrust around energy decisions
● Better quality insight from communities and stronger ongoing relationships
● Stronger internal collaboration across teams and regions

Insights from this training programme will also contribute to helpful, on the ground guidance, supporting learning beyond individual councils.

How do I register interest and is there a deadline for signing up? ▶

If the programme sounds relevant to your role, email us for more information at [email protected].

We will close recruitment on the 20th of February.

Who we are

Involve is a leading UK public participation charity. For over 20 years, we've worked with governments, businesses, and communities across all four UK nations to put people at the heart of decisions that affect their lives.

We specialise in engagement that works using meaningful dialogue that builds trust and shapes better decisions. Our training draws on decades of practical experience helping public bodies navigate complex, contentious issues where community buy-in matters. Find out more at www.involve.org.uk