ZERO is a community-run town centre hub which is focused on tackling local issues through practical solutions. ZERO is open to the public from Tuesday to Friday, and is the 'go-to' spot for residents to seek advice and education on all manner of topics, as well as contribute to Guildford and Surrey targets. These include: - how to keep their home warm and healthy, whilst cutting energy bills - how polluted their local river is, and how they can learn to test it in our citizen science project - reverse nature loss by simple actions at home - how to get around Surrey by active travel routes - bring their non-kerbside recycling to our Terracycle drop off - borrow one of 120 household items through our Library of Things - attend events and workshops - volunteer for a local project As a charity most of our funding goes against specific project metrics. We need core cost support to ensure our premises, ZERO, can continue to support so many excellent projects.

What we'll deliver:

• 50 residents engaged and supported with free thermal imaging surveys to identify heat loss
• Engage 500 people through walk ins and events
• 24 E.coli tests along the Wey over 12 months
• Prevent an additional 5 tonnes of food waste through expanded volunteer & staff time with food waste partners

Why it's a great idea:

ZERO provides significant benefits to the Guildford community across a number of areas. Our Home Energy Advice Team visit residents’ homes, conducting thermal imaging surveys and helping residents find energy efficiency funding. This supports residents who are struggling with fuel poverty, as well as the able to pay market who are looking for long term cost savings, ensuring residents bills are reduced whilst keeping homes free of damp and mould, keeping the residents healthy. Our Community Water Lab and water rangers team conduct regular monitoring of river water quality along the Wey and TIllingbourne. Our E.coli testing, in partnership with Uni of Surrey, has been highlighting E.coli levels up to 27x the advisable human contact level, including in areas near river activity such as the Wey Kayak Club. The ZERO community fridge has so far in 2024 saved nearly 30 tonnes of food from going to waste, collecting from supermarkets and redistributing to residents, who have made around

Steps to get it done:

• E.coli testing kits purchased
• Library of Things items purchased

Although the funding request is not in itself a dazzling project, the funds are crucial to support the running of our town centre hub, ZERO. We closed our zero waste shop when we moved, due to proximity to another community interest company selling similar goods, and as a result lost an important unrestricted income stream. ZERO is the backbone of the charity being able to support so many impactful projects across a range of themes, from energy efficiency to waste to nature loss, so this funding would be very impactful in a number of ways by supporting our core costs.