Visitors to a community centre in Acton will be able to stay warmer this winter thanks to energy-saving improvements funded by Ealing Council’s climate grants.

West Acton Community Centre in Churchill Gardens, which hosts activities for all ages from knit and chat sessions to martial arts and fitness classes, is one of the latest groups to benefit from the funding programme.

The centre was awarded a £4,488 community climate grant in summer 2025 and early 2026 to replace old windows with new double glazing, helping to reduce heat loss and lower energy bills.

A member of West Acton Community Centre said: “The new double-glazed windows have made a real difference to the community centre. It feels much warmer and more comfortable now, and we also have more privacy, which is really appreciated by everyone who uses the space. We’ve noticed that we’re not getting the draughts we had before, and our heating bills have gone down too. It’s been a really positive improvement for the centre.”

Meanwhile, more community and faith groups across the borough are being invited to apply for a new round of funding to make similar improvements.

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A total of £100,000 is available through the council’s Better Spaces Fund, formerly known as Community Climate Grants. Organisations can apply for up to £10,000 to help cut running costs, make their buildings more comfortable and prepare for the impacts of climate change.

More than £165,000 has been awarded in previous funding rounds of grants. This has been matched by more than £100,000 of additional investment from the community organisations.

Applications can be made on the council’s website until 15 November.

Grants can be used for improvements to keep buildings warmer in the winter or cooler in the summer, such as:

• solar panels
• insulation
• double glazing
• shutters and awnings
• heat pumps
• Making a difference

Councillor Dominic Moffitt, the council’s cabinet member for climate action, said: “Community organisations are already doing incredible work to support local people. The Better Spaces Fund will help them make their buildings more comfortable, better able to cope with extreme weather and can help reduce energy costs – meaning they have money to spend on the things that matter to them. It’s really encouraging to see the difference the funding has already made in the borough and to users of those buildings.”

Other organisations helped by the funding include Acton Baptist Church, which installed 18 solar panels on its roof with the support of a Better Spaces grant. And, as a result, the church has seen its running costs reduce.

Church representatives said: “Applying for the grant was the catalyst for our thinking more seriously about our energy use and how we might do better. The process required thought and care, but it was not onerous and required no outside help.”

Apply for funding

Applications must be received by 15 November. Visit the council’s website for more information on Better Spaces.