Two Surbiton churches have secured over £12,000 in funding as they look to take the next step in installing solar panels to reduce their carbon footprint.

St Andrew's and St Mark's, both in Surbiton, will use the funding from the Greater London Authority Community Energy Fund to undertake solar panel and carbon reduction feasibility studies to help them get on their way to producing their own green energy.

In a bid for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to achieve his aim of making London a zero carbon city by 2030, the Community Energy Fund has been created to provide much-needed support for community orientated projects committed to tackling climate change.

Once St Andrew's and St Mark's studies are complete, they will be able to take the next step and apply for capita funding to install solar panels and other measures, saving an estimated £10,800 each year while avoiding roughy 17,400kg of greenhouse gasses annually.

St Andrew's Church on Maple Road will also be taking part in the green project (Credit: John Salmon)

Cllr Ian Manders, Portfolio Holder for Climate Action and Sustainable Transport, said: "It's great to see two of our local churches 'looking to the heavens' for clean, free renewable energy. Their new solar panels will help to bring down their carbon emissions while saving money on energy bills. 

"The council can't tackle climate change alone but by working together with Kingston's communities, we can all make a big difference."

The churches' applications were supported by Kingston Council's Climate Action Team and members of the Transition Town Kingston Energy Group, which is run by local volunteers who undertake a variety of work to help the community reduce their energy use and tackle climate change.