Community arts charity improves heating and lighting and saves money on energy bills 

The Ark-T Centre is a community arts centre that uses creativity to bring people of all ages together to make art, make friendships, change in their own lives, and the world around them.

The site comprises a main hall, café with a small commercial kitchen, arts studio, music studio, and offices. They have two sites near Templars Square in Cowley, Oxford, which is suitable for various purposes, including classes, meetings, and celebrations.

The main hall was built in 1940, with adjoining rooms added up to the 1960s. Originally managed by the adjacent church (John Bunyan Baptist Church), these buildings became the Ark-T Community Arts Centre and café in 1997. Energy bills are sent directly to the church, which then re-charges a portion of these bills to the Centre.

Heating and lighting improvements

Previously, the Centre used a mix of gas heaters and electric heating, which were old and insufficient to heat the rooms adequately. However, following an energy efficiency assessment and with the help of some funding, they replaced the outdated system with new central heating.

They also replaced the lighting with LED energy-efficient lighting, resulting in a total reduction of approximately £8,000 per year in energy costs.

These improvements also helped secure more venue hire income as the space was much more inviting.

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