Aim

Upgrading our outdated building with solar panels will cut costs and carbon, making our nursery more sustainable and financially secure

Who are we, and what is our project about?

Country Mice Nursery is a small, charity‑run early years setting based in Cowfold, providing nurturing, child‑centred education for local families. Our team of dedicated staff and volunteer trustees work together to create a warm, inclusive environment where children can explore, play, and grow with confidence.

We are launching this project because our current nursery building is a 1970s prefabricated structure that is now outdated, inefficient, and increasingly costly to maintain. To secure our future and reduce our environmental impact, we want to replace it with a modern, eco‑friendly building powered by solar panels. This upgrade will dramatically cut our carbon footprint, reduce energy costs, and model sustainable living for the children in our care.

Our project fits Aviva’s Climate Action criteria by directly investing in renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, and creating a greener, more resilient community space. By supporting us, you’re helping a small rural nursery take a meaningful step towards a sustainable future for the next generation.

Why are we crowdfunding?

We are crowdfunding because our nursery building is an outdated prefab that is now cold, inefficient, and reaching the end of its life. The rising cost of energy and ongoing repairs are putting pressure on our small charity, taking resources away from the children and families who rely on us.

By raising money together, we can fit our rennovated building with modern solar panels. This will cut our carbon footprint, reduce our energy bills, and create a warm, sustainable environment for local children to learn and thrive.

Crowdfunding allows our community to be part of a positive, long‑lasting change — helping us protect the planet, secure our future, and give children a greener start in life.

How we’ll spend the money raised

All funds raised will go directly towards fitting solar panels to our renovated nursery building. This upgrade will reduce our carbon footprint, cut energy costs, and create a warm, sustainable learning environment for local children.

We will use the money for:

• Solar panel installation and associated electrical work
• Improving insulation and ventilation to reduce heat loss

Every donation helps us move closer to a greener, safer, and more sustainable nursery for our community’s children.

Installing solar panels significantly reduces our reliance on fossil‑fuel electricity. By generating clean, renewable energy on‑site, we cut our carbon emissions and demonstrate practical climate action within our rural community. This helps prevent further environmental damage and supports the UK’s wider transition to low‑carbon energy.

Solar energy strengthens our resilience as a childcare setting. As energy prices continue to fluctuate due to climate‑related pressures on the national grid, generating our own power helps stabilise our running costs. This allows us to protect essential services for families and redirect savings into further sustainability and preparedness measures. The project also provides a real‑world learning opportunity for children and parents about renewable energy and climate readiness.  

Climate change is already bringing more extreme weather and greater strain on energy systems. By producing our own electricity, we reduce our vulnerability to disruptions and ensure we can continue operating safely and reliably. The panels help our setting adapt to a changing climate by improving energy security, lowering long‑term costs, and modelling practical adaptation strategies that other small rural organisations can follow.

The start of a bigger goal!

Solar panels are just the first step in our much larger mission to renovate our entire nursery building—a project that will require significant additional funding. To help us move toward this goal, we’ll be continuing our fundraising efforts through a range of initiatives.

One of the most exciting is that two of our wonderful staff members, Lisa and Beth, will be taking on the incredible Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for the nursery. They’ll be climbing the highest mountains in Scotland, England, and Wales—Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon—in a remarkable show of dedication to our cause.

How you can help

There are three simple ways to get involved and support our project:

1. Make a donation

Every pledge gets us closer to our goal. Early support can help build momentum and inspire others to give too. If you donation reaches a certain amount you can chose from one of our donation rewards! 

2. Spread the word

Share our project with friends, family and your wider network. The more people we reach, the more likely we are to succeed.

If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch through the ‘Contact’ section using the subject "I want to volunteer my time or expertise" on our project page.

'The small print'

• Please note - We do not yet have a confirmed images and plan for the specific solar panels we will have in place and its equipment, therefore all images are to provide an indication only.  
• This crowdfunding campaign focuses specifically on funding our solar panels, but it forms just one part of a much larger journey. We will need to replace our entire nursery building, and the images shown reflect the kind of inspiring, sustainable space we hope to create for our children and community.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made