Continuing our series of interviews with the winners of the Hampshire Changemakers Awards 2026, we turn the spotlight toward a champion of the local environment. In January, Stu Mills of WinACC (Winchester Action on the Climate Crisis) was judged the winner of the Environmental Sustainability Award, a recognition of their dedication to a greener future.
WinACC has been a cornerstone of Winchester’s environmental efforts for nearly two decades, and Stu’s award highlights the tangible difference that expert guidance can make in the transition to renewable energy. We sat down with Stu to discuss the pride of the win and the upcoming projects that are set to make Hampshire homes more efficient than ever.
The winner’s reflection: A boost for the mission
It was a real boost for WinACC for me to receive the Environmental Sustainability award. WinACC has been working on the climate crisis in Winchester for nearly 20 years and it’s great for our successes to be recognised like this.
The project that won the award provides detailed advice and information to community buildings to help them install solar panels. We find that our support gives community buildings the confidence to go ahead – producing their own renewable energy, reducing their carbon impact and cutting their energy bills.
On the horizon: “My home made better”
WinACC is one of four charities delivering the “My Home Made Better” project across Hampshire – providing free, impartial advice to householders that helps them understand how to make their homes more energy efficient and lower carbon. We talk to them about which types of insulation would be suitable for their home, whether solar panels would be effective on their roof and how they could replace their fossil fuel boiler with a heat pump.
Further information
If you’d like to read more about the work that WinACC do, follow this link to visit their website
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