Spring ‘99

• A small bunch of environmentalists, all on low incomes, get together with ideas of doing something positive for ourselves and the planet. We want to create an organisation that will act as a vehicle to take the work we are already doing, as individuals, much further into and beyond our communities. We have lots of ideas, no equipment and no money.

• After much discussion about wind turbines, solar panels and trucks, the odd housing crisis and an humanitarian aid mission trip to Albania during the Kosovan conflict, Generator X is formed.

Autumn ‘99

• Generator X is constituted as a not-for profit group.

• Volunteers attend renewable energy technology courses at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Wales.

Autumn ‘00

• Volunteers, Clara and Steve finish turning their mobile home into a wind and solar generator truck. Generator X has access to its’ first custom built educational resource!

Spring ‘01

• Rising Tide tour, UK. Solar and Wind powered infotainment tour about the problems of oil addiction. Venues include The One World Centre, Reading and Lancaster University.

Summer ‘01

• Rising Tide Tour, Europe. Tackling energy issues beyond borders, with young people in Poland, Germany and France. In France and Germany we see veg-oil fuels in action for the first time.

Spring ‘02

• We start researching and experimenting with bio-diesel and successfully use it to run the generator truck and support vehicles' engines throughout the summer.

Summer ‘02

• Fuse Roadshow gigs. Enabling community groups to run their activities, such as screenings, D.J. workshops, and musical events with wind and solar power. Adding educational input to these events, including consultation, workshops and an info library, raising awareness of the impacts of climate change, and ways people can affect change.

Winter ‘02

• The generator truck’s solar array increases from 360w to 830w, allowing us to power projects throughout the winter.

• Volunteers are supported in taking international energy action: oil-slick clean up in Galicia Spain in December (for pictures, visit www.oilmatters.co.uk/om015.html) and attending the 2003 Euro-Med Youth Meeting on Climate Change in Casablanca, Morocco.

Winter/Spring ‘03

• We embark on a collaboration with the Travellers’ School Charity. "THE COMPUTER CLASSROOM PROJECT" - delivering a series of renewably powered IT classroom sessions for children on Traveller and Fairground sites. Both children and adults also receive training in I.T and renewable energy technology.

Summer ‘03

• As part of putting together plans for a schools programme, we run a pilot tour of seven Oxfordshire secondary schools, using a Generator X wind and solar generator truck as the venue and power supply for practical lessons about fossil fuels, renewables and “the hidden oil in food”. We team up with the Millennium Debate, running our workshops as part of their “Blue Planet days”. The findings from this popular pilot provide the basis for designing longer-term provision of support for schools in teaching energy sustainability. Pilot report available here.

Summer ‘03

• Tours and roadshows: -

• Mini mobile solar cinema. Video screenings from the back of a Mercedes 307D fitted with photo-voltaics and a straight vegetable oil engine conversion. Events attended include: Old Kent Rd community renewables day and Brockwell Park Community festival.

• Solar bike sound system. Fun, sturdy, rainproof and very loud, this bike-trailer system promotes the benefits of work-bikes and renewable energy at outdoor events.

• We provide a bio powered van and crew support for an inspiring Argentinean women’s puppet show, touring this country with their story of recent economic upheaval in their country.

• Steve’s big old blue & silver wind and solar generator truck makes Generator X appearances at:
Maidstone Green Fair, the Big Green Gathering and Strawberry Fayre, Cambridge, providing power for stages, workshops, internet cafes and field lighting. picture

Spring ‘03

• Generator X is one of five groups to take part in Groundswell UK’s yearlong pilot for a new Social Business Support Scheme.

Autumn ‘03

• The Eco-classroom - Until this year, Generator X has worked predominantly with equipment and transport on loan from volunteers. This is set to change with the introduction of our new renewably powered mobile Eco-classroom. This new mobile educational space will give Generator X full control over the asset, enabling us to plan further ahead and run extensive, reliable touring programmes with a resource specifically designed for the projects in hand. The vehicle is acquired in October and conversion gets under way. The Classroom is designed to house a multi-media theatre with seating for seventeen people and a wind and solar system capable of powering, projections, music, lights, controls and computers five days a week, all year round.

• We start a major new programme of work, “The LEEP”. This is a ‘Local Energy in Education Programme’ for the development of young people growing up in deprived urban environments. The Generator X Eco-Classroom will visit pupils in secondary schools, bringing sustainable energy solutions to life. The LEEP website will be packed with ideas and tools, all devoted to engaging young people with energy sustainability. Work on the project starts in earnest…watch this space for the LEEP website.

Spring ‘04

• We complete the Social Business Support Scheme, along with four other organisations. Participation has helped us get the Eco-classroom and the LEEP off the ground, as well as in preparing to become a registered charity.

Summer ‘04

• Volunteers take part in NVQ training to become social enterprise ambassadors for Groundswell’s ongoing Social Business Support scheme.

Autumn ‘04

• Generator X becomes a registered Charity.

• The Generator X and LEEP website goes online!

Winter ‘04

• We embark on an Eco-media poject, producing renewably powered educational video. We work with young people as actors, voice-over artists and animators on our first major production - a half hour film about electricity in the UK and the global implications of how we make it. This will be shown in the Solar Cinema as part of multi-media "FUEL CRISIS" debates with year 7 science pupils.

Spring/Summer ‘05

• The Solar Cinema lorry is ready to tour. The vehicle conversion has taken over a year to complete, most of the work being carried out by volunteers and much effort being put into achieving our target of using 50% recycled materials and equipment, as well as meeting our usual organisational target of 90% renewable electricity use.

• We successfully complete our 1st LEEP tour with the Solar Cinema, holding FUEL CRISIS debates with over 500 pupils in London schools.

Autumn ‘05

• The 2nd LEEP tour takes place in Manchester and London.