Since 2022, Retrofit Balsall Health has installed solar panels, insulation and other measures to make homes in Birmingham more energy efficient. The grassroots, people-powered scheme is led by John Christophers and his wife Jo Hindley, and they have signed up more than 1,400 households to have the work done, completing around 650 homes so far. All retrofitting is done free of charge. The team – working alongside Birmingham City Council – tapped into £6.5 million local authority government funding to take the financial burden off households. By replacing windows and doors and providing better insulation and ventilation, Retrofit Balsall Health has warmed the homes of residents in Birmingham in an environmentally friendly, cost-free way.