RWE’s Katy Woodington awarded MBE for services to charitable and energy services

Katy Woodington, RWE’s UK community investment lead, has been awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year’s Honours List, in recognition of her exceptional services to the charitable and energy sectors.

Over 20 years, Katy has made a significant impact both within the energy industry and beyond, combining professional leadership with a deep personal commitment to supporting communities, charities, and social causes. Her work has been instrumental in helping unlock access to millions of pounds of investment for UK communities, through the direct operation of clean energy projects in their neighbourhoods. These investments have helped address critical local issues and opportunities and ultimately helped to bring communities closer together.

The MBE recognises Katy’s significant contribution to community development through her role as RWE’s Community Investment Team Lead for the UK & Ireland. Drawing on her background in the voluntary sector, Katy has helped RWE and the broader industry shape a community investment approach that prioritises long-term sustainability, active listening and local decision-making.

Katy’s experience working closely with grassroots organisations informed her belief that communities are best placed to identify their own priorities when given the right support. Under her leadership, RWE has developed a community funding programme, funded through the generation of renewable power, that puts local people at the centre of decision-making, delivering flexible funding that enables projects that deliver lasting social, environmental and economic benefits.

As the UK Government’s focus on the delivery of community benefits from within the energy sector has continued to grow, Katy has played a leading role in the development of new standards. Sharing best practice and exploring innovative approaches, building on the best practice created across RWE’s portfolio of funding across offshore and onshore wind and solar.

Katy Woodington, Community Investment Manager, UK & Ireland, RWE, said: “I’m deeply honoured to receive this recognition, but it is really a reflection of my fantastic team, the voluntary sector partners we work with and most importantly the tireless efforts of volunteers up and down the country who use our funds to deliver positive change in their communities. My early career in the voluntary sector showed me both the resilience of communities and the challenges they face when support isn’t sustainable, and this experience has fundamentally shaped my approach to how we deliver community investment in the UK. At RWE, we work in partnership with communities that host our projects, listening to local needs and supporting ideas that can create lasting, positive change. Community investment isn’t an add-on, it’s fundamental to building a fair, sustainable energy future.”

Tom Glover, RWE UK country chair, commented: “We are immensely proud of Katy and this well-deserved recognition. Her dedication, integrity, and compassion have made a lasting difference not only within RWE and the energy sector but also in the lives of countless people. Through her commitment, Katy is helping ensure the delivery of a community funding program in the UK that will invest more than £170 million into local communities, with decisions directed not by corporate priorities but by local people who understand what is most important to their local community. This MBE is a fitting tribute to a career defined by service, leadership, community empowerment and positive impact.”