Walthamstow couple who slept on roof fund street's solar power

Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell slept on their roof for 23 days in November and December

A couple has managed to raise enough money to install solar panels on every house on their east London street.

Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell slept on the roof of their Walthamstow house for 23 nights in late November and early December, to raise their target of £100,000.

They surpassed their goal, raising just over £113,000.

More than 30 of their neighbours on Lynmouth Road will soon have solar panels installed on their houses.

Mr Edelstyn told BBC Radio London that originally the couple had the ambitious goal to "take Walthamstow off the grid" completely, but then decided to start with their own street first.

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The pair went from door to door on their street, asking fellow residents if they would be willing to have solar panels installed "in order to cut your electricity bills and to help with the climate crisis".

The couple is aiming to build a "power station" on their road along with their neighbours

Ms Powell said 35 houses on their street had already been surveyed and were ready to install solar panels.

She added the fundraising project was a "special experience" that had brought out the community spirit on the street, with neighbours bringing her and Mr Edelstyn breakfast while they were on the roof.

The couple has also worked with schools in the local area, raising money with a Christmas single to help Barn Croft Primary School own the solar panels on their roof amid budget cuts.

The song reached number 21 in the UK charts and they have raised just over £30,000 for Barn Croft Primary so far.

The couple hopes their project will inspire other neighbourhoods across London and the rest of the country to take action against climate change.

"It's not just about this one street, it's about this as a trigger for a street-by-street approach and the kind of growing awakening that we're seeing all around us that we can have the power to make change," Ms Powell said.

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