Airtricity presents €120,000 to local community groups from its Meentycat Wind Farm Sponsored Walk and annual Community Fund

SSE Airtricity, Ireland’s second largest energy utility, has presented almost €120,000 to 40 community groups within the vicinity of its Meentycat Wind Farm.

SSE Airtricity is presenting around €58,000 in top-up funding from the wind farm to walkers who raised over €61,000 during the Meentycat Sponsored Walk earlier this year. In addition SSE Airtricity is providing a further €58,000 to local energy efficiency projects from its Meentycat Community Fund. This brings the total investment by SSE Airtricity towards local groups through sponsorship contributions and its annual Community Fund to almost €120,000 this year, and the overall total of monies raised or contributed this year for local communities through the Meentycatt Wind Farm to around €180,000.

This is the largest annual single contribution by SSE Airtricity to local communities through its Meentycat Sponsored Walk and Meentycat Community Fund. Overall, since 2007 SSE Airtricity has contributed over €500,000 into the communities around its Meentycat farm.

Almost 1000 walkers representing around 40 local groups took part in a 15km sponsored walk last September through Meentycat Wind Farm, Ireland’s largest single wind farm. Groups of walkers from Ballybofey, Cloghan, Convoy, Lifford, Drumkeen, Glenswilly, Letterkenny, Stranorlar, the Finn Valley, and other areas in the vicinity of the wind farm took part in the event. The scenic route took the sponsored walkers through SSE Airtricity’s Meentycat Wind Farm and its adjoining Culliagh Wind Farm. As well as having the opportunity to raise funds, walkers also enjoyed the opportunity to get up close to many of the 63 wind turbines while taking in spectacular views of Donegal’s most stunning natural landmarks including Mount Errigal and Barnesmore Gap.

Each year, sponsorship raised by participating groups in the sponsored walk is topped up by additional funding payments from SSE Airtricity. This year community groups raised over €61,000 for local good causes with SSE Airtricity contributing an additional €58,000 to participating groups to top-up local fundraising efforts.

In addition, SSE Airtricity matches its sponsorship contribution to local good causes with an additional €58,000 award to energy efficiency projects in the area from its Community Fund Programme. This brings the total investment by SSE Airtricity towards local groups through sponsorship contributions and its annual Community Fund to almost €120,000 this year.

Anne Reynolds, Airtricity’s Community Development Officer, comments:

“Once again we’re delighted at SSE Airtricity to be able to provide top-up funding of around €58,000 from our Meentycat Wind Farm to support the sponsorship efforts of local groups at this year’s Meentycat Sponsored Walk. Participants at this year’s Walk have already raised a phenomenal €61,000 locally and we’re proud to be able to top-up those funds with a contribution from the wind farm that brings the total amount raised for local good causes to almost €120,000 this year – by far the largest total raised to date from the Meentycat Sponsored Walk. This demonstrates the passion and commitment that local community groups continue to show to raise much-needed funding in these difficult times.

“Additionally, this year we’re once again matching this sponsorship contribution with a further €58,000 which we are presenting to groups applying to our Community Fund Programme for energy efficiency projects in the area. Funding from the SSE Airtricity Community Fund is being provided this year towards an energy efficient mower for the Drumkeen United Football Club; for a solar water heating project for the Twin Town Boxing Club; a number of energy efficient measures for the Crossroads & Killygordan Enterprise Centre; attic insulation, drylining and new windows for Glencovitt National School; and solar panels, insulation and lighting controls for Ballybofey and Stranorlar Integrated Community Company.  These investments by SSE Airtricity from our Community Fund into these local groups will leave a lasting legacy for generations and further demonstrate the economic benefits that renewable energy can bring to local communities.”

In addition to Community Fund benefits, investment in renewable energy presents an unparalleled opportunity to act as a leading economic stimulus locally and nationally in terms of construction jobs and materials, professional services and through local income in the form of local authority rates and landowner rental payments.

The Meentycat and Culliagh Wind Farms, which are operated by Airtricity’s parent company SSE, generate around 100MW of renewable energy and are capable of powering up to 60,000†homes for Ireland’s greenest home energy provider Airtricity. The Meentycat Wind Farm is Ireland’s largest single wind farm.The green energy generated at Meentycat and Culliagh Wind Farms helps to ensure that Ireland meets its national targets of 40% renewables by 2020 and the EU’s mandatory 20% reduction in carbon emissions.

†Homes powered calculation based on typical annual consumption of 4,500kWh (Commission for Energy Regulation) and 1 year average recorded capacity factor of SSE wind farms operating in Ireland, April 2012-March 2013. Historic figures quoted are for guideline purposes only – actual future performance may vary.