Almost €250,000 now handed out by SSE Airtricity to community groups in Co. Sligo

SSE Airtricity, Ireland’s largest renewable energy generator, has awarded almost €40,000 to community groups close to its Kingsmountain and Dunneill wind farms in Co. Sligo.

Through its Community Fund programme, SSE Airtricity makes annual contributions to community groups in the locality of its wind farms. The company has been donating to local projects in Co. Sligo since 2004, and this latest presentation takes its overall contribution in the region to nearly €250,000.

The presentation took place in Templeboy Pastoral Centre, Co. Sligo, on Wednesday 1^st April. A total of 14 local projects will benefit from this year’s payout of €39,959, including schools, sports clubs and drama groups.

The funding will allow St. Mary’s National School in Templeboy to draught-proof the porch at the school. The school’s principal, Brian Mahon, said: “In 2012, the SSE Airtricity Community Fund went towards our cavity wall and attic space insulations. That project was a great success, allowing our pupils to enjoy a much cosier working environment. We have also benefited from a decrease in our heating costs as a result of the insulation. As we seek to further improve our energy efficiency, the Board of Management has decided to use this year’s donation to draught-proof the school’s porch.”

The majority of the community groups are putting this latest funding towards greater energy efficiency, which SSE Airtricity strongly supports.

Skreen Dromard Community Council will use the funds to replace 19 windows at the community centre. Council Chairman, Martin Wilson, commented: “Thanks to SSE Airtricity, we have been able to greatly improve the community centre’s heating efficiency over the last few years. In 2013, we were able to get the cavity wall pumped, and in 2014, we were able to upgrade the windows in the first section of the building as well as installing a fire escape door. This year’s funding will allow us to continue the improvements, particularly through the long overdue replacement of 19 windows.”

Other projects being supported range from installing a solar panel water-heating system at Enniscrone Kilgass GAA club in Dromore West, to cavity wall insulation at High Park National School in Skreen.

Anne Reynolds, SSE Airtricity Community Development Officer, said: “We’re delighted to be presenting this year’s funding to so many forward-thinking and worthy local projects, and it’s great to see so much of it going towards improvements in energy efficiency. Since 2004, we’ve donated nearly a quarter of a million euro to local projects in Co. Sligo, which is in line with our continued commitment to the communities closest to our wind farms.”

SSE Airtricity’s Dunneill and Kingsmountain wind farms in Co. Sligo have a have a combined capacity of over 36MW and produce enough green energy to power over 24,000 homes in the region.