Over £1.1m now presented by SSE Airtricity to community groups close to Slieve Kirk Wind Park

SSE Airtricity, Northern Ireland’s largest provider of renewable energy, has now handed out  over £1.1 million to community groups close to its Slieve Kirk Wind Park in Co. Derry~Londonderry, following the company’s latest Community Fund contribution.

This year’s presentation took place at the Beechill Country House in Ardmore on Wednesday 9August, with 42 community groups benefiting from a total fund of over £178,000.

Through its Community Fund programme, SSE Airtricity makes annual contributions to community groups in the vicinity of its wind farms. The company has been donating to local projects around Slieve Kirk Wind Park since 2012, and this latest presentation takes its overall contribution in the region to over £1.1m.

Limavady Cricket and Rugby Football Club will be using this year’s funding to upgrade the lights at the clubhouse and install a new lighting control system, boosting the club’s overall energy efficiency. Harold Faulkner, executive committee member at the club, said: “With the support from SSE Airtricity, we are planning to carry out extensive work to enhance the energy efficiency of our lights at the club, and we’re hoping to make further improvements with the installation of a new lighting control system.”

Churchill United Football Club will be putting the money towards making improvements to its changing room facilities, including insulating the roof space and replacing the hot water tank. David Pentland, treasurer at the club, said: “As well as making the changing rooms more comfortable for the players, the improvement works will help us decrease our carbon footprint and reduce our running costs. The savings made will allows us to redirect money into other important areas for the club.”

The majority of the recipient groups are putting this year’s funding towards improving their energy efficiency measures, which SSE Airtricity strongly supports.Other projects being supported range from replacing the windows at Foreglen Community Association, to installing energy efficient lighting at City of Derry Rugby Club and Clann na nGael GAC in Dunamanagh.

Anne Reynolds, SSE Airtricity Community Development Officer, said: “We’re really proud to be making a difference for the communities close to Slieve Kirk Wind Park, and this latest funding brings our overall contribution in the area to more than £1.1 million since 2012. This year, there are 42 fantastic groups receiving funding, and we’re delighted to once again see so much of the money going towards projects to improve energy efficiency.”

SSE Airtricity’s Slieve Kirk Wind Park is the largest wind farm in Northern Ireland, producing enough green energy to power over 65,000 homes in the region.