[C]ommunity buildings, like village halls and community centres, in eligible postcode area LA18 including Kirkstanton, Haverigg and Millom, can apply for grants of up to £4,000 from a programme set up by Thrive Renewables, a company that invests in renewable energy projects around the UK.
Grants can cover improvements such as wall and roof insulation, draft-proofing, LED lighting or improved heating controls and are open to buildings close to Thrive Renewables’ four-turbine wind farm at the old airfield site in Haverigg.
Millom Baptist Church in Cumbria received a £4,000 grant last year to install loft insulation and a new Velux window to improve the efficiency of the space. Jean Liney, secretary of the church said about the grant: “We no longer need to put the electric lights on as the room is full of natural light and is so much warmer too. I’m convinced that we will see a big difference in energy bills. We are so grateful for the advice we received during the application process.”
The programme is administered by the Centre for Sustainable Energy, an independent national charity that shares their knowledge and experience to help people change the way they think and act on energy. The application team are on hand to provide advice on how to apply for the grant as well as guidance around energy saving measures.
Thrive Renewables’ Adrian Warman explains the benefits of the programme: “Our grants mean community buildings can make fundamental energy improvements. That’s improvements to how comfortable they are, how much they cost to run, and, ultimately, how much they get used. There really aren’t many grants for spaces like this, but so many people and groups rely on them.”
What do I need to do to apply?
If you have a community space that could benefit from the grant, visit www.thriverenewables.co.uk/CBP. The deadline for applications is Friday 30 March 2018.
With a mission to help clean up the UK’s energy system, Thrive Renewables invests in wind, solar and hydro projects with over 21 sites around the UK. In 2017 their projects saved over 70,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
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Image caption: Millom Baptist Church received £4,000 from Thrive Renewables’ community benefit grant towards its roof appeal which has helped transform the communal space with roof insulation and Velux windows.
