A South Cumbrian community hall said it was strengthening its future and cutting energy costs as it plans to install battery storage.
Skelsmergh Community Hall, near Kendal, has been awarded a £4,372 grant from the Cumbria Social Enterprise Partnership, funded by Westmorland & Furness Council through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
The hall is a volunteer‑run social enterprise and its committee said by generating, storing, and using its own energy, the hall can lower operating expenses – drawing on stored power during peak times to cut electricity bills by around £1,000 each year, while also reducing carbon emissions by approximately one tonne of CO₂e annually.
It said lower energy bills also strengthen financial resilience, shielding the hall from rising fuel prices, which was one of the greatest risks facing rural community buildings, it added.
Battery storage will also allow the hall to operate during power cuts.
In November 2024, the hall was awarded £8,000 through the Rural England Prosperity Fund to replace its dilapidated and obsolete heat pump.
Ian Kell, a long-serving committee member, said: “Skelsmergh Community Hall is absolutely delighted to receive two grants for battery storage and ground source heat pump from Cumbria Social Enterprise Partnership which will further enhance the hall’s green credentials and make our solar panels and heat pump even more efficient as energy prices continue to rise.”
