Westmill Solar allocates just over £49,000 through the community benefit fund.
2022 was the third year of the Westmill Solar the community grant scheme, and it’s the biggest funding scheme we’ve allocated so far. This year we have granted 13 different community organisations a share of just over £49,000.
The quality of applications is very high year on year which sometimes makes it very difficult for the panel to allocate the limited fund. As with previous years, our panel of members chose the projects that were most aligned with our cooperative principles, with particular concern for community and sustainability.
As well as the community benefit fund, Westmill Solar has also been working with Low Carbon Hub and EiE Oxford Brookes, to offer free energy audits of community buildings. These audits are often the often the first step to community groups being able to take practical action to reduce carbon usage. Indeed, this year we received many applications to our community funding grant scheme from community groups looking to implement some of the suggestions in their energy audit reports.
We would like to thank all applicants as well as those Westmill Solar members who nominated a particular organisation for funding. We hope to have some of the successful applicants join us at our AGM next year to discuss the impact they have been able to achieve with this funding.
The projects funded this year include:
- contributions for the installation of solar PV and battery storage on 5 community buildings,
- funding for fuel poverty advice in Blackbird Leys,
- the installation of energy efficiency measures such as LED lighting and insulation in 4 different community buildings,
- Tools for a repair café
- Training courses for 3 energy advisers
- Set up costs for sustainability fair
The funded Projects:
£2,500 to Charlton Recreation Centre to install a new energy efficient door for the community centre.
£500.93 to Sustainable Shrivenham to buy equipment to support the repair café within the Sustainability Community Hub.
£4,964 to Agnes Smith Advice Centre to fund fuel poverty advice to the community of Blackbird Leys via a part time adviser.
£5,000 to The Harwellian Club towards the installation of solar panels on the sports club.
£2,100 to Shrivenham FC to fund phase 1 of the LED lighting installation as outlined in their community building audit by EiE.
£5,000 to Wallingford Sports Trust as a contribution towards the installation of solar PV and battery storage on the sports hall.
£5,000 to Ashton Keynes Village Hall as a contribution to the installation of solar panels on the village hall
£5,000 to Environmental Information Exchange at Oxford Brookes University to fund the training of three new energy advisers to join their energy audit team.
£5,000 to Central Swindon North Parish Community Library & Leisure Trust for the installation of LED lighting and controls throughout Moredon Library.
£3,196 to Eastcott Community Organisation to help restart ECOfest in 2023.
£1,000 to 1st Inkpen & Kintbury Scouts as a contribution towards the installation of solar panels on the scout hut.
£5,000 to Ham Village Hall to help insulate the community hall.
£5,000 to Discovery Church Wroughton as a contribution towards the installation of solar panels and battery storage on the church hall.
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