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Record breaking Community Fund handed out to 25 local groups around Northern Ireland’s largest Wind Park

22 Aug 2014
Slieve Kirk Wind Park Community Fund .jpg

SSE Airtricity has presented its largest ever Community Fund in Northern Ireland, after handing out £197,000 to community projects close to its Slieve Kirk Wind Park in County Derry~Londonderry. The presentation took place at the Belfray Country Inn on Wednesday 19 August.

The 73MW Slieve Kirk Wind Park, SSE’s largest wind park in Northern Ireland, was opened in November 2013 by Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuiness. Slieve Kirk’s third Community Fund presentation brings the company’s overall contribution to local projects in Derry~Londonderry to over £350,000.

Alongside side this year’s Slieve Kirk Community Fund, SSE Airtricity has launched its Scholarship Fund, which is supported by the Slieve Kirk Wind Park Regional Fund and has been established by SSE Airtricity to promote learning and development opportunities in the local community around Slieve Kirk Wind Park. Almost £100,000 will be handed out through the year’s Scholarship Fund.

This year, a total of twenty five community groups will benefit from the funding, including schools, societies and sports clubs.

The Rural Area Partnership in Derry is putting its money towards the re-insulation of the Old School House in Killaloo. Una Cooper, Project Co-ordinator for RAPID, said: “Over the past few years, we’ve made a number of energy efficiency improvements to the Old School House. This year we’re planning to install new insulation to help improve heat retention throughout the building, an improvement that will help ensure a much ‘warmer winter’ for everyone at RAPID.”

Burnfoot Community Development is investing in replacement windows at the Burnfoot Community Hall Centre. Vice Chairman of the Community Group, Boyd Douglas, commented: “This is the first year that we’ve applied to SSE Airtricity’s Community Fund, and we’re thrilled with the investment we’ve received, which has helped us to upgrade the electrical fittings and top-up the attic insulation in our community hall.”

Most of the community groups are putting this latest funding towards greater energy efficiency. Projects range from attic and wall insulation improvements at Kildoag Clay Target Club and the Old School house in Killaloo, to installations of energy efficient lighting at Creevedonnell Cricket Club and Glenelly St. Joseph’s GFC.

SSE Airtricity Community Development Officer, Anne Reynolds said:  “We are delighted to be able to help so many community groups in the area. It’s great to see so much of the money going towards greater energy efficiency, something we’re always promoting at SSE Airtricity. Through our Community Fund Programme, we have been able to award more than £195,000 to 25 worthy projects in the region. We are committed to bringing positive energy to the communities near our wind farms. By helping local groups to become more energy efficient and in turn reduce their fuel costs, we can all live in a greener and more sustainable environment.”

You can find out more about our Community funds by visiting: