Displaying items by tag: climate

Amber Rudd MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Climate Change, says entries are 'inspiring', as Roche Victory Hall & Social Club takes top prize of £57k.

16 Community groups from all over Cornwall were celebrating this week after being awarded a share of £300,000 grant funding.  energyfund Cornwall awarded funds to non-profit making groups planning projects that will directly benefit their community through renewable energy.
 
The energyfund Cornwall winners were announced at a glittering award ceremony at the Eden Project on Monday night which was hosted by BBC One Show presenter and Guardian journalist Lucy Siegle. The awards were created by Cornwall-based energyshare and made possible with sponsorship from the BRE National Solar Centre, Ovo Communities and Cornish renewable energy installer Natural Generation.
 
The pioneering nature of the Awards and entries attracted the attention of Amber Rudd MP – Under Secretary of State at Department of Energy and Climate change - who sent a personal message to the groups saying “Community renewable energy is a top priority for this government so it’s inspiring to see the pioneering work you have achieved so far in Cornwall”.
 
Roche Victory Hall & Social Club won the biggest award of the night taking home £57,000. Brian Higman and Roy Schofield were at Eden to collect the award. A particularly special occasion as both Brian and Roy helped construct the hall in 1955, digging out the foundations with their local young Farmers Association.
 
The award from energyfund Cornwall enables Roche Victory Hall & Social Club to install a ground source heat system. The reduced heating costs and revenue generated from government RHI tariffs will help the venue to be sustainable for the next 20 years.
 
Roche Committee member Daniel Inch “This award will help us provide our community with a Village Hall and Social Club which is fit for future generations. It allows us to invest in the premises and support all the local organisations that use our facility.
 
It's great news for the extensive list of people using the hall from Roche playgroup and Brownies to The Clays beer festival and Roche flower show. The hall is invaluable to the community."
 
Thanking energyshare for delivering the energyfund awards, Councillor Julian German, who attended the awards, said “Cornwall Council is delighted to support an event like this. Locally owned energy has the potential to transform communities across Cornwall and beyond, with the retained revenues offering the opportunity to not only support cleaner power generation, but also support local services that are often at the heart of what makes our communities tick. Each and every community group that takes control of energy is taking us one further step towards a new type of market that can replicate the benefits of local food production - made and consumed locally for local benefit”

About energyshare
•      energyshare has an existing network of 1,100 community energy groups across the country.
•      energyshare is an online energy community bringing individuals and groups together to create positive change by helping people make better energy choices, both in their homes, businesses and throughout their communities.
•      www.energyshare.com
•      energyshare engages and supports communities in building social, environmental and financial sustainability around energy.
•      energyshare project is part financed by the Grant for Business Investment European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007 to 2013.
•      The Department for Communities and Local Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which is one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs. For more information visit www.gov.uk/browse/business/funding-debt/european-regional-development-funding  and  www.convergencecornwall.com