Organisations in Hexham have received funding to help provide a sustainable energy source and enhanced community facilities to protect residents during a power crisis. The Northern Powergrid Foundation, established by Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the electricity distribution network that powers the lives of 8 million people in the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, is passionate about being able to support communities and creating resilient and thriving communities through access to funds.  

 

 

Newbrough Town Hall

Newbrough Town Hall received £20,000 from The Foundation in support of a generator for the town hall to become a community hub for residents of villages Newbrough, Fourstones, Warden and the outlying areas within Northumberland in emergency events.  

 

David Spearman, member of the Newbrough Town Hall Management Committee said "We are very grateful for the Northern Powergrid Foundation for their grant which is to be used to install a standby generator at the Hall to provide emergency heating and also charging facilities for residents' mobile phones. This will enhance the facilities we already have in terms of a large kitchen and in extreme cases there is space for temporary overnight accommodation, both in the Hall and the adjacent bunk house."

 

Newbrough Town Hall photo caption L-R: Chris Mitchell, Northern Powergrid Regional Customer Service Manager, David Spearman, Trustee of Newbrough Town Hall Management Committee, Helen Hinds, Northumberland County Council Business Resilience and Emergency Planning Lead and MP Guy Opperman outside of Newbrough Town Hall. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Humshaugh Village Hall

Located just off of the military Wall by Hadrian’s Wall, Humshaugh Village Hall received £20,000 from The Foundation in support of a generator and battery to allow the hall to become a crisis hub for the residents of Humshaugh.  

 

Diana Linnett, Humshaugh Village Hall Chair of Trustees said “Following Storm Arwen The Trustees of Humshaugh Village Hall were keen to ensure that, in the event of future events, we would be able to provide a safe and comfortable space for anyone affected. The acquisition of a generator and battery will enable us to provide facilities which are resilient even when the hall itself is affected. We are keen to be ready for next winter and the swift response from the Northern Powergrid Foundation to provide funding has enabled us to progress with the project in a timely manner”. 

 

Humshaugh Parish Council received £3,201.48 from the Foundation in support of storm resilience materials such as portable gas heaters, lanterns and batteries to provide the residents Humshaugh who are unable to leave their homes ways to be safe and warm during power cuts.  

 

Ian Birleson, Humshaugh Parish Councillor said “Humshaugh Parish Council are grateful for the Northern Powergrid Foundation funding which we have invested in equipment to help support our residents in the event of a prolonged power outage”. 

 

Humshaugh Village Hall and Parish Council photo caption L-R: MP Guy Opperman, Dianna Linnett, Humshaugh Village Hall Chair of Trustees, Chris Mitchell, Northern Powergrid Regional Customer Service Manager, Ian Birleson, Humshaugh Parish Councillor and Alex Chylak, Humshaugh Village Hall Trustees outside of Humshaugh Village Hall. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stonehaugh Community Hall

Ten miles north west along a single access road in a very remote part of Northumberland to a purpose-built village for forestry workers in the 1950s, Stonehaugh Community Hall Trust received £17,000 from The Foundation to fund a generator for the hall to become a community hub for the residents of Stonehaugh during emergency events. 

 

Brenda Murray, Stonehaugh Community Hall Trust Treasurer said “On behalf of the Stonehaugh Community Hall Trust I'd like to thank the Northern Powergrid Foundation for the grant for Stonehaugh Community Hall. This will provide electricity in emergency situations, such as power cuts and allow us to create a warm hub in the Community Hall for everyone to use and stay connected with loved ones.” 

 

Stonehaugh Community Hall Trust photo caption L-R: MP Guy Opperman, Michael Murray, Stonehaugh Community Hall Trust Trustee, Brenda Murray, Stonehaugh Community Hall Trust Treasurer and Chris Mitchell, Northern Powergrid Regional Customer Service Manager outside of Stonehaugh Community Hall. 

 

 

 

 

Hexham constituency

MP Guy Opperman, who has played a key role in supporting the applications and helped present the cheques to the awardees in the various locations in Hexham said: "I am delighted that following our campaign, community groups across Northumberland have received vital funding for resilience measures. It was brilliant to meet representatives from groups in Newbrough, Humshaugh and Stonehaugh who have received this funding. I want to thank all the communities who have supported my campaign, ensuring that community resilience is improved for future weather events." 

 

Helen Hinds, Business Resilience and Emergency Planning Lead, who played a key role in developing Foundation grant applications said: “We’ve been working with communities to help them develop their local arrangements in case of an emergency.  This funding will enhance the support they can give to residents at the very local level making them more resilient to different disruptive events.” 

Hexham constituency photo caption L-R: MP Guy Opperman and and Chris Mitchell, Northern Powergrid Regional Customer Service Manager outside of Stonehaugh Community Hall. 

 

 

 

Support offered by the Northern Powergrid Foundation

The funding awarded is part of a batch of successful applications to The Northern Powergrid Foundation, which was set up to support and improve local community energy resilience. So far the Northern Powergrid Foundation has awarded £560,000 and supported over 40 projects across Northumberland and County Durham worst hit by the winter storms of 2021-22. Seventeen of these projects are located within MP Guy Opperman’s constituency of Hexham and have received a total funding of over £245,000 from The Foundation. 

 

The funded communities are delivering unique and exciting projects that will have a lasting impact by enabling hubs to be self-sufficient in supporting their residents today, tomorrow and in the future. Projects include the establishment or the expansion of community hubs so that the likes of community halls and parish halls can play a vital role in keeping their community safe and warm during power interruptions with the introduction of solar panels, heat pumps and generators and energy storage with the likes of batteries.  

 

Chris Mitchell, Northern Powergrid’s Regional Customer Service Manager said: “I’m delighted that many projects located within Hexham, especially those like Stonehaugh that are remote, have been supported by The Foundation enabling the communities to be self-sufficient during times of power interruptions. It is fantastic to see The Foundation support many communities, especially those in remote areas, across Hexham, Northumberland, to become resilient in the event of a power cut or emergency situation. I hope to see many more projects from communities across Northern Powergrid’s area of distribution in the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire being supported by The Foundation in the near future.” 

 

 

More about The Northern Powergrid Foundation  

The Northern Powergrid Foundation will officially launch soon, with grant applications from communities across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire accepted in due course. The Foundation’s mission, complementing Northern Powergrid’s ambition to be a force for good in the communities it serves, is to support communities most affected by changes in the economy, environment, and society because of the shifting energy landscape. This will be achieved by supporting projects focused on helping to tackle energy resilience during emergency events, vulnerability, fuel poverty, levelling the rural divide, innovation, social support, and community collaboration. The Foundation has worked with Northern Powergrid’s community partners to identify the best ways to create a positive and enduring impact for those worst affected by Storm Arwen in 2021.