Community Halls in County Durham have received funds from the Northern Powergrid Foundation to help provide sustainable energy source and protection to 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.  

 

Dipton Jubilee Centre

Dipton Community Association received £20,000 from the foundation in support of solar panels and battery storage for Dipton Jubilee Centre to enable the centre to be operational at all times providing the community with heat, light, refuge and to continue providing services at times of need and then passing on the reduced energy operating costs to the community with subsidised or free activities. 

The technical specifications of what Dipton Community Association used the Northern Powergrid Foundation funds for was an 8kW solar panel array, 8kW three phase hybrid invertor with 12.3 kWh battery back up and a solar i-boost.

Having worked with Durham County Councils Community Resilience Team and the funds from the Foundation the centre has been able to develop a new and more practical community emergency plan.

By having solar panels with battery storage and an invertor, when a power cut occurs power is switched from the mains supply to the battery enabling service to continue as normal, and for the Dipton community if it wasn't for this project their kids Halloween party of 2023 would have been cancelled and 50 witches and ghouls would have been extremely disappointed. 

The centre is saving approximately 30% compare to last year and are generating funds from feed-in tariffs. This extra income will allow the centre to keep their costs under control, will not need to increase booking charges and have the opportunity to offer free community events.

 

Graham Sinclair, Dipton Community Association Trustee said “We are delighted to receive the Northern Powergrid Foundation funding for our solar panels and battery. This will help the Dipton Jubilee Centre save on running costs and help keep hire costs low and allow the running of community events. The back up batteries will allow the centre to be open for the community in the event of an emergency and loss of power in the village."

Dipton Community Association photo caption L-R: Graham Sinclair, Dipton Community Association Trustee, Karen Dodds, Dipton Community Association Chairperson, MP Richard Holden, Joe Coe, Northern Powergrid Foundation Trustee and Keith Hall, Dipton Jubilee Centre Caretaker, outside of Jubilee Centre, Dipton.

 

 

The challenges for Dipton, Durham, residents

Due to the possibility of power interruptions in Dipton the trustees of the Dipton Jubilee Centre identified a need to increase their resilience for their local community. 

 

The solution for Dipton, Durham, residents

The trustees of the Dipton Jubilee Centre identified that solar panels and batteries were the best solution to allow the community centre to remain open for the local community to safely reside during times of power interruptions and emergencies by providing warmth, light, hot meals and, if needed, a place to sleep. 

 

Support from the Northern Powergrid Foundation

The Northern Powergrid Foundation supported the community project with a £20,000 donation to go towards solar panels and energy storage battery. 

 

 

 

 

Medomsley Community Action Group

Medomsley Community Action Group received £6,418.40 from the foundation in support of setting up Medomsley Methodist Church Hall as a community crisis hub at times of civil emergency situation for residents to come together, stay warm and have activities to prevent social isolation.  

 

Andrew Rigg, Medomsley Community Action Group Treasurer said “After the events of Storm Arwen and knowing that climate change will only mean more unpredictable weather, Medomsley Community Action Group could not have put together our warm hub without the support of the Northern Powergrid Foundation in providing the funds for us to complete this activity. This hub will provide a place for the community to shelter, seek advice and come together in times of uncertainty”. 

 

Medomsley Community Action Group photo caption L-R: MP Richard Holden, Andrew Rigg, Medomsley Community Action Group Treasurer, Sonya Wilks, Medomsley Community Action Group Member, Councillor Alan Shield and Anne Haswell, Northern Powergrid Project Manager, outside of St Mary Magdalene Parish Church, Medomsley.  

 

The challenges for Medomsley, Durham, residents

Due to the possibility of power interruptions at Medomsley the parish council identified a need to increase their resilience. 

 

The solution for Medomsley, Durham, residents

The parish council identified a need to set up a community hub at Medomsley Methodist Church Hall to provide a warm and social location for local residents during times of power interruptions, all possible with generator and resilience kits.  

 

Support from the Northern Powergrid Foundation

The Northern Powergrid Foundation supported the community project with a £6,418.40 donation to go towards generator hook up points and generators, as well as long-term reusable supplies to enable services to run effectively from the hall, supplies include charging stations, portable power stations, wind up torches and radios.

 

Healeyfield Parish Council

Healeyfield Parish Council received £8,270 from the foundation in support of the creation of a crisis hub at Castleside Village Hall with emergency generator hook-up points with appropriate switchgear at three locations and long-term reusable supplies to support residents during times of power crisis. 

 

Alan Wallace, Healeyfield Parish Councillor said “We are very pleased to have been awarded this grant from The Northern Powergrid Foundation. Support during the process both from the foundation and our local MP, Mr Richard Holden, was such that our grant application was prepared, submitted and subsequently approved within a short period time. We can now proceed to fund the installation of emergency generator hook up points for our designated community hubs which would be used as safe spaces in the event of a major power outage.  Some of the funds will also be used to purchase easily transportable equipment which will be available to support the local residents in and around the Castleside and Moorside areas, as part of our community resilience plan." 

 

The challenges for Healeyfield, Durham, residents

Due to the dispersed nature of the community of Castleside there's a need for a resilience plan covering the whole of the Castleside area in North West Durham.

 

The solution for Healeyfield, Durham, residents

The parish of Healeyfield identified a need for multiple generator connection points and resilience kits to protect the dispersed community during times of power interruptions. 

 

Support for the Northern Powergrid Foundation

The Northern Powergrid Foundation supported the community project with a £8,270 donation to go towards generator connection points and resilience kits. 

 

Healeyfield Parish Council photo caption L-R: Alan Wallace, Healeyfield Parish Councillor, MP Richard Holden, Anne Haswell, Northern Powergrid Project Manager, Councillor Douglas Oliver and Adrian Hird, Chairman of Castleside Village Hall, outside of Castleside Village Hall. 

 

 

 

Durham North West constituency

MP Richard Holden, who has played a key role in supporting the grant applications and helped present the cheques to the awardees in County Durham as part of his summer surgery tour said: "I never want people in North West Durham to experience the avoidable devastation that they did following Storm Arwen. North West Durham is set to receive the thick end of £100,000. Hopefully, people in Dipton, Sunniside and Medomsley will have their own safe haven to support them during future extreme weather events. It’s great to see this important campaign pay off. This money is a huge step in the right direction and will make a big difference to people in every corner of our area.” 

 

North West Constituency photo caption L-R: MP Richard Holden and Anne Haswell, Northern Powergrid Project Manager, outside of Castleside Village 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. The scheme has, so far, awarded £560,000 and supported over 40 projects across Northumberland and County Durham worst hit by the winter storms of 2021-22. Ten of these projects are located within MP Richard Holden’s constituency of North West Durham and have received a total funding of over £90,000 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, batteries, heat pumps and generators.  

Jodie Coe, Northern Powergrid Foundation Trustee said: “I’m delighted that community projects focussed on local energy resilience in the time of emergency events within County Durham have been backed by the foundation in their bid to support residents and to reduce energy operational costs. It is fantastic to see the foundation in its first year support so many projects and I look forward to seeing even more community projects focused on any of the foundation’s priorities, such as resilience, vulnerability and fuel poverty across 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.