A community centre has received funding from the Northern Powergrid Foundation to help provide energy efficiency on everyday occurrences.  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.

Sherburn Hill Community Hub

The village to the east of Sherburn, in County Durham, Sherburn Hill received financial support from the Northern Powergrid Foundation to enhance energy efficiency at the Sherburn Hill Community Hub and Café. The hub, funded by grants and ran as a charity, provides a valuable space for the local community to come together and is dedicated to creating a positive impact and fostering a sense of community. The £15,000 grant donation has funded solar panels which will enable the centre to save approximately £2,000 per year on energy bills and due to the reduction in the operating costs the centre will be able to provide the community with low cost, free and subsidised services. The solar panels will provide the hub with a modest export income and should batteries be attached the hub can then be flexible with energy usage furthering its energy savings.

Jemma Hewitson, Sherburn Hill Community Hub Centre Manager said “We are thankful for the support from the Northern Powergrid Foundation with the funds for solar panels for our centre. Through this support the centre can continue to offer our array of services to our diverse community.”

Sherburn Hill Community Hub photo caption L-R: Representative from Sherburn Hill Community Hub and Anne Haswell, on behalf of the Northern Powergrid Foundation outside of Sherburn Hill Community Hub, Durham. 

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. 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. 

Joe Docherty, Chair of Northern Powergrid Foundation Trustees said: “It’s great to see the Foundation support projects such as Sherburn Hill’s that have a lasting benefit to community efficiency in geographical areas that need support the most. The Foundation is looking forward to supporting more community projects served by Northern Powergrid that have a focus on one or more of the charity’s key priority areas”. 

More about The Northern Powergrid Foundation

The Northern Powergrid Foundation will officially launch soon. The Foundation has awarded funds to communities across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire served by Northern Powergrid. 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 will work with community partners to identify the best ways to create a positive and enduring impact for communities located within Northern Powergrid’s region.

The Foundation will be open for applications in 2024. The Foundation is currently assessing applications received in this latest round from all communities served by Northern Powergrid covering activities that are in support of the charity’s priorities. Community groups interested in finding out more about the Foundation and when to apply for funding up to £20,000 should visit www.northernpowergridfoundation.com