Sutton Centre on Kyffin Place has received funding to help provide energy resilience in times of need and energy efficiency on everyday occurrences.   

The Northern Powergrid Foundation, the charitable arm of 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 innovative organisations and community projects addressing energy-related challenges including fuel poverty, energy resilience and the net zero transition.   

Sutton Centre receives £9,601.32 for solar panels and battery storage to enable the centre to be able to provide resilience and support to its residents of Bradford, West Yorkshire during times of power interruptions. 

The Sutton Centre works to three aims improve health, increase wealth and build community. It was evident to the Foundation that the community is at the heart of this charity. The centre is based on the edge of the Holmewood estate and is open seven days per week providing a wide range of activities for all ages, including services to improve mental health, welfare advice, fitness sessions and domestic abuse support.  

The support from Northern Powergrid Foundation has enabled the centre to remain open to deliver these vital services to its local community during times of power interruptions. The centre will be working with the local resilience forum to communicate to the community that no disruption to services will occur during power interruptions. By opting for low carbon technologies, the centre will benefit with lower energy bills and thus enabling the centre to further give back to its community in the form of offering LED lights and being able to support more referrals from social services and food groups, as well as being a example of a future focused building.  

Sam Kirkby, Centre Manager said "Thanks to the grant funding from Northern Powergrid Foundation the Sutton Centre is able to continue to serve our community during times of power interruptions as well as being able to do more with the energy savings made. We want the services at our centre to be accessible to all of our community so this funding is greatly helping us achieve that.” 

Over the course of its first year, the Northern Powergrid Foundation has supported 60 organisations and community projects working to overcome these energy-related challenges – helping communities take action. These include a wide range of initiatives, from funding programmes producing free energy efficiency measures to fuel poor households, to installing solar panels and battery storage at community hubs to improve resilience. With severe weather, the cost-of-living crisis increasing the number of households in fuel poverty, and the net zero transition transforming the energy system, communities are adapting to a changing energy landscape. The Foundation has worked with community innovators to empower local action, scaling up existing schemes to expand their impact, and providing financial support and energy expertise in the face of a changing climate. 

David Wilkin, Northern Powergrid Foundation Trustee said: “Northern Powergrid Foundation is proud to support Sutton Centre in its bid to improve the resilience and efficiency of the centre and to continue to provide services and a place to reside for the local residents during times of power interruptions. With so many challenges facing communities across our diverse region, the Foundation is looking forward to empowering communities to become more resilient, support with their net zero transition and to scale up innovative solutions to fuel poverty. The next grant funding round will be open in April 2024, more information is available online". 

More about Northern Powergrid Foundation  

Northern Powergrid 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 and empowering communities 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 is proud to have funded 60 projects totalling over £860,000 across all the charity’s priorities located within Northern Powergrid’s regions. Over 40 of which are unique and exciting energy resilience projects for communities within Northumberland and County Durham (totalling £560,000) worst affected by the winter storms of 2021/22. These projects have largely been for the creation of, or the expansion of community hubs with energy resilience pieces of kit such as: generators, solar panels and heat pumps.  

How to apply for funding 

Following the success of grant support throughout 2023, Northern Powergrid Foundation will look to support further projects across its three funding priorities - community resilience, fuel poverty innovation, and net zero networks. Projects could include funding equipment that enables a community hub to become more energy resilient, scaling the impact of community innovators tackling fuel poverty, or funding the development of networks to support local action on net zero and the transition to clean energy systems. 

 The Foundation encourages organisations who are addressing these specific issues across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire to visit its website to learn more about eligibility and grants, with the next funding window opening on 2 April 2024. 

The Foundation will reopen to grant applications in April 2024. 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. 

Sutton Centre photo caption L-R: Sam Kirkby, Centre Manager, and Anne Haswell, Northern Powergrid Foundation Manager (interim) inside Sutton Centre, Bradford.