Lands Village Hall in Bishop Auckland, Durham, has received funding to help provide energy resilience to the local community in times of need.   

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 of community resilience, fuel poverty, and the net zero transition.   

Lands Village Hall serves three villages, Low Lands, High Lands and Morley, from its premise that is located in a rural area with very few amenities close by. The hall is there to support its residents and it is clear that community spirit is in abundance. Lands Village Hall received £17.055.08 from the Foundation for a generator to enable the hall to be able to provide resilience and support to its local residents during times of power interruptions, as well as improved heating system to increase comfort during these emergency events and day to day.  

The support from Northern Powergrid Foundation has enabled the hall to remain open to deliver these vital services to its local community during times of power interruptions as the electricity supply will switch from the mains supply to the generator. The hall can then be used as an emergency hub by providing lighting, heating and refreshments in a safe place to congregate for the predominantly elderly community. It will also be the base for the emergency response team, ran by local volunteers, to perform their contingency plans.  

Glenn Reffin, Chairman of Lands Village Hall said "In our rural location we are prone to power cuts of varying durations and our community has no other local facilities to rely on. So, it was essential for the village hall to develop a resilience plan to help us create a warm, safe space where the community, young and old, can gather. 

“Thanks to the grant funding from Northern Powergrid Foundation, we can now provide our community with the reassurance that there is a warm space for them to congregate and where we can support them during prolonged power disruptions. It is great that Northern Powergrid Foundation can support local communities like ours.” 

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. Over the course of its first year, 60 community projects working to overcome energy-related challenges of community resilience, fuel poverty, and the net zero transition have been supported. Projects have included 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.  

Kate Bradley, Northern Powergrid Foundation Trustee said: “Northern Powergrid Foundation is proud to support Lands improve its energy resilience at the village hall. Village halls play vital roles in the community, especially those located in rural areas and those that support vulnerable communities. I am pleased the Foundation has empowered Lands to build a safe and warm place for local residents to reside during times of power interruptions and for the community to look out for each other as they implement their contingency plans from this base.  

“In this next grant funding round the Foundation is looking forward to further empowering more communities to become more resilient and then in the future support communities with their net zero transition, and scale up innovative solutioning to fuel poverty. More information about our live grant funding round is available on our website". 

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, 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 and to apply.  

The Foundation’s current funding round is open to grant applications until May 13, 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. 

Lands Village Hall photo caption L-R: Glenn Reffin, Chairman, and Anne Haswell, Northern Powergrid Foundation Manager (interim) inside Lands Village Hall, Bishop Auckland.