Funding to make N.I. community buildings more sustainable

The National Lottery Community Fund has launched a £5 million programme to help community organisations in Northern Ireland make their buildings more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

The Fund is offering grants of up to £50,000 to help organisations improve their buildings by installing energy-efficient technology such as solar panels, improving insulation or installing energy-efficient lighting and heat pumps. The capital funding should help community organisations reduce their energy bills.

The funding is available to voluntary or community organisations with an annual income of less than £500,000.

The Fund will offer applicants  free carbon literacy training to help them consider ways to reduce their carbon footprint. The energy consultancy Action Renewables will also support groups in writing and implementing an environmental action plan.

Encouraging small organisations to apply

Cloughmills Community Action Team (CAT) received for solar panels. The organisation works to improve the social, economic and environmental quality of life in and around the village of Cloughmills, County Antrim.  Patrick Frew, from CAT says: “In recent years, we received National Lottery funding for solar panels, which have helped save on energy costs each year. We have a men’s shed, which is used every day by older people, to make things and reduce loneliness. The savings have allowed us to buy more equipment and keep it running.”

Frew said: “I would encourage smaller groups who never thought about cutting carbon emissions to consider this new funding programme. Small steps are simple but make a big difference, and there’s lots of support, one thing leads to another.  
“As a village, we are looking at how we can be sustainable and rely on our own resources, we wouldn’t have thought that was possible back at the start of the journey, and who doesn’t want to save some money, while helping a good cause, a cleaner planet for us all?” 

Similarly, Rathfern Community Regeneration Group in Newtownabbey also benefited from solar panels. Thomas Kirkham, the Group's Manager, says: “Our building is busy every day, bringing people together from infants to those in older age. With ever increasing budgets, we applied for support from the National Lottery Community Fund to install solar panels three years ago, and have saved over £1,000 a year since."

He said the Group has been able to put that money towards services for the community.

Dates for applications

The application window is open in three stages, depending on the applicants' location.

7 February - 20 March, 2024: for organisations with community buildings in Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Mid Ulster District Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council or Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.

11 September - 23 October, 2024: for organisations with community buildings in Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council or Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

8 January - 19 February, 2025: for organisations with community buildings in Belfast City Council, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council or Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.

Full details about the Sustainable Community Buildings programme for Northern Ireland are available on the National Lottery Community Fund website.