News by email Donate

Suggestions

Top Stories

Most Read

Popular Videos

Salisbury-cathedral-main_article_image.jpg
CC
UK News

£10m government fund set to help churches, rural sports clubs and schools cut energy bills

by Press Association

The money has already helped over 150 rural communities become cleaner and more sustainable by generating enough electricity to power the equivalent of nearly 30,000 homes.

Renewable projects that have received funding so far include solar panels on Salisbury Cathedral and Frome Town FC and hydroelectric turbines on the River Dane in Cheshire.

 

Frome Town FC installed enough solar capacity to power 2,000 light bulbs and strip 333 tonnes of CO2 being pumped into the local environment, and generating almost £70,000 for the local community by selling extra solar electricity back to the grid.

New community projects across England are now being encouraged to apply for feasibility grants of up to £40,000 for green initiatives, including solar battery storage, wind, hydro and geothermal heat projects.

Viable proposals will also be considered for further grants of up to £100,000 for business development and planning applications.

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Chris Skidmore said: "It will take all corners of the country and sections of society to help us to tackle climate change on our path to becoming a net zero emissions economy and communities are at the heart of our mission for a greener planet.

"This £10 million fund can help sports clubs, churches and schools not only save money and reduce emissions by creating their own clean energy but also make money by selling it back to the grid."

Funding has helped not-for profit Salisbury Community Energy develop renewable energy projects at eight sites across the city, including exploring the possibility of installing solar panels on the roof of the cloisters of Salisbury cathedral.

Alison Craig, Development Manager at Salisbury Community Energy, said: "Climate change is going to hit us all hard.

"The flood risk to Salisbury has, according to the most recent Environment Agency data, risen significantly. This makes the move towards making Salisbury zero carbon all the more important.

"These grants have enabled us to take the crucial first steps in creating green community assets for our historic city."

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference

In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.

Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.

For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.

Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.

Support Us
Continue the conversation on our Facebook page

Related Articles

Sign up to our newsletter to stay informed with news from a Christian perspective.

News by email

Connect

Donate

Donate