The SSE Renewables Community Fund is taking action and powering change from wind energy across rural Ireland.
Both 2021 and 2022 have been busy years for the SSE Renewables Community Benefit Funds in Ireland, all of which are powered by funds generated from the company’s onshore wind farms across the island. The company’s latest annual Community Investment Review outlines the total level of donations made by SSE Renewables into local communities from its onshore wind farms. In the past year, the leading renewable energy developer, owner, and operator has supported 416 community groups and awarded 14 scholarships to third-level education. A priority for SSE Renewables over the last year was to support communities recovering from the impact of the pandemic. Just some of the projects supported by SSE Renewables Benefit Funds include:
GALWAY COMMUNITY FUND:
Ireland’s largest community fund, backed by Galway Wind Park, helped to support the creation of a new forestry trail in the Rosscahill Woods, which also enhanced accessibility to the recreational area that had become a sanctuary for many during the pandemic. The Fund also helped Scoil Chuimin agus Caitríona Oughterard to develop extra-curricular facilities for its students.
COOMACHEO AND CURRAGH COMMUNITY FUND:
The Fund supported the Irish Community Air Ambulance service this year. This vital support from the pair of North Cork wind farms helps sustain frontline rural emergency services and responds to over 500 incidents annually.
COOMATALIN COMMUNITY FUND:
The Fund supported Dunmanway Community Sports Hall in reopening this year, ensuring that enhanced safety measures, including new sanitisation equipment, were installed.
TOURNAFULLA COMMUNITY FUND:
Tournafulla Sustainable Living is an exemplary project highlighting the steps that communities can take to reduce their carbon footprint. A community living garden where local people can grow their own food was established, and this West Limerick project received support from the Tournafulla Community Fund through the installation of solar panels.
DUNNEILL COMMUNITY FUND:
The Fund supported Mayo beekeepers in the delivery of biodiversity workshops to local school children to educate them on the importance of bees as pollinators of trees and flowers. Anne Reynolds, Community Development Officer at SSE Renewables, said it is inspiring to see the community funds having such impact in local communities and supporting many wonderful projects. “The funds show how the small actions of each individual project can help make a collective impact on issues facing their communities such as climate change,” she added. This autumn SSE Renewables will launch a community fund for Lenalea Wind Farm in Donegal, which it is codeveloping with FuturEnergy Ireland. It is also working on sharing best practice with communities to become less reliant on carbon, as well as developing new digital reporting frameworks. Michelle Donnelly, Community Investment Manager at SSE Renewables, commented: “Our community benefit funds continue to support numerous communities across Ireland and showcase the ability of communities to successfully respond to emerging priorities. The investments we make now from our wind generation sites will support these communities for years to come, and it is pleasing to see that working responsibly in communities remains at the centre of the renewable industry.”