Community benefit funds and investment

Energia believes local communities deserve to benefit from the construction and operation of its wind farms.  We work with Community Foundation Ireland, Community Foundation NI (CFNI) and the Fermanagh Trust to ensure our funding has the maximum positive and lasting impact in the areas where we operate.

We are now investing around €800,000 every year in our benefit funds, wind farm sponsorships and local electricity discount schemes for those households in the immediate vicinity of our new developments.  The company’s overall wind farm community investment to date is around €4.5 million – and growing.

Meenadreen Wind Farm Fund, Co. Donegal

Our Meenadreen benefit fund is designed to have maximum impact and a one-off €6,000 grant for outdoor cafe seating at the Bluestack Special Needs Foundation in Donegal Town is paying dividends.

The café provides work experience for young adults with additional needs.  It also offers good food and – thanks to a grant from the Meenadreen fund – an all-year-round covered meeting space.  

CEO Wendy McCarry says the centre is always looking to expand its activities: “The covered seating area saw our profits jump to €18,000 last year and that’s thanks to the Meenadreen Wind Farm fund, which recognised the positive impact this project has on our centre users and the wider community. The money is being re-invested in our training programmes."

Meenadreen student bursary

The Meenadreen Wind Farm fund, like all our funds, is  tailored to the needs of the local community and prioritises energy efficiency and sustainability goals.

In addition to allocating community project grants, the annual €90,000 fund operates a local bursary scheme, covering higher education tuition fees for a small number of local students.  This initiative was the result of a community group workshop and was awarded the Overall Winner trophy at the 2022 Wind Energy Ireland Awards. 

Most funds are fully subscribed but, where funding is not fully allocated, it ‘rolls over’ to the following year and grant sizes are reviewed in conjunction with the local community.

For more information visit https://www.communityfoundation.ie/

Derrysallagh Wind Farm Fund, Co. Sligo

First Friends Playschool in Geevagh, County Sligo, was one of the first community groups to benefit from our Derrysallagh Wind Farm fund. The playgroup, which caters for local children between the ages of 3 and 5, received over €5,000 for a new swing, slide, seesaw, garden shed and outdoor shelter.

Dermot MacDermott, Chair of the First Friends’ Board of Directors, says the playschool has an important role, “We want to offer parents in Geevagh a chance for their children to build friendships that can last a lifetime and strengthen our sense of community in the village.”

For more information visit https://www.communityfoundation.ie/

Long Mountain Wind Farm Fund, Co. Antrim

The Long Mountain Windfarm community benefit fund is administered by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland on behalf of Energia and offers funding to community groups within a 5-mile radius of Long Mountain and the nearby Glenbuck Wind Farm.

Thanks to a £3,000 fund grant, St. Mary’s GAC in nearby Rasharkin has put the spotlight - or rather floodlights - on an already popular walking and running track around the pitch. The new lighting is encouraging club members of all ages to keep up their daily step count and keep connected.

For more information visit: https://www.communityfoundationni.org/

Tyrone Three Fund, Co. Tyrone

By combining the annual community investment in our Altamuskin, Eshmore and Gortfinbar wind farms into one single ‘Tyrone Three’ fund, we’re able to offer community groups an opportunity to apply for larger grants, whilst still making smaller amounts available for a wide range of activities and projects within a 5-mile radius of the centre of the 3 sites.

The Beragh Care and Development Association used a £5,000 grant to create a sensory garden in their courtyard, which had been a no-go area because of 2 huge storage containers blocking access and blocking light. Gerald McAleer, who chairs the local development association, told us: “We wish we’d done this before because it’s such a valuable space making the centre more welcoming. We’re really proud of the planting and our rainwater harvesting butt which we use to water the flowers.”

For more information visit: https://www.communityfoundationni.org/

Rathsherry Wind Farm Fund, Co. Antrim

The Rathsherry Wind Farm fund in County Antrim covers Broughshane and the surrounding area and is administered by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.

The Glenravel Community Development Association runs a community gym, a short drive from Rathsherry.  Michelle has been going to the gym for the past 3 years. She says: “It’s not one of those poser gyms. It’s all about the community and I find it’s good for my mental health – not just physical fitness.” The Sport and Fitness Development Officer, Chris Quinn, says there’s a real sense of local ownership: “This gym is the heartbeat of the community, but we need support from the likes of the Rathsherry Wind Farm fund to keep improving the classes we offer.” 

For more information visit: https://www.communityfoundationni.org/

Thornog Wind Farm Fund, Co. Tyrone

The annual Thornog community benefit fund now totals over £50,000 a year and opens for applications every autumn. Community groups and charitable organisations operating within 7 miles of the wind farm, near Drumquin, Ederney and Lack, can apply for funding. Grants range from £500 up to £10,000.

Thanks to their latest benefit fund grant, the Drumquin Women’s Group organised a series of arts and crafts classes. Mary O’Kane helped set the group up 25 years ago and says, back then, there were no activities for local women: “This course was oversubscribed and we’re planning to put on another but everything depends on funding.  We’re so grateful to Energia’s Thornog Wind Farm fund for its continued support.” The group is growing all the time, helping to build new connections and fight social isolation - a problem that has got worse since the Covid pandemic, particularly for older age groups in rural areas.

For more information visit: https://www.communityfoundationni.org/

Cornavarrow and Slieveglass Wind Farm Funds, Co. Tyrone

We have set up a joint Cornavarrow and Slieveglass community benefit fund, which is administered by the Fermanagh Trust on behalf of Energia.  Over the 25-year lifetime of the two wind farms, the fund will provide £2.4 million in community grants.

Peter Baillie, Managing Director of Energia Renewables, says, “It’s great to see the wide range of community initiatives that our wind farm benefit funds are supporting. We want our funds to have a lasting legacy and, thanks to the Fermanagh Trust, we’re seeing more and more groups coming up with new project ideas to benefit the local community.”

For more information visit: https://www.fermanaghtrust.org  

Teiges Wind Farm Fund, Co. Fermanagh

Teiges Wind Farm operates a community benefipupit fund, which now totals over £65,000 a year.  The annual fund is administered by the Fermanagh Trust on behalf of Energia.

Friends of St Mary’s Primary School in Brookeborough applied for a £2,000 grant to clear an overgrown pond area, put in a new liner and create an on-site nature observation enclosure. When we visited the school, pupils jumped at the chance to don their waterproofs and show off their very own school nature reserve.  This project reflects the school’s commitment to encourage their young pupils to develop an early interest in science and biodiversity.

For more information visit https://www.fermanaghtrust.org