Northern Ireland community organizations expect to have more money to pour into their crucial missions after receiving grants for eco-friendly upgrades to their buildings.
As detailed by Farming Life, 38 charities across four NI Council areas expect to save at least £2.2 million (around $2.9 million) over the next two decades thanks to support from the National Lottery Community Fund, the United Kingdom's largest community funder.
The charitable groups received funding through the organization's Sustainable Community Buildings program, which also requires carbon-literacy training to help groups understand their buildings' needs and maximize their potential.
Lilac Cancer Support is one of the groups to receive a grant from the National Lottery, and it is using its £39,574 award (around $52,000) to install solar panels with battery storage, shore up its insulation, and transition to energy-efficient LED lighting at its Coalisland hub.
The Mid Ulster-area charity expects to save £2,000 per year (around $2,650), or a whopping £40,000 (roughly $53,000) over the next 20 years. The benefits go beyond the savings, as the upgrades will reduce toxic pollution associated with millions of premature deaths every year.
According to Northern Ireland's Statistics and Research Agency, more than half its electricity came from gas or coal — two dirty-burning fuels — in 2022.
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The grant is a "life-changing investment for our group," Lilac Cancer Support Chairperson Ann Walsh said, per Farming Life. "We can use this money for developing services and running more courses like our mindfulness or gardening groups, all which make the world of a difference to person going through cancer treatment or recovery."
Walsh added that the cancer support center is now considering ways to reduce and repurpose plastic, and she credited the National Lottery for opening her group's eyes to how small eco-friendly actions can amount to significant positive change in the long term.
"This grant is just the start," she said. "It's so important to look after the environment for future generations while we care for local people now."
With the first round in the books, the community fund estimates it will eliminate nearly 365,000 pounds of carbon pollution annually — the equivalent of taking 38 diesel-powered cars off the road, per Farming Life.
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It reopened applications for its Sustainable Community Buildings initiative in March, and it will accept them through April 23.
"Throughout 2024, we listened to groups and heard more about the challenges they face to keep their doors open due to rising energy bills," said Kate Beggs, Northern Ireland director of the community fund. "... This will help make a big impact across the sector."
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