SSE Renewables presents 19th Annual Community Fund to groups near Corneen Wind Farm

SSE Renewables has handed out more than €13,500 to community groups near its Corneen Wind Farm in Co. Cavan. This year’s Community Fund brings the company’s overall contribution in the region to €123,772 since 2002.

Through its Community Fund programme, leading wind power developer, owner and operator SSE Renewables makes annual contributions to community groups near its wind farms.

This year marks a change in the name of the funding programme. Previously promoted under the SSE Airtricity brand, the programme will now be known as the SSE Renewables Community Fund. The change is designed to better link annual funding award payments from SSE’s wind farms in Northern Ireland to SSE Renewables, which owns and operates each of the company’s wind farm sites.

The 2021 funding has been awarded to eight community projects in the Bawnboy area. Bawnboy Workhouse Ltd will be putting their funding towards installing solar panels in the Men’s Shed based in the workhouse, while Bawnboy Tidy Towns will install a commemorative bench in the village to remember all who suffered during the pandemic.

Daisy Hill House & Gardens are purchasing a polytunnel for the community garden and Krafty Kidzs Community Childcare will purchase equipment for their outdoor play area. Meanwhile, Smugglers Cycling Club is set to run their schools programme while St. Aidan’s National School are putting their funding towards an outdoor classroom and St. Patrick’s National School will have its playground resurfaced.

"We’re delighted with the contributions from SSE Renewables towards St. Mogue’s College here in Bawnboy. We are thrilled to be honest. We decided to run a Mental Health Summer Camp with our most vulnerable students and the equipment we can purchase now for activities for the students will really enhance the programme and offer great fun and experience for the students but will also enrich our extra-curricular pursuits with the school body."

Martha Brady Deputy Principal of St. Mogue’s College, Bawnboy

"We’re very proud to be making a difference in the local area particularly this difficult time for communities, this year’s fund has been repurposed to assist in rebuilding communities as we begin to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. It is hoped this fund can provide some support with the ongoing pressures in the community as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic."

Anne Reynolds SSE Airtricity Community Development Officer

Corneen Wind Farm has a total generation capacity of 3MW and produces enough renewable energy to power almost 2,000 homes in the region.