- Over £2.5 million awarded to local projects since 2012
- £170,000 will be available to community initiatives in Derry/Londonderry in 2025
SSE Renewables is inviting community groups in County Derry/Londonderry to power local change by applying for 2025 Slieve Kirk Wind Park Community Fund. The fund will be open for online applications from Tuesday, 24 June to Friday, 1 August 2025.
Since launching in 2012, the annual Slieve Kirk Wind Park Community Fund has awarded more than £2.5m to impactful community initiatives in the region, making it one of largest community benefit funds in Northern Ireland.
This year, a total of 170,000 will be available to community initiatives, schools, charities and sports clubs within a 12-mile radius of Slieve Kirk Wind Park, with preference given to projects and organisations operating within a three-mile radius.
Funding is available for projects that promote social or environmental well-being. This includes initiatives focused on sustainability, regeneration, local infrastructure enhancement, health and safety improvements, and community-based support services.
More than 60 local organisations received support from the Slieve Kirk Wind Park Community Fund last year. Among them was Repair & Share Foyle, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping people repair broken belongings while embracing the circular economy. It received funding specifically to tackle the issue of waste paint, a growing environmental problem which sees around 50 million litres discarded each year across the UK annually. Waste paint often ends up in landfill or is incinerated, releasing harmful chemicals. The funding allowed the organisation to buy equipment to remanufacture and redistribute leftover paint across Derry. Gareth Loughrey, Paint & Innovation Technician, said: “This award from SSE Renewables gave us the tools to take paint destined for landfill and transform it into a resource the whole community can use.”
Commenting on the launch of the Fund, Vicky Boden, SSE Renewables Community Investment Manager, said: “At SSE Renewables, we are proud to be delivering one of the largest and most impactful community benefit funds in Northern Ireland. The positive changes brought about by this fund can be seen in every corner of the area, from upgraded sports facilities and schools to environmental initiatives and social enterprises. We’re encouraging groups of all sizes, whether established or emerging, to step forward and apply. If you have a project that can make a real difference locally, we want to hear from you.”
Slieve Kirk Wind Park is Northern Ireland’s largest wind farm. Located between Ardmore and Limavady in County Londonderry and overlooking Derry City, the 73.6MW wind farm entered commercial operation between 2012 and 2014. Slieve Kirk Wind Park can typically power around 65,000 homes annually or all the homes in Derry City and Strabane.
For more information on how to apply to the fund visit https://www.sserenewables.com/SKirkFund or contact [email protected].