Lottery funding helps Ballymena communities take climate action

Over £230,000 has been awarded to NI groups who are helping people grow their own produce, reduce waste, learn about repairing and upcycling and improving their local area.

Brookeville Enterprises are using a £9,500 grant to reduce their carbon footprint and energy consumption, and improve environmental sustainability at their Scullery O’Tullagh community allotments site.

The project will plant trees, expand their current water catchment and distribution project, carry out a feasibility study into possible solar and wind power generation, and develop best practices for composting and creating natural fertilisers.

William Millar, Chairman of Brookeville Enterprises, said: “Our Scullery O’Tullagh allotments site has developed over the years - from raised beds to grow vegetables, to a sheltered area for people to meet regardless of the weather and chat over a cup of tea. We started teaching people skills and inviting groups like the local running club to use the space and learn more about what we are doing here.

“But we were always looking for ways to develop the site more and at the time of COP26 we were inspired to look at ways to be more environmentally friendly.

“The Together for Our Planet funding came just at the right time as we had ideas to make changes to the way we are running the allotments site such as recycling rainwater for our horticultural work and generating our own power to run a generator. Integrating climate action into our work is a very natural next step for us and thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund we are able to make it happen.”

Triangle Housing Association is using a £10,000 grant to research the sustainability of the products created in their social enterprise in Ballymena and make changes to be carbon neutral. The social enterprise, called Alternative Angles, is run by adults with learning disabilities and/or Autism, to produce a range of products such as candles, soaps, beeswax food wraps.

Paul Sweeney, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Northern Ireland Chair, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to support local climate action, funding innovative projects”.