Lotto cash helps turn up the heat on local churches

Carnmoney Parish Church and Kilbride Parish Church are among 22 groups in Northern Ireland awarded grants totalling almost £440,000 from the Big Lottery Fund’s Energy Efficient Venues programme.

The programme, which is now closed for applications, offers Lottery cash to local groups to carry out improvements to their community venues so they make savings on their heating and lighting costs and cut down on their spending.

Carnmoney Parish Church has been awarded a grant of £9,665 to install zoned heating and improve insulation in their church hall.

Vicar’s Glebewarden Samuel Atkinson explained that by making the improvements the church will cut their heating costs, saving them money which they can put back into running activities for the local community.

“Although the hall is not very old, the heating system was designed to heat the whole building, including the main hall,” he said.

“The smaller Memorial Room is used for meetings several nights a week and so we either have to have the heating on for the entire building, or we often just use electric heaters.

“This is expensive, and using the electric heaters means the toilets and kitchen stay cold. This grant will allow us to heat the Memorial Room, toilets and kitchen, and have the main hall as a separate zone, which will cut down on our fuel bills.

“The new insulation will also cut heating costs, and make the hall more comfortable for the community groups which use it, including the Mothers and Toddlers, Churches Lads’ Brigade and local bowlers.”

He continued: “The church hall will now be more comfortable for everyone and it will save the parish a lot of money which we can put back into the facilities and activities we offer,” said Samuel.

Kilbride Parish Church, near Doagh, has been awarded a grant of £8,208.

The church will use the grant to replace existing heaters and light fittings within their church hall, making the building more energy efficient and cutting costs.

The money they save will go back into the upkeep of the hall and running activities form people in the local community.

Frank Hewitt, the Big Lottery Fund’s NI Chair, said: “The Energy Efficient Venues programme supports community organisations to carry out energy efficiency improvements to their venues that help them make savings during this difficult period of recession, and have a positive effect on the environment.

“This has been a very popular programme and we have awarded grants to a range of organisations across Northern Ireland.”

The Energy Efficient Venues programme is closed for applications.

To find about more about the programme visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.