A community group in North Belfast have said a fund has helped them turn their building into a thriving hub.
Survivors of Trauma, based on the Cliftonville Road, help support those who have been directly affected by The Troubles. In 2022, the group received a National Lottery grant to repair their building's roof and install solar panels.
Based in an old church building, they said this repair work has helped the centre flourish, becoming a hub for the local community while saving money on energy bills and reducing carbon emissions.
The group have spoken about their experience as the National lottery Community Fund reopens for applications from community organisations across the Belfast City Council area, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council or Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council areas who would like to make their buildings more energy efficient and save money.
Gary Teer from Survivors of Trauma said: “We’re based in an old church building, which has character, but is hard to heat. Our roof was leaking, resulting in freezing rooms with black mould, that were unusable.
“Our National Lottery grant was critical, as it allowed us to make repairs and get proper insulation, helping us save energy and money. Refurbishing the rooms also means our building can be used by more community groups, making it a hub for the local area, as well as a symbol of hope for victims and survivors.
“The solar panels have been a great addition, as energy we don’t use goes back to the grid, returning £1,000 to us each year. We’ve reinvested this money into making other improvements and upgrading our CCTV. It’s important to take steps to reduce carbon emissions in Belfast, even small changes can add up.
“I would encourage others to consider this new funding programme. Small groups like us can sometimes get intimidated and think it isn’t for them. I would say, see if your group is eligible and talk to The Fund staff. There’s support along the way and it could make a massive difference.”
The £5 million Sustainable Community Buildings programme is offering grants of up to £50,000, to help organisations carry out improvements to their venues by installing technology like solar panels, heat pumps and insulation, saving money on energy bills and cutting carbon emissions.
Organisations taking part in the programme will complete free accredited carbon literacy training delivered by Business in the Community, which will help them look at ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Action Renewables will also support them to write and implement an environmental plan to consider steps to improve sustainability and cut costs.
Kate Beggs, The National Lottery Community Fund’s NI Director, said: “Sustainable Community Buildings is designed to kick-start an organisation's journey to sustainability. It’s the first step in our ambition under our new strategy to support communities to be environmentally sustainable.
“The programme will help organisations to improve the environmental performance of their building, save money through lower utility bills and reduce their carbon footprint. We believe this will also leave a legacy by increasing awareness and educating community organisations about the environmental challenges they face.”
The fund is open for applications from Wednesday 8 January 2025 to Wednesday 19 February 2025, for groups with community buildings in Belfast City Council, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council or Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council areas. It opened for applications for different areas in stages during 2024-2025.
For more information visit The National Lottery Community Fund’s website www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/northern-ireland or contact their enquiries team on 028 9055 1455, [email protected].
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English (United States) ·