Four local charities, groups and organisations have been chosen as recipients of Guernsey Electricity’s first Power to the People Fund.
The fund, developed for individuals and charity organisations wishing to engage in projects that benefit the environment and local community, donates a total of £6,000 twice a year to projects that are aligned with the four pillars of the company’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy (Affordable and clean energy, climate action, healthy ecosystems and education, awareness and skills). These, in turn, contribute towards the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
In total, 17 separate submissions were made with the Clean Earth Trust, Lihou Charitable Trust and La Société Guernesiaise’s bat section and its education officers all successful in their bids for funding.
The Clean Earth Trust has received £1,125 which will provide volunteers who work at its Repair Cafés with equipment to help with portable appliance testing and training to complete safe repairs.
£1,866 has been donated to the Lihou Charitable Trust for the installation of a live data screen which will provide guests, schools and youth groups with an insight into how much electricity is being generated by the Island’s solar panels in Lihou House in real time. The Trust maintains the property, which welcomes many Islanders every year, including students from all the Island’s schools who complete overnight residentials and will use the screens to monitor their own energy usage.
La Société Guernesiaise’s Bat Section will utilise its £2,000 donation to purchase bat boxes to put up around the island and also bat detectors for use on its regular bat walks which are open to the public. Education officers at La Société have received £1,000 to go towards equipment as part of its schools’ workshops, which focuses on educating students on biodiversity and nature.
Alex Herschel, Guernsey Electricity’s environmental sustainability manager, said: “We were thrilled to receive so many interesting entries for our first Power to the People fund. Our Environmental Initiatives Group, made up of volunteers from across the business, was involved in the shortlisting and very impressed by the huge variety of worthwhile projects and initiatives that charities, groups, schools and organisations are working on to benefit our
environment.”
Ms Herschel added: “Guernsey Electricity is pleased to support such a varied and practical set of initiatives that will educate and create awareness within our community of a range of topics from sensible and sustainable use of resources including energy, to the importance of wildlife and biodiversity. We are confident that these will make a true lasting impact to our environment and community and contribute directly to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We look forward to seeing these come to fruition.”
For details of the Power to the People Fund and how to apply for the next round, which opens for entries in April, please click here.
Main picture shows Steve Sarre, Warden of Lihou. The Lihou Charitable Trust is receiving monies from Guernsey Electricity to buy screens for monitoring the electricity generated by the Island’s solar panels.
