Burnham-On-Sea Community Centre has received a £20,000 boost from the National Lottery Community Fund towards a project that will make the facilities more energy efficient and cut its bills.
The team who run the 200 year-old community centre building in Burnham’s Berrow Road has secured funding from various grant schemes after seeing the centre’s energy bills soaring.
Chairman David Norton told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Over the past 12 months due to the rise in fuel prices and the cost of living crisis, we have paid out around £15,000 on our energy bills.”
“Since last summer we have been exploring ways of reducing this expense and negating the negative impacts on our environment. An energy audit was carried out supported through funding by CCS (Community Council for Somerset).”
“Following the advice as an outcome of the audit we looked at the ways of reducing our energy costs moving forward and to move away from the reliance on gas.”
The ‘Burnham Community Centre Energy for the Future’ project was created.
David adds: “We now hope to install an infrared heating system in the Centre supported by a solar power installation. Applications for grant support were submitted and we initially in December we received a grant from the Hinkley Point Community Fund of £20,000.”
“CCS recently also gave us a grant of £1500 to finish installing LED lighting throughout the Centre. As well as this I am now delighted to announce we have also been successful in our application to the National Lottery Community Fund and have received a grant of £20,000. This should now allow the new heating system to be installed in September.”
Dozens of active groups are based at the busy centre with over 600 sessions per year held.
Burnham-On-Sea community centre President Ken Hindle with Chairman David Norton and trustees at the centre’s recent AGM
