SSE Renewables has reaffirmed its commitment to powering local change with the launch of the 2021 Community Fund for Meentycat Wind Farm in Co Donegal.

Since SSE Renewables launched its Community Funds in Donegal in 2007, over €1.2 million has been awarded to local groups in this area. A total of 56 community groups shared in the €80,000 fund last year, including schools, sports clubs and community centres.

Following the cancellation of the annual sponsored walk on Meentycat Wind Farm in September 2020, the energy provider awarded over €40,000 to the 45 groups that participated in the 2019 sponsored walk. The company awarded a further €40,000 for 11 local projects through its Community Fund.

Many of the 2020 Community Fund recipients put the funding towards COVID-19 Measures including counselling.

Other projects supported include Raphoe Cathedral for improvements to their energy efficiency with a lighting upgrade, Glenfinn GAA club for the installation of a heat pump and solar water storage systems for the club and Cappry Residents Association native Irish tree-planting in their community.

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Applications to the 2021 SSE Renewables Community Fund are open from now and until 15 October for community-based projects within a 20km radius of Meentycat Wind Farm, with preference given to projects within five kilometers.

SSE Renewables is the leading developer, owner and operator of onshore wind in Ireland, and is the power behind leading green energy power supplier, SSE Airtricity. It operates over 700MW of onshore wind farms in locations across the country, including Ireland's largest wind farm, the 174MW Galway Wind Park in Connemara, County Galway. SSE has invested €3.8 billion in the Irish economy since entering the market in 2008.

Through its annual Community Fund programme, SSE Renewables has awarded almost €9m so far to over  3,600 community projects in the communities closest to its wind farms. This funding has helped support local groups, sports organisations and schools among others to develop their facilities with energy efficiency and sustainability upgrades, as well as social and environmental projects that enable community development.

This year marks a change in the name of the funding programme. Previously promoted under the SSE Airtricity brand, the programme will now be known as the SSE Renewables Community Fund. The change is designed to better link annual funding award payments from SSE's wind farms in Ireland to SSE Renewables, which owns and operates each of the company's wind farm sites.

Speaking at the launch of the Fund, Anne Reynolds, SSE Renewables Community Liaison Office, said: "We know from our work in the areas in which we operate that local community groups are at the heart of all the good work being done to support people and improve their lives. They are also at the forefront of bringing innovation to their community to make them more sustainable. That is why the SSE Renewables Community Fund has been so successful as it supports, energises and helps invigorate the communities around our wind farms.  

"We are delighted to have invested more than €1.2 million since 2006 in the communities around Meentycat Wind Farm. We look forward to welcoming new applications this year and building new partnerships with the 2021 SSE Renewables Community Fund."

The SSE Renewables Community Fund for Meentycat Wind Farm will close for applications at 5pm on 15 October 2021.