One of our Wakefield area churches is going to be able save money and serve their community better, thanks to a new grant from the government.
St Giles’ Pontefract has been awarded some £74,000 in a grant to implement energy efficiency measures in their community building.
The funding was made possible through the government’s VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, which provides support to eligible frontline community organisations and charities through Independent Energy Assessments, and the opportunity to apply for a grant to implement the identified energy saving measures.
The grant will allow the church to discreetly install solar panels to provide for their electrical needs, as well as replace wasteful lighting in the main body of the building with a new energy efficient system, which not only reduces the amount of energy that used, but will also give a much better lighting solution in such a large space.
It also will allow them to replace the synthetic insulation with a natural material insulation to promote the overall health of the building.
Fr Ian Bullock, the Vicar of Pontefract said: “As a church that is committed to working closely with our community, we are delighted that we have been granted this money to allow us continue to reduce the carbon footprint of this historical building, which has stood in the centre of Pontefract for over 700 years.
“It also allows us to reduce our overheads so that we can maintain our commitment to serving those who wish to make use of all we offer.”
Lisa McIntyre, Diocesan Church Buildings & Pastoral Reorganisation Team Leader, said: “It’s really exciting and heartening to see St Giles’s long-held aspirations to install solar panels moving a step even closer to fruition.
“The PCC here has engaged with the DAC from its earliest explorations of this idea and over the course of this year have worked closely with the DAC staff to refine their proposals.
“This has enabled them to recently secure faculty and hopefully stands them in good stead for securing planning permission very soon.
“Coupled with the lighting upgrade, the church is well on its way to being an environmental exemplar for the diocese.”
Find out more about the support our Church Buildings Team can offer here.
The administration of these funds is managed on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by community charity, Groundwork.
The scheme is funded as part of a package of over £100 million of support being delivered by the government to help frontline delivery organisations with the increased cost of living.
Find out more about the grant scheme here.