LOTTERY WINDFALL FOR ORANGE LODGE
An Eglinton group will be able to save money during the recession and run
more activities in its hall thanks to a grant windfall from the Big Lottery
Fund.
Eglinton Orange Lodge has been awarded a grant of £8,754 from the Big Lottery
Fund's Energy Efficient Venues programme which offers Lottery cash to community
groups to carry out energy efficient improvements to their community venues
to make savings on their heating and lighting costs and benefit the environment.
The group will use the grant to carry out a number of energy efficiency
improvements to their 75-year-old Eglinton Orange Hall, so they can reduce
heating and electricity costs, make the hall warmer and more comfortable,
and put more money into running activities and events for the local community.
Secretary Stephen Burns explained that the money will be used to insulate
walls, cover the brick work in the interior walls with wood, replace the
suspended ceiling and insulate the roof space above it and replace hall's
oil fired boiler.
"The hall is based in Eglinton village," said Stephen. "It
was built back in 1935 and it has been a long time since there has been
any work done on it.
"It's used for regular meetings, church activities, birthday parties
and special celebration events and it is a focal point for many people in
the local community. But due to its age there can be issues with damp when
there are lots of people in the hall and it can be quite cold, especially
in the winter, because of the lack of insulation.
"The improvements we make will mean the hall will be warmer and more
comfortable for local people who come along, and it will become much more
cost effective.
" We will be saving money that we can use to continue to improve the
hall for everyone who uses it."
Frank Hewitt, the Big Lottery Fund's NI Chair said: "The Energy Efficient
Venues programme supports community organisations to carry out energy efficiency
improvements to their venues that help them make savings during this difficult
period of recession, and have a positive effect on the environment."
"Organisations can apply for two grant sizes through the programme.
"Grants of £2,000 - £10,000 are available for groups to carry out vital
improvements such as double glazing, insulation or installing a more energy
efficient heating system.
"And grants of £15,000 - £50,000 could give organisations the opportunity
to install technology like solar panels, wind turbines and wood pellet boilers.
"The programme is open for applications and we are encouraging community
organisations across Northern Ireland to apply for funding."
Information and application packs for the Energy Efficient Venues programme
are currently available and can be accessed by visiting the programme pages
of our website www.biglotteryfund.org.uk or by calling the Big Lottery Fund's
Information and Events team on 028 9055 1455.
Source: Londonderry
Sentinel