The Ferry Farm Community Solar project, situated between Selsey and Sidlesham, West Sussex has announced seven local projects which will benefit from the first phase of awards provided via its community grant fund. The 2017 grant fund will total £40,000 across two application phases.
The successful projects are:
· Selseyworks – for delivery of an advice service to help households in Selsey and Sidlesham who are struggling with their bills.
· Youth Dream Selsey Ltd – for the ongoing provision of the Bridge Youth Support Centre which provides educational support, counselling, sexual health advice and support to young people in Selsey and Sidlesham and students of The Academy, Selsey.
· Sidlesham Good Companions Transport Club – to support a community transport scheme for the elderly and those with limited mobility.
· Sidlesham Parish Council – for children’s playground repairs.
· Selsey Carpet Bowls Club – to pay for new equipment for use by 45 local players.
· Selsey Amateur Choral and Operatic Society (SACOS) – to help cover the costs of running an amateur theatrical/music club which holds annual shows.
· Arts Dream Selsey – to support the ‘Out of the Ashes’ project for The Academy, Selsey which will retrace the memories of the school through images, stories, text and an online archive of information and will culminate in Pamela Howard producing artwork for the new school.
Ben Cooper, Ferry Farm Community Solar Director comments: “We are delighted to announce this first phase of funding, which supports local charities and community groups in Selsey and Sidlesham. As well as providing an ethical investment opportunity for local people who invested in our community share offer last year, the Ferry Farm Community Solar project is also generating community funding from the sale of the electricity generated. So, it really does see investment come back into the local community.”
Chris Butler of Arts Dream Selsey adds: “It can sometimes be difficult to secure funding for smaller projects which are wholly focused on a small community. We are so pleased that the Ferry Farm grant fund can now make a real difference to local people through local projects.”
The second phase of funding is now open to applications, and closes on 30th November 2017.
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About Ferry Farm Community Solar
The Ferry Farm Community Solar project is a 5 megawatt solar array just north of Selsey, West Sussex. The solar farm has been up and running and generating electricity and income from the sun since June 2016. It is expected to provide the equivalent power to the annual electricity consumption of around 1,300 houses for the next 25 – 30 years.
Ferry Farm Community Solar Ltd, a community benefit society governed by local people, raised over £300,000 through a community share offer last year. The first share interest payments were paid in July this year.
Surplus income generated by the solar farm is used to support community organisations and projects in Selsey and Sidlesham. Over its lifetime the community solar project is expected generate around £1 million of community funding.
The society was set up with the support of Communities for Renewables CIC working with Triple Point, BNRG Langmead Group to develop and finance the community solar project.
Editor’s Information
For more information, hi res images or to arrange an interview with Ferry Farm Community Solar, please contact Emma Cooper on 01243 214175 or emma@recenseo.co.uk