Charitable wind farm’s donations hit the news

A RURAL CHARITY, the Rural Development Trust, has received a five-figure grant to get South Lanarkshire people on their bikes.

The £19,000 Renewable Energy Fund (REF) grant from South Lanarkshire Council and Hamilton-based Banks Renewables will enable the Rural Development Trust (RDT) to host a series of cycling courses, training days and bike safety workshops, as well as a fleet of community bikes to encourage active travel for local people.

The charity, who work with three South Lanarkshire communities – Crawford, Glespin and Rigside and Douglas Water – aims to improve accessibility in rural communities while educating and encouraging residents to choose more sustainable methods of getting from A to B.

After receiving the grant, RDT organised a public vote on the way to spend the money, to ensure maximum benefit to local people.  

RDT project officer, Sarah O’Sullivan, said: “As well as teaching children in the area about bike safety we’re also trying to highlight to them, and adults alike, the importance of sustainable active travel through leaflets, school visits and cycle days.

“This all costs a lot of money, so it’s brilliant to have received the REF grant to make this possible.”

“We’re so grateful to Banks and South Lanarkshire Council as the funding will help organise everything from map boards around the community to bike sessions for schools which is hopefully going to have a big impact on keeping children and people healthy and cutting emissions around our rural communities.”

The RDY applied for the funding from the REF from Banks Renewables and South Lanarkshire Council which is part of Banks’ wider Connect2Renewables initiative, a commitment from Banks to maximise social, economic and environmental benefits to communities that host its projects.

Robin Winstanley, sustainability and external affairs manager at Banks Renewables, said: “This funding illustrates the sorts of benefits onshore wind can bring to South Lanarkshire.

“We are delighted to contribute to an initiative that will help make people in South Lanarkshire healthier as well as more sustainable.”

“The work that is going on at the Rural Development Trust is essential in so many ways. The community and the environment are benefitting greatly from it. We are delighted to be able to offer them the grant alongside South Lanarkshire Council.”

Over the course of its 30-year lifetime, Kype Muir wind farm is set to give over £100 million back to communities local to the development through the likes of community funding, local employment initiatives and infrastructure contributions, while generating over 150MW of electricity per annum – enough to meet the needs of over 110,000 homes or the city the size of Aberdeen.

For more information or for how to apply for a community grant please visit:https://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/info/200168/getting_involved_in_your_community/744/renewable_energy_fund_grants

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