South West community fund tops £30,000 with new coronavirus support

Alderholt Community Fund is donating £1,300 to combat the crisis

A community fund connected to a solar farm in Dorset has reached £30,000 in donations to worthwhile projects. The milestone was reached when the fund recently committed £1,300 to the Alderholt Coronavirus Response Group, set up to address local needs during the pandemic.

The Crossroads solar farm, located in Alderholt, is owned by 100% renewable power company, Good Energy. The company set up the fund in 2015 to ensure the project directly benefited the local community. The fund will last for 30 years with an average of £7,000 committed annually by Good Energy for the lifetime of the clean power plant.

In the five years since it was created, the Alderholt fund has provided a helping hand to 27 community projects, ranging from health to sporting needs. Some of the projects it has supported include converting the village speed signs to run on solar power; installing a defibrillator in a BT telephone box; funding new camping equipment for two youth groups; and buying up timber for new allotments. 

Last year, the fund awarded a grant to help supply the village’s only school, St. James First School, with new iPads and laptops. The award will greatly improve young people’s access to IT facilities during lessons, and followed an earlier grant to support the school build a new library.

The latest breakthrough donation was seen as a natural response to the current pandemic impacting the local community. 

James Grazebrook, Chair of the Alderholt Community Fund, said: “This is a difficult time, but our community is doing its best to look out for one other. The crisis is affecting everyone in this country, and we knew we had to do something on our own doorstep. In the short years since it was setup the fund has played a major role in supporting the local community. That good work will continue as we recover from coronavirus, and in the years to come.”

Juliet Davenport, Good Energy’s CEO and Founder, said: “Good Energy has a long history of working closely with communities on renewable projects; it’s who we are and why we were founded. Our community funds were created to improve people’s lives and respond to local needs. We are proud to see Alderholt leading the way in supporting families affected by coronavirus. The fund is a great example of how renewable energy brings real benefits to communities, alongside clean power.”