Guardian get involved project shortlisted
The Nenagh Guardian Get Involved Project has been shortlisted in the final judging stage of the competition. The objective of the Get Involved Project is for communities all over Ireland, in partnership with their local newspapers, to bring about real change in their area in meaningful sustainable environmental projects.
The project submitted through The Guardian entitled “Energy Communities Tipperary” is a local community run energy retrofit scheme that has been ongoing in certain parishes in North Tipperary since 2010. In 2014, as part of this project energy efficiency upgrades have been carried out on 119 homes and two community buildings across the four parishes of Kilcommon/Rearcross, Birdhill, Lorrha/Rathcabbin and Drombane/Upperchurch.
North Tipperary LEADER Partnership (NTLP) have provided secretarial assistance to the project since its inception and has been instrumental in securing grant funding of between 30% and 100% through SEAI(Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) under the Better Energy Communities Scheme which carries out energy efficiency upgrades on the homes of fuel allowance recipients, community buildings and other households. The Tipperary Energy Agency has also been involved in assisting this project.
The panel of three judges, including environmentalist and broadcaster Duncan Stewart, recently visited the NTLP office in Nenagh to meet with the Get Involved Guardian application team for final assessment before they announce the winning projects, for which there is a combined prize fund of €7,000. More information is available from www.energycommunities.wordpress.com