Tees Valley Community Asset Preservation Trust receives £10,620 to provide additional battery storage for their existing solar panel installation.

The trust took over Hemlington Lake Recreation Centre via asset transfer from the local council in 2019; A centre which sits at the heart of a local community providing vital support to an area which sits within the top 2% most deprived in Europe.

The recreation centre provides a welcoming space for people of all ages and backgrounds to meet, share, learn and explore. With a community café, toddler groups, craft sessions, fitness sessions and a fully equipped dance studio, the centre is available for people 7 days a week.

The funding has helped to ensure that the facility can continue to support residents during emergency incidents as the added battery storage will allow for their doors to remain open and vital services such as the kitchen to provide hot meals and drinks can remain functioning. Remaining open also ensures local residents feel safe and secure despite the vulnerability they may be experiencing during that time.

The team at the centre commented ‘We are always keen to do everything we can to enhance the lives of local residents here. We want them to be able to come through our doors and forget any issues or challenges they may be experiencing within their lives. Hemlington Lake recreation centre has become a vital place for many and we had to ensure they had a place to come in times of hardship’

The Challenge for Hemlington Lake Recreation Centre

With power cuts in the local area, Hemlington Lake Recreation Centre knew they needed to do more to support all residents with a safe space to congregate during these situations. With people so familiar with the centre and it being so regularly frequented by many people within the local community it became an essential task to ensure that a system could be implemented for them to remain the focal point of support for the local residents.

The Solution for Hemlington Lake Recreation Centre

The Tees Valley Community Asset Preservation Trust realised that they could increase the effectiveness of their existing solar panel installation by adding a battery storage system which could be activated in the event of a power cut. They undertook extensive research on the best system for their requirements and then sought funding for the project.

Support from the Northern Powergrid Foundation

The Northern Powergrid Foundation supported the community project with £10,620 which covered the full cost of the project they were undertaking and ensured they could undertake their project quickly and effectively once they had received the funding and secured their contractor. Sophie who works for Tees Valley Community Asset Preservation Trust said ‘We are so grateful for the support from the Foundation, they made it so much easier for us to undertake this project and we know the impact will be felt across our local community’

More about the Northern Powergrid Foundation

The Northern Powergrid Foundation’s mission, complementing Northern Powergrid’s ambition to be a force for good in the communities it serves, is to support communities most affected by changes in the economy, environment, and society due to the shifting energy landscape. This is achieved by supporting projects focused on tackling energy resilience during emergency events, vulnerability, fuel poverty, levelling the rural divide, innovation, social support, and community collaboration. Funds are available to support communities across the North East, Yorkshire, and northern Lincolnshire served by Northern Powergrid.