Solar panels grant is great for centre

A Sutton Bridge community centre has secured a grant to have solar panels fitted, allowing trustees to keep running costs down.

The cost of the solar panels at the Curlew Centre is £49,635 and this has been nearly fully funded thanks to the grant and a contract for the work has now been signed.
The panels should cut the centre’s energy bills by around £4,000 to £5,000 a year and will help to keep running costs down.
The centre, which has just announced that it broke even last year, hails itself as a real success story.
It was opened in December 2011, by the then Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, the late Tony Worth, in the company of Sir John Hayes.
Section 106 money from the Sutton Bridge Power Station provided most of the money, along with some local contributions.
Since then, the centre, which houses three main meeting rooms, a library, and the parish council office, has provided Sutton Bridge and the surrounding area with facilities for a wide range of activities.
They include mums and tots groups, social lunches, senior citizens’ gatherings, film showings, Zumba fitness, kick boxing, training groups, scouts and business meetings, as well as private parties, weddings, christenings, wakes and other family gatherings.
Trustee Peter Clery described it as “a cradle to the grave service for the community with everything in between.”
Chairman Mark Everitt said: “It costs about £900 a week to run the centre and this money is all raised locally, almost entirely from room hire to the various users.
“Any and all financial contributions are welcome and help us to keep down the cost to our users.”
The centre currently has a vacancy for a volunteer honorary treasurer, see the advert on page 12 for more or visit www.thecurlewcentre.co.uk