Ten local voluntary and community sector groups are celebrating a share of a £20,000 fund, courtesy of the team aiming to bring hydrogen to Ellesmere Port.
The Hydrogen Village Community Fund, a partnership between Cadent and Cheshire West Voluntary Action, has confirmed which organisations were successful in their bids for financial support, mentoring and hands-on volunteering commitments.
Bids to purchase a new Shopmobility scooter, a plan to create a new group of Scouts (18 young people + two leaders), mums being supported through mental health challenges and a community allotment’s vision to ‘grow’ are among the beneficiaries.
We’re absolutely committed to ensuring our project to create the UK’s first hydrogen village, in Whitby, Ellesmere Port, will have wider long-lasting community-based benefits,
said Heather Backstrom, social value stakeholder specialist at Cadent.
We will be supporting existing services and new projects tackling the climate emergency, growing the local economy, helping to deliver jobs and skills, supporting young people to reach their full potential and enabling adults to live healthy, happy lives.
We received many worthwhile applications from local organisations, who need money in the current challenging financial climate, along with requests for practical support that Cadent can help facilitate through the team at CWVA.
We were delighted to welcome the 10 different organisations to join us at our new Hydrogen Experience Centre in McGarva Way for our first get-together and it was wonderful to feel the energy and enthusiasm from everyone to help us deliver these big societal benefits.
Gary Cliffe, chief executive officer, CWVA, said: We are delighted to have partnered with Cadent to award 10 local organisations funding as part of the Hydrogen Village Community Fund.
Each organisation is varied and the funding they received will support existing services to continue, or give them an opportunity to try out new ideas.
We are looking forward to working closely with the organisations and witnessing the amazing work they achieve in the local area over the next couple of months.
The Hydrogen Village programme aims to transition around 2,000 properties away from using natural gas for heating and cooking and instead use hydrogen. Using hydrogen instead of natural gas would result in huge carbon reductions. This would be a UK-first at this scale and meets a UK Government target to have a village-sized gas grid converted to hydrogen by 2025. This is a key stage in the journey to roll-out the use of hydrogen in this way nationwide. More information at www.hydrogenvillage.com
Cadent is the UK’s largest gas distribution network with a 200-year legacy. We are in a unique position to build on strong foundations whilst encouraging the curiosity to think differently and the courage to embrace change. Day to day we continue to operate, maintain and innovate the UK’s largest gas network, transporting gas safely and protecting people in an emergency. Our skilled engineers and specialists remain committed to the communities we serve, working day and night to ensure gas reaches 11 million homes from Cumbria to North London and the Welsh Borders to East Anglia, to keep your energy flowing.
Here at Cadent we support the Government’s plans to reach Net Zero by 2050. That means we’re backing the introduction of hydrogen as a low carbon alternative to natural gas for the future. We know people love the controllability of gas and, with our network already in place, it makes sense to switch to the lower carbon alternative offered by hydrogen, which we believe can keep homes and businesses warm for generations to come.
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