Lymm Community Energy Launches its Community Benefit Fund 2025/26
Press release
Community Benefit Fund now open for applications
Lymm Community Energy’s solar photovoltaic installations on the four Lymm primary schools continue to perform exceptionally well, reducing energy use and costs for the schools as well as enabling LCE to pay interest to members and build up a fund to benefit the wider community.
Over the past few years, the Community Benefit Fund has provided £9,254 to help fund environmental projects that reduce energy and carbon emissions or have other environmental benefits. Projects have included energy efficiency improvements to Maple Lodge, Lymm Youth & Community Centre and Oughtrington Community Centre and equipment to help Friends of Spud Wood maintain biodiverse woodlands and species-rich grasslands for the benefit of the community
This year’s fund will be available for projects that will support our community to deliver environmental benefits in the Lymm area. The fund is open to any organisation providing services to the community in Lymm.
Cllr. Bob Barr, Chair of Lymm Community Energy, said “We are delighted that our four solar installations have continued to perform well and benefit the Lymm primary schools, but it’s even more exciting to be able to support other environmental projects across Lymm as a result. This year the community benefit fund totals £2,200 and as in past years we hope to see applications from community groups that deliver real environmental benefits in our area.”
The fund is open for applications immediately – a 🔗guidance document and 🔗application form are available on the Lymm Community Energy links here and below – with applications being considered on a first come, first served basis. The fund will remain open until all the available budget has been allocated.
Lymm Community Energy are working to bring forward further energy projects in Lymm, in particular taking steps to deliver a small community solar farm at Wildersmoor Hall Farm that could supply local businesses and the High School as well as feeding into the local grid. Richard Catchpole, a Director of Lymm Community Energy who is leading the solar farm project development, said “We were delighted to receive planning approval for the community solar farm in July this year. We are now working to secure grid connection and on the funding of the development and installation phases of the projects. We will need a mixture of investors and loans to bring the scheme forward but we will certainly be offering opportunities for the community to invest as we did with the Lymm primary school installations. We’ve put all the information we have at present on our website and welcome questions or comments at any time.”
Lymm Community Energy is entirely run by volunteer members of the community and is always keen to hear from people who would like to get involved or who have ideas for future activities. Use our contact form to get in touch with us.
ENDS
Notes for editors
- Lymm Community Energy is a Community Benefit Society established in December 2013 to enable local people and organisations to invest in renewable energy installations that benefit the local community. LCE is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority and governed by a set of rules that can be downloaded from the LCE website.
Lymm Community Energy 