PLEASED. . . Deputy County Grand Master Stuart Brooker
A FERMANAGH COMMUNITY organisation will be able to carry out energy saving improvements to its venue and save money, thanks to a grants windfall from the Big Lottery Fund.
Colaghty Orange Lodge 365, Ederney has been awarded a grant of £49,720 from the Big Lottery Fund’s Energy Efficient Venues programme towards improvements to their hall.
The group, which opened their hall in 1955, is in a rural area between Ederney and Lack and offers community activities, including bowls, social evenings and summer barbecues.
They will use the grant to replace the hall’s existing external doors, lower the ceiling, install space heating and put in floor, wall and ceiling insulation. They will also buy energy efficient appliances.
“The boiler and radiators in the hall are not very effective,” said secretary, Noel Irvine. “We had a big heat loss problem and this new system, along with the insulated suspended ceiling and the new doors will be of great benefit to the people who use the hall.
“The walls will also be dry lined, so the hall will be much more energy efficient and warmer. People don’t want to come into a cold hall. This work means the hall will be much for comfortable for elderly people.”
Noel added: “There is not much in this area, and our members are over the moon. We hope that once the work is done up, more organisations, involving people of all ages will be interested in using it.”
Stuart Brooker, Deputy County Grand Master of the Orange Order, said all involved with the hall greatly acknowledged the support received from the Orange Community Network.
Frank Hewitt, the Big Lottery Fund’s NI Chair said the Energy Efficient Venues programme had been very popular programme.
The programme is now closed for applications.
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