A Donegal National School has recently opened their new sensory garden.
Thanks to the Energia Meenadreen wind farm community benefit fund, St Francis’ in Barnesmore was able to install the much needed facility.
The €2,700 grant was used by the student council to install planting beds with wheelchair-friendly paths, which were chosen for their colour, aroma and calming properties.
Twelve-year-old Cora Cassidy is a member of the student council that came up with the idea for the garden.
Cora says the council is proud of the garden, which she and her fellow members maintain.
“The Covid pandemic made some of us anxious, particularly when we all had to wear masks,” she explains.
“Getting outside and sitting in this quiet space has helped. We were very keen to make sure that any students using walkers or wheelchairs can access the space easily and move around between the flower beds.”
St. Francis NS Student Council member, Cora Cassidy. Photo -Clive Wasson
The annual Building Communities report from Wind Energy Ireland shows that wind farms delivered more than €4.3 million in funding to local projects last year via community benefit funds. This marks an increase of over €300,000 on 2020 and, they say, reflects the continuing growth of renewable energy.
Funding was spread across 19 counties and was used to support a variety of local projects, ranging from education initiatives and sports clubs to installing solar panels and energy efficiency upgrades for community buildings.
Welcoming these new figures, Wind Energy Ireland CEO, Noel Cunniffe said: “Wind farms invested more than €4.3 million in rural communities last year, helping to ensure people living nearby share in the benefits of the energy transition.
“Many of these fantastic local projects would otherwise struggle to find funding, demonstrating the positive impact that wind farms have in their communities alongside the benefits of cutting our carbon emissions and providing cheaper power to consumers.”
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