The future of an historic Heysham community building has been secured thanks to a four-figure grant from a renewable energy firm.
After originally being fitted in the 1970s, the large, wooden-framed single-glazed windows at the Heysham Jubilee Institute on the town’s Main Street have been letting in increasing amounts of rain and wind, with damage being caused to the building’s structure and the cost of heating it rising substantially as a result.
Several of the frames had reached the point where the panes of glass were no longer properly secure, creating both a safety hazard for users and an increased risk of people breaking into an insecure building.
The Institute committee had been looking for ways to tackle the problem, but didn’t have the funds available to cover the substantial cost of getting the required work done.
But now, a £7,000 grant from the community fund linked to renewable energy firm OnPath Energy’s nearby Heysham South Wind Farm has allowed for all 11 rotten windows to be replaced with new thermal sash windows, which reflect the windows that the building had when it first opened in the late 19th century.
The grant has also paid for two pairs of double doors to be installed, which have also improved the building’s security as well as better keeping out the weather.
The Institute committee is now hoping that, as well as helping them reduce their heating bills, the warmer and more welcoming environment that’s been created will encourage more people to use the building for their events and functions, and so boost the Institute’s finances.
The member-owned Heysham Jubilee Institute is a two-storey stone building which has a concert room with stage and a kitchen on its upper floor, as well as a snooker room and meeting room below.
It is used by a wide range of community groups for different meetings and activities, including table tennis, tai chi and Pilates sessions, and hosts regular community cinema shows.
The building also hosts a charity shop which raises money for its upkeep and is opened at weekends to provided bathrooms facilities for people visiting the area.
It’s the second time that it has received support from the Heysham South Wind Farm Fund, with a £1,000 provided in 2018 paying for a stairlift which ensured the building’s upper floor remained accessible to all and which is still in use today.
Kyra Physick, secretary at Heysham Jubilee Institute, said: “The Institute is an iconic local building and the difference that the new windows and doors have made to both how it looks outside and feels inside is unreal.
“It takes much less time and energy to heat the building up, while no longer having the cold wind whistling in through the gaps in the frames means it also stays at a much more comfortable temperature when the heating isn’t on.
“We’ve had so much great feedback from users and visitors about the work that’s been done, and as well as reducing our energy consumption and bills, we’re hoping the building’s new look and feel will encourage more people to choose to spend time here.
“We simply couldn’t have made these changes without the support we’ve had from OnPath Energy and we’re hugely grateful for their help in making such a positive long-term difference to the facilities we can offer our community.”
Environmental and community projects in the vicinity of the Heysham South Wind Farm which are interested in applying to its community fund should first contact the fund manager via apply@onpathcommunityfund.co.uk or on 0191 378 6342 to confirm that their group or project is eligible.
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