A charity dedicated to building understanding and reconciliation between people from different backgrounds in Northern Ireland will be able to carry out energy saving improvements to its local centre thanks to a grant from the Big Lottery Fund.

The 'powerful boost' for Kilcranny House is one of 26 groups across Northern Ireland awarded grants totalling nearly £355,000 from the Big Lottery Fund's Energy Efficient Venues programme.

The programme offers Lottery cash to local groups to carry out improvements to their community venues so they make savings on their heating and lighting costs and cut down on their spending.

The charity has been awarded £10,000 to carry out a range of energy efficiency improvements to its community venue near Coleraine, including installing a new condensing boiler, insulated glass glazing, thermostatic heat controls and infra-red motion sensitive light switches.

Coordinator Conn Mulvenna explained that the venue improvements will reduce the organisation's electricity bills by 25% and oil costs by about a fifth – saving them money they can then put back into the range of activities and services they offer.

"We run a range of different activities and services in a safe, friendly setting where people from different backgrounds and religions can come together to share ideas and opinions,” he explained.

"We run education courses for schools and community groups, there’s a friendship club, activities for young people, an older people’s group and a peace farm where people can enjoy the outdoor and take part in tasks such as planting, digging and growing their own veg," the coordinator said.

"We have about four acres of land and we believe strongly in the importance of looking after the natural environment. Ultimately, we would like to be entirely self-sufficient. We’ve already been awarded a first prize in Coleraine Borough Council’s Biodiversity Awards scheme thanks to our allotments, wildlife pond, orchard and tree planting."

He continued: "This funding will save us about £700 a year in energy costs – money which we can use to continue to help boost community relations and improve the lives of people."

Market House Culture Group, in Fermanagh, has also been awarded £3,546 to install double glazed windows and electric heaters in their historic old community hall and carry out an energy audit to find out where they can cut down on heating and electricity costs.

The group’s hall was originally built as a soup kitchen in the 1700s, during the Famine years.

"Because the building is listed we have to be very careful with any work we carry out but the ground floor is derelict and there’s only a room upstairs that can be used," said member Audrey Watson.

"Carrying out the improvements will mean we can help to make the hall fit for use again and put the heart back into our area."

Frank Hewitt, the Big Lottery Fund’s NI Chair said: "The Energy Efficient Venues programme supports community organisations to carry out energy efficiency improvements to their venues that help them make savings during this difficult period of recession, and have a positive effect on the environment."

(BMcC/GK)