Energia Group has partnered with St. Francis National School, in Barnesmore, Co. Donegal, for Global Wind Day on 15th June, to continue to spread energy awareness and promote citizen education, in line with Ireland’s National Climate Action Plan.
With the help of Energia Group, who operate the Meenadreen Wind Farm, the pupils from Barnesmore have created a live action and animated film showcasing their sensational sensory garden. The sensory garden which is diverse in texture, colour and scents has been carefully designed to not only ignite the senses but also to promote biodiversity.
Energia Group work with community groups and students from their local windfarm communities across Ireland to provide funding for sustainably focused projects and needs. Through their Community Benefit Fund, the Group has invested more than €3 million in communities across the island of Ireland in the past 6 years. Their Wind Energy Ireland award winning Meenadreen Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund provides multi-annual grants for community capital projects and local student bursaries to cover third level tuition fees. The sensory garden for St. Francis National School was created with the support of the community benefit fund to provide peaceful area with easy access for any children with limited mobility who want to sit and read or chat at lunchbreak.
Every year the school elect a student council and in 2022 the council came up with the idea of the sensory garden. Twelve-year-old Cora Cassidy, says the council is proud of the garden, which she and her fellow council members maintain: “The Covid pandemic made some of us anxious, particularly when we all had to wear masks. Getting outside and sitting in this quiet space has helped. It’s our wellbeing area and, as a council, we were keen to make sure that any students using walkers or wheelchairs can access the space easily and move around between the flower beds to enjoy this sensory garden.”
Energia Renewables Community Engagement Manager, Rosy Billingham, said: “The Meenadreen wind farm fund, which has been set up for the 25-year lifetime of the wind farm, provides funding for local community projects which promote sustainability, with the St Francis School’s sensory garden serving as a perfect example of the projects supported.
“Energia Group is delighted to see the difference the funding is making and we are working with the Community Foundation for Ireland and other independent charitable foundations to ensure that all our wind farm funds have a positive and lasting impact in the areas in which our wind farms operate. We would like to thank St. Francis National School, teacher Lorraine McNamee, Principal Emer Carr and students for taking part in the film and being such super sports! They are Energia’s Climate Action Superheroes!”
Maria McCabe, Digital Product Manager for Energia, who is from Donegal Town, adds: “We are very passionate about making education around energy interesting at Energia Group – And what better way than through a superhero movie! It’s been a delight to work with my local home community, with St Francis National School on this project. Children are the future and schools are vital to helping us bringing green education to life in communities across Ireland.”
The film will be available on EnergiaGroup.com/News for viewers to see the students explain how they created their garden with the help of their local windfarm and watch them demonstrate how wind energy travels from the air, converts to electricity and makes its way into your home.
