Community solar farm launches crisis fund to support residents in Selsey and Sidlesham

Launched by Ferry Farm Community Solar, a local energy enterprise which serves the communities of Selsey and Sidlesham, the fund has already awarded £17,500 to local causes.

A donation of £1,500 has been given to The Academy Selsey to pay for a subscription to an online library to enable students to access contemporary reading materials while at home.

A payment of £6,000 has been awarded to the Selsey Community Forum, who are co-ordinating the Covid Mutual Aid network for Sesley and Sidlesham.

This funding will help support necessary running costs, although the vast majority will be provided directly to families in need to cover short-term crisis cash needs.

A third donation of £10,000 has been made to the Chichester Food Bank to support its operation in Selsey and Sidlesham.

The remaining £22,500 will be allocated to community causes on an ‘as needed’ basis, with applications being considered weekly.

Ferry Farm Community Solar has been able to make the crisis fund available as a direct result of having just completed a £5.5million transaction to bring its 5MW solar array into full community ownership.

Despite turmoil in the global financial markets, Ferry Farm Community Solar was able to complete the transaction on Friday, March 27, even with all parties in lockdown.

The solar array has been running since 2016 and generates enough clean energy to power approximately 1,300 homes per year.

It is supported by Communities for Renewables CIC, which also put together and managed the recent transaction.

The enterprise has a history of supporting the local community, with surplus income generated – around £50,000 per year since inception – used to support a variety of initiatives.

These have included an energy and fuel poverty advice service, helping individuals and families living in fuel poverty reduce their energy spend, and a community grant fund to support local organisations and projects in Selsey and Sidlesham.

Ben Cooper, founding director at Ferry Farm Community Solar, said: “We have been fortunate enough to have bought this project back into community ownership at what has been an extremely challenging time to secure new funding.

“Therefore it seems only fair that we should share the success and enable the enterprise to fulfil its remit as a community benefit.

“We hope that the emergency fund will provide much needed local support to those most in need over the coming weeks or months, in a bid to offer some normality and security during this very uncertain period.”

To make an application for a grant, visit www.ferryfarmsolar.co.uk.

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

Thank you for reading this story on our website.

But I also have an urgent plea to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality local news on this free-to-read site and in print, please purchase a copy of our newspaper as well. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on our town centres and many of our valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you buying a copy.

Our journalists are highly trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards anywhere in the world. Our content is universally trusted - as all independent research proves.

As Baroness Barran said in a House of Lords debate this week on the importance of journalists: “Not only are they a trusted source of facts, but they will have a role to play in rallying communities and getting the message across about how we can keep ourselves and our families safe, and protect our NHS. Undoubtedly, they have a critical role.”

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. In return we will continue to forensically cover the local news - not only the impact of the virus but all the positive and uplifting news happening in these dark days.

In addition, please write to your MP urging the Government to provide some additional financial support for local newspapers and their websites like this one and ensuring that supermarkets continue to stock them. I cannot stress enough how important such an intervention would be.

We thank all our readers and advertisers for their understanding and support - and we wish YOU all the best in the coming weeks. Keep safe, and follow the Government advice. Thank you.