ACCIONA Energía, the international company behind the MacIntyre Wind Farm west of Warwick, had its philanthropic side to the fore last week when nearly $110,000 in grant money was handed out.
Thirty-one community organisations, most of them local to the Southern Downs region, shared in the largesse at a lunch attended by 42 people.
The MacIntyre Wind Farm Community Grants Program covers a number of categories including education, healthcare, cultural development, promoting sustainability/environment/conservation and providing basic energy or water services.
ACCIONA Energía general manager of brand and marketing Caroline Bommes said the program was established so the local benefits could be felt widely across the area beyond the wind farm project itself.
“At the heart of our projects is a commitment to community and giving back to the area in ways that make a difference. We’re proud to be here year after year,” said Ms Bommes.
The program is in its fourth year and in that time $269,000 of sponsorship has been awarded.
Recipients included Allora P-10 State School for a culturally appropriate area for First Nations students and their families (called Gnarralah Yarning Circle), LifeFlight Foundation for additional safety equipment and personal protective gear for crew and passengers, Granite Belt Wildlife Carers for a new kangaroo enclosure, Bullecourt Boulder Bounders Orienteering Club for an equipment upgrade, Condamine Headwaters Landcare Group to support the Landcare volunteer nursery make local native plants available to the community, Royal Queensland Bush Children’s Health Scheme (BUSHkids) for a children’s nature play area, Warwick Aero Modellers for an off-grid solar system, Warwick Benevolent Society (Akooramak) for a kitchen garden, Warwick Bridge Club to erect solar panels, Support Groups Qld (Happy Chat, Stanthorpe) to support people with mental health issues with weekly peer engagement and structured access to health and wellbeing community supports, Grainshed Machinery at Freestone for an off-grid solar system and battery invertor, Protea Place Inc. to assist the Protea Place Women’s Support Centre in Warwick, the Allora Senior Citizens for an indoor bowls program, the Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery to fund public programs at the gallery, Churches of Christ for a resident community garden, Leyburn State school to fund its 2023 school camp and the Granite Belt Neighbourhood Centre for support with food boxes and hampers as part of the Emergency Relief Program.
Other recipients included Karara State School, Warwick Fish Stocking Association and Warwick Homeschoolers.
Applications will open for the next round of the sponsorship program in January next year.
