Olympic Legacy Fund has provided £34,725 of match funding
Ederney GAC- Green Energy & Sustainability Project
Enniskillen, Fermanagh and Omagh, United Kingdom
Aim
Building a sustainable, efficient legacy for Ederney GAC with clean energy and eco-friendly equipment, reducing our carbon footprint.
Introduction:
Ederney St. Joseph's GAC is taking a big step toward a greener future. We're raising funds to make our club more sustainable and energy efficient through the installation of solar panels, new electric mowers, an LED scoreboard, and battery storage.
With additional support from the Aviva Community Fund and Sport NI's Olympic Legacy Fund, we to aim to improve the quality of offering at our club facilities by reducing our running costs, cut our carbon emissions, and create a cleaner, brighter future for our members and the wider community.
Who are we?
Eadarnaigh Naomh Losaf is a Gaelic Football Club based in the rural village of Ederney, County Fermanagh. We are a long-established community based organisation serving the parish of Ederney and surrounding areas. The club provides sporting and recreational opportunities for over 150 youth members, including male and female teams at all age levels from underage through senior.
Our facilities are used all year-round by players, volunteers, local schools, and the wider community. We are committed to promoting health, wellbeing, and sustainability both on and off the field.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We are applying for support under the Olympic Legacy Fund to deliver our Green Energy & Sustainability Initiative aimed at reducing our environmental footprint and improving operational efficiency at our ground.
We want Ederney GAC to inspire others to embrace greener initiatives by demonstrating how a rural sports club can adapt and thrive with green energy, modern facilities, and community legacy.
This initiative includes:
- 2x Electric Pitch Mowers (Sport NI Fund): replacing diesel powered equipment with electric models to reduce emissions and noise pollution for local residents.
- Solar Panel Installation (Sport NI Fund): to generate clean electricity for the clubhouse and maintenance equipment.
- LED Scoreboard (Sport NI Fund): an energy efficient installation as we currently do not have a method of showing the score during games on our pitch where the underage games take place, improving matchday experience while using minimal power.
- Battery Storage System (Aviva Community Fund): to store excess energy generated by out solar panels, increasing our renewable energy usage by up to 30-50%.
Aims & Objectives:
- Reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption across club operations.
- Promote environmental awareness among members and the wider community.
- Lower long-term running costs, freeing resources for player development and community programmes.
- Enhance community engagement through modern, sustainable facilities aligned with Sport NI's Olympic Legacy goals.
- Set an example for other rural clubs pursuing green initiatives.
Alignment with Olympic Legacy Fund Priorities
This project aligns with the Olympic Legacy Fund by:
- Creating sustainable, accessible sports facilities that benefit the wider community.
- Building a long-term legacy of environmental responsibility in sport.
- Encouraging participation and volunteer engagement through improved facilities.
- Supporting the development of greener infrastructure in local sport organisations.
How we’ll spend the money raised
Through this Crowdfunder campaign, we aim to raise £11,575 in 6 Weeks from our community and beyond to make our Green Energy & Sustainability Initiative a reality. Sport NI will then contribute the remaining £34,725 through the Olympic Legacy Fund, with a further £11,575 being matched by the Aviva Community Fund.
We are being fully transparent about how the funds will be used:
- 2x Electric Mowers - High-efficiency battery powered pitch mowers - £19,600.
- Solar panel System - Roof mounted solar panels with inverter & installation - £11,400.
- LED Scoreboard - Energy efficient wireless controlled scoreboard - £15,300.
Total Project Cost: £46,300
We will also use the additional £11,575 from the Aviva Community Fund to purchase a Battery Storage System to maximise energy usage of self-generated electricity, reducing our dependence on conventional fossil fuel energy sources.
We will be able to store excess energy generated by our new solar panels for use during evenings or cloudy days. Reducing grid dependency even further, allowing the club to run lighting and charging equipment on stored solar power, and enhancing the long term return on the solar investment.
How Match Funding Works:
- Sport NI’s Olympic Legacy Fund will contribute 75% of the total project cost, if we raise the remaining 25% through crowdfunding (up to £37,500).
- Aviva's Community Fund will match every individual donation up to £250 (up to £50,000).
By supporting our Green Energy & Sustainability Initiative, you're helping Ederney St. Joseph's GAC take real action for the planet. Together, we can create a greener, more energy efficient club and make our community a proud example of environmental responsibility.
Community impact
- Reduction in Co2 emissions by transitioning to electric mowing. By transitioning from petrol to electric mowers, Ederney GAC expects to reduce emissions by approximately 3 tonnes of Co2 each year, supporting our goal of becoming a more sustainable and energy efficient Club.
- Generation of renewable electricity via solar panels, reducing dependency on grid power.
- Lower noise pollution, improving the environment for players, residents and wildlife.
- Educational opportunities for youth members about sustainability in sport.
- Greater community pride in a facility that models environmental leadership.
How you can play your part
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!
4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!
Together, we can build facilities that reflect the pride we have in our club, our community, our environment, and our future.
Please donate now – we only have 6 weeks to make the most of this incredible opportunity.
This project successfully funded on 14th March 2026