Olympic Legacy Fund has provided £15,000 of match funding
Lighting Up Bracken with solar
Strabane, Derry and Strabane, United Kingdom
Aim
We are applying for funding to install solar power as the club and ranges are based in a rural area with no electricity connection
Who are we?
Us
Bracken Projectile Club is a rural-based club dedicated to target shooting. We currently have 70 members, including 20 over-65s and 8 women members. The club supports physically disabled members and is actively working to develop a junior section.
We provide opportunities for all sections of the community and have previously hosted international competitions, including events involving participants from the UK and Ireland. Target shooting is relatively new to our district, and we are committed to expanding awareness, participation, and coaching opportunities in this sport.
e this space to give your audience a friendly introduction to your club or organisation.
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Why are we crowdfunding?
This is where you should explain the reason you need to raise money, are you launching a new women's team? Perhaps you need to improve facilities or buy new kit? Tell us here.
We are applying for funding to install solar power and battery systems at the club, enabling the use of our facilities year-round. Currently, the club operates without electricity as the nearest connection is 2 miles away and would cost in excess of £40000 limiting evening training, community engagement we would need the extra funding as the club is in an area of high depravation and lacks sporting facilities
Strabane North is among the top 5% most deprived wards in the district. The NIMDM2017 assesses deprivation across seven domains: Income, Employment, Health, Education, Skills & Training, Access to Services, Living Environment, and Crime & Disorder. Strabane North's rankings across these domains are as follows:
- Income: Ranked 16th (most deprived)
- Employment: Ranked 11th
- Health: Ranked 20th
- Education, Skills & Training: Ranked 47th
- Access to Services: Ranked 52nd
- Living Environment: Ranked 283rd
- Crime & Disorder: Ranked 84th
These rankings highlight that Strabane North experiences significant challenges across multiple deprivation domains, particularly in income, employment, and health.
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How we’ll spend the money raised
It’s important to be transparent about how you plan to spend the money you raise. Your audience will be more likely to make a pledge if they can see how their donation will help. Be specific and add a budget breakdown.
Key benefits of this project include:
- Provision of electricity for lighting on ranges and in the meeting/social room, allowing evening training during winter months (up to 5 extra months of activity).
- Installation of solar-powered points at each of the three ranges (25m, 50m, 100m), enabling modern training facilities.
- Energy storage via a container to house batteries, inverters, and circuit boards.
- Improved street lighting and safer access for members.
- Reduced carbon footprint by avoiding diesel generators.
- Expansion of community programs, including women’s shooting initiatives and courses run in partnership with the local community association.
Project cost: £20000 (covering solar installation, battery systems, and electrical connections to all three ranges
Community impact
It’s important to explain the wider impact of your organisation for the whole community, who does it benefit and why? Perhaps your facilities are used for other purposes outside of sport too?
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- . Community Impact
- Inclusivity: The electricity provision will benefit disabled members, women, junior participants, and over-65s.
- Community engagement: The club allows local community groups to use the meeting room for their activities.
- Sport development: This investment will support coaching and development programs under the governing bodies’ initiatives, increasing participation in target shooting in the region.
- Sustainability: Solar power is environmentally friendly and reduces noise and pollution from diesel generators.
- Membership growth: Modern facilities are likely to increase membership, particularly among youth and women.
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!
This project successfully funded on 26th April 2026