Communities Fund provided £1,885 of match funding
Help us install solar PV at Chisholme
Hawick, Scottish Borders, United Kingdom
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Your donation unlocks match funding
Aim
We are raising funds to install solar PV at Chisholme House, increasing energy security and resilience and reducing our carbon footprint.
The Chisholme Institute is a registered Scottish charity established in 1979 located in a beautiful landscape in a remote area of the Scottish Borders. The aim of the charity is to promote the unity of existence to help people develop wiser, more conscious and more embodied ways of being.
Chisholme is an inclusive intentional community, offering a range of courses, retreats, and volunteering opportunities for people of all backgrounds. Activities include meditation and other spiritual practices, group study of spiritual texts, and service (such as gardening, forestry, cooking, housekeeping, maintenance, and more) to empower participants to realise deeper relationships with themselves, others, and nature as a whole.
The Institute is dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint and becoming more environmentally and economically sustainable. We are fundraising for solar PV to help us to decarbonise. Installing solar PV will help us to reduce our carbon footprint by ~4 tonnes of CO2 a year.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We have a very good understanding of the limitations of our existing local energy structure. In 2008, we carefully planned and implemented a biomass boiler, reducing kerosene usage by 2,000 litres per month. The wood fuel comes from the estate and is continuously replanted. We connected to the grid in 2012, saving 2,000 litres of generator diesel a month. When Storm Arwen arrived in 2021, we discovered how vulnerable we are when Chisholme was without power for 4 days. Solar PV will increase our resilience and energy security should we lose power again in the future.
Solar PV is also an important next step towards net zero and in becoming more sustainable. As well as reducing our carbon emissions, it will help us to reduce our ever-rising operating costs by ~£4000 a year, so that we can increase our financial security and ensure that the Chisholme Institute can continue its offerings long into the future.
How we’ll spend the money raised
We have successfully secured a grant from the CARES Community Buildings Fund. The grant covers 80% of the costs of the Solar PV which is £66,250 in total for a 20kW system including batteries.
We have been awarded £52,999, and are looking to raise the remaining £13,251 through this crowdfund. We have set a target of £8,251 to begin with, which we will increase to £13,251 once the initial target has been reached. We are also applying for other small grants in case the target isn't reached.
We are also receiving support from the Aviva Foundation Communities Fund: they will match up to £250 for each donation per person. You can donate more than this amount if you wish. This means that we will reach our first target of £8,251 if 17 people donated £250, or 42 people donated £100. Smaller donations are of course very welcome!
If we raise more than the needed amount, the funds will be used for other decarbonisation projects: our biomass boiler is coming to the end of its life and so funds will go towards a replacement.
How you can help
There are two simple ways to get involved and support our project:
1. Make a donation
Every pledge gets us closer to our goal. Early support can help build momentum and inspire others to give too. Your donation will also be matched up to £250 by the Aviva Foundation Communities Fund. If you are a UK taxpayer you will have the option to also add Gift Aid, which will increase your donation by 25%, at no cost to you.
2. Spread the word
Share our project with friends, family and your wider network. The more people we reach, the more likely we are to succeed.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 21st December 2026 at 6:17pm