Set up as a charity in 2001, the Lochaber Rural Education Trust (LRET) learning centre is a unique facility educating groups of school children - many of whom have learning difficulties and additional support needs - in rural skills, environmental studies, gardening and animal husbandry. Other users include nurseries, care homes, day care placements and Women’s Aid as well as members of the public. More than 1,000 visitors take part in activities each year at the centre. However, they currently have no working central heating system and, with the colder months fast approaching, this is an issue for the comfort of pupils, volunteers and staff alike.

HWEnergy’s staff from around the country will pull together to address the problem in a charity work day that will yield immediate results. We are going to link the LRET building to our own biomass boiler and will need to install pre-insulated underground pipe, do the interface work and install radiators. Our mission is to get heating into the LRET building and make it a more comfortable space for them to carry out their valuable work with community groups – and to do it all in one day!

Another benefit of the project is that by supplying heat to the LRET, more income will be generated by HWEnergy’s biomass boiler in the form of Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments from the government. We ring-fence this income for the HWEnergy Community Fund, meaning more money will be available for us to provide community grants to good causes, charities, sports clubs and organisations throughout Scotland.

We need your help! HWEnergy is looking to enlist the support of our suppliers, local companies and the general public to help deliver this challenging project. The funds raised will be put towards the required materials and support the good work of the Trust.