Energetic community centre

Initiative: "Energetic community centre"
Originator: Voluntary Fire Brigade in Wisniew
Location: Wisniew
Implementation date: 08/2015-10/2015

Description of the problem encountered: All the rooms of the village hall in Wisniew, where local meetings and celebrations take place, have so far been heated through inefficient electric cookers. As a consequence, meetings were rarely held here in the winter months because this generated large expenses.

Activities:
- Purchase and installation of a pellet cooker to heat the community centre together with radiators;
- meetings of residents with experts on energy efficiency and eco-logical measures in everyday life.

Results: The purchased cooker will increase the energy efficiency of the building, reduce energy consumption and thus the energy bill. The investment will make the premises more comfortable to use and increase the number of meetings, events and celebrations taking place.

The 'Energy efficient community centre' initiative of the Voluntary Fire Brigade in Wisniew was implemented as part of the project 'Local ecological civic initiatives - together for the environment' of the Foundation for the Development of Polish Agriculture and funded by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.

RESULTS OF PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

Within the framework of the project, a cooker was purchased and installed together with the necessary equipment. The cooker will be fired by wood and pellets, which are produced from biomass and are environmentally friendly.

Pellets are a biomass fuel produced from the sawmill waste of the timber industry and, increasingly, from energy crops.

Thanks to the installation of a cooker in the Wisniew community centre, the number of meetings organised for young people and events for the local community in autumn and winter has increased.

Educational activities were also carried out. Two educational meetings were organised.The programme of the first meeting included topics on energy efficiency and low-cost solutions to reduce energy consumption.

The second meeting was devoted to promoting an environmentally friendly attitude in everyday life. Both meetings turned into lively discussions. A proposal was also put forward to set up a Rural Housewives' Circle in Wisniew, which would strengthen social links as well as promote environmentally friendly solutions in households.