Nick Hood, Chef and Caretaker at Abbeyfield Esk Moors Lodge, proudly switched on a brand new heat pump at Castleton last week. The installation of the pump was part of a drive developed by Abbeyfield in conjunction with North Yorkshire County Council, Scarborough Borough Council and a number of charitable funders to become more energy efficient and to maximise the use of renewable energy technologies.
The turning on of the heat pump is the conclusion of three years of planning and development. The Abbeyfield Society, a not for profit organisation providing housing and care for older people, managed to secure the majority of funding from The Low Carbon Buildings Phase 2 (BRE) and North Yorkshire Moors Park Authority who each gave £40,000.
Niyi Anubi, Abbeyfield’s Development Manager, said: “This is truly a brilliant project. The pump installation is pivotal in our endeavours to make Esk Moors environmentally responsible. With this installation we have already began to significantly increase energy efficiencies in supplying facilities such as The Bradbury Centre, which is at the heart of Esk Moors Lodge and which services the local community, providing a range of activities, craft workshops and a number of other events.”
Esk Moors Lodge, owned by The Abbeyfield Society and opened less than two years ago, is a combination of one and two bedroom flats that provides housing for older people with extra care requirements.
Nick who works for Esk Moors Caring, a local charity and social enterprise which manages the centre, said: “This entire project is a result of support from partners – locally, regionally and nationally. To receive the funding to make this a reality is the icing on the cake.”