South Lanarkshire primary school ‘blown away’ by laptops donation from local windfarm operator 

A South Lanarkshire school has been ‘blown away’ by the generosity of a local windfarm operator which donated £6,500 towards a pupil laptop fund.

Newfield Primary School has received a significant boost from OnPath Energy’s (formerly Banks Renewables) Kype Muir Community Partnership (KMCP), enabling the school to purchase 30 top-of-the-range laptops.

The KMCP represents the five community council areas which are local to Kype Muir Wind Farm, each area has two representatives on the panel ensuring communities take their own share of the wind farm revenues to invest in their local area, tackling the issues specific to them.

Denise Corke, deputy headteacher at Newfield Primary School, said: “For all our pupils, the donation of laptops adds a new dimension to their independent learning, and as such generates a great confidence boost.

“The entire school is incredibly grateful, and these laptops will have a lasting impact for years to come.”

Situated about five kilometres south of Strathaven, Kype Muir Wind Farm stands as a leading project for OnPath Energy, featuring 26 turbines and achieving full operational status in 2018 and earlier this year work was completed at Kype Muir Extension, an adjacent site featuring 15 ultra-powerful turbines – which is now owned by funds managed by Schroders Greencoat LLP.

Together Kype Muir Wind Farm and Kype Muir Wind Farm Extension will deliver a community benefits package of more than £21 million over the lifetime of both projects. Its 41 turbines across the two sites will have an installed capacity exceeding 155 megawatts, generating enough electricity annually for over 123,000 households or 200,000 people a city around the size of Aberdeen.

Robin Winstanley, director of sustainability and community at OnPath Energy, said: “It’s been fantastic to hear that the new Chromebooks for Newfield Primary School have made such a positive impact in such a short space of time.

“Supporting the education of young people is vital and this is just one example out of the many crucial projects that the KMCP fund has been able to help support over the years.”