MUCH LOVED FAMILY ATTRACTION TO RUN FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY

The popular Sea Lion Rocks Tea Rooms at Groudle Glen Railway has seen the installation of sustainable energy solutions thanks to Manx Lottery Trust funding.

Situated at the end of the Groudle Glen Railway line, the tea rooms entice visitors with stunning views of the coast. Its remoteness however, does create many challenges, including no access to mains water, sewerage, and mains power.

To overcome these hurdles, the team previously installed their own water supply, satellite connectivity for card payments, and also invested in a rail mounted sewerage removal vehicle. Unfortunately, accessing mains power was not as simple, and they have been relying on a collection of diesel generators over the last 15 years. Although reliable, they are costly to maintain and fuel, noisy, and most importantly are not environmentally friendly.

The grant of £8,500 has funded the installation of a solar PV generation system, RCD and earthing rods, which will allow the building to be powered during the operating season purely from solar power and storage batteries.

Alex Brindley, Company Secretary/Director of Groudle Glen Railway, said: ‘We are fortunate enough to have recently welcomed a new volunteer to the team who has valuable experience in renewable technology, and has kindly researched suitable power requirements for the café.

‘The new technology will be able to power the CCTV, the café when in operation, and also the fridge and freezer when the building is closed, meaning ice creams and other perishables will not need to be taken on trains to a mains powered storage facility.

‘Not only will this save us a lot of time and funds, it is also great to continue what we love doing by using sustainable energy, so thank you Manx Lottery Trust!’

Stephen Turner, Chairman of Manx Lottery Trust, added: ‘It’s wonderful to see Groudle Glen Railway’s commitment to becoming more environmentally friendly. The railway and tea rooms are a special asset to our Island, and we wish them every success.’

The Sea Lion Rocks Tea Rooms are open from Easter. To keep up to date with Groudle Glen Railway, visit www.facebook.com/GGRailway

This grant is from Manx Lottery Trust’s Community Awards Programme. Manx Lottery Trust has been delegated to distribute National Lottery money from The National Lottery Community Fund.