NINETY-two Cumbrian businesses have received grants totalling £1.25m to reduce their carbon footprint.

They have received money from the Low Carbon Lake District Fund administered by The Lake District Foundation.

Over three years the fund has supported small to medium-sized businesses across the length of the Lake District including village shops, hotels, community-owned pubs, cinemas, breweries and arts venues.

In Cumbria: Victoria House Hotel with new solar panels Victoria House Hotel with new solar panels (Image: Lake District Foundation)

They have received funding for electric vehicle charging points, LED lighting, air source heat pumps, solar panels, and more environmentally friendly appliances.

It is estimated that the resulting carbon savings of all these projects amount to more than 400 metric tons.

One of the successful applicants is Rebel Gelato – a plant-based ice cream company set up last year and based in Kendal.

Fiona Quinn from the company said: "The grant has been invaluable in enabling us to buy energy-efficient equipment from day one.

In Cumbria: The Alhambra in Keswick has new solar panels The Alhambra in Keswick has new solar panels (Image: The Lake District Foundation)

"We started our plant-based gelato business in June 2022 and were able to utilise highly energy-efficient freezers - a core aspect of the business.

“We were keen to be as sustainable as possible and we wouldn't have been able to make this kind of investment in energy-efficient equipment without the grant.”

Another of the successful applicants – the 108-year-old Keswick Alhambra Cinema – received funding for 30 solar panels. The £14,000 award from the Low Carbon Fund covered around 40 per cent of the installation cost.

In Cumbria: Rebel Gelato in Kendal is another beneficiary of the grant Rebel Gelato in Kendal is another beneficiary of the grant (Image: The Lake District Foundation)

Carol Rennie, co-owner of the cinema said: “We're so grateful for the Low Carbon Lake District Fund. The solar panels will generate around a third of the cinema’s electricity needs and reduce our CO2 input considerably.”

The Victorian House Hotel in Grasmere also benefited from solar panels.

Victorian House owner Serena von der Heyde said: “A huge part of our carbon footprint is the energy we consume. Our new solar panels are up and running and contributing renewable energy to the electricity that we use. This is a massive step forward for us."

The Lake District Foundation is a registered charity which supports projects and programmes of work across the Lake District through funding.