A VILLAGE school’s efforts to help protect the planet have been given a £30,000 boost by a power giant.

Shaftoe Trust First School in Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, will be able to install an array of solar panels and a biomass boiler with help from the grant from EDF Energy’s Green Fund.

The school is committed to sustainable habits as one of more than 11,000 that are part of The Pod, EDF Energy’s online programme for greener schools.

The new solar panels will generate electricity for pupils’ computer equipment and lighting, while the biomass boiler will provide heating fuelled by wood pellets, using raw material sourced locally. Headteacher Audrey Cox said: “We’re delighted that EDF Energy is to help make this exciting project a reality.

“The £30,000 will go a huge way to helping us create this low carbon solution. We aim to become more sustainable and this renewable project will help us as a school do just that.’’

Work is expected to start in July, with the project likely to be completed by September.

EDF Energy Green Fund manager Mark Thompson said: “We’re extremely happy to support what is a very innovative and exciting project.

EDF Energy has awarded £4.6m to 260 renewable energy projects since the Green Fund was launched in 2001.