A VILLAGE community sports club is going green thanks to a generous business donation.

The West Kilbride Community Sports Club (WKCSC) is located in the village's Kirktonhall Glen - and comprises of the local amateur football side and tennis club.

The two clubs share a pavilion facility which is located between the football side's home park and the tennis club's courts.

The community sports club typically relies on grant funding and their members to provide the vital funds to keep the group in operation.

Though last month, a business stepped up to help the club to "go green" and support the environment as well as easing the financial burden of electricity costs.

Eco-vision Energy UK recently donated a total of 12 panels - the equivalent of 5KW - to the WKCSC completely free of charge to help power their pavilion.

The electricity, which is produced during daylight hours, will go straight to the tennis club and West Kilbride AFC to use.

While if the pavilion creates a surplus of energy this can be exported back to the grid and provide further financial support for the community sports club.

Though the panels have not helped the club's go 100 per cent green at the moment, they have certainly helped offset the electricity bills for both.

It is also hope that grant funding can be obtained over time for batteries to store energy meaning that the panels could also help power the floodlights at the tennis courts despite their use during hours of darkness.

Having only been installed three weeks ago, the panels have already helped support savings of around £50 for the WKCSC - despite this being "poor weather weeks". This number could grow greatly during the summer months.

In fact, the club's savings throughout the year is expected to reach nearly £1,000 - over 50 per cent of their annual electrical bill for the pavilion.

This figure does not include the money earned from energy exported back to the grid when not required on occasion such as the amateur football side playing away from home and not requiring use of the facilities the panels help power - such as their showers.

Kay Hall, secretary of the WKCSC added her very warm thanks to David Gibson from Eco-Vision UK who helped to install the panels.

She said: "This community investment in solar panels for the footballers and tennis club in West Kilbride is much appreciated.

"David has given of his own time and energy in supporting the Club and his contribution will save money and provide sustainable green energy."

For more information on Eco-vision Energy UK, and the services they can provide, you can visit their website at https://eco-vision.co.uk/.