A community charity at the heart of Dunblane has a new rooftop solar array, thanks to a gift from local renewable energy company GreenPower. The 50kW system, comprising 96 panels and installed by Lynx Sustainable Solutions, is projected to save the Centre between £5,000 and £9,000 a year in energy costs.
The Dunblane Centre is a small independent charity that provides a wide range of community facilities and services for people of all ages, receiving no government funding. Built from funds donated to the community in the aftermath of the 1996 tragedy, the Dunblane Centre has served the community for 22 years. The solar installation represents a significant investment in its next chapter.
Jenny Stirton, Chair of the Dunblane Centre, said:
“The Dunblane Centre is deeply grateful to Julie and Rob from GreenPower, and to the team at Lynx Sustainable Solutions, for the generous installation of our new solar panel system. For a small charity with no government funding, the projected savings of up to £9,000 each year are truly transformative. Every pound saved on energy is a pound that can be reinvested into supporting our community — strengthening our programmes, maintaining our building, and ensuring we remain a warm, welcoming and safe space for all.
The Dunblane Centre was built using funds given to the town in the aftermath of the tragedy at Dunblane Primary School in 1996. For more than two decades, we have worked to honour that legacy by providing young people, and the wider community, with a place to belong, connect and grow. As we approach the 30th anniversary, this investment in renewable energy feels especially meaningful. It represents not only sustainability in environmental terms, but sustainability of purpose — helping to ensure that the Centre can continue to serve future generations with the same spirit of care, resilience and hope on which it was founded.”
The project came about through a personal connection. When a trustee from the Centre approached Rob and Julie Forrest, owners of GreenPower and long-term Dunblane residents, to ask if they could offer support, the couple proposed a solar installation as a practical and lasting contribution.
“Helping this important community facility to reduce energy bills by installing a solar array seemed like the best way we could help, and we are delighted to see it all come to fruition. The panels will also help to reduce the environmental impact of the Centre in a sustainable way.”
Julie Forrest, Director, GreenPower
The system was installed by Lynx Sustainable Solutions, a commercial solar specialist with an office in Stirling. Managing Director Matthew Shaw said:
“The Dunblane Centre does extraordinary things on a tight budget, and thanks to the generosity of Rob and Julie at GreenPower, it now has a reliable source of clean energy to help make that budget go further. Dunblane is a place that means a great deal to me personally as it’s where I was born, and where my wife, Jillian and I had our first home together. As a business rooted in this community, we’re proud to have played a small part in helping to secure its future.”
The formal opening took place on 27 February 2026
