Cardenden wind farm celebrates decade of support for local communities
The Nadara Westfield Windfarm Community Fund in Cardenden has two reasons to celebrate, marking its tenth year of providing support for local grassroots projects, and the latest round of funding awards, totalling over £8,500.
The Cardenden fund is owned by Nadara energy and is administered by Foundation Scotland. It supports community projects benefitting those living in the Cardenden Community Council area. The fund has been instrumental in providing opportunities for communities to thrive by supporting local individuals, groups and organisations.
The fund provides grants to support charitable activities that, enhance quality of life for local residents, contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities and promote community spirit and encourage community activity.
Since the Fund opened ten years ago, it has awarded 134 grants to 39 groups and organisations, totalling a whopping £115,994.03.
Awards from the fund are decided by a panel, which is made up of local residents from the Cardenden Fund area. The panel members use their local knowledge and passion to ensure that awards are making a direct impact in the community.
An award from earlier this year illustrates the impact funding can have for local groups, when £2,000 was awarded to the Romi Clarke Dance group.
The grant contributed to entrance fees and tracksuit uniforms to support young people from Cardenden to represent Scotland and attend the Dance World Cup competition.
This was the first time the dance school had auditioned for the National team, and nine girls aged between nine and twelve were selected to join Team Scotland and take part in the competition in Prague in June 2024.
Danielle Tullis from the Romi Clarke Dance Groups said:
With the hard work and dedication from Romi and the dancers, what was a dream of representing their country became a reality. This was also achieved thanks to the funding we received and RCD Fundraising Group would like to thank Foundation Scotland for their generous support. It truly has been an incredible opportunity for the girls involved and memories that will last a lifetime.
In the latest round of funding this month, 4 organisations were awarded a combined total of £8,521 to support transformative projects which will offer significant impact for the community of Cardenden for years to come.
Awards included £5,000 to Cardenden Community Council to support the Minto Woods Working Group, a subgroup of the Community Council. The group was established to work in partnership with Fife Council to install 4km of multiuse tarmac pathways in the Minto Woodlands. These pathways will provide accessibility for people who walk, wheel or scoot, providing opportunities to connect with nature and use the pathways to connect with Lochgelly as an active travel route. The £175,000 project is due to commence in 2025 and will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.
A member of the Minto Woods Working Group, a subgroup of the Community Council said:
Cardenden Community Council is delighted to receive an award from the latest Nadara Westfield Community Funding allocation. This will be used to contribute to the path upgrade of the Minto Woodland area. The upgrade will ensure that the paths not only have longevity but will provide a multi usage surface. This will also offer local tenants and residents’ full access to appreciate the biodiversity, environmental and health and wellbeing opportunities the establishment of this woodland has created. The Minto Woodland area will also feature in the Mining Landscapes org app (a virtual museum) which celebrates and promotes mining heritage across the United Kingdom. A truly exciting project.
Another award of £1,021 was made to the 4th Fife Cardenden Scout Group to help with the costs of planting a 130-meter hedge around the newly constructed building. The Scouts will be responsible for helping with planting, which will develop their understanding of gardening and working as a team to achieve a common goal.
A member of the 4th Fife Scout Group said:
Thanks so much to the Westfield Community Fund, we at the 4th Fife are delighted to receive this funding towards the boundary hedging. Since a devastating fire destroyed our scout hall in February 2019, the Westfield Fund has been most supportive, helping with funding towards the new build and this year funding towards the cost of a boundary hedge round the hall site. All of the assistance is greatly appreciated and will make a huge impact to the community.
The Bowhill Retirement Group also received an award of £1,500 to contribute to its annual schedule of outings for the 37 group members.
The decision making panel for the fund also recognised the importance of core community groups that deliver ongoing support to Cardenden. They agreed to award a multiyear grant over 3 years to groups including Bowhill Highland Games, Cardenden Village Fair, Cardenden & Kinglassie Fireworks Group and to contribute to costs of the Christmas Lights for the community. Over the next three years each group will receive £1,000 per annum to support with their community projects.
Sharon Taylor a local resident and Panel member said:
It has been very rewarding to be involved with Nadara Westfield Cardenden Fund and having the opportunity to support the enhancement of community groups within the Cardenden area with financial input and also governance support. In this funding round, we were able to allocate just over £8,000 to four different community groups, one of which was a large grant of £5,000 to go towards the Minto Woodlands project. This project will enhance the local links between Cardenden and Lochgelly by installing a tarmac path which will make the pathways accessible for all.
Through the Fund, the Cardenden Community Council also administers a microgrant scheme which provides opportunities for unconstituted groups and individuals to apply for up to £250 of funding. The Community Council recently awarded funding to a local school to purchase new wellies, waterproof jackets and trousers so each pupil could have their own set.
As the Fund celebrates its tenth year of making significant impact within the community of Cardenden, there is clearly a variety of projects that have flourished with opportunities that may otherwise not have been possible without the Fund.
Niome Lucjan, Community Funds Advisor from Foundation Scotland said:
The October 2024 funding round was a great way to celebrate ten years of the fund. The Panel continues to demonstrate the power of local residents and the difference a community can make when it focuses on long term impact. Being a Panel member is a great responsibility and the Panel has risen to the challenge and shown its commitment, knowledge and dedication to Cardenden.