Huge investment into New Cumnock from South Kyle Wind Farm Fund
The South Kyle Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund has made its largest investment to date, supporting New Cumnock Development Trust with over half a million pounds to progress two flagship projects for the community.
The award of £560,000 will enable the Trust to progress its plans to redevelop the former Trotters building into a re-use hub and also convert the former Castle Hotel into a good quality bunkhouse visitor accommodation.
Both projects have been informed by extensive community consultation and will contribute to the wellbeing and sustainability of New Cumnock. These ambitions are at the heart of the South Kyle Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund Strategy that was developed by communities working in partnership with national charity and community benefit fund specialist Foundation Scotland in the three years leading up to the wind farm becoming operational last year.
New Cumnock is one of four communities benefiting from the South Kyle Community Benefit Fund alongside Patna, Dalmellington and Carsphairn.
Rather than competing against each other for funds, the four communities took a different approach. They budgeted some of the fund to support locally administered funds in each community, but alongside that, they earmarked larger sums for planned flagship projects in each community, made possible by the wind farm owner agreeing to pay the community benefit in two year cycles rather than annually.
The ambition is that over a four year period, each community will receive broadly similar levels of support but deployed to match community capacity and plans at the time. It is because of this pioneering approach that New Cumnock is now in receipt of a significant injection of support that would not have been possible to achieve under a more traditional community benefit arrangement.
John Hunter, Chair of the New Cumnock Development Trust said:
Investment from the South Kyle Community Benefit Fund is providing a huge boost to our efforts to bring back into use two vacant buildings in the centre of New Cumnock. We know from our work on these buildings so far that the flexibility and size of this funding will make a difference to the quality and success of these projects. Meanwhile, the other components of the South Kyle Fund help make sure that there are also opportunities for groups and individuals in New Cumnock to benefit more immediately from the fund. Working with Foundation Scotland and our partner communities over the past few years has highlighted alternative ways of managing community benefit funds. Another great aspect of working collaboratively is the opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and support through the ongoing South Kyle Advisory Group, and we look forward to deepening connections with our neighbouring communities.
Stephen Lilley, Partner for Greencoat UK Wind PLC said:
This is an important milestone for the South Kyle Community Benefit Fund. We know the communities have larger, more ambitious projects they are trying to get over the line alongside the local community funds and education and training schemes. These don’t all necessarily need funding at one point in time. Providing the community benefit fund in two yearly payments gives the communities greater flexibility and is an imaginative way to try and maximise the impact of the fund – getting money to where it’s needed most at the time. We’re delighted to be able to back the enormous effort that organisations like New Cumnock Development Trust are making to build new opportunities and with the community they serve.
Rachel Searle, Head of Communities at Foundation Scotland, said:
The design of the South Kyle community benefit fund, and particularly the component to support flagship projects which are budgeted for in advance, is really quite pioneering and provides a level of assurance to the communities that is beyond monetary value and helps build confidence and agency with frontline community organisations delivering community plans and ambitions.
Read more about the fund here.