Vital village hubs receive flexible funding boost from the Lochelbank Community Fund

The Community Fund Panel for the Lochelbank Wind Farm Fund made urgent grant awards totalling £7,000 to help four local village hubs withstand the loss of income associated with the coronavirus pandemic. 

Bridge of Earn Institute, Glenfarg Village Hall (run by Arngask Hall SCIO), Forgandenny Village Hall and Forteviot Village Hall are all at the centre of life in each Perthshire village, providing and hosting numerous local services, facilities and events.  With limited reserves, the loss of income triggered by lockdown and social distancing poses a real threat to the voluntary groups which run these hubs for the benefit of local communities.  The Community Fund Panel, all local residents themselves, identified that these facilities faced a real risk to their futures as finances tightened, and acted rapidly to ensure that locally managed funds from the nearby Lochelbank Wind Farm could help boost their financial resilience.  Innogy Renewables (recently merged into RWE), which owns Lochelbank Windfarm, were supportive throughout, ensuring Funds remained flexible to emerging need.

This immediate local financial support will be critical in assisting with the loss of income incurred by our village halls during the impact of this current pandemic; providing a lifeline to sustaining vital local facilities used by many community groups 

 

Janice Sloan, Earn Community Council representative on the Lochelbank Community Fund Panel

To support our local communities, with consideration to restrictions that the Covid-19 virus is imposing on them, was utmost in our minds. The Lochelbank Windfarm Panel decided to provide financial assistance directed towards our community venues to aid their operational costs in part until they can open publicly once again 

 

Ian Pilmer, Glenfarg Community Council representative on the Lochelbank Community Fund Panel

The Panel awarded funds proportionate to the scale of financial impact being felt by each group. Foundation Scotland helped analyse the data supplied by each group to ensure fairness, and grants were awarded on a flexible basis, enabling each group to adjust to changing circumstances and cover unexpected costs which may emerge.

The four facilities identified by the Panel host and run nurseries, toddler groups, Scout & Guide groups, lunch clubs, exercise and art classes, fundraisers and public consultations, not to mention weddings, birthdays and other events. It’s no exaggeration to say that they are at the heart of their communities, and will be integral to recovering from this incredibly tough situation. I’m delighted that we’ve been able to work closely with the Panel not only to route Lochelbank Community Funds straight to where they are needed, but also to help the groups identify other sources of funding available to community groups and charities that they might need to get through this period 

 

Malcolm Jack, Community Funds Manager from Foundation Scotland

The Panel in partnership with Foundation Scotland will continue to monitor the situation and consider how the Fund can support local community groups during and after the pandemic. Regular grant application rounds are likely to continue, with details posted on Foundation Scotland’s website