Wind farm awards £10,000 to community projects

Community groups and local charities can now apply for larger grants through Greencoat Drone Hill Community Fund.  Applicants are able to request up to a maximum of £10,000 in funding towards their project.

The decision comes in light of the Fund Panel’s wish to ensure the local communities gets maximum benefit from the fund.

Launched in 2012, the Community Fund is linked to Drone Hill Wind Farm, now owned by investors Greencoat UK Wind.  Through the Fund, Greencoat are providing a total of £40,000 per year, index linked, over 25 years to support charitable activities benefiting those living in four community council areas; Reston and Auchencrow, Coldingham, Cockburnspath and Granthouse.

Foundation Scotland, an independent charitable body, manages the Community Fund on behalf of Greencoat. The Foundation works with representatives from the four communities who make up the Fund Panel, and who decide how funds should be allocated so as to ensure positive long-lasting impact.

This new higher level of funding will hopefully attract those community groups and charitable bodies who have ideas for a project but for whom limited funding opportunities may have prevented them from taking their idea forward thus far 

 

Tom Black, Foundation Scotland