Binn Wind Turbine Community Fund

About this fund

Binn Wind Turbine Community Fund supports community projects benefiting those living in the Community Council areas of Glenfarg and Abernethy & District (both in Perth & Kinross) and Auchtermuchty & Strathmiglo (in Fife). 

This Fund is provided by Our Community Energy (OCE), a community benefit society set up on behalf of local communities by Green Cat Renewables, the developer of the Binn EcoPark Wind Farm. OCE owns two wind turbines on the Binn EcoPark Wind Farm, the profits from which are to be used for the benefit of four Community Council areas. (The arrangements for distribution of Earn community's share of these funds is completely separate - please contact Earn Community Council for more information - see 'Useful Links', below). Funds will be available for distribution for the operating life of the wind farm, which is expected to be 25 years.  The amount available each year will vary depending on OCE's financial performance.  

Grant Size

• Grant applications up to £3,000
• Large grants between £3,001 - £20,000 by exception, contact the Fund Adviser (contact details below

Purpose of this fund

The overall aims of the fund are to support activity which will sustain and develop the life of the community and ensure that the area is an attractive and vibrant place to live, work and visit. To achieve this, the Fund will support charitable activities that:  

• Promote safe, cohesive, resilient communities and encourage community activity.  
• Maintain and develop community facilities and assets.  
• Reduce inequalities faced by residents and communities.  
• Support healthy lives and well-being for all.  

Please note that applications which do not clearly meet one of the above outcomes are still welcome. The outcomes are simply a guide as to how applications may be prioritised by the decision-making Panel (see below).  

Grant requests to support a wide range of costs and activities will be considered, such as the costs of equipment, staff or sessional workers, consultations, running costs for local groups, maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities and more.

Additional criteria

In addition to the Fund priorities outlined above, applicants and projects will be encouraged to consider:  

• Matched funding: Grants can cover 100% of project costs but (particularly for larger projects), groups are encouraged to seek other sources of funding to cover some of the costs. This could for example be from the group’s own fundraising efforts or other grants.  
• Financial sustainability: For longer-term projects or regular recurring costs, the ability to demonstrate financial sustainability beyond the life of the grant – without reliance on continuous funding from the Fund – will typically be favoured.  
• Environmental sustainability: Groups are encouraged to consider the environmental impact of their activities and the project under consideration. This can for example include the carbon footprint of the project, the choice of materials, energy efficiency, waste reduction, active travel and awareness raising activities - see here for further ideas and advice.    
• Local procurement: local suppliers are favoured wherever possible for the provision of goods and services. The term ‘local’ will vary depending on the nature and availability of the goods or service in question. It could refer to the community council area, Fund area of benefit, local authority area or eastern central Scotland as appropriate.  

Groups are also encouraged to think strategically about their annual programme of activities in formulating funding plans and requests. 

Grants in excess of £3,000, up to a maximum of £20,000, can be considered in exceptional circumstances, but are unlikely in 2023 due to high competition for limited funding. If you wish to apply for more than £3,000 please contact the Community Funds Adviser (contact details below) to discuss your proposal before completing the application form.  

Who can apply?

Groups and organisations working to benefit people in any of the eligible communities can apply.  Your group/organisation must meet our standard eligibility criteria. You don’t need to be registered charity to apply. 

Applications must be for projects which benefit the fund area. Applications from groups/organisations located outwith the Fund area will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must demonstrate clear benefit for residents within the Fund area. 

What can’t be funded?

Information on what the fund cannot support is provided here. 

How are decisions made?

A Community Panel, made up of people who live, work or actively volunteer within the Fund area of benefit, makes recommendations on grant awards from the Fund.  The Panel can have up to 12 members, including reserves, and aims to have 9 voting members.

The Panel includes a mixture of community councillors (nominated by each of the three Community Councils) and other members of the wider community (who are asked to serve a three-year term).  Members ideally retire on a phased basis to ensure knowledge and expertise are retained.  Opportunities to become a Panel member are openly advertised when these arise, both locally and on this website, and are selected through a fair and transparent process. Previous Panel members may stand again after a period of at least one year. 

The Panel meets at least twice a year. Minutes of Panel meetings can be requested from the Community Funds Adviser (details below).  

More information on the award making process is available here.