Drone Hill Wind Farm Community Fund
| Grant size | Up to £10,000 |
| Area |
Scottish Borders
|
| Key dates | |
| Application Deadline (for decision May 2025): | 03/03/25 |
| Application Deadline (for decision November 2025): | 08/09/25 |
About this fund
The Drone Hill Wind Farm Community Fund supports community projects benefiting those living in the areas covered by Reston & Auchencrow, Grantshouse, Coldingham, and Cockburnspath & Cove Community Councils. The fund is provided by Schroders Greencoat, the owners of the Drone Hill Wind Farm in East Berwickshire.
The fund opened in 2012. An annual amount of £40,000, inflation-adjusted, will be paid into the fund each year for the operating life of the wind farm.
Grant size: £250 - £10,000*
However, higher amounts may be considered where the applicant can demonstrate significant benefit to one or more of the beforementioned communities.
Purpose of this fund
The fund provides grants to support charitable activities that:
- Enhance the quality of life for local residents.
- Contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities.
- Promote community spirit and encourage community activity.
Grants may support a wide range of costs, for example, the costs of equipment, staff or sessional workers, consultations, running costs for local groups, maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities, and so on.
Additional criteria
The panel will welcome applications that propose to work across one or more of the four Community Council areas and which would benefit the the communities within the Fund area. The Panel will consider applications from outwith the Fund area, provided that the project can clearly demonstrate and evidence impact for the Drone Hill communities and its residents.
The panel remains keen to encourage applications across the broad range of projects and activities which tackle community priorities and contribute to the Fund Purpose (above). The panel is also keen to encourage environmentally responsible and sustainable practice amongst applicant groups and within communities, and would welcome (in application forms) information about any measures groups have been able to take or plan to take to achieve this. Projects which aim to tackle the climate challenge at a local level would also be welcome.
Salaries - Salaries, wages and or the cost of freelance staff will be considered for initial start up costs for an organisation, group or project. However, repeat applications for salaries, wages and freelance costs will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.
Applications seeking funding towards salaries, wages or the cost of freelance staff will be given more detailed Panel scrutiny. Please see the relevant “Frequently Asked Question” below for further detail.
Who can apply?
Groups and organisations working to benefit people in any of the four communities can apply. You don’t need to be a registered charity to apply, but your group/organisation must meet our standard eligibility criteria.
Applications from groups/organisations located out with the fund area will be considered case-by-case. They must demonstrate a clear benefit for residents within the fund area.
What can’t be funded?
Information on what the fund cannot support is provided here.
Additionally, the fund cannot support:
- Anti-wind farm or anti-renewable energy activities, including activities contrary to the interests of Greencoat UK Wind, or any of their holding companies, subsidiaries or sister companies (as defined under the Companies Act 2006);
- Activities that bring Greencoat UK Wind, or any of their holding companies, subsidiaries or sister companies (as defined under the Companies Act 2006) or Foundation Scotland into disrepute.
How are decisions made?
A Community Panel made up of people who live, work or volunteer in the four communities makes recommendations on grant awards from the fund. The panel advises on the overall fund strategy and is governed by Terms of Reference. The panel of up to 16 members includes a mixture of community councillors and other members of the community:
- Up to two Community Council representatives can be appointed directly by each of the four Community Councils.
- Up to two ‘wider community’ representatives were selected through an open and transparent process from each of the four areas.
Up to three representatives from each of the four communities are entitled to vote at panel meetings.
Each panel member typically serves a minimum of one and a maximum of four years, with members retiring on a phased basis to ensure knowledge and expertise are retained. Opportunities to become a panel member are openly advertised, both locally and on this website.
Minutes of the latest panel meetings are available on request from the Community Funds Manager. Contact details can be found below.
More information on the decision process can be found here.
Frequently asked questions
-
What if my project needs less than the minimum grant amount?
If your grant request is for less than £250 you can apply for a Micro-grant administered by the relevant Community Council – see Useful links, below.
-
How many applications can I submit?
Eligible groups may apply for more than one award per grant making round, where each application is towards a different project.
-
When must grants be spent by?
Grants must normally be spent within one year of being awarded, unless otherwise agreed by the Panel.
-
Can I apply for funding towards salaries, wages or freelance costs?
Applications seeking funding towards salaries, wages or the cost of freelance staff will be given more detailed Panel scrutiny. Applications will be expected to show:
- A clear justification why a waged staffing position or freelancer is the best or only way to deliver the project in question. Applicants must show that they have considered alternative approaches and/or why these alternative approaches would not work. How the post(s) or role(s) will contribute to the achievement of (a) the project outcomes and (b) Fund outcomes in a tangible way, listing the main activities, results/targets and outcomes to be delivered over the grant funding period.
- Confirmation of funding to cover the full costs of the role(s) for the duration of the period for which funding is requested, and/or clear plans on how any current funding gaps will be covered including a credible list of planned funding sources.
- Confirmation of funding and/or clear plans for sustaining the role(s) (if applicable) beyond the typical grant funding period of 12 months, including detail of planned sources of income to do so. Panel wishes to avoid paid roles becoming dependent on this Fund, as the Fund is not of a size that it can typically offer recurring funding for salaries.
- Clarify the group’s overall staffing/volunteer structure and main areas of responsibility, how the role(s) in question fits into this, and who will line manage the role(s).
- How they have taken Foundation Scotland’s standard ‘Evidencing Value for Money’ good practice guidance on salaries/wages into account, including how wage rates have been determined.
How to apply
Please complete the online application form. Completed applications and supporting documents must be received by the application deadline.
If you would like to review the application questions before starting the form, you can see them here.
If you have any problems accessing the form, please email grants@foundationscotland.org.uk or call 0131 524 0300 for help.
If you have already started an application and not completed it, please login here to resume.
Contact information
Central Systems Support
Niome Lucjan, Community Funds Advisor
Useful links
- Community Councils and microgrants information:
- For helpful advice on applications visit our help page
- For advice on running your group or project contact your local Third Sector Interface: Borders Third Sector Interface
- The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) provides a range of useful resources for setting-up a voluntary organisation or running your organisation. It also helps organisations develop their digital potential.
- Additional information and resources about developing a Safeguarding policy include Foundation Scotland guidance, NSPCC's safeguarding checklist, OSCR's Safeguarding Guidance and SCVO's advice.
- The fund is provided by Shroders Greencoat