Kildrummy Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund

About this fund

The Kildrummy Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund supports charitable projects that benefit residents of Kildrummy, Lumsden and Towie/Glenkindie within the Donside Community Council area.  

The fund is provided by Greencoat UK Wind, owner of Kildrummy Wind Farm. Starting in 2013, £23,000 per year, rising in line with inflation, will be paid into the Fund for the operating life of the wind farm. Additionally, starting in 2019 the Fund will be increased by £4,600 every five years, again rising in line with inflation.  A further bonus payment related to the energy output of the wind farm will also be paid into the Fund where the energy output of the wind farm is at least 5% higher than the expected output over a fixed five-year period. 

In 2020, the annual contribution to the Fund was just over £32,000.

To grow the funding available to the communities over the long-term, Kildrummy, Lumsden & Towie Community Endowment was established with £25,000 from the Fund plus a further £7000 in matched funding from Foundation Scotland. These funds were invested at the end of June 2020, and in December 2020 were transferred to the Foundation Scotland EQ Impact Fund. The Community Panel (see below), with the agreement of Donside Community Council, will donate a further £5,000 to the Endowment each year over the following five years.

Find out more about the difference the fund is making in the 2020 Fund Report.
 

Purpose of this fund

The fund supports charitable activities that reflect the ambitions and activities set out in Kildrummy, Lumsden & Towie Community Action Plan 2013 and Glenkindie & Towie Community Action Plan 2019, both of which were produced in partnership with Marr Area Partnership. 

Grant requests are expected to support one or more of the themes of the Kildrummy, Lumsden & Towie Action Plan: 

• Theme 1 – Supporting Community Services & Facilities;
• Theme 2 – Enhancing Adult Learning, Employment & Training;
• Theme 3 – Developing Tourism;
• Theme 4 – Improving Access & Environment;
• Theme 5 – Supporting Children & Young People;
• Theme 6 – Improving Community Communication;
• Theme 7 – Improving Local Transport.
• Theme 8 - Housing

OR

One or more of the themes of the Glenkindie & Towie Community Action Plan 2019:

• Theme 1 - Getting Around
• Theme 2 - Getting Connected
• Theme 3 - Activities & Facilities

A wide range of costs (revenue and capital) and related activities will be considered for funding, including equipment costs, running costs for local groups, staff or sessional worker costs, consultations, maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities, and so on.

The Panel welcomes applications for projects that provide benefit across the three communities.

Who can apply?

Not-for-profit groups and organisations working to benefit people in the communities of Kildrummy, Lumsden or Towie/Glenkindie can apply for grants. Your group/ organisation must meet our standard eligibility criteria. It does not need to be a registered charity to apply.

Private businesses can also apply where the proposed project fits with the charitable aims of the fund, provides significant public benefit, cannot be funded from the business’ own funds, and where any private benefit is incidental.

Applications from groups/ organisations located out with the fund area will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must demonstrate a clear benefit to 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, comprising people who live, work or volunteer in the three communities, makes recommendations on grant awards from the fund. The Panel also guides the overall strategy for the fund.

The Panel can have up to eight members. Two members are appointed to represent each of Kildrummy, Lumsden and Towie/Glenkindie. Two representatives are appointed by Donside Community Council and these may reside outwith the fund area.

Panel members serve 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, and are selected through a fair and transparent process. Previous Panel members may stand again. 

Current Panel members are:

• Paul Toohey, Donside Community Council
• Anne Miller, Donside Community Council
• Fiona Young, Kildrummy
• Mike Hendry, Kildrummy
• Annie Nicholson, Lumsden
• Louise Stuart, Towie/Glenkindie
• Joanne Davidson, Towie/Glenkindie

The Panel meets around seven to eight weeks after each application deadline, in March and September. 

Minutes of the latest Panel meetings are available on request from the Community Funds Adviser. Contact details can be found below.