Lairg Wind Farm Community Fund
| Grant size | Up to £5,000 |
| Area |
Highland
|
| Key dates | |
| Application deadlines: | Applications must be submitted at least two weeks in advance of a Community Council meeting to be considered at that meeting. The Community Council currently meet on the first Wednesday of each month, excluding December. |
About this fund
This fund supports charitable activities of benefit to those living within the Lairg Community Council area. The fund is provided by Lairg Wind Farm Ltd, the operator of the three-turbine wind farm at Cnoc Na Inghinnin. Starting in August 2012, it receives at least £22,000 annually (index-linked) for the wind farm's life, expected to be 25 years.
Grant applications are considered at monthly meetings of Lairg Community Council. Applications must be submitted at least two weeks in advance of a Community Council meeting to be considered at that meeting.
Note the RWE Rosehall Wind Farm Community Fund also provides grants for projects benefitting this community council area and is administered by Foundation Scotland.
Purpose of this fund
Lairg Windfarm Community Fund will provide grants to support charitable activities that:
• Enhance the quality of life for local residents.
• Contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful, and sustainable communities, and
• Promote community spirit and encourage community activity.
Grants may be requested to support a wide range of costs and activities, such as equipment costs, running costs for local groups, staff or sessional workers costs, consultations, maintenance, or refurbishment of community facilities.
Awards will be prioritised that can demonstrate significant added value through, by example:
• Levering in additional funding from other sources.
• Working in partnership with other groups and organisations to scale up projects and increase opportunities.
• Projects that have reach beyond one particular group or demographic that have potential to benefit the whole community.
However all applications will be considered on a case by case basis. Though the upper limit for awards is stated as £5,000, awards above £5,000 can considered in exceptional circumstances.
Additional criteria
Sustainable development: Applicants should consider whether projects will contribute towards sustainable development, including minimising the environmental impact of projects and reducing the ‘carbon footprint’ of the applicant organisation and/or Dunnet & Canisbay community.
Community support: Applicants should provide evidence of community support for their proposed activity or project.
Local procurement: Local suppliers of goods and services should be used where appropriate (e.g. quality of products/services available) and feasible (in terms of availability and cost). The definition of ‘local’ will vary depending on the goods or services in question.
Who can apply?
Groups and organisations working to benefit people in the Lairg Community Council area can apply. Your group/organisation must meet our standard eligibility criteria. It does not need to be a registered charity.
Applications from groups/organisations located out with the fund area will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 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.
How are decisions made?
Recommendations on awards are made by Lairg Community Council. More information on our award making process is available here.
Frequently asked questions
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Can the fund support my group’s running costs?
Yes.
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Do I have to source goods and services locally with the grant?
Where appropriate, applicants should seek local providers of the goods or services they wish to purchase with the grant. However, this should be demonstrated to offer the best value, balancing considerations of cost, availability and quality as appropriate to the specific goods or service in question. For more information on the procurement of goods and services please visit Evidencing value for money.
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Can I apply for funding towards staff salaries or wages?
Applications towards salaries or wages must show how the position will contribute to the achievement of fund outcomes in a measurable way, listing the main outputs to be delivered over the grant funding period. Where funding for more than one year has been agreed in principle, grant payments in each year will be dependent on evidence that these outputs have been achieved in the previous year.
Applications towards salaries or wages must also:
- demonstrate how the salary/wage rate has been arrived at, including how it has been benchmarked with comparable post
- provide a job description and person specification for the post, and
- outline the recruitment process, ensuring this is being run in a fair and open way.
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What if my project needs less than the minimum grant amount?
The fund provides for a micro-grant scheme that offers grants up to £250 to individuals or groups for charitable activities that will benefit the community. The scheme is operated by Lairg Community Council, please contact them to apply for a micro-grant (see ‘Useful Links’ below).
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What if my project needs more than the maximum grant amount?
Requests for more than £5,000 will be considered for project's that will be transformational and bring significant community benefit to most or all Lairg residents.
How to apply
You can apply to this fund online here. Completed applications and supporting documents must be received by the application deadline.
If you would like to review the questions you will be asked to answer 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 and we can help.
If you have already started an application and not completed it, please login here to resume.
Contact information
Central Systems Support
Chris Lee, Community Funds Adviser
Useful links
- Help for applicants
- For advice on running your group or project contact Voluntary Groups Sutherland
- Lairg Annual Report 2019
- Information on Lairg Wind Farm
More Lairg Community and District case studies
Read a further selection of case studies detailing some of the projects and activities that have received funding from the Lairg Wind Farm Community Fund.
This includes £2,888 for Lairg Community and District Initiatives to set up a weekly magazine to help people stay connected during the Covid-19 pandemic.
