EDF Renewables Dorenell Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund

About this fund

Dorenell Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund is provided by EDF Renewables, the majority owner of Dorenell Windfarm Limited. The fund supports charitable activities that benefit residents living in the areas served by the following community associations:

• Cabrach Community Association
• Dufftown and District Community Association
• Glenlivet & Inveravon Community Association
• Glenrinnes Community Centre

It will therefore benefit the communities of Dufftown, Auchindoun, Glenrinnes, Glenlivet, Inveravon, and Cabrach (or view a map showing Dorenell areas of benefit).

EDF Renewables make donations to the fund annually, starting in April 2019, when the Wind Farm was fully commissioned. Approximately £447,000 was paid in the first year. This is equivalent to £2,525 per Megawatt of installed capacity. The annual amount donated rises each year in line with the Retail Price Index. 

Each of the areas served by the four community associations is allocated 20% of the annual donation to the Fund to support projects benefiting people in that area. The remaining 20% is available for projects which benefit all four communities. 
 
Current fund balances are:

• Cabrach  £320,357
• Dufftown  £121,557
• Glenlivet & Inveravon  £321,256 (plus £48,000 repayable grant)
• Glenrinnes  £503,609
• Cross Area  £76,214

Purpose of this fund

The fund supports community-led, charitable activities and provides benefit to people living in the fund area. Applications must demonstrate how the proposed project or activity will contribute towards the themes and priorities identified in the updated Community Development Plan priorities 2024, as follows:

Theme Priorities

1: Environment and Heritage

• Walking and cycling networks
• Museum, visitor and heritage centres
• Preservation and enhancement of landscape, culture and heritage
• Village and town enhancement

2: Community and recreational facilities, groups and activities

• Community halls
• Recreation facilities
• Opportunities and facilities for young people
• Support for community devleopment
• Emergencies, crises and resilience

3: Local economy 

• Enterprise and community led economic development
• Access to ICT
• Tourist facilities, events and promotion
• Training and skills

4: Housing and sustainable development

• Housing
• Supporting the transition to net zero

5: Transport and access to services

• Transport
• Childcare
• Support for vulnerable children and families
• Older people

Applications for projects that fall outside the listed priorities but still meet with the strategic themes may be funded, where there is clear evidence of need and community support. 

Awards can support both revenue and capital costs and a wide range of activities, including equipment costs, staff or sessional worker costs, consultations and feasibility studies, maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities and so on.

Strategic Awards

Applications for more than £30,000 will be considered on a case by case basis for strategic projects which demonstrate significant community benefit, and for ongoing staff posts. Where a job role is of an ongoing nature, applicants are encouraged to apply for support for a sufficiently long period to attract and retain suitably qualified and experienced staff. Strategic awards are large, multi-year projects designed to bring about transformational change in the fund area, and in line with the fund priorities. There is no maximum application amount, however, applicant organisations need to be cognisant of the annual fund allocation to each area. Contact the Fund Adviser before applying.

Repayable Grants

Awards can be made on the basis of being repayable as an interest free loan, where cashflow limitations are impeding the delivery of a project. An agreement would be drawn up between the awardee and the fund administrator outlining the repayment plan and any such arrangements should be reported on regularly to the panel and via annual reports, in terms of fund balances. Applications for repayable grants will be on a case by case basis. The fund does not formally operate as a lender and systems are not in place to manage a significant portfolio of loans. Contact the Fund Adviser before applying.

Emergency Awards

The panel can agree to make awards outside normal grant cycles in the event of an emergency or unexpected occurrences impacting on communities in the fund area. Contact the Fund Adviser for more information. 

Additional criteria

Applicants should also show how they meet or have considered the following cross-cutting themes in a way that is relevant to the proposed project or activities. Where there is competition for funding, priority may be given to projects that can demonstrate the impact they will make in these areas:

• Community Wealth Building: The project builds, retains and recirculates wealth in the local economy by investing in community owned assets, using local suppliers and/or creating high quality employment 
• Partnership and participation: The project is designed, developed, delivered and evaluated using an approach which engages with the community and encourages collaboration with other organisations
• Sharing learning and building capacity: The project provides opportunities to share learning and build skills with other local people and groups
• Environmental sustainability: The project has positive environmental benefits or has considered how best to mitigate harms
• Leverage: The project will lever in funding from other sources; or the applicant can demonstrate what other funding has been or is likely to be secured; or what contribution is being made to deliver the project in terms of committing staff/volunteer time and assets
• Legacy: The project will have a lasting impact, for example by kickstarting activities which will be financially sustainable in the long term; by bringing about long term systemic change; by preventative (upstream) actions which reduce harm to vulnerable individuals in the long term; or investing in capital assets which will benefit the community beyond the life of the fund

Who can apply?

Groups and organisations working to benefit people in the fund area can apply for a grant. Your group or organisation must have a constitution (governing document or set of rules) and be set up on a not-for-profit basis. It does not need to be a registered charity to apply. All groups/organisations must meet our standard eligibility criteria. 

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. The fund will not support organisations or groups with unduly restrictive membership criteria.

Statutory authorities may apply for funding towards non-statutory projects or services where this will add value to an existing or planned provision in the fund area. There must be evidence of matched funding from the statutory authority and close partnership working with local community organisations or groups.

Applications from private businesses will be considered, on a case-by-case basis, for funding toward projects benefitting the wider community. Such applications must be for discrete projects that are charitable in purpose (i.e. not for regular running costs), that the business is unable to finance itself, and where any private gain is incidental and clearly outweighed by public benefit. Where appropriate, private businesses should seek to work in partnership with local groups and should seek to provide match funding.

What can’t be funded?

Information on what the fund cannot support is provided here.

How are decisions made?

Recommendations on grant awards are made by a Community Panel. The Panel comprises up to twelve people who live, work or actively volunteer in the Fund area. Two representatives are appointed by each of the four community associations, and another person from each of those four communities is appointed through an open and transparent recruitment process.  

Opportunities to become a Panel member will be openly advertised when these arise, both locally and on this webpage, as well as through the community associations.

Panel members serve for up to three years, with members retiring on a phased basis to ensure knowledge and expertise are retained. 

Current Panel members

The panel normally meets around six to seven weeks after each application deadline, in February, May and October. Minutes of the latest Panel meetings are available on request from the Community Funds Adviser. Contact details can be found below.

More information on the award making process is available here.