The Dumfriesshire East Community Benefit Group (DECBG), which manages the community benefit fund for ScottishPower Renewables’ Ewe Hill 16 Windfarm, recently awarded a second tranche of funding amounting to almost £170,000.
The second round attracted 12 applications ranging in size from £2,000 to £30,000. Demand once again outstripped the available funding so some difficult decisions had to be made.
Significant grants were awarded to The Chariots of Fire Equestrian Centre, Lockerbie Golf Club, Raydale Community Partnership and the Xcel Youth Trust. Smaller grants were made to the Food Train, Springfield and Gretna Green Playing Field Committee, Waterbeck Church and Waterbeck Hall, OutPost Arts, Langholm Youth Rugby and Half Morton Community Hall.
Gillian Arnot, of ScottishPower Renewables, said: “We were delighted to see the number of applications received by Dumfriesshire East Community Benefit Group for our Ewe Hill 16 Windfarm community benefit fund. The fund will provide more than £4.6m over the windfarm’s operational lifetime and we are excited to see the initiatives that this is helping local communities to deliver.”
“It is encouraging to see that the range and quality of applications is being maintained. Going forward, we will be coming out to talk to communities in 2019 about their ideas for how the funds could be used over the next ten years or so. In the meantime, we would encourage projects to talk to us ahead of an application deadline so we can help them consider how to maximise local benefits” said Chris Miles, Chair of the DECBG.
Southern Uplands Partnership (SUP) manages the fund on behalf of the community group. SUP Partnership Manager, Pip Tabor, said: “It is good to see such a range of community initiatives coming forward to benefit from this fund. This is an opportunity to make a significant difference to the local economy and it is especially pleasing to see projects targeting young people.”
There are currently two funding rounds each year and the next deadline for applications is 31st January 2019, for consideration at a Board meeting in March. You can see the area that the fund covers and download guidance and an application form at www.sup.org.uk.
The DECBG consists of ten Directors with two representatives nominated by each of the five local communities immediately around the windfarm.
Further information can be found at www.sup.org.uk.