Community funds in Scotland

Community funds in Scotland

Our community funds at a glance

Scotland

At RWE we recognise our responsibility towards the communities in which we operate. We are committed to continuously improving our performance in this area. Our community investment programme is designed to support sustainable development of communities.

Bilbster Onshore Wind Farm, Wick

Base level of fund	£4,875 per annum index linked. In addition a lump sum of £23,400 was donated to the Community Councils to kick start the fund.
Date of operation	2008
Expected lifetime amount	Over £145,000
Fund Administration	The fund is administered by Watten Community Council and Foundation Scotland to ensure that decisions about how the fund is allocated are made by local representatives for the benefit of their own communities.
How can I apply?	In Tannach – Tannach and District Wind Farm Trust (distributes Bilbster Tannach monies) For education & training in Tannach – Tannach and District Wind Farm Education & Training Fund In Bilbster – Watten Wind Farm Trust
Annual report	Bilbster Year 2018 - 2019 Annual Report Bilbster Year 2020 - 2021 Annual Report

Burgar Hill Onshore Wind Farm, Orkney

Base level of fund	£6,250 per annum index linked. In addition a lump sum of £30,000 was donated to the Community Council to kick start the fund.
Date of operation	2007
Expected lifetime amount	Over £180,000
Fund Administration	The fund is administered by Evie & Rendall Community Council ensuring that decisions about how the funds are allocated are made by local representatives for the benefit of their own communities.
How can I apply?	To make an application, please contact Evie & Rendall Community Council directly.

Novar II Onshore Wind Farm, Ross-shire

Base level of fund	£79,602
Date of operation	2012
Expected lifetime amount	Over £1.8 million
Fund Administration	The funds are supported by Ardross, Alness and Kiltearn Community Councils. This means that decisions about how the funds are allocated are made by local representatives for the benefit of their own community.
Area of benefit	Ardross, Alness and Kiltearn
How can I apply?	To make an application, please contact the secretary of Ardross, Alness or Kiltearn Community Councils.

An Suidhe Onshore Wind Farm, Argyll and Bute

Base level of fund	£28,500
Date of operation	2010
Expected lifetime amount	Over £700,000 index linked
Fund Administration	Foundation Scotland administer the fund with all decisions on the allocation of funds being taken by a panel of locally nominated community representatives.
Area of benefit	The fund supports communities living within a 10 kilometre radius of the site, for a map showing the area of benefit click here: An Suidhe area of benefit This includes the communities of Furnace, Inveraray, Eredine and Dalavich.
Fund set up	In 2011, a community consultation was undertaken to guide how the fund was set up. To read the report, please click here: An Suidhe Community Benefit Consultation
How can I apply?	For an application pack, please visit: An Suidhe Wind Farm Community Fund
Annual Report	An independent evaluation of the An Suidhe fund was completed in March 2014. To read the report, please click here: External evaluation of the An Suidhe community fund An Suidhe Wind Farm Community Fund, Fund Report years 1-8 An Suidhe Wind Farm Community Fund, Awards Summary 21 Nov 2018 An Suidhe Wind Farm Community Fund, Award Summary 20 Nov 2019

An Suidhe Fund Homepage

Lochelbank Onshore Wind Farm, Glenfarg Perth

Base level of fund	£20,000 per annum index linked
Date of operation	2011
Expected lifetime amount	Over £500,000
Fund Administration	The fund is administered by independent grant making charity Foundation Scotland. In addition to the fund, innogy pays the administration costs of Foundation Scotland. All decisions on the allocation of the funds are made by a local grants panel.
Area of benefit	Glenfarg and Bridge of Earn.
How can I apply?	For a grant application pack and more information on the fund, please visit RWE Lochelbank Wind Farm Community Fund. There is also a Micro Grants scheme in operation for applications under £250. Applications can be made in writing directly to the secretary of Glenfarg and Bridge of Earn Community Councils.
Annual Report	To read the Lochelbank Fund Review Report which details all awards made between 2012 and 2014, please click here: Lochelbank Wind Farm Community Fund, Fund Report years 4-6 Lochelbank Fund Review Report 2012-14

Glen Tarbert Hydro Scheme, Inverness-shire

Base level of fund	£830 per annum index linked
Date of operation	2000
Expected lifetime amount	In the region of £25,000
Fund Administration	Sunart Community Council
Area of benefit	Glenfarg and Bridge of Earn.
How can I apply?	Please contact Sunart Community Council directly.

Braevallich Hydro Scheme, Argyll and Bute

Base level of fund	£2,000 per annum index linked
Date of operation	2006
Expected lifetime amount	Over £100,000
Fund Administration	The fund is administered by Glenorchy & Innishail and Dunadd Community Councils ensuring that decisions about how the funds are allocated are made by local representatives for the benefit of their own communities.
How can I apply?	To make an application, please contact the relevant Community Council directly: Glenorchy & Innishail Community Council Dunadd Community Council

Carnoch Hydro Scheme, Argyll and Bute

Base level of fund	£1,500 per annum index linked
Date of operation	2009
Expected lifetime amount	Over £37,500
Fund Administration	The fund is administered by Sunart Community Council ensuring that decisions about how the funds are allocated are made by local representatives for the benefit of their own communities.
How can I apply?	To make an application, please contact Sunart Community Council directly.

Maldie Hydro Scheme, Kylestrome

Base level of fund	£8,000 per annum index linked
Date of operation	2013
Expected lifetime amount	Over £320,000
Fund Administration	The fund is administered by Assynt and Scourie & District Community Councils, ensuring that decisions about how the funds are allocated are made by local representatives for the benefit of their own communities.
How can I apply?	To make an application please contact either Assynt, or Scourie & District Community Councils directly.

Black Rock Hydro Scheme, Easter Ross

Base level of fund	£5,100 per annum index linked
Expected lifetime amount	Over £175,000
Fund Administration	The fund is administered by Kiltearn Community Council ensuring that decisions about how the funds are allocated are made by local representatives for the benefit of their own communities.
How can I apply?	Please contact Kiltearn Community Council directly.

Cia Aig Hydro Scheme, Fort William

Base level of fund	£4,500 per annum index linked
Date of operation	2016
Expected lifetime amount	Around £135,000
Fund Administration	The fund is administered by Achnacarry, Bunarkaig & Clunes Community Group.
Area of benefit	Achnacarry, Bunarkaig & Clunes
How can I apply?	Please contact: Achnacarry, Bunarkaig & Clunes Community Group E secretaryABCcommunityGroup@outlook.com

Bad á Cheò Onshore Wind Farm, Caithness

Base level of fund	£5,000 per installed MW per year of operation. This equates to £133,250 per annum and will be index linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI).
Date of operation	2019
Expected lifetime amount	Over £3.3 million
Fund Administration	The Bad á Cheò Wind Farm Community Fund is being managed by Foundation Scotland working closely with Watten, Halkirk & District, and Lybster, Latheron and Clyth Community Councils. A portion of the fund will be delivered through an exciting Education and Training grant scheme to support individual residents to increase their employment potential.
Area of benefit	Latheron, Lybster & Clyth, Halkirk District and Watten
Fund set up	In 2013 innogy (formally RWE npower renewables) commissioned an independent charity, Foundation Scotland, to undertake a research project called the Caithness Conversation. The project invited communities, businesses and other key local stakeholders to give their views as to how future community funds from renewables could benefit the wider Caithness area. Following on from this throughout the development of the wind farm innogy has listened to the views of local residents and other key stakeholders. Since 2016 innogy’s Community Investment Team have had regular contact with the three Community Councils closest to the wind farm: Watten, Halkirk & District, and Lybster, Latheron and Clyth Community Councils. innogy worked with these Community Councils to plan a community consultation which would help to decide the final design of the fund. The consultation took place in the first half of 2018 and consisted of an online questionnaire and a community drop in session.
How can I apply?	In Halkirk and District – RWE Bad á Cheò Wind Farm Community Fund (Halkirk & District) In Latheron, Lybster and Clyth – RWE Bad á Cheò Wind Farm Community Fund (Latheron, Lybster and Clyth) In Watten – Watten Wind Farm Trust Education & training fund – RWE Bad á Cheò Wind Farm Education & Training Fund

Grudie, Hydro Scheme, Wester Ross

Base level of fund	£50,000 one off
Date of operation	2017 one off contributions
Expected lifetime amount	£50,000
Fund Administration	Torridon Mountain Rescue Team
Area of benefit	Torridon
Fund set up	Torridon Mountain Rescue Team had operated for more than 40 years from a walk-in cupboard provided generously Torridon Youth Hostel. In 2017 Torridon Mountain Rescue Team were fundraising to build a new base in the heart of Torridon village. Total c ost of prject was estimated at £281,250. £50,000 contribution from Grudie hydro scheme helped to complete the funding jigsaw and allow the project to go ahead.
How can I apply?	This was a one off contribution.

Camster Onshore Wind Farm, Caithness

Base level of fund	£150,000 index linked
Date of operation	2012
Expected lifetime amount	over £3.75 million
Fund Administration	The Fund is managed by Foundation Scotland but decisions on awards are made by a panel of 12 local people comprising of four representatives from each of the three Community Council areas. Each four is made up of one Community Councillor and three members appointed from the wider community. 10% admin fee paid on top of the fund
Area of benefit	This fund is split equally between the three Community Council areas Latheron, Lybster and Clyth; Watten; and Tannach and District.
Fund set up	A detailed profile of the communities within the area served by the Fund was prepared by Foundation Scotland, in partnership with Caithness Voluntary Groups and Latheron, Lybster & Clyth Community Development Company. The Profile provides information on: the social, economic and environmental status of the area; the key opportunities and challenges faced by local communities, and; the priorities and views of local residents, businesses and groups. Information from the Profile has informed the development of the Fund Priorities. Camster Community Fund – Community Profile
How can I apply?	You can find out more about how to apply at: RWE Camster Wind Farm Community Fund. For large grants of over £25,000 please e-mail eilidh@foundationscotland.org.uk to discuss before submitting an application form. There are two rounds of grant-making per Fund year with the following deadlines: 31 March and 30 September. It takes around eight weeks to process applications. The Camster Fund also makes microgrants of £2,500 available through the local Community Councils. Microgrants are designed to release small amounts of funding into communities by supporting individuals or small groups of local people and neighbours who want to run local projects that benefit other community members.
Annual report	Camster Year 5 Annual Report Camster Year 6 Annual Report

Deucheran Hill Onshore Wind Farm, near Carradale, Kintyre

Base level of fund	£10,500 index linked
Date of operation	2001
Expected lifetime amount	over £260,000
Fund Administration	The fund is managed as part of the Argyll & Bute Windfarm and Renewables Trust. The trust splits the fund payment equally each year between East Kintyre Community Council and West Kintyre Community Council. The Community Councils then manage the distribution of the funds locally. Both Community Councils report their fund allocations each year to the AGM of the Trust and those reports are available on the Argyll and Bute Council website here.
Area of benefit	West Kintyre and East Kintyre Community Council

Rosehall Onshore Wind Farm, Sutherland

Base level of fund	£61,000 index linked
Date of operation	2013
Expected lifetime amount	over £1.5 million
Fund Administration	The Fund is managed by Foundation Scotland and decisions on awards are made by the SSE & RWE Community Funds Panel, a panel of 12 local people comprising of four representatives from each of the three Community Council areas. Each four is made up of two Community Councillors and two members appointed from the wider community. The SSE & RWE Community Funds Panel makes decisions on the RWE Rosehall Community Fund as well as the Scottish Hydro Achany Community Fund.
Area of benefit	The Community Council areas of Ardgay & District; Creich; and Lairg within the County of Sutherland.
Fund set up	The annual payment to the Fund is divided equally between each of the three Community Council areas.
How can I apply?	Application forms and fund guidelines can be found online at: RWE Rosehall Wind Farm Community Fund The fund has two application deadlines per year: 30 April and 31 October.
Annual report	Rosehall Year 6 Annual Report Rosehall Year 7 Annual Report Rosehall Year 8 Annual Report

Robin Rigg Offshore Wind Farm, Solway Firth

Base level of fund	£130,000 index linked
Date of operation	2010 plus 10 years
Expected lifetime amount	10 year period initially been extended for 3 years until 2023
Fund Administration	Solway Firth Partnership
Area of benefit	Dumfries & Galloway Caerlaverock; New Abbey; Kirkbean; Southerness; Colvend and Southwick; Palnackie; Auchencairn; Dundrennan; Kirkcudbright; Borgue Cumbria Silloth on Solway; Holme Low; Holme St Cuthbert; Allonby; Hayton and Mealo; Outerside and Allerby; Crosscanonby; Maryport; Seaton; Workington; Filmby; Distington; Lowca; Parton; Whitehaven; St Bees
How can I apply?	For application forms and guidelines go to: https://www.solwayfirthpartnership.co.uk/robin-rigg-community-fund/

Glen Noe Hydro Scheme, Argyll & Bute

Base level of fund	£3,000 per annum index linked
Date of operation	2021
Expected lifetime amount	Over £75,000
Fund Administration	The fund is administered by Taynuilt Community Council ensuring that decisions about how the funds are allocated are made by local representatives for the benefit of their own communities.
How can I apply?	To make an application, please contact Taynuilt Community Council directly: https://www.taynuilt.online/community-council-news/