ESB West Durham Wind Farm Community Benefits Fund
County Durham Community Foundation
ESB West Durham Wind Farm Community Benefits Fund - Grants up to £5000.
CDCF manages wind farm funds across County Durham for renewable energy providers that provide vital financial support to a range of activities and projects. Priority is be generally given to applications from groups and projects that support communities in areas or villages within a 3-mile radius of where a wind farm operates. Consideration can also be given to groups located within a 6 - 10-mile radius of a wind farm site, if proof can be given that the beneficiaries come from within the eligible area.
Types of projects: • Projects to improve public amenities e.g. community halls, sports facilities • Environmental and wildlife projects including projects to improve open spaces • Activities to engage the local community • Energy efficiency or renewable energy projects
What type of funding can you apply for? Examples of the types of projects and activities we will support include (but are not restricted to): • capital items and equipment (except vehicles or mini buses) • coaching or training activity • project costs • sessional costs • a contribution to core/running costs where the expenditure of the organisation is typically less than £100,000 per year • capacity building activities • transport costs • repair costs • IT equipment limited to maximum £1,500 For any single items or works between £250 and £1,000 we would accept one quote or estimate of works. For single items or works between £1,001 and £50,000 three quotes should be obtained.
Applications can be submitted at any time. There are no closing dates for applications. You will receive a decision within 12 weeks from the receipt of a complete and eligible application.
Who can apply? Charities, voluntary, community groups, town and parish councils, schools and educational establishments, social enterprises (including credit unions, co-operatives, social firms, and community owned enterprises, community interest companies and development trusts) provided they operate on a not-for-profit basis.
Eligible area: 3-mile radius of the wind farm and also include the following five named villages: Cornsay, Cornsay Colliery, Hamsteels, East Hedleyhope and Satley. A 10-mile radius of the site will be considered if beneficiaries come from within the 3-mile radius and/or the five named villages.
What we cannot fund: • unspecified contributions to general fund-raising appeals or large projects, • for profit or commercial elements of charitable organisations, • capital items for general office or company resourcing (non-project), • public bodies to carry out their statutory obligations, • direct replacement of statutory or public funding, • party political activity and campaigning, • contingency funding, • refreshments or food, • building or buying premises or land rights, • projects that solely support animal welfare, • purchase of vehicles (running costs will be considered), • feasibility studies or initial community consultations, • fundraising activities, • deficit or retrospective funding, • sponsored events, multiple trophies or prizes, • general running or core costs, except as a proportionate contribution to a project, • CIC start-ups • wholly grant-maintained CICs • profit making or business ventures, including start-up costs • activities that are primarily about proselytization or supporting worship activities (faith organisations may apply for funding towards a project/activity that is open to the whole community and has wider social benefits)
We do not normally fund • national or regional charities, although we can support local branches of national charities if they are financially independent and locally managed. • salaries through Community Grants but it may be considered by some of our other programmes (please check the specific programme criteria), • organisations whose free reserves include more than 12 months of running costs, • medical research and equipment, • organisations that do not have their own bank account (in exceptional circumstances and through prior agreement with CDCF a group may nominate an organisation to hold the funding on their behalf).