Community response steps up thanks to wind farm fund
Foresight Kinegar Community Fund for Cockburnspath & Cove has provided a second grant to continue and enhance community development work in the area. The grant will support the incredible community response to immediate challenges posed by the coronavirus situation, whilst developing vital new initiatives to enhance community life once the pandemic diminishes.
The grant will double the hours of a Community Development Facilitator, who started out in November 2019 with the remit of facilitating the production of a Community Action Plan using the ‘Planning for Real’ approach. Her work rapidly changed direction over Christmas when Cockburnspath’s only shop unexpectedly and suddenly closed permanently, and then again when lockdown posed additional challenges, particularly to vulnerable residents.
The new grant will initially enable her to work with volunteers across the community to support the community’s response to the epidemic, working with the local Church Minister, Reverend Suzie Fletcher, to arrange food parcels, prescriptions, other essentials and hardship payments to ease the effects of the situation. The grant will also enable her to work extensively with residents keen to take forward ideas for a new community-owned shop facility, and complete the master plan for the area’s future development. Additional administrative support will also maximise the work that can be undertaken in the time available.
Cockburnspath and Cove Community Council are extremely grateful for the grant funds from Kinegar Wind Farm Community Fund to assist our community during these strange and challenging times. They have helped us set up a robust food bank, and an emergency relief fund to assist the community to cope with the financial implications of income reduction as a result of the pandemic.
As we move forward into further lockdown, we envisage that the numbers of people who require help will increase, and that we will require more and more “consumables” (such as gloves) to protect our volunteers. We also have some further projects in mind, for example providing some cooked meals for those most vulnerable.
Pauline Hood, Chair of Cockburnspath & Cove Community Council
Kinegar (Cockburnspath & Cove) Community Fund supports community projects that benefit those living in the Cockburnspath & Cove Community Council area in the Scottish Borders. The Fund has been set up by Kinegar Wind Farm Limited, a Foresight Group ("Foresight") project. Contributions to the Fund are shared equally between Foresight and Neuk Farm landlords, Arnot and Steven Findlay.
It is heartening that the Foresight Kinegar Community Fund can respond so quickly to the needs of the local community at this challenging time providing direct assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. We know that the Community Council and local groups work incredibly hard and we’re pleased that funds from Kinegar Windfarm can help make a lasting difference in Cockburnspath and Cove.
Richard Thompson, Partner at Foresight
The Community Council, in partnership with Foundation Scotland, will continue to monitor the situation and consider how the fund can support local community groups during and after the pandemic. Regular Kinegar Community Fund grant application rounds will continue, with details posted on the fund's website.