Dorenell Wind Farm marks five years and £2 million
The EDF Power Solutions Dorenell Wind Farm Fund in Moray has recently marked a funding milestone, awarding over £2 million to local charities and community groups over the first five years of operation.
To celebrate, EDF organised an event in late October, inviting local groups and previous grant awardees to visit the wind farm and to find out more about projects which had received support.
The event was hosted by the EDF team of three countryside rangers along with other operational staff at their visitor centre at the Cabrach. EDF staff took attendees on a tour of the wind farm site, to see the turbines up close and learn about the peatland restoration work which is taking place. Attendees were treated to a buffet lunch and birthday cake, and then heard from three local groups about the impact the community benefit funding was having, and the difference it was making in the area. The ranger service delivered a presentation about the work they do in practical conservation and environmental education for local groups and schools. There was also an update from the Moray Council Access officer about the work EDF Power Solutions supports related to core paths in the wider Moray area.
In the last five years, over 100 grants have been made to around 40 charities and community groups. The fund has supported a broad variety of projects, including capital works on footpaths, bike trails, tree planting, playparks, and improvements to many village halls and community facilities. Activities ranging from cycle skills, arts and crafts, oral history, outdoor adventures, swimming, bowling, football and martial arts have all received support as have community events such as memory days and a children’s art festival.
The fund also now supports several key staff roles in the area, including development officers in Glenlivet, Glenrinnes and Dufftown, and youth workers with Speyside Youth, with long-term strategic awards now a focus of the fund.
Innovative approaches to fund distribution have been trialled, and will hopefully develop further in the coming years. For example, a repayable award of £60,000 to Tomintoul & Glenlivet Development Trust in 2020 went towards an affordable housing project, providing cash flow and assisting in the overall financial management of the project, while being repaid back into the fund over ten years to enable further grantmaking. The panel also commissioned work on developing a local footpath network, the first stage of which recently opened, re-establishing a connection between Dufftown and Aberlour to improve local access options, and work now underway to connect Dufftown with Glenrinnes.
Read more about the EDF Power Solutions Dorenell Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund