Coalburn, Douglas & Glespin (CDG) Community Fund

About this fund

The Coalburn, Douglas & Glespin (CDG) Community Fund supports community projects benefiting those living in the Coalburn Community Council area and Douglas Community Council area (incorporating Glespin and surrounding areas).  The Fund is a vehicle through which two different funds are administered, provided by: 

• Nadara, the owner and operator of the Galawhistle Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire (opened in 2017).
• Greencoat UK Wind, the owner of the Douglas West Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire (opened in late 2021).

An annual amount of £225,000, index-linked, will be paid into the Fund each year for the operating life of these wind farms.  From this, annual grants of £15,000 each will be provided from the fund to both the Douglas St Bride's Community Group and the Coalburn Miners Welfare Charitable Society, subject to annual reporting, with the remainder available for other distribution.  

Two forms of grant are available in 2026:

• Standard grants (£500- £20,000, see additional criteria below for exceptions) - three application Rounds.
• Community Anchor Organisations 3-year core funding (up to £5,000/annum = £15,000 maximum) - one-off application Round.

Purpose of this fund

The Fund will support positive change by investing in a wide range of inspirational, community-led activity that is strategic, positive and creative and helps deliver a legacy of lasting impact.  It will do this by making grants to support the costs of relevant projects, services and facilities.  The key themes and priorities of the fund will be regularly reviewed, so please re-visit this fund page when considering an application.

All applications are currently expected to contribute to achieving one or more of the following outcomes:

• Help people into work
• Improve local transport
• Improve quality of life, health and well-being
• Build capacity for local groups and individuals
• Build sustainable community assets, including capital assets (e.g. land and buildings), community enterprises, local exchange systems, people’s skills and abilities, culture and the local environment.

Applications for projects supporting priorities outlined in the local Community Action Plans would be welcomed (see 'useful links' below).  

Additional criteria

Standard Grants:

Requests over £20,000 will be considered in exceptional circumstances and if they provide genuine wider community benefit.  Multi-year grants may be paid for projects lasting up to three years. If you wish to apply for more than £20,000 please contact the Fund Coordinator (see below) to discuss your proposed project before completing the application.

Applicants are also encouraged to consider the following cross-cutting themes when preparing applications, and include any information about these in application forms:

• Matched funding:  Grants can cover 100% of project costs but applicants are encouraged to seek other sources of funding for part of the cost.  In particular, larger applications will, ideally, demonstrate that a percentage of the total project cost will be sourced from the group’s own fundraising efforts or other grants.
• Financial sustainability:  For longer-term projects, the ability to demonstrate financial sustainability beyond the life of the grant – without reliance on continuous grant funding – is favoured.
• Local procurement:  Local suppliers are favoured for the provision of goods and services.  The term ‘local’ will vary depending on the nature and availability of the goods or service in question.  It could refer to the Coalburn, Douglas and Glespin areas, South Lanarkshire or west central Scotland as appropriate.
• Capacity building:  Applicants are encouraged to consider how the project will provide opportunities to build the skills and knowledge of group members or other local people.  This may be a key aim of the project or an indirect benefit arising from the project.  
• Partnership working:  Applicants are encouraged to consider collaboration with other appropriate organisations on the delivery of their project.

 

Community Anchor Organisations:  3-year core funding - one-off application Round:

Coalburn, Douglas & Glespin (CDG) Community Fund Panel has developed an approach and process to provide three-year awards to Community Anchor Organisations (CAOs) in Coalburn, Douglas & Glespin towards their recurring/core costs of operation and activity. 

To be considered a CAO and be eligible for 3-year core funding, an organisation must meet all the following criteria:

• Independent (i.e. standalone, not part of a wider regional or national organisation) and community led (i.e. governed or managed by groups of residents).
• Providing services and activities in the Fund area of benefit (any of Coalburn, Douglas & Glespin).
• Owning or managing community assets (i.e. buildings or land/sites or facilities accessed and used frequently by residents of the CDG Community Fund area).
• Often (but not always) employing staff.
• Generating, or has the potential to generate, its own income streams, including for example from rents and letting and/or trading goods and/or services.
• Plays a supportive and nurturing role in relation to other (often informal) local groups, and has the potential to provide a voice to local people and leadership in the shaping and delivery of community services and activities. 

Applicants will be asked to include the following information in their applications for 3-year funding towards recuring/core costs of operation and activity:

• The organisation's track record of activity/delivery in the Fund area of benefit.
• The community assets that the organisation owns or manages.
• The organisation's fit with overall CDG Fund purpose and objectives.
• To what extent funding will provide a meaningful level of stability to the organisation.
• Whether the organisation has potential to leverage other income and in what way.  
• Whether the organisation has reasonable current capacity i.e. is the organisation’s future relatively stable with the committee/staff/volunteer capacity it currently has, and/or does it have plans to strengthen this.
   

Award levels:  Awards will be made based on a maximum award of 10% of the organisation’s annual operating costs up to a maximum annual award of £5,000 (ie. up to £15,000 across the three-year period). The most recent set of approved accounts for the applicant CAO will be the basis of the award, with accounts being submitted prior to each annual payment in years 2 and 3 of the award. An example which may be helpful: 

CAOs already in receipt of funding towards core costs may apply during this single one-off round for future years funding if these are not already included in a current CDG grant award.  (For example, a CAO in receipt of funding towards core costs in 2026/27 but not future years, map apply in the current Round for funding towards 2027/28 and/or 2028/29 financial years). 

All CAOs receiving three-year awards will need to provide an interim report each year, with details of the spend and impact of the award, and request the next annual payment with an overview of anticipated spend for upcoming 12 months.  A copy of the organisation’s most recent set of accounts will also be required prior to each annual payment.

The CDG Fund Panel will review the effectiveness of this approach.  No annual core grant funding will be committed beyond 2028/2029. The CDG Community Fund Panel will in due course consider the impact this approach has had on both overall grant-making and for individual organisations. Supported by Foundation Scotland, the Panel will then consider the longer-term need to support such costs, and how this may practically be addressed going forward beyond this initial 3-year period. 

Who can apply?

Standard grants:

Groups and organisations working to benefit people in Coalburn, Douglas & Glespin and surrounding areas can apply.  You don’t need to be registered charity to apply but your organisation must meet our standard eligibility criteria.

Groups delivering projects or activities located outwith Coalburn, Douglas or Glespin may apply as long as the project or activity for which they are seeking funding will bring some benefit to residents of those areas. Applicants will need to state what proportion of the overall beneficiaries live in those areas. 

Groups located or headquartered outside the area but delivering projects or activities within the Fund area may apply, provided they can demonstrate track record of delivery in, and/or evidence of CDG community consultation and support for, the proposed project/activities, and they do not duplicate the work of local groups.  Panel will also look more closely at local partnerships involved.  

 

Community Anchor Organisations applying for 3-year core funding in the one-off application Round must meet the criteria described in 'additional criteria' above.  

What can’t be funded?

Information on what the Fund cannot support is provided here.

How are decisions made?

A Community Panel of people aged 16 or over who live, work or volunteer in the area makes decisions on grants awarded. The CDG Community Fund Panel also advises on the fund strategy. It has up to ten members; five from Coalburn Community Council area and five from the Douglas Community Council area, comprising:

• One community council representative is appointed by each of the Community Councils.  
• Up to four ‘wider community' representatives are selected through an open and transparent process from each of the community council areas.  

The panel is made up of local individuals from the Fund area. Panel members are expected to serve for two to four years.

Minutes of the latest Panel meetings are available on request.

More information on the award making process is available here.

Seeking new Panel members

The CDG Fund Panel is looking for a resident member from Coalburn Community Council area.  If you would like more information or to have a chat about the role, you can contact Mary Travers (details below). 

We always welcome interest from local people in becoming panel members.