Ventient Energy Gordonstown Wind Farm Community Fund (Auchterless, Inverkeithny & Fisherford)

About this fund

This fund supports charitable projects that benefit people living in the Auchterless, Inverkeithny & Fisherford Community Council area. It is part of Gordonstown Wind Farm Community Fund provided by Ventient Energy, the owner of the Gordonstown Hill Wind Farm in Aberdeenshire. 

The fund was established in 2013 and will be available for the operating life of the wind farm, expected to be 25 years. In 2020, the annual contribution to the fund was just over £24,000.

Find out more about the difference this fund is making in the latest Fund Report.

Grant size: From £500, no maximum award size. 

 

 

Purpose of this fund

The fund supports charitable activity that will sustain and develop the life of the community and ensure that the area is an attractive and vibrant place to live, work and visit. It does this by making grants to support the costs of relevant projects, services, and facilities. 

Applications should demonstrate how they fit with the objectives of Auchterless, Inverkeithny & Fisherford Community Action Plan 2015, produced in partnership with the Formartine Rural Partnership. While the Panel has the discretion to fund other activity, the funding priorities of the local community are as set out in this Community Action Plan. 

So as the fund will have a long-term impact, the Panel would prefer to see awards made for the purchase of capital items or towards the costs of capital projects, rather than for revenue items such as travel costs or the subsidising of activities. 
 

Additional criteria

The Panel are keen to support applications that demonstrate how they meet the following additional criteria:

• Additional funding:  That other possible funding sources for the project have been explored.  This might include applicants raising some funds through their own fundraising efforts.  The Fund should not displace funding that could be obtained from other sources but should help lever in additional funds if possible.  Additionally, it should not reduce community-based groups’ commitment to organising local activities that contribute to a vibrant community calendar and promote community spirit.  Ideally, applicants can demonstrate that a percentage of the total project cost will be obtained from other sources, including the applicant organisation itself, which might be in a position to contribute to the project cost.  In exceptional circumstances, 100% funding may be considered.
• Local procurement: that local suppliers will be used for the provision of goods and services, where appropriate (e.g. in terms of quality of products/services available) and feasible (in terms of availability and cost). The meaning of ‘local’ will vary depending on the nature and availability of the item/service in question. In some cases, it could be taken to mean Formartine and the surrounding area, but in others, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire or indeed the North East of Scotland might be most appropriate. 
• Sustainable development: that consideration has been given to helping achieve sustainable development, including minimising the environmental impact of projects and reducing the applicant’s ‘carbon footprint’. 
• Local consultation: that the applicant has consulted an appropriate number of the intended beneficiaries of the project and can demonstrate they are supportive of the proposal, and that the applicant has consulted other community groups where appropriate. 
• Partnership working: that the applicant has considered whether delivering the proposed project in partnership with other organisations or groups will add value (financial, capability, or other). This could involve working with voluntary, private or public sector bodies that operate at the local, regional or national level. 

Who can apply?

Groups, businesses and organisations working to benefit people living in any of the three communities of Auchterless, Inverkeithney & Fisherford can apply for a grant. 

Your group or organisation must meet our standard eligibility criteria. It does not need to be a registered charity to apply. 

Private businesses can also apply where the proposed project fits with the charitable aims of the fund, provides significant public benefit, cannot be funded from the business’ own funds, and where any private benefit arising from the grant would be incidental.

Applications from groups or organisations located out with the fund area will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must demonstrate clear benefit for residents within the fund area.
 

What can’t be funded?

Information on what the fund cannot support is provided here.

How are decisions made?

Recommendations on grant awards are made by a Panel of local representatives drawn from the Auchterless, Inverkeithney and Fisherford area. The Panel meets as and when necessary to consider grant applications. It also guides the overall strategy for the fund. 

The Panel has between five and seven members. Up to three members may be nominated by the Auchterless, Inverkeithny & Fisherford Community Council and up to four members are appointed from the wider community who reside within the fund area and are aged over 16 years. 

Each Panel member serves for up to four years, and members retire on a phased basis to ensure knowledge and expertise are retained. Opportunities to become a Panel member are openly advertised when these arise, both locally and on this website, and selection is made through a fair and transparent process.

Current Panel members are:

• John Farquharson (Community Council)
• Helen Richards
• Steven Moir
• Stuart Stephen

Minutes of the latest Panel meetings are available on request from the Community Funds Adviser. Contact details can be found below.

More information on the award making process is available here.