Distributing Differently: Impact on Nadara Westfield communities

Foundation Scotland uses the phrase 'Distributing Differently' to describe how community benefit funding can be provided to groups in additional ways, beyond conventional grant-making.   We support community Panels (made up of local residents) to think about the best ways of using community benefit funding (mainly from renewable energy projects like onshore wind farms) to have the biggest impact on community life.  Some examples include providing strategic, unrestricted, multi-year awards to groups; and proactively identifying important groups or projects rather than relying solely on applications arriving.  Multi-year and unrestricted awards recognise that, by providing groups and organisations with longer-term funding security and greater flexibility, they can focus on delivering their core mission rather than spending too much time seeking their next grant. 

The Nadara Westfield Community Fund is a great example of a decision-making Panel learning from Foundation Scotland's experiences alongside communities elsewhere in Scotland, and tailoring it to the needs of their own communities in Fife.  

About the Nadara Westfield Wind Farm Community Fund 
The Nadara Westfield Wind Farm Community Fund operates through three separate sub-funds, each supporting their respective community council areas: Kinglassie, Cardenden, and Benarty, in Fife.  By dividing into three sub-funds, local decision-making can be used to meet the needs of each area.

The Fund began in 2014 and receives index-linked annual contributions of £37,500 from Nadara for distribution in these local communities.  In 2025, annual income to the Fund had reached just over £59,000, offering each community more scope to 'Distribute Differently'.  

Communities at the Heart of Decision Making 
Each individual sub-fund is overseen by a Panel of residents(some of whom are Community Councillors) from their respective areas. The Panels help to promote the Fund locally and advise on grant awards. Building on assessment and due diligence work carried out by Foundation Scotland, Panels' insights and knowledge help to identify genuine local priorities and assess which groups and projects will deliver the greatest impact.  Panel members understand the unique challenges and opportunities within their communities, enabling them to make informed decisions about funding. 

This local expertise means Panel members often have established awareness of local groups and understand their track record, capacity, and long-term potential. Drawing on this knowledge of their communities, Panels can be well-positioned to recommend which organisations would benefit most from longer-term funding support.

Foundation Scotland: supporting community-led decision-making 
Each local community group or charity plays a vital role within the three Fife community council areas. However, some find themselves regularly applying for similar funding amounts each year to help them sustain their operations and continue to thrive.

The local Panels have recognised this and, drawing on Foundation Scotland's experience and suggestions combined with their own in-depth local knowledge, the Kinglassie and Cardenden Panels have embraced the ‘Distributing Differently’ approach through Panel-recommended multi-year awards.

Kinglassie Awards 
The most notable Panel-led multi-year funding decisions in Kinglassie included a £5,000 award to support the Kinglassie Old Folks Treat Association in delivering its annual social event, among other activities, for older people and care home residents between 2024-2026. This project aims to enhance well-being, reduce isolation, and improve social connections within the community.

A further award of just over £10,500 was granted to the same organisation over three years to maintain the annual Christmas Lights display, which brings festive cheer to the entire Kinglassie community.

Following on from this, the Panel has recognised the importance of multi-year funding for foundational groups within the village and, following single year applications to the fund, proactively offered three-year awards of £12,700 to the Kinglassie Miners Bowling Club, just over £9,300 to the Kinglassie Football Club, and £4,500 to support the Mitchell Hall Resource Centre with core running costs.

In its most recent award round in September 2025, the Panel once again demonstrated its forward grant administration approach, as it recognised that the Mitchell Hall Resource Centre's multi-year funding was coming to an end.  As such it agreed to award another three-year award and uplifted the original award by £500 each year, recognising that the cost of living crisis has impacted on the hall's running costs.  It agreed to award £6,000 over the three years. 

The Panel also recognised the time and contribution that Kinglassie Primary School Parent Council has made to the wider community and to the young people of Kinglassie. It agreed to make a one-off donation of £1,000 to the Parent Council, with £500 contributing towards a Christmas treat for the pupils and a further £500 towards a project that supports the Parent Council whilst also aligning with the fund's priorities.

Cardenden Awards
In the past year, the Cardenden Panel has made four Panel-led multi-year funding decisions to local groups, including the Cardenden & Kinglassie Fireworks Group, Cardenden Village Fair, Cardenden Environment Group, and Bowhill Highland Games. Each group was awarded £3,000 per year for three years. These four Panel-led awards demonstrate the Panel's commitment to ensuring that community benefit reaches grassroots organisations that form the backbone of local community life.

Final thoughts
The Panels have demonstrated that they are thinking beyond what is presented to them at the decision-making level, considering the broader benefit in terms of community impact and long-term sustainability.

Foundation Scotland's experience and commitment to the IVAR principles (to be an open, trusting and flexible funder, see Our commitment to being a Flexible Funder | Foundation Scotland) ensures that decision-makers have the right tools, information, and training to make informed decisions that truly benefit their communities.  The Panels of the Nadara Westfield Wind Farm Community Fund are good examples of how community-led decision-making can evolve and improve when supported with expert guidance, breaking down perceived funding barriers. 

By embracing multi-year funding approaches, the local Nadara Westfield Panels demonstrate that local knowledge combined with professional expertise and guidance, can create more effective, responsive, and sustainable funding outcomes for their communities.

Read more about the Nadara Westfield Wind Farm Community Fund (Kinglassie)