Carcant Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund (Moorfoot)
| Grant size | Up to £1,500 |
| Area |
Midlothian
|
| Key dates | |
| Rolling deadline: | Applications may be submitted at any time on a first-come, first-served basis. Decisions take 7-8 weeks. |
| Application deadline (for July 2024 decision): | 20/05/24 |
About this fund
The Carcant Wind Farm Community Fund (Moorfoot) supports community projects benefiting those living in the Moorfoot Community Council area in Midlothian. The fund is provided by Shroders Greencoat, the owners of the nearby Carcant Wind Farm.
The fund originally opened in 2010; Foundation Scotland began administering it again in 2019. An annual amount of £4,200, inflation-adjusted, will be paid into the fund each year for the wind farm's operating life, which is expected to be 25 years.
Grant size: £250 - £1,500
Purpose of this fund
The fund provides grants to support charitable activities that:
- Enhance quality of life for local residents.
- Contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities.
- Promote community spirit and encourage community activity.
Grants may support a wide range of costs, such as equipment, staff or sessional workers, consultations, running costs for local groups, maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities, and so on.
Additional criteria
Applications that contribute towards the themes and key areas identified in the Moorfoot Neighbourhood Plan will be particularly welcomed.
Panel would welcome any applications which encourage community activities or groups in recovering from the effects of the Covid pandemic, or towards projects contributing positively to the local environment or tackling climate change locally.
Who can apply?
Groups and organisations working to benefit people in the Moorfoot area can apply. You don’t need to be registered charity to apply, but your group/organisation must meet our standard eligibility criteria.
Applications from groups/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. Additionally, the fund cannot support:
- Anti-wind farm or anti-renewable energy activities, including activities contrary to the interests of Greencoat UK Wind, or any of their holding companies, subsidiaries or sister companies (as defined under the Companies Act 2006);
- Activities that bring Greencoat UK Wind, or any of their holding companies, subsidiaries or sister companies (as defined under the Companies Act 2006) or Foundation Scotland into disrepute.
How are decisions made?
A Community Panel made up of people who live, work, or volunteer in the area makes recommendations on grant awards from the fund. The panel advises on the overall Fund strategy and is governed by Terms of Reference.
The panel of up to seven members includes a mixture of community councillors and other members of the community:
- Up to two community council representatives are appointed directly by the community council.
- One each from the management committees for the three village halls in the area.
- Up to two ‘wider community’ representatives were selected through an open and transparent process.
Each Panel member typically serves a minimum of one and a maximum of three years, with members retiring on a phased basis to ensure knowledge and expertise are retained. Opportunities to become a Panel member are openly advertised, both locally and on this website.
Minutes of the latest Panel meetings are available on request from the Community Funds Adviser. Contact details can be found below.
Frequently asked questions
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What if my project needs less than the minimum grant amount?
If your grant request is for less than £250 you can apply for a Micro-grant administered by the Community Council – see Useful links, below.
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When must grants be spent by?
Grants must normally be spent within one year of being awarded.
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When can I apply?
From July 2023, Panel is trialling a rolling application deadline (ie. applications may be submitted at any time, with a decision in 7-8 weeks) in addition to its usual annual decision-making Round. For exact deadline dates, see top of this website page.
How to appply
Complete the online application form.
If you would like to review the questions you will be asked to answer before starting the form, you can see them here.
If you have any problems accessing the form, please email grants@foundationscotland.org.uk or call 0131 524 0300 and we can help.
Contact information
Central Systems Support
Malcolm Jack, Community Funds Manager
Useful links
- Help for applicants
- Community Council and microgrants information: Moorfoot Community Council
- For advice on running your group or project contact your local Third Sector Interface: Midlothian Third Sector Interface
- The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) provides a range of useful resources for setting-up a voluntary organisation or running your organisation. It also helps organisations develop their digital potential.
- Additional information and resources about developing a Safeguarding policy include Foundation Scotland guidance, NSPCC's safeguarding checklist, OSCR's Safeguarding Guidance and SCVO's advice.
- The fund is provided by Shroders Greencoat