Back to Top

Community Benefit Funding

The Council Boundary Area of Kirkcowan is in receipt of Community Benefit Funding due to its proximity to several large wind turbines in the local area.

Renewable energy suppliers are encouraged to give long-term Community Benefit Funding to communities that are in close proximity to wind turbines to allow for a positive relationship between suppliers and the community.

The Kirkcowan Community Development Trust has its own governance and Articles of Association but it is also bound by the expectations and guidance from the various wind farm developments. You can read more about this below. To find out more about Community Benefits Funding go to Scottish Government’s Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments.

What can we fund?

  • Equipment for community groups
  • Minor repairs and improvements to buildings or land used for community purposes. However, if the building or land is not owned by your group you will need to provide us with a copy of the lease agreement
  • Community events, festivals and trips
  • Small-scale practical activities
  • Activity-based environmental schemes
  • Training and education courses
  • Bursaries for individual members of community groups to participate in training courses
  • Costs to community groups of participating in networks and visiting other community projects

What We Cannot Fund

  • Projects that involve improvement works to a building, if your group does not own the building or have a lease on the property
  • Applications for unspecified items, for example, contingency money
  • Retrospective applications, for example, for an event that has already taken place
  • Applications made on behalf of another group

Further Restrictions

We are unfortunately unable to provide funding to the following groups/projects

  • Political groups
  • Religious groups
  • National organisations, unless there is a local group with local management
  • Individuals, unless the bursary is for the individual to attend training courses that will benefit the community
  • Companies which aim to distribute a profit
  • Projects which have already started

Who Funds Us?

Kirkcowan Community Development Trust currently receives Community Benefit Funding from three different wind farm development companies: ScottishPower Renewables Kilgallioch Windfarm (main funder), RES Glenchamber Wind Farm and Velocita Airies Wind Farm.

How much money is available?

There is approximately £200,000 available each year. This varies from year to year as the funding is index-linked.

The Trust has spent the Community Benefit Funding on a range of projects.

For more information about individual grants, please visit the Projects page.

Skip to content