The latest round of grant-making from the Blackcraig Wind Farm Community Fund has taken place, with 13 projects benefiting the wider Glenkens and District area celebrating successful bids for support with a total value of £116,635.
The Fund prioritises support for projects or activities that will help communities become more connected, asset rich, economically flourishing or carbon neutral. Awards ranged from the smallest of £658 to Springholm Playgroup for a contribution to bee-friendly planters and gardening equipment, to the largest of £25,000 to Mossdale Village Hall for building
improvements, including insulating and cladding hall walls and installing air source heat pumps.
Martin Drysdale, Chair of Mossdale Village Hall, said,
“This award is fantastic news. As the only community facility in
Mossdale our Hall is vital and this grant enables the penultimate step in
our planned improvement programme. The award will help us improve
our sustainability by reducing our running costs and making the Hall
more comfortable and attractive for use by residents and as a venue to
hire.
We are really delighted to be using renewables – the energy efficiency
report obtained by the Hall previously has enabled us to confidently
choose air source heat pumps and we now look forward to completing
the final phase of Hall improvements with the installation of further
renewables technology.”
Other successful projects include £4,000 for the Galloway Fisheries Trust, to contribute to the costs of developing the first phase of a River Urr Climate Resilience project, which will not only provide direct benefit to the local area but also generate important transferable learning, as the impact of tree planting on water temperature and on fish stocks is measured; £6,300 to Balmaclellan Village Hall to replace corroded downpipes and gutterings, repair render and paint the outside of the Hall, as part of a wider project already part-funded by the Community Fund to improve the building ahead of the Hall’s centenary in 2024; and £7,800 to Moniaive Initiative to contribute to the costs of a part-time Volunteer & Retail Co-ordinator in the community shop and hub, The Hive. As the local development trust, Moniaive Initiative also helped support the development of successful applications from the Glencairn Memorial Institute, Moniaive Playcare and Glencairn Land and Woods Trust.
Bill McLarty, Chair of Moniaive Initiative said:
“It is great to see over £47,000 of Blackcraig Wind Farm Community
Fund monies coming into Glencairn and we were delighted to be able to
support so many of our local community organisations to make
successful bids”
The fund, provided by Blackcraig Wind Farm (Scotland) Ltd from its Blackcraig Windfarm, is
administered by Foundation Scotland, an independent national grant-making charity with local presence; with decisions on awards made by the Trustees of the Glenkens and District Trust, guided by fit with the Blackcraig Fund Strategy which very closely follows the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan. The Fund is available to the communities of Balmaclellan, Balmaghie, Carsphairn, Corsock & Kirkpatrick Durham, Crossmichael & District, Dalry, Dunscore, Glencairn, The Royal Burgh of New Galloway and Kells Parish, and Parton.
Fiona Smith, Glenkens & District Trust Chair, said:
“The Trustees are very pleased that the Blackcraig Wind Farm
Community Fund has once again been able to support so many
important local projects across the area. We are aware these are still
challenging times for groups trying to develop projects and so it was
great to see a diverse range of initiatives coming forward in this round.
We are already looking forward to seeing what projects may seek
support in the future, as restrictions ease and the Glenkens & District
Community Action Plan and community plans being refreshed in
Glencairn and Carsphairn gather pace”
An announcement on closing dates for the next round of funding is expected by August 2021.
Full details of this round’s awards can be found at https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/ourimpact/where-weve-funded/blackcraig-wind-farm-community-fund-funded-projects
