Member Article

Wind farm blows cash into Northumberland communities

VILLAGES in Northumberland are celebrating after receiving a £25,000 windfall from a new neighbour.

The cash comes from a fund set up to distribute some of the income from the EDF Energy Green Rigg Wind Farm at Birtley and means a number of projects, from building repairs to community schemes, can now go-ahead.

Under the terms of the EDF Energy Green Rigg Wind Farm Community Benefits Fund, around £36,000 a year can be granted to projects within a 10-mile radius of the wind farm, with priority given to those within 3 miles.

Now, after successfully applying to the Newcastle-based Community Foundation, which administers the fund, 10 community groups and parish councils can undertake vital building repairs and buy much-needed equipment.

Among the successful applicants was Barrasford Village Hall which received £5,000 for urgent repairs to its roof, without which the almost 100-year-old building faced an uncertain future.

“The hall’s a focal point for the entire village,” said the hall’s treasurer Michelle Nixon. “It plays host to a vast number of events from bingo sessions to coffee mornings, toddler groups, exercise classes and carpet bowls – it’s also a hugely popular party venue.

“However, it’s in a very poor state of repair and, although our own fundraising efforts had gone some way to refurbishing it, without a new roof we were faced with having to close it completely.

“This grant couldn’t have come at a better time for us and we’re enormously grateful to EDF Energy and the Community Foundation for helping us secure it.”

Among the other grant recipients were Corsenside Parochial Church Council, which received £5000 towards the cost of re-roofing All Saints church and replacing windows at St Cuthbert’s; Wark Recreational Society, which was granted £2,000 for playground equipment and Bellingham Golf Club, which received £3,000 towards the cost of new windows and doors.

For more information about applying to the Community Foundation for grant funding visit www.communityfoundation.org.uk or call 0191 222 0945.

Ends

Notes to Editors Pic caption: Barrasford Village Hall with, from left: Dawn Stewart, Deb Haycock, Jacob Coulson, Michelle Nixon, Ben Adshead, Jimmy Coulson & Kelly Adshead.

The Community Foundation acts as a hub for individuals, families, businesses and other agencies that want to give to communities, by matching their interests with those seeking funding. It provides help for children and older people, people affected by disadvantage and ill-health and those seeking education and work, as well as providing grants to support the arts, the environment, community activities and amateur sport. The Newcastle-based charity, the UK’s biggest community foundation, has built an endowment of more than £50 million from philanthropic donations to the various funds it holds.

For further information please call HFPR Ltd on 0191 285 7100.

12 September 2013

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by HFPR .