Huge 9CCG funding boost for 70 community projects
9CC Group Trustees - 9CCG Launch Event Dumfries House
Seventy local community projects in East Ayrshire have been awarded funding by 9CCG thanks to a £628,000 donation from Brockwell Energy’s North Kyle windfarm site.
Groups receiving windfarm community benefit funds distributed by the 9 Community Council Group (9CCG) include New Cumnock Development Trust, Lugar Boswell Thistle FC, Drongan Grassroots Group, Dalmellington Bowling Club and Auchinleck’s Sticky Fingers.
The successful bids will provide additional staffing, new equipment, refurbishments and ongoing support for community projects across the nine areas: New Cumnock; Cronberry, Lugar and Logan; Patna; Ochiltree and Skares; Drongan, Rankinston and Stair; Cumnock; Dalmellington, Netherthird and Auchinleck.
Stephen McCarron, 9CCG Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to distribute such significant funding for so many deserving community groups and projects. These funds will make a huge difference by delivering lasting local benefits and supporting their valuable work.
“It’s the biggest payout so far from the local community fund and is thanks to the generous £628,000 gift by Brockwell Energy to the 9CCG - the first-time windfarm developers in Scotland have provided community funded benefit for local projects ahead of a site starting operations.
“9CCG’s partnership with local communities and windfarm developers such as Brockwell, OnPath Energy and Invenergy aims to delivering lasting community benefit throughout the lifecycle of windfarm developments. It provides a game changing funding model for our local communities where we work collectively to ensure grants are distributed fairly and to the areas most impacted by developments and most in need.”
The Local Community Fund has supported 43 organisations and provided £435,769.93 in this latest funding round. The LCF provides funding for projects above £1k. In addition, the Small Grant Scheme for bids under £1k will fund an additional 27 projects and winners will be announced later this week.
The organisations benefitting from the LCF are:
New Cumnock
New Cumnock Development Trust which received £23,235 to support the salary and on costs of an additional FTE Activities Assistant, and contribute to travel, venue hire, overheads and equipment.
New Cumnock Bowling Club awarded £20,000 to support the cost of replacing the locker/changing room roof.
Glenafton Athletic and Football Sporting Club and the Honeypot Childrens Charity receiving £12,780 and £15,300 respectively.
Cronberry, Lugar and Logan
Lugar Boswell Thistle FC awarded £2,722.51 to fully cover the refurbishment costs for their hospitality suite, including tables and chairs.
£2,556.48 for Lugar Parish Church; £2,400 for Logan Boxing Club; £3,436.40 for C, L & L Community Council and £4,000 for Riverside Gardens Residents Association.
Patna
£30,000 for Patna Community Council to purchase a new piece of play equipment for the already existing playpark.
Patna Extravaganza Group received £15,000 and Patna Action Group were awarded £4,000
Ochiltree and Skares
Ochiltree Hub awarded £19k to support the running and energy costs of their vital community facility which is used by many local organisations and groups.
In addition, MaidSafe Foundation received £10,000; Ochiltree Old Peoples Welfare £4,120; Ochiltree Hub (2) £2,661 and Ochiltree & Skares Action Group £4,000.
Drongan, Rankinston and Stair
Drongan Grassroots Group received £28,762 to support the full first year costs for ‘Drongan Out of School Care Project’, which includes three part time staff, building lets (Drongan Community Centre) and additional equipment. A second submission for Drongan Grassroots Group was awarded £15,230.
Drongan Primary Parent Council received £1,236 and D, R & S Community Council were awarded £2,000.
Cumnock
Yipworld were awarded £10,000 to support the project costs for ‘The Bike Hoose Skills Shop’.
Cumnock and District Leisure Group received £10,000 to support the salary of a new Funding and Development Officer.
In addition, Cumnock Heritage Centre was awarded £5,000; Cumnock Juniors Community Enterprise £11,950; Cumnock Community Council £10,000; CAMPS £4,500 and The Nest Wellbeing Group £5,000.
Dalmellington
Dalmellington Parish Development Trust were given £15,605 towards DPDT operational costs.
The Zone Initiative were awarded £19,660 to create employment and training opportunities to local unemployed young people.
Dalmellington Community Association received £17,980.04; Dalmellington Bowling Club £3,000; and Doon Valley Gazette £7,500.
Netherthird
Netherthird Community Action Training were granted £8,000 to part fund the salary of a Landscape Training Officer.
Netherthird Initiative for Community Empowerment received £10,000.
Netherthird Community Development Group, Netherthird Youthy and Glaisnock Valley Bowling Club were awarded £5,000 each.
In addition, Netherthird PS & ECC Parent Council received £2,500 and Netherthird Community Council £1,500.
Auchinleck
Auchinleck Community Development Initiative received £30,000 to support the salary costs for the manager of the community facility.
Sticky Fingers were awarded £14,988 to fund 10 Sessional Support Assistants and 10 weeks venue hire at The Boswell Centre to deliver ‘Holiday Fun Clubs’ during the Summer, Easter and Autumn school holiday periods.
Auchinleck Community Council received £11,147.
Alex Baird, Chair of the 9CCG said: “We received over 80 requests amounting to more than £750k, which shows the clear community need for such funding, and we are delighted to have been able to support so many bids.
“The financial support from Brockwell, OnPath Energy and Invenergy for the 9CCG makes a positive difference to all our communities and to so many people. In addition, their ongoing support means we can work with those projects which were unfortunately unsuccessful this time to help them with their applications for the next funding round.”
Mr McCarron said: “This ongoing commitment to our communities will deliver lasting community benefit throughout the lifecycle of windfarm developments.”
Iain Cockburn, CFO of Brockwell Energy added: “In the past some developers, including ourselves, chose to lead consultation processes themselves resulting in funding decisions being made in isolation and without any overall coordination with other developers and without considering the overall long term funding position available to the communities. As more schemes are commissioned this practice would lead to confusion and sub-optimal decision making.
“We have welcomed the chance to work with the 9CCG and see the value in their coordination of the process to ensure the right long term legacy benefits are identified by the communities and delivered. The huge amount of funding at stake will make it increasingly important that funding dissemination is carefully coordinated to best serve those communities.”
The 9CCG has been set up by the nine communities to take control of, and coordinate, the dissemination of community benefit that will arise from the cluster of windfarms being developed in the surrounding area.
Mr McCarron added: “The hills around our communities are ideal for hosting a large cluster of wind schemes that are not only of significant national importance in achieving climate change goals but will generate community benefit that will exceed £150 million over the next 40 years.
“These schemes do have a local impact so it is imperative that those communities work together to maximise the benefit that they can secure from these schemes to compensate.”
The nine community councils are: Auchinleck; Patna; Ochiltree & Skares; New Cumnock; Netherthird; Cronberry, Lugan & Lugart; Drongam, Rankinson & Stair; Dalmellington; and Cumnock.
Participating windfarm developments (developers) in the area are North Kyle Wind Farm (Brockwell Energy); Lethans (OnPath Energy) Pencloe Wind Farm (Invenergy); Greenburn Wind Farm (REG/ESB); Knockkippen Wind Farm; and Benbrack (Red Rock) Wind Farm.
For more information see www.9ccg.co.uk and/or please contact Donald Martin at:
DM Media Consultancy Ltd
Tel: 07711 451330
