Deadline: 15-Jun-25
Foundation Scotland is seeking applications for the Achlachan Wind Farm Community Fund to support community activity and development in the Halkirk & District Community Council area, prioritising projects within a four-kilometre radius of the Achlachan Wind Farm.
Purpose
- Applications must meet at least one of the following outcomes:
- Developing services and facilities.
- Sustaining and creating employment.
- Increasing skills and knowledge.
- Preserving and enhancing or giving better access to culture, heritage and the environment.
- Getting around and getting connected.
Funding Information
- Amount: Up to £10,000
Ineligible Funding
- They cannot fund the following:
- Non constituted groups.
- Applications from individuals. However, individuals may be able to apply for funding under any micro-grant scheme associated with a fund, or under some education and training funds.
- General fundraising appeals or activities.
- Trips abroad (unless otherwise stated on the fund page).
- Costs already incurred or activities which will take place before they’ve decided on an application, i.e. retrospective funding.
- The repayment of loans or payment of debts.
- The advancement of religion or politics, including requests to support religious or political groups’ core activities. However, religious groups may apply for funding for non-religious activity that will benefit the wider community beyond their own specific congregation and is open to all on a non-denominational basis. For example, a church may apply for funding to upgrade a church hall that is regularly used by other community groups.
- Payments towards areas understood to be the exclusive responsibility of statutory authorities. However, they can provide grants to Parent Teacher Associations/Parent Councils if they are appropriately constituted and occasionally to schools where the activity being delivered is additional to the core curriculum/statutory activity.
- Activities that are likely to bring the fund, Foundation Scotland or the donor into disrepute. For example, they can’t fund groups or organisations using hate speech or inciting violence, or those linked to such groups or organisations.
- Activities that conflict with the interests of the funder. For example, where a renewable energy company provides funding, they can’t fund any projects or organisations that are anti-windfarm or anti-renewable energy as such activities are likely to be contrary to the interests of the funder or its subsidiaries.
- For place-based funds, they can’t support projects which don’t benefit the people who live within the defined fund area. Projects that benefit people in the fund area plus others outside that area can be supported on a proportionate basis. Applicants to these funds don’t need to be based in the fund area.
- For themed/cause-related funds they can’t support projects which don’t relate to the priorities stated for the fund.
- Costs directly related to the sale of alcohol, including but not limited to the refurbishment of a bar area.
Who can apply?
- Groups and organisations working to benefit people in any community within the Halkirk Community Council area can apply. Your group/organisation must meet the standard eligibility criteria. It does not need to be a registered charity to apply.
- Management Committee
- There must be a minimum of three unrelated persons on the management committee or Board. This is to ensure that the group has a range of perspectives and experiences and is not dominated by the interests of a single family or similarly connected individuals.
- For the same reasons, the majority of your management committee or Board members must be unrelated.
- Governing Documents
- Your organisation has charitable purposes, and these are described in your governing document.
- Your governing document includes suitable restrictions on the disposal of assets under the organisation’s control (a charitable ‘asset lock’) and its management committee or board members’ remuneration.
- Accounts & Financial Procedures
- You must be able to supply your latest set of approved accounts, unless your organisation is less than 18 months old, in which case no accounts are required.
- For all constituted groups these will need to have been approved by your management committee or Board.
- For registered charities, accounts must be prepared and scrutinised in accordance with the requirements of Office Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).
- If your group does not meet the eligibility criteria, but your project could provide benefit in Ballantrae, please contact Foundation Scotland to discuss this.
- Safeguarding
- If your organisation’s core work (as stated in your governing document), or the project you are applying to us for, includes work with children and/or vulnerable adults, it must have an appropriate Safeguarding Policy and Procedures setting out how the policy is implemented in place before application. This must, as a minimum, cover the following:
- Recruitment and selection of employees and volunteers
- Employee and volunteer induction and training in safeguarding
- Safe arrangements for all work involving vulnerable adults/children and young people, including procedures for responding to and reporting abuse or suspected abuse
- Contact details, including at least one nominated Safeguarding representative.
- Policies
- Applicants are expected to have adopted or be developing other policies and procedures appropriate to the organisation’s size and nature and in line with any legal requirements. For example, a Volunteering Policy and/or Equal Opportunities Policy.
- Management Committee
- Applications from groups/organisations located out with the fund area will be considered on a case-by-case basis. They must demonstrate a clear benefit for residents within the fund area.
- You can apply for funding for more than one project in each round. You can also apply for and hold more than one grant in any year; however you may be required to provide monitoring reports for previous grants before any further award is made.
For more information, visit Foundation Scotland.