Crighshane and Churchill Community Benefit Fund

Purpose of the Fund

This local community benefit fund was originally set up by Energia Renewables, and has now been taken over by Greencoat Capital.

The fund has been established to ensure that the Crighshane and Church Hill wind farms, whilst having obvious environmental benefits, also provide significant social and economic benefits to the local community.

Funding is available to local community projects that are planned and run for the benefit of the local population and are within 6km of the Wind Farms.

 Crighshane-Church Hill  Map

The fund will support projects addressing issues within the following theme areas:

• Energy efficiency and sustainability
• Social, cultural or sporting benefit for the local community
• Educational issues with a sustainability angle
• Environmental benefit or economic benefit

Examples of who can apply:

• Constituted voluntary organisations and community groups
• Local youth groups

Funding available:

Grants up to £5,000

In very exceptional circumstances the panel may decide to award grants up to £10,000.

Please be advised that applications should request up to £5,000. If you wish to be considered for additional funds, please complete the additional question included on the application form.

What we can’t fund:

The Foundation will not fund organisations or activities which promote causes that are contrary to our purposes.  Causes and activities that are contrary to our purposes include, but may not be limited to, those outlined in our investment policy.  We will not therefore fund organisations or activities which we determine are linked to the promotion of armaments, alcohol, human rights abuses, tobacco or pornography.

In addition, the Crighshane and Churchill Community Benefit Fund will not support:

• Individuals
• Funding for retrospective project costs
• Projects or activity that promote or advance religion
• Promotion of religious or political activity, including any flags and emblems that may deem to be associated with such
• Organisations whose purposes include the advancement of religion.
• The establishment of endowment of any school or institution providing further education within the meaning of the education and libraries (Northern Ireland) order 1972
• The provision of assistance to any Housing Association within the meaning of the housing (Northern Ireland) order 1976
• Organisations which adopt a partisan political stance or activities which are party political. We will not support organisations that advocate the use of violence to campaign or influence public opinion
• General appeals, individual and group sponsorship, marketing appeals, proposals for bursaries from individuals or proposals from individuals for the funding of study or attainment of qualifications
• The provision of services that are the primary and legal responsibility of the state
• Input VAT reclaimable from HMRC
• Payments reimbursed or to be reimbursed by other public or private sector funding
• Contributions in kind (i.e. a contribution in goods or services, as opposed to money)
• Depreciation, amortisation or impairment of fixed Assets owned by the group
• Interest payments (including service charge payments for finance leases)
• Gifts to individuals other than promotional items with a value of no more than £25 a year to any one individual
• Entertaining (entertaining for this purpose means anything that would be a taxable benefit to the person being entertained, according to current UK tax regulations)
• Statutory fines, criminal fines or penalties
• Liabilities incurred before the issue of an award
• Use in respect of costs reimbursed or to be reimbursed by funding from any other source
• Use of funding to top up reserves of your group
• Applications from statutory organisations
• Salaried posts
• Trips abroad
• Vehicles
• Activities that duplicate existing services

Please Note 

Applications for capital build projects will only be considered if full Planning Permission has already been approved.

Applicants that currently hold a live grant are not eligible to re-apply in any new round until all outstanding information is provided for the current grant held. This includes details of spend and any monitoring. 

*Measurement of applicant organisation address will be a straight-line measurement from the location of the windfarm using google maps.

In 2024 the success rate for applications to this fund was 100%.

For further information and to find out if your group or project is eligible, please contact the Grants Team on 028 9024 5927.