Cregganconroe Community Benefit Fund

Purpose of the fund:

This local community benefit fund was set up by Gaelectric in 2016 and is now managed by CGN Europe – a wind energy and energy storage company that believes in a sustainable future. GCN is committed to ensuring that their wind farms, whilst having obvious environmental benefits, also provide significant economic benefits to the local community.

Cregganconroe wind farm is based just off the Loughmallon Road, Pomeroy, Co Tyrone.  The areas located within a 6-mile radius of the wind farm are largely rural, having a rugged mountainous terrain within the Sperrin Mountains and comprises dispersed rural settlements including the hamlets and villages of Cappagh, Galbally,  Pomeroy, Carrickmore, Kileenan  and the Rock.

The Cregganconroe Community Benefit Fund is available for local community projects within a 6-mile radius of the wind farm. Applicant organisations must be located in this area, (*straight-line measurement).  

The fund aims to encourage:

• Any programmes/projects that address marginalisation and help tackle rural isolation.  In particular, support will be considered for transport solutions that allow a greater sharing of local community resources and to allow for improved mobility for the most isolated.
• Projects that have a particular emphasis on maximising community space by providing minor capital works that bring premises or facilities up to modern standards and in line with current building control regulations.
• Activities/services that are specifically aimed at children and young people and older people; provision of local educational classes/training courses and health related initiatives and arts/cultural activities.
• Projects designed to improve and develop local environmental schemes.
• Priority will be given to beneficiaries within the Pomeroy area given their close proximity to the wind farm.
• Projects that encourage greater cross community interaction at a local level with a focus on improving relations between nationalist and unionist communities in the area.  Consideration will be given to activities and events designed to encourage this interaction and cohesion e.g. – Open Days, Festivals and other Community Events including programmes of shared culture, music, sport, drama and dance.

Grant size:

Grants up to £2,000

What we can’t fund:

The Community 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 Cregganconroe Community Benefit Fund will not support:

• The advancement of religion.  This includes 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;
• Promotion of religious or political activity, including any flags and emblems that may deem to be associated with such;
• CIC Companies Limited by Shares, or CICs without an asset lock clause.  Eligible CICs must have at least three unrelated committee members, and/or the majority of the committee unrelated;
• Applications from individuals;
• Applications from statutory organisations;
• Salaried posts;
• Trips abroad;
• Vehicles;
• Activities that duplicate existing services;
• Retrospective funding;
• Substitution for statutory funding.

Please note: Applicants that currently hold a live grant under this programme: Please submit your monitoring and spend information for this grant as soon as possible as this will need to be submitted prior to payment of any new award, if your application is successful. 

*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 45%.

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