Thornog Community Benefit Fund

Purpose of the fund:

This local community fund has been set up by Energia Renewables, working in close partnership with local groups from the areas surrounding the Thornog Wind Farm, which is located between Drumquin, Co Tyrone and Kesh, Co Fermanagh.

Energia has set up the fund to ensure that the wind farm, whilst having obvious environmental benefits, will also provide significant social and economic benefits to the local community.

Funding will be available to local community projects that are planned and run for the benefit of the local population and are within 10 miles of the windfarm (70% of the funds will be awarded to eligible groups based within a 6 mile radius of the windfarm).

Applicant organisations must be located within the 10-mile radius (*straight-line measurement).

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

Examples of projects that the fund might support:

• Local cultural projects recording and researching history
• Establishment of a “Men’s Shed” or other similar initiative
• Small capital works to a community facility
• Environmental awareness projects
• Activities supporting young people, the elderly, those with disabilities
• Community wide events
• Strategic projects that will benefit a number of communities, including partnership applications

Grants size:

Grants of up to £5,000.

In 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 in the application form.

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 Thornog 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.

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.

The Thornog Community Benefit Fund is available for local community projects within a 10 mile radius of the wind farm. Applicant organisations must be located in this area, (*straight-line measurement) from the windfarm site entrance (Co-ordinates: 54.59129, -7.62446).

In 2025 the success rate for applications to this fund was 91%.

Please read the following text before beginning your application:  

• You are a locally based not-for-profit, voluntary or community group working in Northern Ireland to improve the quality of life for local people
• You have an active management committee, with no two related cheque signatories
• You have a governing document, i.e. Constitution in the name of the applicant organisation
• You have a current bank account in the name of your organisation. If you are submitting a bank statement that is overdrawn, please provide an explanation.​ 
• You have up to date annual accounts
• You have complied with the conditions of previous grants including submission of monitoring returns.

Please note: The Community Foundation now uses a new Fundseeker Portal for all applications and monitoring. If this is your first time applying, or your first time accessing the portal, we recommend reading the ‘How to Apply’ guide before starting your application.

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