Nineteen Projects Funded through Wind Farm Operator Ørsted’s East Coast Community Fund
19 organisations are celebrating the good news as they discover they have been awarded grants as part of the latest round of funding from Ørsted’s East Coast Community Fund.
The latest awards take the total number of projects supported to 181, with total funds awarded from the Community Fund and Skills Fund now standing at over £2.5 million since the fund launched in 2016.
The East Coast Community Fund is part of the community engagement programme for Ørsted’s Hornsea and Race Bank offshore wind farms. Each year, until 2037, approximately £390,000 will be available from the main fund to support a wide range of community and environmental projects.
An additional £75,000 per year is ring-fenced for a skills fund, designed to support a range of educational and training initiatives
The full list of organisations awarded grants in the latest round of the Community Benefit Fund are as follows:
- Crea Norfolk CIC, Kings Lynn – Recycling, Upcycling, Repairing and Modifying Wearable Textiles, £3,714
- Parish of Boston, Boston Foodbank Community Garden, £2,200
- Grimsby in Bloom, Community Garden, £12,000
- The Fitties CIC Humberston, Fitties Beach: Conservation Project, £11,470
- City Church (Great Grimsby & North East Lincolnshire), Little Gems Toddler Group, £5,000
- East Coast Elite, East Coast Elite 2023, £3,601
- The Curlew Centre Community Hub, Solar Panels with Battery Storage, Curlew Centre, Sutton Bridge, £38,000
- Skegness Town Bowling Club, Skegness Town Bowling Club – Replacement Mower, £4,727
- Ingleborough Care Farm CIC, Gardening Tools & Wheel – Barrows, £2,730
- Art Regeneration and Community Heritage Ltd, Creating a Warm and Welcoming Environment in our Community Café, £5,000
- Bells and Whistles Exercise Group, Picnic for the Parish, £1,000
- Skipsea Village Hall, Skipsea Play Park, £10,000
- Sutton Bridge Community Larder, Support Funding for Overheads at a Time of Increased Demand, £7,500
- Fosdyke playing field, Fosdyke Playing Field Upgrade and Repairs Social Club Refurbishment, £5,000
- Centre4, Centre4 Creatives, £23,377
- Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service, East Coast Volunteer Co-ordinator – Environmental, £30,527
- Hollym Village Hall, Hollym Village Hall Modernisation Project, £22,100
- MensCraft, Positive Activities – Kings Lynn, £19,353
- The Laceby Community Collective – The Pavilion of Possibilities – Making it Sound & Secure, £31,540
On receiving the good news, Caroline Carr, Director for The Fitties CIC, said: “Fantastic! Absolutely delighted that The Fitties CIC have been awarded funding for our Humberston Fitties Beach Conservation project. This project will see us running a range of environmental workshops connected to the coastal fauna and flora from our converted horsebox classroom. We’ll look at coastal sea birds, carry out cloud surveys and identify different saltmarsh plants all through practical outdoor activity to connect all with our beautiful coastline.”
Imran Nawaz, Senior Advisor & Community Benefit Fund Manager for Ørsted, said: ““In the last seven years we have seen so many fantastic projects benefit from the East Coast Community Fund. At Ørsted we’re committed to making a positive impact in the communities where we construct and operate our offshore wind farms and other projects. We’re excited to soon announce information on a new community benefit fund for our next large project, Hornsea 3 – watch this space.”
In total, over the twenty years, up to £9.3 million will be made available for community and environmental projects in coastal areas of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and North Norfolk.
There are two application rounds each year for groups to apply to, and the next closing date is 26 July 2023.
For full details about the Fund and how to apply, please click here
