£628k from Brockwell Energy to East Ayrshire projects

Lugar Boswell Thistle, the New Cumnock Development Trust and the 'Sticky Fingers' club in Auchinleck are among the groups which will receive a slice of the cash.

The 'community benefit' funding comes from Brockwell Energy's North Kyle wind farm project, with the cash overseen and distributed by the 9CC Group - a collective grouping of the nine community councils in the southern part of East Ayrshire.

The £628,000 is the first instalment of 'community benefit' funding from the Brockwell project, located near Dalmellington.

The wind farm itself is not yet up and running, making this the first time in Scotland that 'community benefit' funds have been paid out from a wind turbine development that still isn't operational.

The nine community councils which form the 9CC Group are New Cumnock; Cronberry, Lugar and Logan; Patna; Ochiltree and Skares; Drongan, Rankinston and Stair; Cumnock; Dalmellington, Netherthird and Auchinleck.

New Cumnock

The New Cumnock Development Trust received £23,235 to support the salary and costs of an additional FTE Activities Assistant, and contribute to travel, venue hire, overheads and equipment.

New Cumnock Bowling Club were awarded £20,000 to support the cost of replacing the locker/changing room roof.

Glenafton Athletic and Football Sporting Club and the Honeypot Childrens Charity received £12,780 and £15,300 respectively.

Cronberry, Lugar and Logan

Lugar Boswell Thistle FC were awarded £2,722.51 to fully cover the refurbishment costs for their hospitality suite, including tables and chairs.

Lugar Parish Church received £2,556.48, Logan Boxing Club received £2,400, C, L & L Community Council received £3,436.40, while Riverside Gardens Residents Association received £4,000.

Patna

Patna Community Council received £30,000 to purchase a new piece of play equipment for the already existing playpark, while Patna Extravaganza Group received £15,000 and Patna Action Group were awarded £4,000.

Ochiltree and Skares

Ochiltree Hub were awarded £19,000 to support the running and energy costs of their community facility which is used by local organisations and groups.

Additionally, MaidSafe Foundation received £10,000; Ochiltree Old Peoples Welfare received £4,120; Ochiltree Hub (2) received £2,661 and Ochiltree & Skares Action Group received £4,000.

Drongan, Rankinston and Stair

Drongan Grassroots Group received £28,762 to support the full first year costs for Drongan Out of School Care Project, which includes three part time staff, building lets (Drongan Community Centre) and additional equipment.

A second submission for Drongan Grassroots Group was awarded £15,230.

Drongan Primary Parent Council received £1,236 and D, R & S Community Council were awarded £2,000.

Cumnock

Yipworld were awarded £10,000 to support the project costs for The Bike Hoose Skills Shop, while Cumnock and District Leisure Group received £10,000 to support the salary of a new funding and development officer.

In addition, Cumnock Heritage Centre was awarded £5,000; Cumnock Juniors Community Enterprise received £11,950; Cumnock Community Council received £10,000; CAMPS received £4,500 and The Nest Wellbeing Group received £5,000.

Dalmellington

Dalmellington Parish Development Trust were given £15,605 towards DPDT operational costs.

The Zone Initiative were awarded £19,660 to create employment and training opportunities to local unemployed young people.

Dalmellington Community Association received £17,980.04; Dalmellington Bowling Club received £3,000 and Doon Valley Gazette were given £7,500.

Netherthird

Netherthird Community Action Training were granted £8,000 to part fund the salary of a landscape training officer.

Netherthird Initiative for Community Empowerment received £10,000.

Netherthird Community Development Group, Netherthird Youthy and Glaisnock Valley Bowling Club were awarded £5,000 each.

Additionally, the Netherthird PS & ECC Parent Council received £2,500 and Netherthird Community Council received £1,500.

Auchinleck

Auchinleck Community Development Initiative received £30,000 to support the salary costs for the manager of the community facility.

Sticky Fingers were awarded £14,988 to fund 10 Sessional Support Assistants and 10 weeks venue hire at The Boswell Centre to deliver Holiday Fun Clubs during the summer, Easter and autumn school holiday periods.

Auchinleck Community Council received £11,147.

Stephen McCarron, chief operating officer at 9CCG, said: "These funds will make a huge difference by delivering lasting local benefits and supporting their valuable work.

"It’s the biggest payout so far from the local community fund and is thanks to the generous £628,000 gift by Brockwell Energy to the 9CCG - the first-time wind farm developers in Scotland have provided community funded benefit for local projects ahead of a site starting operations.

“9CCG’s partnership with local communities and windfarm developers such as Brockwell, OnPath Energy and Invenergy aims to delivering lasting community benefit throughout the lifecycle of windfarm developments.

"It provides a game changing funding model for our local communities where we work collectively to ensure grants are distributed fairly and to the areas most impacted by developments and most in need.”

The Local Community Fund has aided 43 organisations, delivering £435,769.93 in this most recent funding round.

The Small Grant Scheme is also set to fund an additional 27 projects for bids under £1,000, with the winners to be announced later this week.

Alex Baird, chair of the 9CCG, said: "We received more than 80 requests amounting to more than £750k, which shows the clear community need for such funding, and we are delighted to have been able to support so many bids.

"The financial support from Brockwell, OnPath Energy and Invenergy for the 9CCG makes a positive difference to all our communities and to so many people."

Iain Cockburn, chief financial officer of Brockwell Energy, said: “We have welcomed the chance to work with the 9CCG and see the value in their coordination of the process to ensure the right long term legacy benefits are identified by the communities and delivered. The huge amount of funding at stake will make it increasingly important that funding dissemination is carefully coordinated to best serve those communities.”

The 9CCG has been set up by the nine communities to take control of, and coordinate, the dissemination of 'community benefit' cash that will arise from the cluster of wind farms being developed in the surrounding area.

In addition to Brockwell's North Kyle deverlopment, the other wind farms that are part of teh scheme, and the developers behind them, are Lethans (OnPath Energy Renewables); Pencloe (Invenergy); Greenburn (REG/ESB); Knockkippen 

There are six existing wind farm projects in the area, which are North Kyle Wind Farm (Brockwell Energy); Lethans (OnPath Energy Renewables); Pencloe Wind Farm (Invenergy); Greenburn Wind Farm (REG/ESB); Knockkippen (Naturalis); and Benbrack (Red Rock) Wind Farm.