East Lammermuir Community Benefits'

East Lammermuir Community Benefits'

The Fund

Purpose of Fund
Who can apply and when
Applying for funding
Criteria
Funding structure
Meeting Minutes

ELCC administer the allocation of funding for local community projects from Fred Olsen Renewables, operators of the Crystal Rig wind farms. This currently amounts to £80,000 per year (from Crystal Rig 1 and 2).

East Lammermuir Community Benefit Fund Ltd and ELCB Trust administer funding from local renewable energy developments. At present this includes funding for local community projects from Fred Olsen Renewables, operators of the Crystal Rig wind farms, in the form of £57,000 from Crystal Rig 3, which will increase once Crystal Rig 4 is commissioned. These sums vary annually in line with the Retail Price Index over the 25 year life of the wind farm schemes.
Any unspent part of one year’s allocation is carried forward into the following year. A small proportion – about £12,000 each year – is currently ring fenced for small applications.

For further details on how this works see Benefit Funding Structure (click here)

Purpose of Fund

The Fund will focus on providing grants to community groups, voluntary organisations, charities, schools (for projects out-with the statutory responsibility of East Lothian Council) and social enterprises to support their activities within the East Lammermuir catchment area. Ideally, the Fund will support projects and infrastructure which promote the economic, social and/or environmental sustainability of the catchment area.

Discretionary consideration may also be given to other specific projects which may provide significant benefits to the residents of East Lammermuir.
Our aim in supporting applications is to encourage projects that make a significant difference and deliver a lasting legacy to the East Lammermuir communities of Innerwick, Oldhamstocks, Spott and Stenton and surrounding areas.

ELCC are keen to see the money shared as equally as possible among the four communities that make up the community council area. However, this will ultimately depend on the numbers of applications received from and the size of grants awarded to each of those areas.

Currently, there is potential to “roll up” years of funding together to allow larger schemes within communities, or for one community to access the fund disproportionately in a particular year and not at all or for very little for several subsequent years.


Who can apply and when?

Groups and organisations working to benefit the people or the environment in the East Lammermuir catchment area can apply for a grant. Whilst the funding will be primarily focussed within East Lammermuir, consideration may be given to specific projects out-with the immediate East Lammermuir area where this has a positive impact to the local community.

The process and criteria for selecting schemes will be transparent and will continue to be promoted and managed primarily through the ELCC website. Applications will be considered twice per year (typically May and November).


The standard application form can be downloaded from the website by clicking the button below. For those without computer access, a paper copy of the application form is available from ELCC councillors.

Applying for Funding

  • East Lammermuir Community Council administers the allocation of funding for local community projects from the operators of the Crystal Rig wind farms. Assessment Criteria, some of which are specified by Fred Olsen Renewables and East Lammermuir Community Benefit Trust and Fund Ltd, can be found by clicking the link above or under the ‘Windfarm Fund’ top menu on this site.
  • You can apply for funding at any time, simply by submitting a completed form online, or sending to treasurer@elcc.scot
  • All applications received will be considered twice per year in May and November at a private funding meeting.
  • Applications received between the 1st November and the 30th April will be considered at the May funding meeting.
  • Applications received between the 1st May and the 31st October will be considered at the November funding meeting.
  • As a further clarification, applications received between the 1st November and 31st December in the current calendar year would be considered at the May funding meeting of the following calendar year.
  • The links below will take you to some brief notes for applicants and an application form that all applicants are required to complete and submit.
  • For Online applications (preferred), please click the Online Application Form button to start your application.
  • For postal applications, please download, print and complete the pdf format windfarm application form.
  • If you have any problems or questions, please email treasurer@elcc.scot or contact any of the Community Council members.
Click here for the Online Application Form
Click here download the printable Form

CRITERIA

ELCC will review assessment funding criteria of the ELCC Community Benefit Fund intermittently, and at least once every five years, to make sure they continue to meet our aims and remain fit for purpose.A review was undertaken in April 2024.

The fund supports projects that:
  • Are sustainable and make a lasting difference
  • Provide, maintain or improve our village community buildings
  • Offer recreation and improved health and wellbeing
  • Contribute to the saving of lives *
  • Help to tackle child poverty
  • Promote inclusion and reduce inequality
  • Address social isolation and loneliness
  • Encourage innovation, skills, employment and improve rural business opportunities
  • Develop life skills and experiences, i.e. budgeting, cooking, literacy
  • Support preparation for work or training
  • Improve digital and mobile connectivity
  • Encourage self-reliance and schemes that involve communities working together, not simply buying in solutions
  • Bring everyone together and encourage cohesion between the different communities as well as within the communities themselves
  • Reflect the very different needs and profiles of the communities in East Lammermuir
  • Promote environmental sustainability
  • Involve start-up costs for new groups
  • Organise community events
  • Facilitate out of school activities
  • Deliver community food projects

*including Air Ambulance, Mountain Rescue, Local Lifeboat, First Responders

Proposals offering match funding will be encouraged and welcomed.

The fund does not support applications which:
  • Have no public benefit for residents of East Lammermuir
  • Adversely affect, or work against the interests of, the windfarm or the owner of the land on which the windfarm is constructed or the Company or any of its subsidiary or related companies
  • Adversely affect, or work directly or indirectly against, any form of renewable energy development
  • Are sectarian or political in nature or could create excessive divisiveness in the local community
  • Are the legal responsibility of any third party and in particular the local authority UNLESS prior approval has been given by Fred Olsen Renewables
  • Are for private gain or result in a private/individual profit being made
  • Are intended to make up for budget deficits elsewhere
  • Are for the repayment of loans or payment of debts
  • Are retrospective in nature (i.e. paying for costs incurred before the date that an application has been received or for projects that have already been completed, whether or not already paid for)
  • Include core revenue costs (wages, utilities, rents etc)
  • Are for work in buildings known to be threatened with closure or change of ownership
  • Only benefit one individual
  • Adversely affect the natural environment
  • Are for Sponsorship and/or fundraising events
  • Are for Travel costs for overseas trips

Benefit Funding Structure.

There are different legal agreements in place for the various windfarms and their extensions. These have been put in place at different points in time. The conditions of these contracts dictate that slightly different arrangements are required depending on the source of funding. For Crystal Rig I and II The money is held by Fred Olsen Renewables (FOR). For Crystal Rig III money is held by East Lammermuir Community Benefit Fund Ltd.

East Lammermuir Community Council works with and advises Fred Olsen Renewables Ltd with regard to project funding applications that meet required criteria. Fred Olsen Renewables Ltd authorise (where appropriate) funding from Crystal Rig I and Crystal Rig II windfarm funds. Final approval lies with Fred Olsen Renewables. Funds are held by Fred Olsen Renewables. Funding is distributed on behalf of Fred Olsen Renewables by ELCC.
Click here for the ELCC constitution.

East Lammermuir Community Benefit Trust (Registered SCIO: SC052845)
ELCB Trust suggests, administers and implements charitable works (according to definitions specified by OSCR) carried out in the East Lammemuir area specifically associated with Crystal Rig III funding allocated annually by Fred Olsen Renewables Ltd.

ELCBT and ELCBF Ltd provide a combined annual report detailing the allocation and use of funds to Fred Olsen Renewables Ltd.
For the ELCBT constitution click here

East Lammermuir Community Benefit Fund Ltd (Registered Company Limited by Guarantee: SC792584)

ELCB Fund Limited administers and implements funding carried out in the East Lammemuir area specifically associated with Crystal Rig III funding (and Crystal Rig IV in future). This is allocated annually by Fred Olsen Renewables Ltd. Final approval lies with the Directors/Board of East Lammermuir Community Benefit Fund Ltd. Funds are held by East Lammermuir Community Benefit Fund Ltd.

ELCBT and ELCBF Ltd provide a combined annual report detailing the allocation and use of funds to Fred Olsen Renewables Ltd.

For the ELCBF Memorandum of Association click here