Read about the different projects that the Hill of Towie Wind Farm and Edintore Wind Farm Community Benefit Funds have awarded over the years.
Keith in Flower, Hill of Towie Wind Farm Community Benefit fund 2022
For several years, the volunteers of Keith in Flower had been providing planters, hanging baskets and window boxes to the town of Keith each summer. Supported by many local businesses with having baskets outside their shops. Up until recent years, the charity had paid for someone to water the plants due to lack of members. In 2022, they gained new members and volunteers to plant, water, maintain and remove the plants and needed to provide equipment to enable them to do so.
Their funding was to facilitate the watering and to aid the maintenance of the hanging baskets, planters and window boxes in the town.
Their project ‘Improving watering and maintenance project’ was awarded £12,746 by Hill of Towie Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund in November 2022.
Here is what Keith in Flower said about the success of their project. ‘The watering has now become much more enjoyable – due to the fact the task is no longer completed alone. We have one person to water, one person to watch traffic and manage the hose and a third to drive. This makes the task much safer too, due to the machine never being left unattended, especially since the engine must be left running to power the water pumps. We’ve had the equipment sign written, showing the main groups who use it. Some of the equipment has already started to be used for the setup of Keith Show, and this will increase in coming weeks. The response from the town has been very positive – the flowers are looking beautiful and since we’re spending less time watering, we can allow more time for the deadheading, weeding etc of our plants.’
Keith Community Council, Hill of Towie and Edintore Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund 2023
For a number of years, Keith Community Council has been sharing the old ‘green sheds’ at Seafield Park with Keith Show. The ‘sheds’ are regularly used as their community workshop as well as storage.
In December of 2023, they identified the need to carry out significant repairs to the building to ensure its future. With all groups using the building being voluntary run, they decided to apply for assistance from the Hill of Towie Community Benefit Fund in April 2023 for ‘Workshop and Store repair Phase 1 ‘ and the Edintore Community Benefit fund in August 2023 for ‘Phase 2’.
Phase 1 of the project was to replace the roofing timbers, clad with insulated profile sheeting and refurbish the original stone wall to the rear.
Phase 2 of the project was to replace the front of the building’s tin work, doors and timbers.
Our groups were delighted to hear Keith Community Council were successful in the application and were granted £17,700 to complete ‘Phase 1 ‘ of the project from the Hill of Towie fund in June. With their committee members involvement in Keith festival, Keith Show as well as other commitments in the summer, it was decided they would commence the project in the Autumn.
In late September, they were delighted to hear that their subcommittee Keith in Flower was successful in the application of £4,400 from the Edintore Community Benefit fund for phase 2 of the project.
They would like to send a huge thank you to the panel members of both community funds as well as RES and Koehler for supporting our project. Without this support, the building would have been left to ruin.
Loch Park, Hill of Towie Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund 2023
Loch Park were very grateful to receive funding through the Hill of Towie Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund grant in 2023. The funding allowed them to purchase a number of trees, bushes and shrubs, which their service users planted in their new sensory garden area. This project was a part of the regeneration of the scrub land on the Loch Park area of the Isla Way Walk in Drummuir.
Turning this land into a tree nursery and wildlife haven; with bug hotels, bee-attracting flowers, in which the local wildlife could thrive. This provided a calming space for their service users, by planting colourful and sweet-smelling flowers that are known to be ‘autism friendly’.
This project also benefited the ramblers that use the Isla Way Walk, and local community members that visit the centre.
The Bin Rangers Club, Edintore Wind Farm Community Fund 2022
The Bin Rangers Club received funding for their project, ‘Learning together in the forest & on the hill to enjoy the natural world’ in 2022.
The funding went towards equipment to use during activities and events. Leaflets and advertising costs were requested to promote the club and compasses & maps for orienteering.
‘I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank you for your organisation’s generous grant support given to the Bin Ranger Club. You have provided the club with resources which will help it to develop and grow itself over the coming years; by continuing it’s work to support young people in growing into confident individual’s through active engagement with the natural world in which they live.’
Keith and District Men’s Shed, Edintore Wind Farm Benefit Fund 2021
The Keith and District Men’s Shed (KDMS) was established in 2016 but faced delays in acquiring suitable premises due to various circumstances. The Covid pandemic significantly interrupted lease negotiations and obtaining the necessary permissions.
On February 15th, 2023, KDMS finally received the keys to the property at Seafield Park and began work on the main pavilion building.
In 2021, they applied to the Edintore Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund to finance Phase 2 of the construction of their Men’s Shed buildings. The funding would help prepare the site for five portable cabins to be positioned on their foundations, which were purchased in 2017 with assistance from the Edintore Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund. The funds would also cover the cost of clearing the site, digging out and pouring the foundations, and building foundations for the portacabins.
They were awarded £27,357.60 for their project in September 2021.
The KDMS wish to record their sincere and enduring thanks to Edintore Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund and individual contributors who have allowed the Men’s Shed to achieve so much since the project began. Without such financial support the establishment of a ‘Shed’ would remain an ambition rather than the reality it has now become.
The Loft Youth Project, Edintore Wind Farm Benefit Fund 2022
The Loft Youth Project was successful in 2022 with funding from the Edintore Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund for their ‘Winter Warmer’s Cooking’ project.
A total of 27 young people learned new cooking skills including making soups, stovies, curries, apple pies, pasta dishes, and more from scratch. They also learned important skills such as budgeting.
This project aimed to tackle food waste and teach the participants how to cook with whatever ingredients they have. Thanks to Edintore for providing the funding that made this project successful.
Keith & District Men’s Shed, Hill of Towie Wind Farm Community Fund 2021
In 2021, the Keith & District Men’s shed applied to Hill of Towie Community Fund to provide the funds for their project ‘Hobbies Room and Workshop.’
The KDMS asked for funding that would complete the ‘Main Construction Phase’ of their ongoing project. They needed funding for the roof, the cladding and painting of the cladding, the joinery work in the link corridor, workshop and hobbies rooms and the plumbing and drainage work.
They were awarded £42,722.31 to fund this essential phase of their ongoing project.
The KDMS wish to record their sincere and enduring thanks to Hill of Towie Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund and individual contributors who have allowed the Men’s Shed to achieve so much since the project began. Without such financial support the establishment of a ‘Shed’ would remain an ambition rather than the reality it has now become.
Keith Christmas Lights, Hill of Towie Wind Farm Benefit fund 2023
Keith Christmas Lights was awarded £26,433 from the Hill of Towie, for their project ‘Replacement of Mid Street Overhead Lights.’
Here is what the committee had to say about their project:
‘The response we had to the new lights was immense. People posted pictures on social media with hundreds commenting on posts, with comments like ‘Best display Scotland’ and the like. Townspeople have approached us in the streets, congratulating us on our display and all the work we put in. This praise, along with the visual difference we’ve made makes out volunteers time all worthwhile.
The Christmas Lights Committee and ‘parent group’ Keith Community Council would like to extend our thanks to RES and to the panel of volunteers who give up their time to make sure funding is distributed where best.’
