RED TILE WIND FARM TRUST FUND LTD.
These notes are intended to explain the criteria for the award of grants by the Company from the funds available from both the Red Tile Wind Farm Trust and Whittome Wind Trust.
1. About the Company
1.1 Red Tile Wind Farm Trust Fund Ltd. (referred to in these notes as ‘the Company’) has been formed to distribute money made available for distribution by wind farm operators in Warboys.
1.2 The funds are currently donated to the Company by the following wind farm operators –
EDF Energy in respect of a wind farm at Tick Fen, Warboys under a section 106 agreement between Fenland Windfarms Ltd. and Huntingdonshire District Council for a period of 25 years commencing in 2007. This is referred to in these notes as the ‘Red Tile Wind Farm Fund’.
Fenwind Ltd. in respect of a turbine at Tick Fen Farm, Puddock Road, Warboys by way of a voluntary agreement. This is referred to in these notes as the ‘Whittome Wind Trust’.
1.3 These notes are intended to provide background information on the funding available and to assist applications in the completion of the necessary application form. Please read the notes carefully as the omission of information requested may result in a delay in the consideration of an application.
1.4 The Company comprises Directors who are appointed by Huntingdonshire District Council, Chatteris and Ramsey Town Councils and Warboys Parish Council. They are all existing councillors of their respective authorities.
2. Allocation of Funds
Red Tile Wind Farm Fund
2.1 Under the terms of the section 106 agreement and the objectives of the Company, funds will be allocated only for the purposes of promoting:
(a) renewable and efficient energy; and
(b) projects that conserve or improve the environment.
2.2 In determining applications, the Company will give preference to the following criteria:
(a) projects within Warboys and the surrounding parishes (Ramsey, Bury, Wistow, Broughton, Old Hurst, Pidley-cum-Fenton, Somersham and Chatteris); and
(b) projects with the most significant contribution to greenhouse gas emission reductions and/or environmental conservation enhancement.
2.3 When funds are allocated by the Company to a project that relates to a number of beneficiaries, those within Warboys and the surrounding parishes shall be given priority in receiving the benefit.
Whittome Wind Trust
2.4 Under the terms of the agreement with Fenwind Ltd, and the objectives of the Company, funds will be allocated only for the purposes of promoting facilities and opportunities for the local community to engage in any type of sporting or active pursuit or any activity that promotes a healthy lifestyle.
2.5 Projects must be located within the parishes of Warboys and Ramsey but preference will be given to projects within Warboys.
2.6 A decision to award funds to a project shall be subject to the approval of Fenwind Ltd or its representative but such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.
2.7 Grants allocated by the Company under either fund shall not be used to offset expenditure that is a statutory duty of local government or government departments or expenditure by large land owners. This does not preclude applications from town or parish councils within the areas defined.
3. How to make an application
3.1 If applying for funding, you will be required to complete an application form, obtainable from the Secretary (whose contact details are shown below) and to include as much detail as possible to enable your application to be considered by the Company. You should complete as many of the boxes in the application form as you are able. You should not apply for grant after your project has commenced or expenditure has been incurred.
3.2 You will need to show how the project meets the objectives of the Company as failure to do so will mean that your application is rejected. You should give details of the amount of money sought from the Company and the allocation of funding from your own resources to the project. You will need to attach a copy of your most recent accounts with your application.
3.3 Details should be given of all other organisations to which you have applied for funding, the anticipated date when those applications will be considered and the amount of funding for which you have applied. Partnership projects will be particularly welcome, although care should be taken to ensure that only one of the partners applies for funding. Priority will normally be given in the award of funding to those projects which attract financial support from elsewhere, particularly from your own fund-raising efforts.
3.4 Funding will not normally be made available for revenue expenditure, e.g. the payment of salaries or rent or energy charges for the use of premises nor for general repair and maintenance of buildings or equipment, although exceptions may be made for projects that can be shown to have community benefit.
4. How much funding can be sought?
4.1 The Company has not set a maximum limit on the level of funding that may be awarded to a specific project and wishes to assist as many organisations as possible within the resources available to it. However, grants in excess of 15,000 in respect of the Red Tile Wind Farm Fund and £10,000 in respect of Whittome Wind Trust are likely to be offered only in exceptional cases.
5. When decisions will be made
5.1 Funds are expected to be allocated by the Company on three occasions each year at its meetings in January, June and September. The dates of meetings are obtainable from the Secretary. You should ensure that your application reaches the Secretary no less than two weeks before the date of the meeting at which you wish it to be considered. Meetings of the Company are not open to the public but you may be invited to attend to explain your project in more detail. Funding can be by way of grants or, in exceptional circumstances, loans and you should indicate in your application if you are seeking a loan rather than a grant.
5.2 Canvassing of the Directors of the Company should not take place.
5.3 Once approved, grants will be paid to a successful applicant on the supply to the Company of an invoice or receipt for payment made in connection with the project. A grant may be made available in staged payments depending upon the nature of the project to be supported.
5.4 In calculating the amount of grant offered, the Company will have regard as to whether an applicant can reclaim any VAT incurred in project expenditure from HMRC. Where VAT can be reclaimed, for example in the case of town and parish councils or a registered charity for the purchase of certain goods or supplies, the grant offered will be net of VAT. For those applicants unable to reclaim VAT, this element of the project cost may be included in the grant offered. Applicants are requested to make clear in their application whether VAT can be recovered in respect of the project costs.
5.5 Applicants are requested to demonstrate that they have obtained competitive quotations for the projects for which grant is sought. Evidence of three quotations must accompany an application or an explanation provided as to why this has not been possible.
5.6 The level of grant awarded to a successful applicant will not normally exceed 50% of the eligible project costs and will reflect whether any VAT incurred is recoverable.
5.7 Grants will normally be limited to organisations such as clubs, societies, charities and town and parish councils. Grants will only be made available to religious establishments or organisations if the project has a wider community benefit. Grants will not be made to individuals nor in respect of commercial enterprises and domestic properties.
5.8 Projects that are supported will be expected to acknowledge that they have been assisted financially by the Company in some tangible way, for example by displaying a small plaque in an appropriate location or by including a reference to the support received in any publicity material relating to the project. Recipients are also requested to notify the Company once any scheme or project that has been assisted has been completed or if it is not expected to be completed, the reason why such circumstance has occurred.
5.9 In order to assess the success of projects supported by the Company, recipients will be required to supply the Company with a brief report one year after the receipt of grant, indicating whether the project has met its objectives and what has been achieved. It would also be helpful if recipients could supply one or more photographs of the project with their feedback report. Directors of the Company would welcome an opportunity to visit projects that have been assisted to evaluate their performance.
6. The submission of applications
6.1 Once completed, an application should be submitted to the Company Secretary by post to:
Roy Reeves,
2 Blenheim Close,
Warboys.
Huntingdon.
Cambs.
PE28 2XF.
or by e-mail to: roy.reeves@hotmail.com
6.2 If you would like to obtain any further information, please contact the Secretary on 01487 823562.