East Kintyre

Local Information / Funding / East Kintyre Community Fund (EKCF)

East Kintyre Community Fund (EKCF)

The East Kintyre Community Fund is a charity with the purpose of distributing community funds from windfarms and other sources to community groups and organisations in East Kintyre.

The EKCF also manages the Abbeyfield Fund, available to provide ‘relief for those in need by reason of age’. Applications are made using the general application form.

Bursaries towards university and college courses, including those for apprenticeships, are available. Applications are made using the bursaries application form.

What we do

The EKCF, governed by Trustees, distributes funds, primarily from windfarms, to individuals or organisations within the area of East Kintyre for projects that fall within the purposes of:

the advancement of community development and sustainability (including rural regeneration), education, arts, heritage, culture, science, and environmental protection or improvement,
the provision or organisation of recreational facilities,
the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage.
The Charity Trustees will not normally support:

projects which do not meet the public benefit test as outlined in OSCR’s guidance document on these matters (download here),
projects that are to be expected to be undertaken by statutory bodies, such as local Council, Social Work, Police, Schools and Health Service,
grants sought retrospectively.

What we will fund

The Charity Trustees usually make grants of between £200 and £50,000. Grants can be up to 100% of the cost of a suitable proposal, but the Trustees will consider funding part of the cost of a such proposal where the total cost is shared with one or more other funders. They might also encourage applicants to seek matched or additional sources of funding for their proposal.

For a trial period, from January 2025, EKCF will also administer the community benefit funds that are provided by Octopus Investments from the Cour Windfarm. These funds, amounting to approximately £33,000 a year, will be disbursed as appropriate, although applications for larger projects may request assistance from Cour funds when their total funding request exceeds £50,000.

The Trustees manage, as part of the EKCF, the Abbeyfield Fund. Grants from this fund is for projects where the majority of those benefiting are 70 years of age or over. Applications for larger projects, with grants ranging between £250 and £5,000, are made using the normal EKCF form, and the Trustees will decide whether to use the main fund or the Abbeyfield Fund. For smaller projects, with grants less than £250, the EKCF can be contacted at any time through the year, and will likely not require a form to be completed.

The Fund can also assist with the costs associated with attending higher education, a college-based apprenticeship, or other vocational courses - all of which lead to a qualification. Funding will be available for two new awards each year, but the Trustees will respond according to demand. An award consists of £1,500 for each remaining year of the course; Trustees will also consider retrospective payments for a course already started, up to twelve months prior to the date of application. Applications are made using a dedicated application form, which only needs to be submitted once, though evidence of attendance will be required at the end of each year of an award.

Charity Trustees

Jennifer Conley - Chair
Alasdair Bennett - Treasurer
Russ Baum - Secretary
Ian Brodie
Shelagh Cameron
Audrey Willan

Application Process

Before making an application, please read the criteria guidance, linked below.

Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to engage with the EKCF at an early stage, and at any time, to discuss the Fund's potential role in any future project, particularly larger-scale proposals. Trustees are willing to offer informal, non‑binding advice on the extent to which the Fund may be able to assist, and on how a potentially viable application might be better aligned with the Fund’s expectations of a robust proposal.

To make an application, please complete the Word form, linked below, and send to info.ekcf@gmail.com, attaching all associated documents as files; these can be scanned images.

If you have any queries regarding the application form, or eligibility criteria, please contact the Secretary at info.ekcf@gmail.com.