Spirit of Lanarkshire Wind Energy Cooperative (SOLWEC) Community Support
SOLWEC Community Fund aims to support communities in the vicinity of West Browncastle and Nutberry wind farms to pursue projects which reduce greenhouse gas emissions or improve the environment and benefit the people who live in the immediate vicinity of the windfarms.
The SOLWEC Board allocate a proportion of profits every year towards a Community Fund. We have expanded this fund to include funding organisations to carry out energy audits for community buildings and feasibility studies particularly for ideas which link to the aims of the fund. Up to £100,000 is available for this fund, of which £50,000 will be targeted at energy audits for community buildings and feasibility studies particularly for ideas which link to the aims of the fund.
For a copy of the community benefit criteria, please click here
For a copy of the community fund application form, please click here
For a word version of the community fund application form, please click here
The closing date for the next round of applications is 28th Feb 2023
In addition to the above, we are currently operating a Warm Welcome support scheme which offers funding to assist with the cost of heating community-owned buildings which are offering a warm space to people during the cost of living crisis.
For a copy of the Warm Spaces fund criteria, please click here
For a copy of the Warm Spaces fund application form, please click here
For a word version of the Warm Spaces fund application form, please click here
This fund does not have a fixed closing date and we aim to process applications as soon as possible.
Spirit of Lanarkshire
The Spirit of Lanarkshire Wind Energy Cooperative's Community Fund has helped a number of local organisations in recent years. The following grants were awarded in March 2023:
The Kilbryde Hospice - £20,000 for solar panels.
St Mary's for All SCIO, Hamilton - £15,000 for energy efficiency measures.
Healthy Valleys - £10,000 for solar panels on their active travel hub.
Community Links (S Lan) - £9250 for energy-saving appliances for low-income households.
Stonehouse Business Association - £6,000 for an energy efficiency advisor.
Climate Action Strathaven - £5,000 towards a project officer and running costs for their community fridge.
Darvel Area Regeneration Team - £5,000 towards resurfacing the Waterlip path.
Coalburn Miner's Welfare - £4,200 for an energy audit of their premises.
Newmilns Regeneration Association - £1,004 for a thermal imaging camera.
SOLWEC also made a special award of £65,000 in Oct 2022 to be split between East Kilbride Food Bank, Loaves and Fishes Foodbank, Clydesdale Foodbank and East Ayrshire Foodbank to allow them to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis.
The first awards from our Warm Spaces Support Scheme are:
Meikle Earnock Community Council - £3,500 for hot meals and snacks.
St Marys for All SCIO, Hamilton - £900 for heating costs.
Calderwood Baptist Church, East Kilbride - £1,500 for food and heating costs.
Newmilns Regeneration Association - £1,159 for food and activities.
Old Blantyre Parish Church - £3,500 for food and catering equipment.
Hamilton Churches Drop-In Centre - £7,500 for food, heating and laundry facilities.
Claremont Parish Church, East Kilbride - £1,685 for heating and wifi in their community cafe.
Healthy and Active in East Kilbride - £3,000 for food and heating.
Gilmour and Whitehill Parish Church, Hamilton - £5,000 for heating their community cafe.
Healthy Valleys - £8,000 for heating, staffing, venue hire and workshops.
Trinity Church, Hamilton - £2,400 for food, heating and equipment.
