KCBC today publishes an independent report reviewing the Kilgallioch Windfarm Community Benefit Fund.
The independent review was commissioned by the Board and conducted by the Rural Policy Centre at SRUC, Scotland’s Rural College. The report shows that local awareness of the fund is high – with the right funding priorities in place – while making recommendations on how to build on its firm foundations to further support future generations in the 27 communities it serves.
A total of 255 people responded to the survey, which found that:
- 90 per cent of people had heard of the Fund before completing the survey
- Just over 8 in 10 (81 per cent) of funded organisations surveyed said the Fund’s direct support ensured their project was sustained.
Respondents also highlighted their expectation that the fund’s long-term legacy will strengthen community-led projects and local facilities, while also supporting economic and social regeneration, increasing skills in communities while also reducing unemployment and poverty.
The report’s authors made a number of recommendations for further enhancing the fund’s impact. They included:
- Placing a particular focus on projects involving young people and ensuring that people know which funding they can apply for.
- To consider increasing the number of funding application windows and whether a “rapid response fund” would complement the current funding structures.
- If a point is reached when the four primary communities receiving a ring-fenced allocation of the fund have addressed their community’s priorities, consideration could be given to altering funding distribution to enhance the fund’s wider benefits.
- Consideration of a more ambitious and creative funding strategy, including other mechanisms of supporting communities.
Work on addressing many of the recommendations is underway, with volunteer Directors focusing on communications and promotion, refining fund distribution and fund governance.
“We are really encouraged by the positive findings of the Report which shows that communities already see significant impact and developing legacy delivered by the fund.”
“The recommendations are incredibly important in helping us build on our firm foundations and will influence how we shape our work in the years ahead to ensure that as many people as possible can benefit. They chime with much of the work we have underway to ensure we maximise the impact of the fund.”
“Delivering funding across 27 communities, we are proud of the part that the fund plays in unlocking work that’s critical to making them better and stronger.”
The full Kilgallioch Windfarm Community Development Benefit Fund review report can be read here.