Owing to a much needed management reorganisation, we have suspended assessing grant applications until further notice.
(1st June 2025)
The major source of our funds is from the solar farm at Chiddinglye. We have recently been reminded that our priority must be to support those projects where the applicant has insufficient funds themselves to complete them.
This is to ensure we help those projects most in need of our support.
During the period of Covid, we accumulated a sizeable Community Fund and, when we were able to restart our activities, we were more relaxed on this requirement, seeking to ensure our fund was being used rather than simply sitting in a bank account.
Please consider this key point before submitting an application.
Introduction
REPOWERBalcombe’s financial model makes provision for a Community Fund which ensures that the financial benefits of harnessing local, clean energy resources are primarily shared amongst local people.
The largest contribution to the fund comes annually from the 5MW solar farm in West Hoathly which REPOWERBalcombe was key in obtaining planning permission for in 2016, in partnership with the developer.
Our Community Fund allows us to pay for additional projects which benefit the community locally. We have funded extra PV panels and LED lighting at our school sites and paid for the installation of battery storage at Turners Hill School. REPOWERBalcombe has also assisted three foodbanks by donating energy efficient refrigeration units and given repurposed laptops to a Secondary School during the Covid pandemic.
If your organisation has a potential project which seeks to create or promote energy efficiency or the reduction of CO2 emissions, or supports sustainability in the community, it might qualify for a grant from REPOWERBalcombe’s Community Fund.
Community Fund grant – application criteria
Applications are invited which meet at least one of 3 core aims:
- Improving energy efficiency in your organisation or local area
- Contributing towards reducing carbon emissions in your organisation or local area
- Supporting sustainability in the local community
Applications are equally welcome for technical solutions or engagement initiatives, or a combination.
Applications should ideally be for projects or initiatives within a 5-mile radius of either West Hoathly or Balcombe, but we will occasionally consider projects outside this area.
Monies will be grant funded (rather than a loan), though applications which are able to demonstrate some additional funding is being put into the initiative will be considered favourably.
We are seeking bids from constituted organisations with community purposes seeking lump sums from £200 to £5,000.
Applications will be reviewed at each of the committee meetings during the year. Applications will not be determined at the AGM Board meeting.
Final decisions will be solely at the discretion of the committee. The committee reserves the right not to award any funding if, in its view, no applications are suitable.
These criteria are subject to change at the discretion of the committee. In particular, as the Community Fund grows, we hope to be able to extend the size/frequency of available funding.