GrantRadar

Applications closed on 30 September 2026.

Many funders run the same grant every year, so check the funder’s site for a new round. The details below are what the funder published when it was open.

Cumbria Community Foundation

Beck Burn Wind Farm Community Fund

Grants of £1,000 to £20,000, which can run over several years, for volunteer-led and community groups within 10km of EDF Renewables' Beck Burn Wind Farm, which lies between Longtown in Cumbria and Gretna in Dumfries and Galloway. It funds charitable environmental, educational, sporting and community activity. Groups within 5km get priority; groups 5-10km away must show benefit to the 5km area. EDF pays £155,250 a year into the fund, which Cumbria Community Foundation administers.

Check the funder’s site

Open grants like this

Grants you can apply for now, for the same kind of work or place.

You could get
£1,000 – £20,000
Deadline
Closed
the deadline has passed
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Volunteer-led or community groups within a 10km radius of Beck Burn Wind Farm
  • Priority goes to groups within 5km; groups 5-10km away must show that their work benefits the 5km area
  • The radius crosses the England-Scotland border, taking in parishes in Cumbria (such as Arthuret/Longtown, Kirkandrews, Rockcliffe, Westlinton and Kirklinton) and community council areas in Dumfries and Galloway (such as Gretna and Rigg, Springfield and Gretna Green, Kirkpatrick Fleming, and Canonbie); check the area-of-benefit map
  • You do not need to be a registered charity, but the work must be legally charitable
  • Cumbria Community Foundation's general requirements apply
  • Voluntary groups, charities and CIOs need at least three unrelated committee members, a bank account in the group's name with two unrelated signatories, signed annual accounts (independently examined if income is over £25,000), charitable aims in the governing document, and Charity Commission registration if based in England or Wales with income over £5,000
  • CICs, social enterprises and other companies need at least three unrelated directors with equal voting rights (mostly unpaid), an asset lock, and full management accounts, and must meet trading-income tests (at least 30% of income from trading if under 5 years old, 50% if older, unless within the first two years)
  • Groups should hold no more than 12 months' running costs in unrestricted reserves
  • Large UK-wide charities are not normally funded

What it funds

Charitable community activities that are environmental, educational, sporting or community-related. Examples the fund would like to support:

  • Projects identified as needed by local communities and covering all age groups
  • Improvements to community facilities
  • Projects that promote health and wellbeing
  • Sports and recreation projects
  • Culture and heritage projects
  • Projects promoting environmental sustainability, biodiversity and habitat conservation
  • Projects involving energy conservation and more use of renewables

Awards can be for multiple years.

Cumbria Community Foundation's general rules also allow core costs and overheads, salaries, equipment and capital projects that meet the fund criteria.

A separate ringfenced part of the fund gives education and training grants to individuals over 16 in the named parish and community council areas.

What it will not fund

  • Activities contrary to the interests of EDF Energy Renewables or its subsidiaries
  • Activities likely to bring the Foundation, EDF Energy Renewables or its subsidiaries into disrepute
  • Anti-renewable energy or anti-windfarm activities
  • Individuals (except through the separate ringfenced education and training grants)
  • Businesses and personal profit
  • Deficit funding
  • Activities that are normally the responsibility of central or local government
  • Repeat requests for the same project, service, activity or costs within 12 months
  • More than one award from the same fund in a 12-month period
  • Projects that duplicate an existing service in the area
  • Research-related costs, including activity mainly to gather information, evidence or feedback
  • Retrospective funding (activities that have already started)
  • General large appeals, fundraisers, fundraising events and fundraising consultants
  • Animal welfare
  • Contact boxing
  • Medical equipment
  • Purchase of a vehicle
  • Beautification projects
  • Theatre production costs, unless donor-advised
  • Advancement of religion, including buildings solely for religious purposes, except where donor-advised
  • Party political activities
  • Gifts for participants
  • Youth trips and expeditions
  • Statutory bodies such as schools (PTAs and friends-of groups can apply)
  • Groups that have not returned a monitoring form from a previous grant

How to apply

  1. Check the area-of-benefit map to confirm you are within 10km of the wind farm (and whether you are within 5km)
  2. Read the application questions in advance (Word document on the fund page)
  3. Create an account on Cumbria Community Foundation's online applicant portal and complete the general group application form
  4. Upload the supporting documents requested in the form and submit by 30 September 2026 (Round 2)

If you cannot complete the online form, call 01900 825760 to ask for a paper copy.

The Foundation asks for applications at least three months before the project start date, because it cannot fund activity that has already started.

Previous grantees must have returned their end-of-grant monitoring reports, and groups with three or more successful applications in the last 12 months must speak to a Grants Officer before applying.

Have ready

  • Constitution or rules of the organisation (not needed for registered charities that give their charity number, exempt faith groups, or listed uniformed groups)
  • Most recent annual accounts (or an income and expenditure spreadsheet if running for less than a year)
  • Last month's bank statement for every account in the organisation's name
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures that meet the Foundation's standards
  • Two quotes for items to be bought (one if there is a unique supplier)
  • Job description or contract, if applicable
  • Digital photos of the project, if applicable
  • Evidence of planning permission or consent, if applicable

CICs must also supply Articles of Association, a community benefit statement, their CIC 34 report if available, and a business plan or evidence of how they will generate income.