Wind Farm Offers £400,000 In Community Grants

The Rampion Community Benefit Fund 2023 is now open for applications from charities, community groups and not-for-profit organisations.

The grants are to fund projects benefiting local communities and supporting the environment and applicants are open until May 26.

In a new ‘Community Energy Solutions’ initiative, £100,000 per year for the next two years is offered in grants of up to £20,000 for capital projects to improve community and charity buildings with renewable energy solutions and energy conservation initiatives.  

Onsite renewable energy projects could involve solar PV for electricity or solar thermal, ground and air source for heating and hot water.  Energy conservation projects could include insulation, passive design to reduce heating and cooling requirements, and reused or recycled building materials.

“Through the Rampion Fund, we aim to help charities and community groups to reduce their energy bills long-term, encourage investment in renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions, and we encourage applications now,” said Kevin Richmond, Chief Executive of the Sussex Community Foundation.

Grants of up to £10,000 are also offered for community projects supporting nature conservation, marine ecology and environmental improvements. The Fund will open for another round of applications early in 2024.

Since the Rampion Fund at Sussex Community Foundation was set up in 2017, over £1.8 million has been given out in grants to 160 projects working for the benefit of more than a million local people in Sussex. The fund region stretches from Littlehampton Harbour in the west to Beachy Head in the east and up to the A272 near Twineham in the north.

“We are delighted that through the Rampion Community Benefit Fund, we can support some truly remarkable and vital local community projects,” said Katie Scanlan, Rampion Stakeholder & Visitor Centre Manager.

“I was lucky to visit one of the projects recently - ‘Harriett’s Press’ - and was inspired by their commitment to providing a free, low-energy, sustainable laundry service to those in need in their community in Brighton. This is exactly the sort of project we are proud to support, with a focus on both environmental sustainability and community support."

Details at: www.sussexgiving.org.uk/rampion. The deadline for the 2023 programme is Friday 26 May 2023.

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Some examples of projects supported by by the Rampion Community Benefit Fund:

Quiet Down There (Harriett’s Press project), Brighton

Harriett’s Press at the Open Market in Brighton offers free energy-efficient laundry facilities to the local community. The Rampion Community Benefit Fund enabled the group to purchase AAA rated washer and heat pump tumble drier for the project.

“These new machines enabled us to offer 50% more slots each week and we have bought high quality creative materials for people to use while they wait. Supporting people facing hygiene poverty the dignity of clean clothes through a difficult winter is our passion and our privilege,” said Lucy Jeffries, Director Quiet Down There.

Henfield Hall, Henfield, Horsham District

The installation of rooftop solar panels and an inverter at the Henfield Hall.

“We were pleased to become the first “public use” building in Henfield to achieve a solar installation, brought about by much hard work on our part but we are very cognizant that it would not have been achieved without the many generous grants we obtained, with that from the Rampion Community Benefit Fund being the biggest and the first which set us on the path to realising the project and for which we will always be grateful”, said Patrick Thorpe, Treasurer.

Creative Heart Littlehampton

 A vast solar array and three phase inverter and battery for the café.

“It is wonderful to be able to provide a safe, warm and inviting space for some very lonely and vulnerable people in our community. Thank you for providing the funds towards our solar energy generation system, which have really helped with our running costs, especially during this financial crisis,” said Claire Jones, Director.

Seaford Contemporary Illustrators and Printmakers, Seaford

The Fund also helped Seaford Contemporary Illustrators and Printmakers work with local people in Seaford to create an underwater arts installation called ‘Down in the Deep’ for the popular ArtWave Festival in the area. It focused on the ecosystem that is developing at the base of the Rampion Wind Farm, and the rocky inlets at the base of Seaford Head and the Sussex Kelp Forest, highlighting the importance of reducing CO2 levels and rebuilding marine habitats destroyed by trawlers.

“This project was such a powerful way to speak to the public about the incredible natural heritage we have in Sussex. It was a joy to create the marine life with the community, and experience such an amazing level of skill sharing. We loved exploring the corals with kids as they hunted for plastics and talking to them about how to protect their beautiful coastline.

"We were able to teach all generations about the amazing species we have in Sussex and how to be part of protecting them, about the artificial reef at Rampion and the amazing Kelp Restoration Projects. We felt this project was a huge success, and another incredible example of how art can help people learn about a huge variety of subjects in a creative and inclusive environment,” said Alice Carter, SCIP Co-founder

Memorial Hall, Patcham, East Sussex.

A new air source heat pump system to replace three aging gas heaters in the Memorial Hall in Patcham, East Sussex.

“Patcham Memorial Hall had three individual wall mounted gas fired heaters, on average they needed to be replaced, every seven to ten years costing £2,000 each. Annual gas safe inspections and maintenance added to operating costs.

"Installing a modern Air Source Heat Pump at a cost of around £15,000 resulted in lower energy costs, despite the gas price spike, 2022’s energy costs were comparable with 2020), users enjoyed a healthier environment and a cleaner hall with a reduced Hall carbon footprint,” said Hugh Woodhouse, Treasurer of The Memorial Hall, Patcham.