17 organisations in the Holderness area of East Yorkshire are set to benefit from additional Community Support Funding associated with E.ON’s 219MW Humber Gateway offshore wind farm.
Following the successful allocation of GBP 100,000 to 20 local groups in 2015, an independent panel made up of local representatives has recommended that a further 17 organisations should receive GBP 100,000 as part of E.ON’s 2016 fund.
The Humber Gateway Community Support Fund was set-up for a two-year period to support small, sustainable community projects in parishes that border the wind farm and cable route between Easington and Preston.
In 2016, E.ON received 27 new applications with more than two thirds put forward by the independent panel set to receive varying amounts of financial support – ranging from GBP 480 to GBP 10,000 – for projects that will make a lasting and sustainable difference to local people.
Councillor David Tucker, East Riding of Yorkshire Council Ward Member for South East Holderness, and Chair of the Decision-making Committee, said: “The E.ON Community Support Fund is a fantastic initiative that has brought some excellent local projects to the fore. With this money, E.ON has been able to support 37 brilliant schemes that will make a tangible and lasting difference across our local communities. This is an excellent example of how by working together we can do more for the causes we all care about and what makes it even better is that the local community were able to choose the projects that they wanted to support.”
Initiatives supported range from a new defibrillator, community building improvements and enhancements to open parks, playing fields and other open spaces with local people from nursery school pupils to older residents benefitting directly from the fund, E.ON said.
The Community Support Fund is part of E.ON’s Humber Gateway GBP 2 million Benefit Fund launched in February 2015.