Denmark-based Ørsted has awarded seventeen local organisations from Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and North Norfolk, UK, with grants from the second round of its East Coast Community Fund.
As part of its community engagement programme, Ørsted launched the fund in December last year and will make available up to GBP 9.3 million to ensure that local people benefit from the operations of its 580MW Race Bank and 1.2GW Hornsea Project One offshore wind farms.
Each year, approximately GBP 390,000 will be available from the main fund to support a wide range of community and environmental projects, with an additional GBP 75,000 for a skills fund, designed to support a range of educational and training initiatives.
The 17 groups will each receive a share of the GBP 195,000 fund, to which the company committed every six months for the next 20 years.
Natasha Nanuck , Ørsted’s Stakeholder Advisor, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many worthwhile charities and organisations benefit from our East Coast Fund and look forward to seeing the positive impact they will have in the local community. As our operations on the East Coast increase, we’re very proud of the strong relationships we have in the community and this gives us a real opportunity to make a positive difference for the next 20 years.”
The fund, administered by national charity GrantScape, includes two application rounds each year, with the next closing on 21 February 2018.