Our community funds have been committed to supporting the communities that neighbour our renewable energy projects during the COVID 19 pandemic, helping them to meet the rapidly evolving challenges in these unprecedented times. Some of our community funds opened COVID 19 immediate response funds, others have prioritised COVID 19 related applications and now many are supporting projects that are helping in local communities to recover and re-build for the future or even opening COVID 19 recovery funds.
Their aim has been to respond to urgent requests for funding as well as supporting organisations already in receipt of grants by taking a flexible approach should their plans need to change a result of COVID 19.
Thanks to those measures we have seen these funds making a positive impact on the fight back against COVID-19 across the whole of the UK. From getting food and financial support to those who needed it most, to supporting community facilities and projects that have lost income and resources.
In early 2020 as the pandemic broke in the UK, hand sanitiser supplies were running dry and nobody was able to source this vital tool in the fight against COVID 19. £9,098.09 from Camster Wind Farm was donated to Ice and Fire Distillery to switch its normal operations during the coronavirus crisis to make World Health Organisation approved hand sanitiser. The sanitizer was distributed free to those who need it across Caithness, including public services such as doctors surgeries, local shops, District nurses, Macmillan nurses, care workers and train stations.
We were particularly proud to see these funds being used to aid the NHS as they led the fight against COVID 19 on the front line. £60,000 from our Brechfa Forest West Wind Farm went towards an innovative 3D printing project that supplied a local hospital with vital PPE supplies. Just as important was making sure that NHS staff were cared for. Which is why it was heart-warming to see A donation from our Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm contributed to an innovative private sector and social enterprise partnership project aimed to make sure NHS staff were cared. They provided 12,500 nutritious meals to frontline staff working at local ICU and A&E departments.
As communities start to plan to recover from this unprecedented time our Clocaenog Wind Farm has awarded the Clwydian Range Food and Drink Group £24,000 to fund a co-ordinator for 1 ½ years, whose role will be to assist businesses to recover from covid19 crisis. The funding will also be used to host food and drink events and to explore new ways of collaboration for local businesses including remote selling.
Some of our funds opened COVID 19 immediate response funds to meet urgent requests for funding: