Assessment Criteria

ELCC will review assessment funding criteria of the ELCC Community Benefit Fund intermittently, and at least once every five years, to make sure they continue to meet our aims and remain fit for purpose.
A review was undertaken in August 2021.

The fund supports projects that:

    • Are sustainable and make a lasting difference
    • Provide, maintain or improve our village community buildings
    • Offer recreation and improved health and wellbeing
    • Contribute to the saving of lives *
    • Help to tackle child poverty
    • Promote inclusion and reduce inequality
    • Address social isolation and loneliness
    • Encourage innovation, skills, employment and improve rural business opportunities
    • Develop life skills and experiences, i.e. budgeting, cooking, literacy
    • Support preparation for work or training
    • Improve digital and mobile connectivity
    • Encourage self-reliance and schemes that involve communities working together, not simply buying in solutions
    • Bring everyone together and encourage cohesion between the different communities as well as within the communities themselves
    • Reflect the very different needs and profiles of the communities in East Lammermuir
    • Promote environmental sustainability
    • Involve start-up costs for new groups
    • Organise community events
    • Facilitate out of school activities
    • Deliver community food projects

Proposals offering match funding will be encouraged and welcomed.

*including Air Ambulance, Mountain Rescue, Local Lifeboat, First Responders

The fund does not support applications which:

    • Adversely affect, or work against the interests of, the windfarm or the owner of the land on which the windfarm is constructed or the Company or any of its subsidiary or related companies
    • Adversely affect, or work – directly or indirectly – against, any form of renewable energy development
    • Are sectarian or political in nature or could create excessive divisiveness in the local community
    • Are the legal responsibility of any third party…and in particular the local authority UNLESS prior approval has been given by Fred Olsen Renewables
    • Are for private gain or result in a private/individual profit being made
    • Are intended to make up for budget deficits elsewhere
    • Are for the repayment of loans or payment of debts
    • Are retrospective in nature (i.e. paying for costs incurred before a decision on an application has been made/projects that have already been completed, whether or not already paid for)
    • Include core revenue costs (wages, utilities, rents etc)
    • Are for work in buildings known to be threatened with closure or change of ownership
    • Only benefit one individual
    • Adversely affect the natural environment
    • Are for Sponsorship and/or fundraising events
    • Are for Travel costs for overseas trips
    • Have no public benefit for residents of East Lammermuir