RWE Renewable’s 1400MW Sofia offshore wind farm has launched a £150,000 fund that will be managed and distributed by Tees Valley Community Foundation (TVCF).
Power generated by Sofia, situated on the Dogger Bank of the north-east coast of the UK, will be brought to shore between Redcar and Marske-by-the-Sea in Teesside, with the wind farm’s new converter station near the village of Lazenby shortly due to start construction.
RWE said the Sofia team aims to provide a positive contribution to the community where it will be undertaking building works for the next four years, and has engaged TVCF to support this ambition.
TVCF CEO Hugh McGouran said: “We’re delighted to announce details of this fund, thanks to the generous support from Sofia Offshore Wind Farm.
“Grant applications are invited from any constituted groups working across the area of benefit, but there will be particular interest in applications that address local community issues such as social isolation or the effects of poverty, and projects that improve the environment or support sustainability.”
Although applicants do not have to be registered charities, all applicant groups must have an appropriate constitution or governing document, and demonstrate they comply with all relevant safeguarding requirements for the activity for which they are seeking funding.
TVCF’s mission is to empower local communities to address disadvantage and exclusion – it has distributed more than £35m to more than one million beneficiaries in the past 30 years.