Gala Day Future is Bright!

Douglas Gala Day Committee has secured funding for the next three years thanks to an award of over £10K from Ventient Energy’s Galawhistle Wind Farm Fund.

The group is one of several local organisations benefiting from the latest round of awards from the fund.

Douglas Gala Day is a long-standing community event, celebrating village life and bringing people together.  The committee organise a range of activities in the week leading up to the day, as well as the actual day.  In previous year, families have had to pay for each activity, which was prohibitive for many. The grant will enable the committee to provide more attractions at a more affordable cost for families.

David Weir Chair, of the Douglas Gala Day Committee said, “We would like to express our delight having received a three-year grant.  This will benefit the Gala day three ways  – stabilise the long standing tradition of our gala and to help make our gala better for the villagers of Douglas and the outlying areas; enable us to provide more attractions at our main event, with the grant we will be ensuring a lower cost to the local community, so both adults and children can have a fun day; with funding we are trying to establish a community pageant and we can help the community so all feel welcome to participate in all activities.”

Scott Mackenzie, CEO of Ventient Energy said, “We are delighted that the fund is making a real difference to the communities neighbouring our wind farms and helping to bring communities together. We take a lot of pride in supporting community initiatives through the active involvement of local residents and look forward to hearing about many more exciting projects to benefit the local area.”

Other groups to benefit in this latest round of funding include: Douglasdale Folk Festival Association; Coalburn Homing Club; Coalburn Silver Band; Coalburn Miners Welfare Charitable Society and Douglas Victoria Bowling Club. The awards made totalled £42,790.

The Ventient Energy Galawhistle Wind Farm Fund is administered by grant-making charity Foundation Scotland, with decisions on awards made by a panel of local people drawn from the communities of Coalburn, Douglas and Glespin.

The fund is provided by Ventient Energy, the owner of the Galawhistle Wind Farm.  Ventient Energy will provide a minimum £120,000 per annum over the lifetime of the wind farm.

For further information please contact Jacqui Morris, Foundation Scotland Tel: 0141 341 4963

 

Foundation Scotland distributes funds for over 250 individuals, families, charitable trusts, companies and public bodies.  Our in-depth knowledge of the charitable and community sectors ensures that funding has the greatest value.

Foundation Scotland works with communities and developers, administering over £3M in community benefit payments annually mainly linked to commercially owned and operated onshore wind farms.  The Foundation works with over 145 communities and a wide range of developers, supporting the set-up and on-going activities of over 50 community funds across Scotland.

The Foundation favours a long-term view, promotes and harnesses community strengths and supports decision making processes that are inclusive, accountable and community-led.