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Sancton Hill Wind Farm Community Fund

The Sancton Hill Wind Farm Community Fund currently receives an annual donation from the developer. Find out more about funding information for communities here.

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What is the Sancton Hill Wind Farm Community Fund?

The Sancton Hill Farm is owned by Equitix and managed by RES who make an annual donation of around £45,000 per year to a community fund.

The Sancton Hill Wind Farm Community Fund was set up to distribute this donation and the first grant payments were awarded in 2013 to support a wide range of projects of benefit to the local community.

For further information on Equitix or RES visit:

Equitix (external website)

RES Group (external website)

What is the area of benefit for the Fund?

The area of benefit of the fund is within a three-mile radius of Sancton Village which includes the parishes of Sancton, Newbald, South Cliffe, Goodmanham, Market Weighton and Hotham.

What type of activities will the Fund support?

The fund is designed to promote initiatives for public benefit within a defined area (the area of benefit). The following types of projects are eligible for help from the fund:

Educational Initiatives
Charitable initiatives
Community initiatives
Not-for-profit activities.

Who can make an application?

Applications are welcomed from community groups, community organisations, charities, parish councils, schools and faith-based groups. New groups or ideas for projects where a group does not currently exist can be considered. Applications cannot be accepted from individuals.

For further advice please contact the fund administrator:

Email: ruralfunding@eastriding.gov.uk

Are there any activities that cannot be funded?

The following activities cannot be supported by the fund:

Activities detrimental to the commercial operation of the wind farm
Political or religious campaigns
Statutory duties of the public body including the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Humberside Police, Fire and Rescue Services, the Coastguard, the Health Authority or Parish Council.

How can the Fund distribute money?

Payments from the fund will usually be made in the form of grants. Subject to appropriate governance measures as required, other forms of financial assistance (e.g commissioning, loans, donations) can be considered by the fund panel. For further details contact the fund administrator at:

Email: ruralfunding@eastriding.gov.uk

For information on other funding opportunities please visit Finding a grant.

How much money can be applied for?

Applications for over £600 (and up to a maximum value of £8,000) should be made online to the Main Fund.

Applications for up to £600 can be made to the Small Grants fund.

Please also see the answer to How do I submit an application for funding?

Will the Fund support 100 per cent of the project costs?

In certain circumstances, up to 100 per cent funding is available, however, projects that show their own contribution to costs will be viewed more favourably.

The contribution can be cash, donations, equipment loans, free use of land or buildings and/or volunteer time.

How is the Fund managed and who makes decisions about how it is spent?

Decisions on how the money is spent are made by a fund panel made up of representatives from the following organisations:

Sancton Parish Council
Newbald Parish Council
The Landowner or the Operator
East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council is the Accountable Body for the fund and provides the secretariat and administration service though the council's Programmes and Grant Management team.

What are the deadlines and timescales?

The Fund's timetable for 2026 is as follows:

Fund opens for applications from the Monday 3 August, 2026
Fund closes for applications on Friday 30 October.

Other dates for your diary:

Grant Decision Making meeting - Monday 30 November, 2026
Annual Review meeting and launch of 2026/27 Fund - Tuesday 7 July, 2026, 6pm at the Methodist Chapel in Sancton
Panel Review meeting - Monday 17 May, 2027.

Please email ruralfunding@eastriding.gov.uk for more information.

What is the outline process from start to finish?

Applications can either be made to the Main Fund or, for smaller amounts there is a small grant option.

Please note: applications for the small grant option the applicant completes an online application form and submits it electronically with supporting evidence (including a bank statement, constitution, accounts and a safeguarding policy). Find out more about submitting an application.

And in most cases this process should only take approximately 28 days from application to decision.

For applications to the Main Fund:

The applicant completes an online application form and submits it electronically with supporting evidence (including quotes, permissions, accounts and bank statements). These forms can be accessed using the link in the How do I submit an application for funding? answer below
The online system acknowledges receipt of application
The administrator carries out a technical appraisal (does the applicant have the ability and permissions to carry out the project, does the project meet the fund criteria, has all the necessary information been supplied?)
The application is sent to fund panel for scoring
The fund panel meet and make a decision (full award, part award or decline). Panel members are required at meetings to declare any interests that they have in particular applications and, where this is the case, take no part in decisions relating to that application (they leave the room whilst this application is discussed)
The administrator emails unsuccessful applicants stating decision and the reasons
The administrator sends an offer letter electronically to successful applicants offering funding and detailing how payments will be made and any conditions that may apply to the award
Successful applicants accept the offer by sending back a signed and scanned copy electronically via a link supplied by the administrator
Awards up to £8,000 are payable by invoice supplied on return of the signed offer letter. Please note: normal payment terms are 30 days
Successful applicants complete the project
Successful applicants submit an end of grant report (again electronically using a link supplied) plus supporting evidence along with any final invoice as appropriate
The administrator includes a report on the project in the fund's annual report. The annual report is a document that records the awards made during that year and profiles all the projects supported.

How do I submit an application for funding?

Applications for up to £600 should be made online within the Flexi-Grant system. To access this system visit the Flexi-Grant website:

Flexi-Grant System (external council website)

For main grant applications – select up to £10k form.

There are Guidance Notes to help you complete the form.

If you have any queries please contact the fund by email: ruralfunding@eastriding.gov.uk

For information on other funding opportunities please visit Finding a grant.