The Workspace Group Workspace Community Fund

Workspace Community Fund

The Workspace Community Fund allows Workspace to allocate a proportion of our surpluses each year to help finance projects within the local area. Since its launch the fund has allocated over £109,000 to 281 local community and voluntary projects.

The Workspace Community Fund provides financial assistance to voluntary and community groups that want to make a positive impact by improving the local area, promoting community involvement, enhancing the quality of life and wellbeing of local residents and addressing local needs.

The following groups have been selected to receive support from the Workspace Community Fund in 2019:

Ballinascreen Men’s Shed – towards equipment for the group to allow them to increase the number of men attending the shed and to help with other community projects
STEPS Mental Health – to fund vital counselling sessions locally
Draperstown Traders – towards the annual Busking Festival which takes place in Draperstown in August
Glasgowbury – towards their summer programme of activities for young people

Laurence O’Kane, Chairman (centre), pictured with representatives from Ballinascreen Men’s Shed, Glasgowbury, Draperstown Traders & STEPS Mental Health

For further information contact Shauna on 028 7962 8113 or shauna@theworkspacegroup.org

To view photos of groups who have received funding in the past please click here

Brackagh Quarry Wind Farm Community Fund

The Brackagh Quarry Wind Farm Community Fund is currently open for applications. The Fund which is managed by RES and administered by Workspace, offers grants of up to £2,000 to community and voluntary groups from within a four mile radius of the wind farm site. The Fund encourages applications from community projects which are for the benefit of residents of this area and can provide both capital and revenue grants.

Given the current unprecedented circumstances the fund will prioritise initiatives/groups that are directly supporting those in the community most at risk/adversely affected as a result of the coronavirus situation, and clearly evidence the need for support.

This includes but is not limited to:

Older people (aged over 50)
Those at increased risk, particularly in relation to poor physical and mental health and wellbeing
Vulnerable isolated people and families, particularly those living in rural areas,
Families where a parent/both parents have lost their employment or where children are living in poverty

The fund will support costs such as volunteer expenses and transport, providing the Group/project is focusing their attention on providing support to those in the categories above.

The main criteria used when assessing applications to the Fund will be:

The benefits of the project to the wider Draperstown Community – in particular to those most at risk/adversely affected as a result of the coronavirus situation
The need for the project is clearly evidenced
Additionality/likelihood of the project progressing without funding from the Wind Farm
The ability of the applicant/group to deliver the project
Value for money

Click on the links below to download the Fund Eligibility Criteria and Application Form:

The closing date for applications to the Brackagh Quarry Wind Farm Community Fund is 5pm on Tuesday 19th May 2020. For more information contact Shauna on 028 7962 8113 or email shauna@theworkspacegroup.org

Further Information:

RES, who asset manage the three turbine Brackagh Quarry Wind Farm, located in close proximity to Draperstown, has committed £25,000 per annum to the Draperstown area as part of its community benefit programme which offers financial support to the communities in which its wind farms are located.

£10,000 per annum will be distributed as grants through the Brackagh Quarry Wind Farm Community Fund with the remaining £15,000 per annum committed to assist in bringing the former Rural College/Derrynoid Centre site back into use for the benefit of the local Draperstown community.