Community Fund

Right from the start, we committed to ensuring that our whole community would stand to benefit from the wind farm, not just investors. Part of this commitment is being delivered through the Hepburn Wind Community Fund. This fund is a key part of our community enterprise model and encompasses our local benefit-sharing programme, community grants and sponsorships.

Community Grants

Since 2011 we have funded 52 local projects with grants totalling over $102,730.

The Hepburn Wind Community Fund primarily makes grants to the community in the following ways:

Through an annual/biannual grants program.

Through consultation with the Community Fund administrator about renewable energy and/or community energy-focused projects for our Energy Fund.

We are grateful to our partner SmartyGrants for providing the software that helps us administer our grants.

All groups are advised to read the Community Fund Guidelines prior to applying.

Round VI of the Community Fund opens March 27 2018. Grant applicants may be eligible to receive a small grant from the $12,500 funding pool. In previous years, successful applicants have typically received grants around $2,000 dollars or less. We recommend that applicants consider this amount when applying.

For those who would like to apply, follow the link here: https://hepburnwind.smartygrants.com.au/VI

Please read the applicant Guidelines attached below to ensure your eligibility.

Enquire about Grants

Community Fund Grant Guidelines

Grant Guidelines for applicants

Energy Fund

Our ‘rolling’ fund for renewable energy projects remains open year-round.

The fund welcomes inquiries from community members keen to develop local renewable energy projects within Hepburn Shire and for portions of the Moorabool Shire, that provide opportunities for wide community participation.

Enquire about Energy Fund

Sponsorship

Hepburn Wind sponsors local institutions around the wind farm neighbourhood as well as local events.

If you would like to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please provide some information below.

Round V 2017

This year the Community Fund committee received eleven applications totalling almost $45,000 and selected seven projects to share in a total of $13,730.

The successful local projects are:

Tripwire Theatre Inc – Hollow
Daylesford Secondary College – Spark
Glenlyon Upper Loddon Landcare Group – What’s in Our Backyard at Glenlyon?
Cornish Hill Committee of Management – Safeguarding the Scascighini Puddler
Hepburn Wholefoods Collective – Storage and fit out materials
Trentham Food Hub Trentham Food Hub – Distribution Hub
Trentham Neighbourhood Centre Inc. – Trentham Food Co-op and Community Garden

Round IV 2015

Hepburn Wind’s Community Fund committee received eleven applications totalling almost $40,000 and selected eight projects to share in a total of $17,973.

The successful local projects are:

Daylesford Community Theatre Inc – Cinema Speakers
Clayspace Community Ceramics – Studio Equipment
Ballan District Health and Care Ballan Child Care – Sustainability and Educational Program
Wombat Forestcare – Arboreal Mammal Research Project in the Wombat Forest
Hepburn Community Radio – Hepburn Community Radio-internet Broadcasting
Daylesford Secondary College – Project Garlic
Melbourne Chamber Orchestra – Daylesford Chamber Music Weekend
Trentham Food Hub – Purchase of a Mobile Coolroom

Round III 2013

In June 2013, twenty applications totaling over $100,000 were assessed by the Community Fund committee. The volunteer committee had $40,000 to distribute this round and chose fourteen projects. Twelve projects are located within the Hepburn Shire and two projects in the Moorabool Shire, close to the wind farm in Leonards Hill.

The 2013 Community Fund recipients are:

Glenlyon Progress Association — Cycling for sound
Melbourne Chamber Orchestra Daylesford — Chamber Music Weekend Development
Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre — Community Solar, Heating and Energy Efficiency
Daylesford Riding for Disabled Centre Arena — seating and fencing
Ballan & District Kindergarten — Information Technology
Jubilee Lake Co-operative Ltd — Solar Street Lights Pilot Project
Creswick Neighbourhood Centre — Local Warming Project
Gordon Primary School — Sustaining Cultural Awareness
Franklinford Cemetery Trust — Public Seats
Hepburn Wildlife Shelter inc. — Hospital facility for injured wildlife
Daylesford & District Historical Society Inc. — Revealing our heritage Daylesford Community Theatre Reel to Real… Empowering Volunteers
Daylesford Dharma School — Eco-learning Hub
Trentham Sustainability Group — Trentham Renewable Energy Project

Round II 2012

Second round of the Hepburn Wind Community Fund
On 12 June 2012, Hepburn Wind was pleased to announce the recipients of round two of our Community Fund.

The volunteer committee assessed 19 applications for a total value of nearly $60,000 and selected 10 groups to share in the available total of $17,000.
Congratulations to the following groups:

Daylesford Girl Guides — Daylesford Guides mentor breakfast 2013
Clunes and District Kindergarten — Irrigation for outdoor playscape area
Moorabool Environment Group — MEG projector
Daylesford Secondary College — Cyber solutions
St Michael’s School Parents Association — Bush tucker and Indigenous garden
SHARE — Sustainable Futures: renewable energy pilot education program
Creswick Brass Band — New instrument fund low brass
Creswick Neighbourhood Centre — Growling grass frog & friends happy habitat
Daylesford and District Community Brass Band — New instrument fund
Hepburn Relocalisation Network — Workshops for resilient living

Round I 2011

The results from our first round were announced at our Launch Festival on 5 November 2011.
Vicki Horrigan, chair of the Fund committee had great pleasure in announcing the community based projects that received grants from the first round of funding, totaling $15,000:

Wombat Forestcare — Arboreal Mammal Research Project in Wombat State Forest
Daylesford Food Aid — Commercial freezer
Daylesford Football and Netball Club — Footballs and netballs
Trentham Kindergarten — Planter box
Hepburn Wholefoods Collective — Start up equipment
SHARE — Retrofitting project
Daylesford Secondary College — Waste education
Daylesford Lawn Tennis Club Club — Facility Development Plan
Bungal Arts Depot — Ballan community art project
Daylesford Men’s Shed — Welding unit
Creswick Soccer Club — BBQ
Leonards Hill Hall — Kitchen refurbishment
Clunes Playgroup — Outdoor play equipment

Testimonials

We created highly visible and accessible works by 17 local artists in 17 trading places in Ballan with a strong cross section of support from artists and community groups

Ballan Arts Project
The welding unit is an integral part of the metal work area. As anticipated the new welder provided benefits in that it enhanced capabilities of the shed members to assist with member and community projects and skills training of members who have not had access to equipment. Since taking possession of the unit the number of users capable/accredited to use the unit has increased from 4 to 10 and we anticipate this to increase as the new year brings on increased needs.

Daylesford Men's Shed
“Daddy come now, now daddy! Come see the vegetable patch, you can see all the vegetables and they are going super big. We are going to pick them next week and have on our table”, A quote from my daughter Montana upon a Kinder Pickup 7/12/2012. The project once completed met its objectives the Garden bed is now an often used as a teaching aid and demonstration piece.

Trentham Kindergarten
We now have over 50 members who support the collective, and volunteer to open the shop twice a week. We have supported regional food producers and also the local community. We have learnt that Hepburn Wind is a valuable Co-operative to the entire region and has supported some excellent community organizations achieve their dreams and support the broader population. Without the Hepburn Wind Grant, we would not have had the funds to start up our membership group and would not be at the state we are currently at. Thank you Hepburn Wind.

Hepburn Wholefoods Cooperative
Due to the generous assistance of the Hepburn Wind Community Fund, allowing the completion of the kitchen refurbishment. The committee feel that this is a great achievement and this has made a more user friendly and modern facility and hopefully lead to increased Hall Hire and community use.

Leonards Hill Hall Committee
Our new instruments have been well received by our band members, and we have gone on since to win the Victorian State Championship, so we must be playing them well!

Creswick Brass Band
It was an extremely satisfying experience for all of us be connected with a project of reclamation and beautification of a neglected, depleted area. We’re very much looking forward watching the wetlands develop and hopefully in time, the return of the elusive growling grass frog and remain extremely grateful for the support of Hepburn Wind which enabled completion of the project.

Creswick Neighbourhood House
With the grant we received from Hepburn Wind we were able to purchase all the equipment out lined in our application. By the beginning of term one 2012 the equipment was ready to be used and the children enjoyed being able to spend more time outside when the weather permitted.

Clunes Playgroup