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Welsh Trustees appointed to lead Bute Energy's £800m Community Benefit Fund

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We’re delighted to announce the appointment of an independent Board of Trustees to govern our new Community Benefit Fund for Wales, worth up to £20 million per year – totalling £800m over the lifetime of our energy parks. Following a comprehensive recruitment process, the board will oversee the fund as an independent charity developed by ourselves at Bute Energy, ensuring long-term, locally led investment in communities near our onshore wind energy parks. 

The fund will support local groups, charities and organisations – strengthening existing initiatives and enabling new ideas that reflect the priorities and aspirations of local people across Wales. 

Catherine Miller

Trustee

Catherine Miller

Trustee

“The voluntary sector has a key role in enabling inclusive participation, building local capacity and ensuring long-term social value. I look forward to contributing my experience in grant-making and sector development to help maximise the impact of this important initiative.”

Tom Jones

Trustee

Tom Jones

Trustee

“Rural communities deserve to benefit from their natural rural assets, including renewable energy schemes, in order that they can invest in short and long-term projects and activities that promote their economic, social and cultural wellbeing.”

Aled Lewis

Trustee

Aled Lewis

Trustee

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Community Benefit Fund Board of Trustees…It is a privilege to play a role in shaping this programme of investment that will deliver long-term and sustainable benefit to so many communities across Wales.”

Chris Johnes

Trustee

Chris Johnes

Trustee

“The new Community Benefit fund offers opportunities for sustained investment in communities around Bute Energy parks across generations to come. From my experience providing funding for community initiatives across Wales, this scheme offers an unprecedented opportunity to provide the kind of flexible long term funding that really makes a difference  to building sustainable communities.”

Catryn Newton, Director of Community Investment and Communications at Bute Energy joins the Board to represent as the Corporate Trustee. 

“I’m honoured to be representing the Corporate Trustee and to have the opportunity to share the insight from Bute Energy’s mapping of community needs with the four fantastic individuals appointed to the board. Collectively, we bring years of third sector experience and share a passion and desire to champion and adequately resource the incredible third sector in Wales, to design long-term solutions for some of the most complex social challenges they face.”

How will the Board work with Bute Energy?

The newly appointed Trustees bring exceptional experience from across the third sector, sport, farming and grant-making, with strong geographical representation.

The Trustees will be supported by robust community insight gathered through extensive local engagement led by our Community Investment team, alongside direction from local community grants panels to ensure funding reflects each area’s unique needs. 

“The calibre of applicants was exceptional, and we’re thrilled with our Trustee appointments. Each one brings a wealth of experience and shares our vision to use renewable energy to unlock the places, projects and ambitions for the futures of our communities.”

Martin Chown, CEO of Bute Energy

Who will benefit from the Community Benefit Fund?

If all our energy parks go ahead then the communities surrounding those parks will benefit from the grant funding. But Twyn Hywel Energy Park, located 2km north-west of Caerphilly, will be the first community to benefit from the fund, with local people already shaping long-term priorities alongside the new board.

 

Get to know the Board of Trustees

Want to know about the people who will oversee the Community Benefit Fund?

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