Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone Community Fund
Empowering local communities to grow greener
RWE’s Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone is working with Norfolk Community Foundation to deliver an exciting funding opportunity to help build sustainable, resilient and “Future Bright” rural communities in Norfolk.
The first round of funding, the ‘Discovery Phase’, has now been delivered. This phase invested £100,000 in grassroots projects to explore key challenges identified by communities, ranging from transport and connectivity to community facilities, nature and gardens.
Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone will bring £15million of funding over its 25-year lifetime for communities across rural Norfolk to help create places where people want to live and thrive now and in the future.
Norfolk Community Foundation has been appointed as community investment steward for the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone Community Fund by RWE.
RWE is the leading power generator in the UK, and a leading renewables developer, generating enough power for around 12 million homes, with a diverse portfolio of wind, hydro, biomass and gas.
Once operational, RWE’s Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone is set to be among the world’s most significant generators of clean, sustainable electricity for millions of homes across the UK each year.
These projects will play a pivotal role in establishing and preserving East Anglia’s status as a leader in the UK’s renewable energy sector, placing the region at the forefront of our country’s shift towards a more sustainable, low-carbon economy. They are expected to create hundreds of jobs locally and will keep supporting local and regional skills development programmes.
Community-led funding
RWE and Norfolk Community Foundation believe that communities know best what they need. That’s why we’ve been working alongside local residents to shape the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone Community Fund, ensuring that funding goes to projects that will make a real difference.
To put communities in the driving seat, we created the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone Community Panel, made up of local people who understand their areas and the opportunities and challenges they face. Every step of the fund’s development has been guided by community input—from setting priorities to deciding how funding is distributed.
Now, after careful consideration, the panel has awarded its first round of grants as part of the Fund’s Discovery Phase. These grants support local projects that build on the strengths of Norfolk’s communities, from installing solar panels on village halls to improving energy efficiency for essential services and creating nature clubs for young people.
By giving residents a voice in decision-making, we’re ensuring that funding reaches the people and places that need it most. The panel will continue to shape the Fund’s future, using insights from this first phase to guide the next round of support.
We’re excited to see these first projects get started and look forward to building on this momentum.
“This marks the beginning of an incredible new chapter for Norfolk as we continue to empower local people and invest in causes that matter to them. Building on our 20 years of experience as a local funder and community partner, we are delighted to have been appointed stewards of this game-changing community investment opportunity from the forthcoming Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone.”
“For RWE this really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver a flexible fund that can support innovative projects that will not only aim to improve community wellbeing and environmental sustainability but also create lasting legacies that future generations across Norfolk can be proud of. Critically this is about local people being in the driving seat and helping to shape their own future.”