In the small village of Garthorpe, North Lincolnshire, the local hall has long been a cornerstone of community life.
Garthorpe Village Hall, a vibrant hub for the community, has undergone significant improvements in recent years, in part thanks to funding from local wind farms.
“The whole point of the village hall is to be a venue that’s affordable for other people in the village to use… We simply couldn’t afford as a small village to do some of the improvements we have done without the community funding.”
As a dedicated committee member who manages bookings and finances, Jiggy understands the village hall’s crucial role in the community. Affordability and convenience are both key factors in preventing residents from having to travel to larger, more distant towns for their events.
With the priority on keeping the village hall as affordable as possible, sourcing funding for improvements and local projects has been key – and that’s where community benefit funds from nearby wind power come in.
“Around this village, and indeed, round much of this part of Lincolnshire, there are a lot of wind farms, and it’s those wind farms which have generated a lot of community funding, which village halls like ours have been able to tap into.
With this funding, we can do bigger things. We can make step changes to the hall, and that, in turn, makes the hall more viable as a future resource for everyone in the village.”
Wind power isn’t always the first choice for local communities – something that Johnny, another member of the committee and long-term resident of Garthorpe, also understands.
“You get some picturesque places that don’t want wind farms dotted everywhere – we didn’t really want them here, if I’m perfectly honest!”
However, the significant financial benefits these onshore farms have brought to rural communities have enabled events and infrastructure that would otherwise be difficult to fund, and for Johnny, keeping community spirit alive has outweighed any initial concerns.
“We didn’t really want them here, if I’m perfectly honest. But those coming on our doorstep have helped the village a tremendous amount with the money they distribute. When we want to put a village event on, funding becomes available — and that largely wouldn’t happen without the benefits from the wind farms.”
“Going back 30-40 years, when a rural village like this wanted to put an event on, we had to raise a lot more funds ourselves, whereas today, there’s none of that, which makes life a lot easier. You’ve got to keep things going in the village, keep the village alive. You need these events where the village can turn out very important.”
Wind farms are now a familiar part of the landscape around Garthorpe – but their impact stretches far beyond the horizon.
For villages like this one, community funding ensures local spaces remain affordable, inclusive, and thriving. Garthorpe Village Hall is proof that renewable energy doesn’t just power homes; it powers community life.
If you’re looking to find funding opportunities from onshore wind and solar projects in your area, you can learn more about what’s available here.
Learn more about what’s on at Garthorpe Village Hall here.
