Community Action Northumberland

Registered charity 1144604 · since 2011ca-north.org.uk·Brinkburn, Hesleyhurst, Hollinghill, Longhorsley, Netherwitton, Northumberland, Nunnykirk, Rothley·Updated 30 October 2026

At a glance

Open to applications

Fixed application deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

If your group is a constituted voluntary or community group, a parish council or a school in Brinkburn & Hesleyhurst, Longhorsley, Netherwitton, Nunnykirk or Rothley & Hollinghill, the Wingates Wind Farm Community Grants Scheme is worth a look.
Its grants will normally be in the range of £250 to £5,000, so a modest request fits, and the scheme considers both capital and revenue costs for education, culture, arts, science, sport, environmental protection, sustainable transport and community buildings.
Applications go to quarterly meetings with fixed deadlines, so check the listed dates and download the application form and guidance before you write.
Other kinds of organisation, and projects outside those five parishes, are not eligible for the Wingates scheme, so do not apply if either describes you.

Overview

Community Action Northumberland is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1144604).

Community Action Northumberland is a charity whose purpose is to promote all or any purposes for the benefit of the community in the County of Northumberland that may be deemed charitable by law. It was initially set up as the Community Council of Northumberland and works to promote a rural voice, empower rural communities and their organisations, and develop projects addressing individuals' needs. It administers the Wingates Wind Farm Community Fund, which is expected to provide grants of approximately £45,000 per annum for the local community throughout the life of the wind farm. So far, 139 grants totalling more than £311,000 have been awarded to a range of projects.

What they fund

Priority Areas

Community Action Northumberland works to promote a rural voice, empower rural communities and their organisations, and develop projects addressing individuals’ needs in Northumberland. Its organisational support includes governance, project development, fundraising, community-building management, training, consultancy and volunteer development. It also administers the Wingates Wind Farm Community Fund, through which constituted voluntary and community groups, parish councils and schools can seek grants for community-benefit projects in five named parishes. The scheme supports activities including education, culture, arts, science, sport, environmental protection, sustainable transport and improvements to community buildings; it considers both capital and revenue costs, with applications considered at quarterly meetings.

Themes

Education
Culture and arts
Science
Sport
Environmental protection
Sustainable transport
Community buildings

Geographic Focus

County of Northumberland; Brinkburn & Hesleyhurst; Longhorsley; Netherwitton; Nunnykirk; Rothley & Hollinghill.

What they don't fund

Wingates Wind Farm Community Grants Scheme only: applications from groups other than constituted voluntary and community groups, parish councils and schools; projects outside the parishes of Brinkburn & Hesleyhurst, Longhorsley, Netherwitton, Nunnykirk, Rothley & Hollinghill

How to apply

Download the application form and guidance to make an application.

Deadlines: Quarterly application deadlines are listed alongside the quarterly meetings.

Who can apply:

Wingates Wind Farm Community Grants Scheme: Constituted voluntary and community groups, parish councils and schools may apply.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

Projects should provide community benefit within one of the eligible parishes.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

Northumberland
Brinkburn
Hesleyhurst
Hollinghill
Longhorsley
Netherwitton
Nunnykirk
Rothley

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to Community Action Northumberland.

Community Foundation North EastMixed deadlinesGave £8.9M Point NorthMixed deadlinesGave £5.6M Northumberland Community ChestRollingGave £300k The W A Handley Charity TrustRollingGave £295k Hadrian TrustFixed deadlinesGave £226k Sir James Knott TrustRollingGave £3.2M The Greatham FoundationFixed deadlinesGave £93,531 The Squires FoundationRollingGave £244k R W Mann TrustRollingGave £225k The Rothley TrustFixed deadlinesGave £191k

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 March 2022	£516,140	£529,500	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2022
year to 31 March 2023	£731,777	£743,645	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2023
year to 31 March 2024	£893,304	£882,193	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2024
year to 31 March 2025	£991,803	£894,038	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2025
year to 31 March 2026	£886,463	£877,146	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2026

— No grants figure for those years.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.