Sussex Rampion fund helps more than one million people

Rampion Offshore Wind Farm’s Community Benefit Fund has granted £1.7 million to communities in Sussex since its conception five years ago - before the company opened the UK’s first offshore window off the coat of Brighton in 2018.

The £3.1 million scheme was set up to develop sustainability and environment-led projects in the county over ten years and has so far contributed to many ideas and current initiatives, including food banks and swim clubs.

The Rampion offshore windfarm. Picture: Darren Cool (Image: DCoolimages.com)

Kevin Richmond, chief executive of the Sussex Community Foundation which distributes the fund’s finances, said: “It has been wonderful to see the many creative projects that have come forward as a result of this fund, supporting local people in so many different ways, but with community and environment as their linchpin.

One group to benefit from the fund was the Saltdean Swim and Surf Club, which teaches people to respect the water around them, and provide them with a junior lifeguarding qualification.

The fund paid for pool hire a Saltdean Lido, necessary equipment, modifications for disability learners and 140 high visibility water safety kits.

“We are extremely grateful for the award from the benefit fund as it has enabled us to train local residents to deliver the courses, purchase equipment for the participants to use, as well as funding 20 per of places to our community,” said Matt Coyne, chairman of Saltdean Swim and Surf Club.

Katie Scanlan and Anthony O'Shaughnessy at the visitor centre

The fund also opened its information hub, the Rampion Visitor Centre, on Brighton Seafront, which “brings to life the story of human settlement, technological advancement and population growth, alongside climate change, and renewable energy”.

Applications for a grant from the fund will reopen in December 2022.