By Geoff Fisher 
Two local initiatives have benefitted from power generator RWE’s Norfolk Offshore Wind Farms Community Fund.
The latest round of funding has supported 18 projects across the county, including therapeutic outdoor experiences for bereaved children, music sessions for young people with additional needs, biodiversity improvements and community transport initiatives, demonstrating the breadth of local priorities being addressed.
In Elsing, funding has enabled the Woodlanders Nature Club to create a dedicated outdoor learning space for young people to learn practical woodland and conservation skills, including through woodland management, planting trees and creating items with natural materials.
The project has delivered a new workshop shed with a solid concrete base, alongside a covered outdoor working area and workbench, and new tools for woodwork and tree planting, allowing young people to take part in a wider range of hands-on activities throughout the year.
The new facility will mean that the club can expand its reach, support more young people and continue delivering benefits for years to come. View a film of the Elsing Woodlanders Nature Club HERE.
Field of Joy, based in Reepham, is a social smallholding that specialises in working with vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, including young people who are outside of mainstream education.
Set within a three-acre meadow, the project provides opportunities for people to connect with nature through activities such as growing food, caring for animals and environmental conservation.
The funding has enabled the organisation to continue its popular Teen Rangers and Sanctuary Garden groups for young people, while also launching a new intergenerational programme, bringing together different age groups to work on shared projects, including organic growing, tree planting, and wetland and waterway conservation.
So far, the funding has helped volunteers deliver over 64 sessions, working with more than 230 local people. View a film of the Field of Joy HERE.
“These projects are a great examples of how community-driven, locally managed support unlocks real and lasting change in the places that matter most,” said RWE.
In 2025, the company’s renewable energy projects invested £5.7 million into community funds across the UK, including nearly £1.5 million in England. In Norfolk, RWE’s offshore wind projects are expected to deliver approximately £15 million in community funding over their lifetime, supporting rural communities across the county.
The Norfolk Offshore Wind Farms Community Fund, delivered in partnership with Norfolk Community Foundation, provides long-term investment to communities connected to Vanguard West, East and Boreas offshore wind projects.
A key feature of the fund is its independent community panel, made up of local residents, who play a central role in shaping priorities and deciding how funding is allocated. A new short film exploring the role of the community panel and the importance of local decision-making is available HERE.
With onshore construction of the wind farms progressing, the fund is already supporting projects through its early Discovery Phase, designed to ensure funding responds directly to local needs and priorities while shaping how the programme develops in the years ahead.
See our earlier story:
Local projects receive grants from offshore wind zone community fund
Above: Elsing Woodlanders Nature Club. Photo: RWE