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Advisors to the Margaret Williamson Trust are delighted that the amount of funds up for grabs to Congleton groups for sustainable and environmental projects has almost doubled thanks to a combined effort with the Dane Valley Community Energy (DVCE).  The team behind the Congleton Hydro scheme will join forces with the Margaret Williamson Trust advisory panel to distribute the interest on Margaret’s Endowment fund and the community element of funds raised through the sale of electricity generated on the River Dane.

Due to this additional funding, the closing date for the Margaret Williamson awards has been extended by two weeks (until the 14th April) to allow for more and larger environmental projects to come forward for funding consideration at the same time.

Margaret Williamson was a huge supporter of the Congleton Sustainability Group and an avid supporter of the idea of the Congleton community coming together to use the power of the Dane to create electricity. This project was being discussed before Margaret’s death in 2015. The Margaret Williamson Trust supports cultural, environmental and educational projects in Congleton. The funds generated by the Hydro Scheme will support environmental and sustainability projects in Congleton.

Two members of the Dane Valley Community Energy trust will join the Margaret Williamson panel to help assess and approve the funding applications. Applications will be open every February with grants distributed in April.

Jackie MacArthur, from Congleton Town Council, who is on the advisory panel said: “This is great news and effectively doubles the funds available to support local groups wanting to carry out projects in Congleton which benefit our environment or ensures better use of our surroundings. With this news, the panel dealing with Margaret’s fund has agreed to extend the current round of funding by two weeks until the 14th April to allow current applicants to review their applications and allow for more applications to come forward.”

Application forms can be downloaded from www.congletonpartnership.co.uk