Strengthening the resilience, sustainability and wellbeing of Colonsay and Oronsay by supporting community-benefit projects and offering emergency financial help to individuals in need.
© Colonsay & Oronsay Community Fund. All rights reserved.
About
The fund was established in 2017 with funding from MOWI Fish Farm, to assist the island in improving the community’s resilience and wellbeing. MOWI makes an annual contribution of £19,000 to the fund for the benefit of the islanders, for which we thank them.Applications are welcome from all community members for funding to support projects that will benefit the community on Colonsay and Oronsay. There is also an Emergency Fund for community members in need. For more information on how to apply for either type of funding, click here.The Colonsay Community Council (CCC) holds the money in trust and works with the fund administrator to provide grants to the community. Any money unspent rolls over into the next year.For more information, follow the links below:
Apply
There are two ways you can apply to the fund.Looking for funding for a specific project, activity or initiative that will benefit the community?
Apply for project funding. This is open to both organisations and individuals based on Colonsay & Oronsay. Click the button below to find out more and apply.
Looking for financial assistance if you are struggling?
Apply to the Emergency Fund. This is for personal (non-organisation) use only. Click the button below to find out more and apply.
Guiding Principles for Project Funding
The mission of the fund is to offer financial assistance to local projects which will increase the resilience, sustainability and well-being of the community of Colonsay and Oronsay.We follow these four guiding principles:1. Projects should support the community by enhancing its resilience, sustainability, and the wellbeing of its members.2. Community benefit can take many forms. Panel members are encouraged to interpret ‘benefit’ broadly, considering both tangible and intangible ways a project may improve life on Colonsay and Oronsay, whether the outcome is direct or indirect.3. Community and individual benefit are connected. Projects that support individuals can also strengthen the wider community. Panel members will not dismiss applications simply because they may also bring personal gain—benefit to one is benefit to all. This is particularly the case for short applications requesting an amount £1,000 and under. Generally speaking though, the bigger the grant, the bigger the community impact will need to be.4. Experience matters. Panel members bring their knowledge of island life and community to the decision-making process. This insight is invaluable in assessing potential impact.
Projects we've supported
A selection of projects we've awarded funding to, to give an idea of the breadth of support the fund provides each year.2025• Emergency care course £970
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Course to assist in providing care to anyone facing a health emergency on the island.• Defibrillator housing: £564
A heated cabinet to house the defibrillator in to ensure it maintains a safe operating temperature and functions reliably in cold conditions.• Fuel pump: £15,000
Funding for CCDC to replace the community fuel pump, which is a vital asset for Colonsay & Oronsay.• Riasg Buidhe Cross: £1,600
Initial feasibility phase for a larger project to assess conservation options for the cross, investigate the origins of the stones, consider long-term housing, and enhance community engagement.• Training courses for community members:
Training for individuals in oil and gas certification (£2,316), chainsaw use (£960), and rodenticide safety (£180), to help fill skills gaps on the islands and ensure we can be more self-sufficient as a community.
Current balance
The current fund balance is £19,199 as of Wednesday 22nd April 2026.
Annual accounts
1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025Balance brought forward: £28,561.16
| Income | Amount |
|---|---|
| MOWI annual grant | £14,000 |
| Other sources of income | £784.74 |
| TOTAL | £14,784.74 |
| Expenditure | Amount |
|---|---|
| 7 Short application grants | £4,750.00 |
| 3 Long application grants | £16,500.00 |
| 2 Emergency fund grants | £560.00 |
| COCF admin & website | £243.94 |
| Other costs | £571.00 |
| TOTAL | £22,624.94 |
Deficit (expenditure minus income): -£7,840.20
Fund balance as at last accounting period: £20,720.96
How the process works
Click the buttons below to find out how each route to project funding works.
How the process works
Short applications (£1,000 or under)1. You complete the short application form and send it to the administrator.2. The administrator checks the application to ensure the form is complete, requesting more details from you if needed.3. The administrator passes the application onto the chair of the Colonsay Community Council (CCC).4. The Chair will present the application to the Board for consideration. A decision will normally be made within one week of receipt, provided the application is straightforward and no additional information is required from the applicant.5. If successful, the administrator informs the treasurer, who makes the payment directly to you. If not successful you will be informed by either the administrator or the chair.
How the process works
Long applications (over £1,000)This process is longer and more complex than the short application route, to enable due diligence when drawing larger amounts of money from the fund.1. You complete the long application form and send it to the administrator.2. The administrator checks the application to ensure the form is complete, requesting more details from you if needed.3. The administrator convenes a panel of five community members. The panel are selected to represent a cross section of the wider community and its interests. Note that convening the panel may take time, and usual practice is to wait until there are two long applications before the panel meets.4. You are usually invited to attend the panel meeting, in person or virtually. This is not mandatory but it is a chance for the panel to ask any questions they may have about your project.5. The panel, acting as a subcommittee of Colonsay Community Council (CCC), and yourself if you have chosen to attend, meet to consider your application. The meeting is chaired by a member of the CCC. The panel then deliberate in private, deciding whether or not to approve the application.6. If approved, the administrator notifies the treasurer who makes the payment directly to you. If the application is not approved, you will be informed and given the reason(s) why.
Project funding: advice to applicants
Eligibility
• Any Colonsay & Oronsay community member or organisation is eligible to apply.• Applicants must be aged 18 or over.• All applications are judged in the same way, and all must show clear community benefit.• There are no limits on how often you can apply for project funding, because the panel assesses each application on its own merits. However please be mindful that we aim to share the fund fairly across the community.• Routine running costs are not usually eligible for funding unless they are part of a clear development or growth plan.
Funding amount
• Applications can be for any amount — large or small. However, please remember that the annual contribution from MOWI is around £19,000; this needs to support a range of community projects throughout the year. You can check the current fund balance here.• For smaller grants (those under £1,000), the applicants' personal benefit can sometimes be greater than community benefit — and that's ok. Ultimately, the fund recognises that strengthening individuals strengthens the community as a whole.• Generally speaking, the bigger the grant, the bigger the community impact will need to be. A large grant will only be awarded if the benefit to the community justifies the amount requested.
Writing your application
• Every application must show how the project meets a local need or benefits residents. Our Guiding Principles can help you understand what “community benefit” means.• Highlight direct and indirect benefits. Sometimes community benefit is obvious; other times it may be indirect or reach only part of the community. The panel will consider all types of benefit, so please highlight any positive impacts your project may have.• Please give enough detail in your application so the panel can clearly understand your project and how it will help Colonsay & Oronsay.• Please present the financial details of your application clearly, so the council/panel can easily see the total funding requested, the breakdown of project costs, and any match funding applied for or already received.• Don’t be afraid to be enthusiastic — we want to see your confidence and excitement. If the Panel needs more information, they may come back with questions. If you’re unsure where to start, you can download example application forms here.• We encourage applicants to seek other sources of funding where possible, such as government or charity grants. The fund can be used to complement or match that funding. If you have sought other funding, whether successfully or unsuccessfully, please mention that in your application.
Post-application
• Successful applications may be funded subject to certain conditions, for example, reporting back on the success of the project.• We will ask all successful applicants to complete a feedback form, which will ask questions about how your project progressed and provide data that we can use to assess the effectiveness and importance of the fund. We may use the data collected from feedback forms for reporting purposes, in an aggregated format.• If an applicant leaves the island within one year of receiving an award, the applicant may be asked to repay part or all of the award, and any physical equipment funded by the grant should, where possible, remain on the island for the benefit of the community.• You may withdraw your application at any stage of the process, by emailing the administrator here.
Project funding
Information for applicantsBefore you apply, please ensure you have read the three information pages linked to below.
ApplyReady to apply? Great! Click one of the links below to get started.
Short applicationFor funding of £1,000 and under
Download the application formBelow you can click the links to download the short form, complete it in Word, or print it and complete it by hand. You can either email your completed form to [email protected], or hand it to Kate Ives.
Apply onlineYou can also complete the short form online, by clicking the link below. This opens the short form in Google Forms, and once you submit the form it is sent to the fund administrator.
If you are having any trouble, or would like a printed copy of the form to complete, please contact the administrator here for help.
Long applicationFor funding over £1,000
Download the application formBelow you can click the links to download the long form, complete it in Word, or print it and complete it by hand. You can either email your completed form to [email protected], or hand it to Kate Ives.
Apply onlineYou can also complete the long form online, by clicking the link below. This opens the short form in Google Forms.
If you are having any trouble, or would like a printed copy of the form to complete, please contact the administrator here for help.
Emergency Fund
Information for applicantsThe Emergency Fund is available to any community member in need. It is not for use by organisations. Around 20% of the community fund is allocated for Emergency Fund use. Please ensure you have read the information for applicants before applying - click the button below:
Ready to apply?Please click the button below to apply online, or if you prefer, email [email protected]
Emergency Fund - Information for applicants
Eligibility
• This fund is open to anyone who lives on the islands of Colonsay and Oronsay.• Applicants must be aged 18 or over.• You can apply to the fund more than once, but we would not normally approve another application within 12 months of you having received an Emergency Fund grant from us. This helps us share funding fairly across the community. We may consider a further application in exceptional circumstances, and we are likely to ask for more information in such cases.
Funding amount
• Each successful applicant will receive £380, for their specific need(s).
Terms
• You apply as an individual. This means that another member of your household could also apply if they are in particular need.• It is the applicant’s responsibility to declare this payment where required by law, e.g. for tax or benefit purposes.• Normally, payments will be made directly to the applicants’ designated bank account by the fund administrator. If you need a cash payment for a specific reason, please inform the administrator. We cannot guarantee we will be able to make a cash payment.
Confidentiality
• Your application will be treated confidentially. It is sent to the fund administrator who will pass on the information you have shared in your application with one other trusted person appointed by the community council, to ensure there is an element of oversight to the fund administration. Outside of this process, your application is completely anonymous and your name will never be shared. Your application will be kept totally confidential and your name will never be published.• Minimal, confidential records are kept of your application by the fund administrator - limited to your name, the date of application, and (if you choose to provide it) the reason for applying. This information is used solely to confirm whether you have applied within the previous 12 months and to help identify any recurring community needs that may prompt the CCC to explore more sustainable funding options for the wider community. Any such reporting is always be anonymous.
Privacy
• You do not have to specify what you are intending to use the money for, although we do ask this routinely:
1. to help us administer the fund effectively,
2. to help us ensure that applications represent genuine need,
3. to enable the CCC/COCF to use this information anonymously for reporting to the CCC or elsewhere,
4. to help us identify any specific or recurring community issues that need a more continuous or sustainable solution.• The fund administrator will request your bank details, in order to make the bank transfer. These will be inputted directly into the administrator-operated COCF bank account to make the payment, and never copied elsewhere.
Right of refusal
• The CCC/COCF do reserve the right to refuse the application, although this has not happened yet. If your application were to be refused, the reason for doing so would be explained clearly.• There is no restriction on how many times you can apply to the fund, however, repeat applications may be declined in order to ensure the fund is shared fairly across the island community, or where a recurring need suggests that a more sustainable solution may be more appropriate.
Questions
If you have any questions about the Emergency Fund, please contact the administrator by email at [email protected] or by clicking here.
Emergency Fund - apply now
To apply, fill in the form below and click the send application button. Your form information will be sent directly to the fund administrator (Kate Ives).
Contact
To contact the administrator, please email [email protected] or fill in the form below.
Thank you
Thanks for getting in touch. Please note, the administrator works a maximum of four hours per month, but will get back to you as soon as possible.