Norfolk, 21 May 2026

RWE, the UK’s largest power generator and a leading renewable energy company, is marking another year of community investment with the publication of its Community Benefits Annual Report, highlighting how locally led funding is delivering meaningful, long-term change in communities across the UK. 

In 2025, RWE’s renewable energy projects invested nearly £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.

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.

Recent funding has supported a wide range of community-led initiatives across Norfolk. These include projects that strengthen community spaces and connect people with nature, such as Elsing Woodlanders Club, which is creating a dedicated outdoor workshop space for young people to learn practical woodland and conservation skills, and Field of Joy in Reepham, which is expanding its work with young people through nature-based activities and launching a new intergenerational programme focused on organic growing and environmental stewardship. 

In addition, 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. 

Claire Mackintosh MBE, Chief Executive of Norfolk Community Foundation, said: “Strong partnerships make a real difference. We know that long term investment, shaped by communities themselves, leads to deeper and more lasting impact. We are proud to work together to support community led action rooted in local insight and focused on what matters most across Norfolk.”

Katy Woodington, Community Investment Lead at RWE, said: “So far the Norfolk Offshore Wind Farms Community Fund has focused on the communities closest to the projects on shore infrastructure. The early Discovery Round is already helping rural communities thrive by ensuring long-term investment is shaped by local priorities and delivered in partnership with the communities themselves. I’m looking forward to seeing this impact grow and spready as the fund matures over the longer term. By putting decision-making in the hands of people who know their areas best, we are supporting projects that can make a lasting difference for local people, places and the environment.”

Community Panel Member Dan said: “The people who know about any area are the people who live there and work there. This model of co-creation, asking people what they need and being responsive to those needs, is the best way to achieve the results we want.”

Norfolk Community Fund – key facts: 

• Up to £15 million investment over the lifetime of the projects 
• Early Discovery Phase funding already underway 
• Delivered in partnership with Norfolk Community Foundation 
• Focus on rural resilience, wellbeing, environment and connectivity 
• Funding decisions and strategic direction led by independent local panel members 

A new short film exploring the role of the Community Panel and the importance of local decision-making is available here.

With over £176 million dedicated to community projects across its renewable portfolio, RWE remains committed to putting communities at the heart of the energy transition, ensuring a more sustainable and inclusive future.

For more information, project stories and images, visit our community hub.

Pictures for media use (credit: RWE) are available at the RWE Media Centre, films of local community projects are here.

Downloads

You can download the press release here.