Innovative Westmill Wind Farm share offer

Westmill Wind Farm Co-operative Ltd. is seeking to raise £3.75 million to build the first community owned wind farm in southern England on the Oxfordshire/ Wiltshire border.

It is doing this through a Share Offer that will close on 28 February 2006. The Share Offer is open to individuals or organisations. The minimum investment is £250, the maximum is £20,000.

It is being supported and modelled on the Baywind Co-operative Wind Farm in Cumbria which has 1300 members and has been running successfully since 1996. Westmill also has widespread support from its local community including: businesses - The Midcounties Co-op; Councils - Faringdon Town Council; academics - Dr. Brenda Boardman MBE, University of Oxford; religious leaders - Bishop Crispian Hollis; climate change campaigning organisations – both Oxfordshire and Wiltshire Friends of the Earth; Government organisations - South East England Development Agency. It also has the support of the overwhelming majority of local people.

Westmill is a pioneering project that has been initiated and developed by individuals determined to take positive practical action in response to the threat of climate change. Westmill is more than the construction of 5 wind turbines; it acts as a focus encouraging the local debate about climate change, energy generation and consumption and how we as individuals and communities contribute to shaping the future. Westmill is setting up a template that communities across the UK will be able to replicate as a basis for establishing similar, community owned, projects.

Construction is due to start Spring this year, commissioning is planned for December 2006. The five wind turbines are predicted to produce 12.6 GWh/yr – equivalent to the domestic electricity consumption of over 3000 average households.

For more information visit www.westmill.coop. To request the prospectus phone 0870 234 2002.