Jessie James, Fund Manager
Jessie James is the Fund Manager for Pen y Cymoedd Wind Farm Community Fund, supporting applicants, funded organisations and partners across the Neath, Afan, Rhondda and Cynon valleys.
Jessie brings extensive experience across the voluntary, community and fundraising sectors in Wales. Before joining the Fund, she worked as Individual Giving Manager at UWC Atlantic, where she led fundraising activity, managed donor relationships and supported the development and delivery of grant and scholarship funding.
She also serves as a member of the BBC Children in Need Wales Advisory Committee, contributing to the assessment of funding applications from organisations supporting children and young people across Wales.
A fluent Welsh speaker with family roots in the Rhondda, Jessie has a strong personal connection to the communities supported by the Fund. She is passionate about community-led change, place-based investment and helping local organisations access the support they need to make a lasting difference.
The Fund was established by energy company Vattenfall to benefit the communities hosting the Pen y Cymoedd wind farm across the upper Neath, Afan, Rhondda and Cynon Valleys. It exists to support local people, groups and organisations to invest in themselves, their ideas and their communities.
The Community Fund has a substantial annual budget that is index-linked, meaning it increases in line with inflation. As an example, this equated to around £2.5 million in 2025. The Fund will continue to support communities until 2043, creating long-term opportunities for growth, resilience and positive change.
The Fund is managed by an independent, locally based not-for-profit Community Interest Company. It is overseen by a Board of Directors with strong local connections and delivered by a small but dedicated staff team with extensive community engagement experience. We are here to help ensure the Fund delivers on the vision and priorities of local communities.
Over the next 10 years, the Fund is focusing on investment in people, places and businesses — helping the Valleys to thrive, driving bold ideas, supporting transformation and creating lasting impact for current and future generations.