West Yorkshire community literature festival extending its story with second Hook Moor Wind Farm fund grant

A thriving West Yorkshire community literature festival will be writing extra chapters in its story this year with the help of continuing support from the benefits fund linked to a nearby wind farm.

The Aberford Literature Festival is being extended to three days this year for the first time, with a full programme of events, workshops and performances taking place from Friday 19^th to Sunday 21^st June.

Speakers include renowned playwright and Wakefield Theatre Royal creative director John Godber, award-winning US writer Yvonne Battle-Felton and youth fiction author and chair of the Promoting Yorkshire Authors group Linda Jones, while BAFTA Award-winning CBeebies presenter George Webster will be the star of this year’s children’s author section.

Sponsorship for the 2025 Festival was provided by renewable energy firm OnPath Energy through the community fund linked to the Hook Moor Wind Farm, which is located just to the south of Aberford – and now, a further £3,000 Fund grant has been made in support of this year’s event.

The festival will see dozens of local children putting their best stories forward for a special competition, with each of the young authors receiving a copy of a specially commissioned book that features their work as part of the competition prizes.

A sonnet-writing workshop with poet Suzannah Evans and a session on independent publishing with successful local author Maria Frankland will also be taking place, while the ALFIE awards ceremony at which the children’s competition winners will be revealed will be held in the village’s Arabian Horse pub on the Sunday afternoon.

The festival is organised by the Aberford Authors group, which meets every month at the pub and is open to anyone who writes or would like to write – and after the formation of the Aberford Authors Drama Collective last year, performances of two radio scripts written by members will also be given.

The community benefits fund linked to the Hook Moor Wind Farm, which is now owned by leading independent renewable energy producer ERG and managed by OnPath Energy, delivers around £11,000 of funding for local good causes every year.

The fund operates in line with ERG’s ESG Plan objective of fostering shared value and supporting the sustainable development of the local communities hosting its renewable assets.

Most of the Festival’s events and activities are free to attend, with event funding also being provided by Leeds City Council, Aberford Parish Council and a number of other local businesses and charities.

Chris Berry, locally-based author and one of the organisers of the Aberford Literature Festival, says: “The idea for the festival came about after a World Book Day visit to Aberford Primary School three years ago, as a way of encouraging the children’s huge enthusiasm for books and writing.

“Our first two years have been extremely successful and there was a clear appetite for extending the festival into a third day this year, as well as increasing the range of events that we put on as part of it.

“The quality of this year’s speaker programme and the breadth of knowledge and insights that these successful writers will be sharing with us is far greater than might be expected of a community festival like ours, while the creative opportunities we’re providing for local young people will hopefully encourage many of them to one day follow in these authors’ footsteps.

“The standard of their work is absolutely amazing and giving them all a book which features their stories means they’ll all be able to say that they’re already published authors.

“The ongoing support we’re receiving from the Hook Moor Wind Farm Fund means we can plan ahead with confidence and continue to raise our ambitions for this year and beyond.”

Melissa Falconer, Head of Business Development UK of ERG, says: “In acquiring the Hook Moor Wind Farm, ERG has embraced the responsibility of upholding all commitments to ensure that the site remains both a producer of clean energy and a trusted “Good Neighbour” to the local community. 

“This means more than just providing support; it is about genuine alignment of values.  For the Group, being part of this landscape means looking after it, from supporting community events like the Aberford Literature Festival to caring for the wider environment.

ERG views the Wind Farm not just as an infrastructure, but as a “shared asset” held between the company and the community; a collaborative resource designed to foster a sustainable future where clean energy production and the preservation of rural heritage go hand in hand.”

Melissa Falconer. Head of Business Development UK of ERG

Tom Chaplin, partnerships and community manager at OnPath Energy, adds: “The Aberford Literature Festival has quickly become a highlight of the local cultural calendar and offers fantastic opportunities for people of all ages to get involved.

“It’s great to see funding from the Hook Moor Wind Farm Fund continuing to support its ambitions and to see how this funding is delivering tangible community value for local people.”

For more information on the line-up at the Aberford Literature Festival 2026, visit https://www.aberfordlitfest.com/ or https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/aberford-literature-festival-120975342814

Eligibility for the Hook Moor Wind Farm community benefits fund is normally restricted to projects and activities within the parishes of Aberford and Micklefield, but projects outside these areas may also be eligible if they can be shown to benefit people living within them. Environmental and community projects which are interested in applying to the fund should first contact the fund manager via apply@onpathcommunityfund.co.uk or on 0191 378 6342 to confirm that their group or project is eligible.