FUNDING from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks will help communities across the north of Scotland with energy issues such as resilience, heating and change over.
The Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Resilient Communities Fund is awarding over £140,000 to 15 community groups across its network area, with individual awards of up to £20,000 to help protect the welfare of those most vulnerable, enhance community facilities or services, or improve communication to support the local response in the event of a significant emergency event.
This year’s fund is particularly focused on projects helping vulnerable or isolated people living in the north of Scotland.
Lisa Doogan, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks’ Head of Customer Service and Stakeholder Strategy, said: “We’re delighted to see communities embracing the fund’s focus this year on building resilience and tackling issues of vulnerability across the north of Scotland.
“By funding projects to help protect the welfare of those most vulnerable, we can play our part in working with local groups and charities to build resilient communities now and for the years to come.”
Award decisions were made by a panel of representatives from The Scottish Government, Citizens Advice Scotland and Energy Action Scotland, and their considerations will now benefit community groups and organisations from the Highlands and Islands, Argyll and Bute, Tayside, Aberdeen, Orkney and the Western Isles.
Glasgow and Clyde RAYNET received £16,432 to enhance radio communication across the Argyll and Bute islands including Colonsay, Islay, Jura, Tiree and Coll by providing VHF sets for community use.
The voluntary organisation, in partnership with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, recently held free radio training workshops in Islay and Jura to improve the resilience of the local community.
Paul Lucas, Group Controller, Glasgow and Clyde RAYNET, said: “This fantastic grant of £16,432 means that we can assist by providing radio communications for local communities across the Argyll and Bute remote islands as well as supporting Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks engineers with additional radio communication support if required.
“We are proud to be able to support Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks and to have RAYNET in the forefront and working partnership under the Voluntary Sector.”
This is the fifth year of the Resilient Communities Fund, which has provided over £2.4m of funding to 362 projects across its network areas.
In addition to the Resilient Communities Fund, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks has been working closely with local communities across the north of Scotland, helping them create resilience plans for emergencies, such as adverse weather and possible power disruption during winter storms.
Find out more about the fund here.
Organisation Project Region Funded
| mina – the Muslim Women’s Resource Centre | To build the resilience of minority ethnic and Muslim women in Dundee. | Dundee | £13,323 |
| Appin Community Council | To provide two generator change over switches to Appin Village Hall and Port Appin Village Hall. | Argyll and Bute | £6,960 |
| Butterstone Village Hall | To install a change over switch in the remote Perthshire village. | Perth and Kinross | £1,877 |
| Creich Croick & Kincardine District Day Care Association | To provide a generator change over switch at an elderly service centre as the local resilience hub in the Bonar Bridge community. | Highland | £2,490 |
| Deaf Scotland | To raise awareness of deafness and build resilience within the deaf sign language using community. | Area Wide | £20,000 |
| Glasgow and Clyde RAYNET | To enhance radio communication across the Argyll and Bute islands including Colonsay, Islay, Jura, Tiree and Coll. | Argyll and Bute | £16,432 |
| Highland Senior Citizens Network | To build resilience of older people within harder to reach communities, better connecting those at risk during emergency events. | Highland | £19,941 |
| Mull and Iona Community Trust | To purchase an equipment bag for Community First Responders at Ulva Ferry. | Argyll and Bute | £1,463 |
| PKAVS Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub | To empower people on their mental health and wellbeing journey of recovery, building service user resilience. | Perth and Kinross | £10,000 |
| RoSPA Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents | To deliver Keep Kids Safe packs containing practical resources and useful information to families with children under 5. | Aberdeen and Dundee | £10,000 |
| Skeabost and District Community Council | To install a change over switch and develop a resilience kitchen for use in an emergency event. | Isle of Skye | £840 |
| Stoneybridge Community Centre | To develop a resilience hub at the local community hall to support the local response to emergency events. | South Uist | £18,000 |
| Tain Royal Academy ASN Parent Council | To provide an outdoor nurture/reading garden to allow children with Additional Support Needs (ASN) and children with mental health issues to thrive. | Highland | £2,500 |
| THAW (Tackling Household Affordable Warmth) Orkney | To support vulnerable households in Orkney, protecting their welfare and helping them stay warm in their homes. | Orkney | £15,000 |
| Wester Loch Ewe Trust | To support residents to access more affordable energy through research and IT equipment. | Highland | £1,526 |
