The Clyde wind farm community fund has awarded Biggar Museum Trust a £620,000 grant – the single largest award made through SSE’s Community Investment Programme.
The Clyde wind farm fund, provided by SSE, has an annual value of approximately £800,000 allocated for community and business development projects in South Lanarkshire. Over the 25 year lifespan of the wind farm at least £20 million will be invested in local projects.
South Lanarkshire Council, who administer the fund on SSE’s behalf, gave final approval for the Biggar Museum Trust project which has been in development since 2010. The Trust is responsible for one of the most comprehensive local museums in Scotland, covering the history of Biggar and Upper Clydesdale through collections built up over the past 40 years.
James Dawnay, Chairman of the Biggar Museum Trust, said: "We are absolutely delighted with this award. It represents a major element of the financing needed to build the new museum of Biggar and upper Clydesdale, a project that will not only safeguard the future of Biggar's unique collections but will also create a cultural hub for visitors and local people to connect with their heritage and enjoy a wide range of activities."
Chair of South Lanarkshire Council’s Enterprise Services Committee, Councillor Chris Thompson, said: "This project is great news for the people of Biggar and the surrounding communities. Hopefully it will attract people from far and wide and allow them to see for themselves the impressive collection of artefacts the Trust has collected over the years."
Ciara Wilson, SSE Community Investment Advisor, added:"SSE is proud to be backing a project of this calibre through our Clyde wind farm fund. The new museum has the potential to create significant economic benefits for the wider community by bringing new visitors to the area and supporting other local businesses in turn. It will be a great legacy for future generations."
In 2012 the Trust approached SSE’s Clyde wind farm fund with a proposal for a new museum which will relocate the existing collections into a single state-of-the-art space.
The total funding package for the new museum is expected to be £1.5 million and will be raised from a combination of grant funding and property sales.
The new museum is expected to deliver a positive economic impact of £88,000 per year for the local economy.
IMAGE: Foreground: Ciara Wilson, Community Investment Officer, SSE with James Dawnay, Chairman of the Biggar Museum Trust. Background: John Archibald (centre), Project Development Officer, South Lanarkshire Council with trustees of the Biggar Museum Trust.