SSE’s Griffin and Calliachar wind farm community fund has paid out over £1 million since it launched in 2011.
The fund has supported over 100 community projects in the last two years, including The Birks Cinema, Tayside Mountain Rescue and Birnam Arts Centre.
In the most recent round of funding £175,000 worth of grants took the total spend for the Griffin Calliachar fund in excess of £1,000 000. Successful applications included £5,000 to develop an educational woodland in Camserney, £629 for the Dunkeld Handbell Ringers and £75,000 to fund a community buy-out ofAberfeldyTown Hall.
John Swinney MSP said: “It is welcome news that the Griffin and Calliacher developments have jointly made over £1million in contributions to local projects. Many excellent initiatives have been supported as a result creating good community facilities and opportunities. I look forward to the fund continuing to make this positive impact on our communities."
Iain Menzies, Locus Breadalbane, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the grant to save Aberfeldy Town Hall from closure. The future of the hall has been in doubt for some years but the support from the Griffin and Calliachar fund means we can safeguard this key community facility and move forward with our plans for a major redevelopment of the building.”
Ciara Wilson, SSE Community Investment Advisor, said:“This is a fantastic achievement for the fund. In just over two years, over 100 community projects have benefitted; from small grassroots projects like the Dunkeld Handbell Ringers to major developments like the Birks Cinema. I am delighted that the fund continues to be received so well within the community and we’re looking forward to helping many more local projects in the coming years.”
The Griffin wind farm fund has an annual value of approximately £325,000 for community and charitable projects in Aberfeldy, Dull and Weem, Dunkeld and Birnam,Kenmoreand District, and Mid Atholl Strathtay and Grandtully. The addition of the Calliachar wind farm fund to the area in 2012 has increased the annual allocation to £392,500.
Over the 25 year lifespan of the wind farms, at least £15 million will be invested in the local area. Decisions on how this money is allocated are made by a panel of local people.
Picture shows young members of the Breadalbane Canoe Club on site at the new Aberfeldy Slalom Centre.
Some of the recipients of the Griffin and Calliachar wind farm fund:
Breadalbane Canoe Club
In February 2012, SSE awarded the Breadalbane Canoe Club £23,142 to set up the Aberfeldy Slalom Centre including an access path, a boat store, a dry meeting place, slalom gates and lighting.
Stephen MacDonald, Scottish Canoe Association Development Coach, said: “The new Slalom Centre was the culmination of two years of hard work by the volunteers of the Breadalbane Canoe Club in preparing the facility through numerous work parties and fundraising coupled with a significant contribution from the SSE Griffin and Calliachar community fund.”
Chapter House Museum Trust
In 2011, SSE awarded theChapterHouseMuseumTrust £50,000 to convert a disused public WC at Dunkeld Cross into a state-of-the-art museum archive space.
John Gray, trustee of the Chapter House Museum said: “Since the archive opening we have received visitors from far and wide who have been delighted by the collection and its new home. The Trust is frequently given donations of new material from local residents and we are so glad that this new resource has allowed us to preserve the rich history and heritage of Dunkeld as it should be.”
The Birks Cinema
In December 2011 SSE awarded the Friends of Birks Cinema £100,000 towards the redevelopment of the historic Birks Cinema in Aberfeldy.
Muriel Dunbar from Friends of Birks said: "The grant from SSE was a crucial component of the funding package to redevelop the Birks Cinema. It's wonderful that we have now achieved our goal to reopen this fantastic facility in Aberfeldy which has created 12 jobs and which we hope will provide a boost to the local tourism economy. The cinema is for the community first and foremost and so we are delighted by the overwhelming support that has been shown locally."
Dunkeld and Birnam Community Growing @thefield
In early 2012, Dunkeld and Birnam Community Growing were awarded £13,000 for a community growing initiative that brings local people together to grow organic food.
Dave Roberts, Chair of Dunkeld and Birnam Community Growing said: "With the support from SSE and the hard work from the members and volunteers, we have managed to grow and sell a wide range of produce from vegetables to flowers, from salad crops to herbs. Our recent SSE Griffin and Calliachar community fund award will help us build a new shed which will be invaluable to us for storing produce and equipment. The project has been a great success so far and we are excited to see what happens next.”